Alex DeCroce

From left: Roberts, Sweeney, Aron, Kean and DeCroce

ATLANTIC CITY - NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron has a panel on a stage here in one of the break-out-rooms of the Atlantic City Convention Center.

It's a familar group of legislative leaders, but in place of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) sits Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

The Sweeney for Codey swap for this public television show taping anticipates Monday's senate Democratic caucus vore when Sweeney figures to defeat Codey.

So it's Sweeney and outgoing Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) versus Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) on an Aron-anchored On the Record episode to air this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

It's just starting.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield), left, and Sen. Robert Gordon (D-Paramus).

ATLANTIC CITY - The legislative leadership transmogrifications are evident at the Atlantic City Convention Center, even if the good government intentions are nowhere visible outside whatever sessions convene behind closed doors.

A lot of people are talking about Senate President Richard Codey's party last night.

"An Irish wake," is how Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel describes the event.

More than a few people note that Codey appeared unflappable - even merry.

"Personable is not personal," explains another insider. "You have to understand the Irish. Whatever he's feeling inside, however personal he's taking this, will not take away from his ability to be personable."

Republicans have hired Benjamin Ginsberg, one of the nation's top election law experts, as national counsel for legislative and congressional redistricting in 2011.  Ginsberg served as counsel to the Bush/Cheney campaigns in 2000 and 2004, and has worked for the Republican National Committee.  His appointment was announced jointly by GOP State Chairman Jay Webber, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield), and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany).

As State Chairman, Webber will name all five Republicans on the legislative redistricting commission - presumably in consultant with Kean, DeCroce and Gov.-elect Christopher Christie.  For the congressional redistricting commission, Webber, Kean and DeCroce each get two appointments.

The Ginsberg appointment marks an unusually early start for Republicans on redistricting.  Democrats started their redistricting process back in 1999, more than a year before the GOP.

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-Ocean) with her daughter, Toni, a Matawan councilwoman-elect.

The Chris Christie cabinetmaking process has begun and among insiders talk inevitably turns to Republican candidates who are already out there in the public sphere with specific expertise - people like Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany), Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini (R-Ocean) and Assemblyman John Amodeo (R-Margate), among many others.

"If Chris Christie asked me, I would take it under serious consideration," said Angelini, the executive director of a youth nonprofit whose name has surfaced early as a possibile commissioner of human services in a Christie administration.

"I'm happy where I am," added the assemblywoman, who had several reasons to celebrate last Tuesday night.

Not only did the Monmouth County-based legislator's choice for governor win, but she and her running mate Assemblyman David Rible (R-Wall) won by larger margins than two years ago, and her daughter, Toni, was elected to the Matawan Borough Council.

Toiling in the minority for the past two years with a Democratic governor in charge, Angelini said she never knew a different Trenton terrain, and is thrilled now to be a forward observer to a change in her party's favor on the executive side of government.

The Assembly Republican caucus this morning reelected Assembly Mniority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) to a fourth consecutive term. 

Support was unanimous.

After threatening, Assembly Conference Leader Pete Biondi (R-Hillsborough) ended up not challenging DeCroce, who is rumored to be a short list candidate for the cabinet of Gov.-elect Chris Christie.

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) this morning received his caucus's backing to be conference leader and Assemblyman Dave Rible (R-Wall) moved up to become whip.

Expect increased speculation over the next few weeks that Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) will seek a cabinet post in Gov-elect Christopher Christie's administration.   That would trigger a contest for his Assembly leadership post, and a special election convention for his District 26 Assembly seat.  Through the campaign, DeCroce has maintained that he was not interested.  That could change now. 

DeCROCE TO CRYAN: COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany)

If Republicans fail to make significant gains in the legislature this year, the political fate of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) becomes a question mark, despite the avowed strength he has in his own caucus.

A coup launched by Assemblyman Pete Biondi (R-Hillsborough), the Republican conference leader, and Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham Twp.) fizzled last month when Biondi, working in tandem with Merkt, couldn't scrape together sufficient support to threaten DeCroce.

But Assembly Republicans in conversation lay out the contests where they hope to win, and a list that has at various times included districts 14, 19, 36 and 22, now most emphatically begins with District 1, with the other theatres of endeavor offered more faintly in a hard luck economy where the GOP has failed to match the Democrats in fundraising.

DeCROCE: ARE DAGGETT AND CORZINE CONSPIRING TO DECEIVE VOTERS?

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today that two new reports by independent research organizations show New Jersey’s economy continues to suffer despite Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s claims that his policies have put New Jersey on a path towards recovery.

            “There has been wave after wave of bad news about New Jersey’s economy but the governor continues to pretend that conditions are dramatically improving,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. “No matter how hard he tries to spin a yarn about the ‘Corzine recovery,’ people who have lost their jobs and their homes know better.”

            Statistics released by RealtyTrac show home foreclosure filings in New Jersey rose 44.5 percent from the level posted in the second quarter of the year, placing the state 10th in national rankings. Figures for New York and Pennsylvania were considerable smaller, and Delaware even reduced its foreclosure rate.

            “Once again, New Jersey’s performance is weaker than every one of our neighboring states,” DeCroce noted. “This week we found out that our unemployment rate is continuing to rise while the number of jobs in the private sector is dropping. None of our neighbors are doing as poorly as we are under Jon Corzine. Yet the governor insists that his decision to impose higher taxes on people and businesses in the midst of a recession has nothing to do with the fact New Jersey continues to under-perform.”

            Another disappointing sign is that New Jersey continues to rank high on the latest “Adversity Index” prepared by Moody's Economy.com and msnbc.com. According to latest index, the state of New Jersey is still listed in the “recession” column. Out of 384 metro areas in the nation, 79 are in recovery, according to the August data on jobs, manufacturing and housing. Only two of the 10 “metro areas” that cover New Jersey showed any sign of improvement. The rest are still considered to be in a full-blown recession.