Barack Obama

Paul Fishman will become New Jersey's next U.S. Attorney after a ten-year quest for the post.  His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate tonight.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) pushed hard for Fishman to get the post in 1999, when Faith Hochberg was nominated to a federal judgeship.  But Fishman got in the middle of a rather extraordinary public feud between Lautenberg and then-U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.  The Clinton administration sided with Torricelli, and when Hochberg resigned to take her seat on the bench (after a lengthy delay in the confirmation process), Attorney General Janet Reno elevated Torricelli's preferred choice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cleary, as New Jersey's interim federal prosecutor.  Cleary remained in office until George W. Bush nominated Christopher Christie in 2001.

President Barack Obama must now formally sign his commission; that could happen as early as tomorrow.  Then Fishman must arrange for a federal judge to swear him in; that also could happen immediately.

ATLANTIC CITY - Gov. Jon Corzine never forgot how to pronounce the word "union," Vice President Joe Biden told leaders of the New Jersey AFL-CIO this morning in an impassioned speech with less than a month to go before Election Day as Corzine runs neck-and-neck with Republican challenger Chris Christie, according to the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University poll. 

"I'm here for two reasons," said Biden. "First and foremost is to support my friend, Barack's friend, Jon Corzine. We made a decision that the first guy we committed to do anything we could do is Jon Corzine."

The other reason is to say thank you, said Biden, who laid the groundwork early in the speech for an old friends, shared values atmosphere to contrast sharply with what he identified as an intentionally vague GOP in the aftermath of the Bush era.

"I'm proud to stand here today, as I have year after year for the last 37 years with New Jersey labor, campaigning with you and for you, and also, with you campaigning with me," the vice president said. "I would not be standing here today without many of you in this room. You've been my second home. You've literally had my back."

To labor chants of "Yes, we can" and a howling standing ovation, a smiling Biden arrived out of the rain at the Borgata Casino on the second day of a two-day labor conference to gin up the ground game captains for what Corzine hopes will be GOTV dynamite.

"Today is 27 days out, and we need to have for the next four weekends, 1,200 volunteers out on weekends, that's our goal," said AFL-CIO President Charlie Wowkanech. "It's because of your efforts so far that this thing has gotten so close. ...This Nov. 3rd, we are going to put our best foot and exceed the Jim McGreevey 1.2 million members on votes for Jon Corzine. That's what it's all about."

Democrats have a fourteen point voter registration edge over Republicans in New Jersey, 34%-20%, according to a summary released by the state Division of Elections last Thursday.  But nearly half of New Jersey voters (46%) are not affiliated with a political party.

Since October 2008, Democratic voter registration has actually declined, by 15,430 voters, while the number of registered Republicans has increased by 6,794.  The total number of registered voters in New Jersey has decreased by 142,328 over the last year.

Unaffiliated voters, commonly but incorrectly referred to as independents, represent the largest voting bloc in 19 of 21 counties.  Only Essex and Hudson have less unaffiliated voters than registered Democrats.

Democrats have a voter registration edge in fifteen counties, while there are more Republicans than Democrats in only Cape May, Hunterdon, Morris, Ocean, Sussex and Warren counties.  A surge in party registration in 2008, likely to participate in a February Democratic presidential primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, helped Democrats take the voter registration lead in Burlington, Monmouth and Somerset counties.  Republicans control county government in Burlington and Somerset, and had a majority on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders until ten months ago.

A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll shows President Barack Obama with a 52%-39% job approval rating among likely voters in New Jersey - relatively close to the 56%-39% Obama approval ratings in yesterday's Quinnipiac University poll.

Among undecided likely voters, Obama has a job approval rating of 52%-21%.  But independent voters are split, 41%-42%.

Corzine campaign billboard in Orange

ORANGE - A hoarse, fatigued-looking Gov. Jon Corzine told a crowd of African-American ministers and supporters today that he believes he deserves the support of a community that backed him with numbers adding up to 90% in the last election.

Street sources say urban support is soft now for the incumbent governor, particularly when compared with the outpouring of urban black voters for Barack Obama last year, a disparity so obvious that gin-up "Keep it Going" billboards featuring Corzine and Obama stand all over key New Jersey cities, including this one.

"I support the President lock, stock and barrel," Corzine told his audience at AME Church on Wednesday afternoon, answering a question about why he diverges from Obama on the issue of merit pay for teachers.

President Barack Obama has seen a small climb in his popularity among likely New Jersey voters over the last 29 days, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. Obama has a 56%-39% approval rating, up from 51%-43% on September 1.  Obama is at 89%-8% among Democrats, 23%-71% among Republicans, and 50%-44% among Independents.

Early in the year, when President Obama enjoyed a strong honeymoon upon Inauguration, it appeared that the new national mood would be a strong wind at Governor Corzine's back.

As the year went on, however, especially in late summer, rising public discontent with ObamaCare brought President Obama's approval ratings back down to earth.  Town hall meetings across the country, even in blue Jersey, served as barometers of a restless public mood.  Indeed in some NJ polls, independent voters were evenly divided on the President's job approval, a stunning drop from just months earlier.

However, I believe that the President's effort to use his popularity to re-frame the health care debate has paid off.  His address to Congress, his ubiquitous appearances on news interviews and late-night programs, and a more aggressive and sharper defense of his programs from allies and Congressional Democrats has aided, in my opinion, a more favorable political climate for Democrats then one month ago.  While NJ's economy  may not be improving, the recent increases in the stock market, and improving national indicators will serve to boost the public mood.

Paul Fishman could be sworn in as United States Attorney within a week, although delays are inevitable - especially if Democrats prefer that the new federal prosecutor not be the one to sign off on requests for documents from Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fishman's nomination today.  Now the full Senate must vote on his confirmation, which is expected to come on the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  That could be as early as Tuesday.  After that, President Barack Obama must formally sign his commission; that could happen on the same day as the Senate vote, or a few days after that.  Then Fishman must arrange for a federal judge to swear him in; that also could happen immediately.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet at 10AM today to consider the nomination of Paul Fishman as the U.S. Attorney from New Jersey.  Fishman was nominated earlier this year by President Barack Obama after winning the recommendation of New Jersey's two U.S. Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FISHMAN'S JUDICIARY COMMITTEE QUESTIONAIRE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LIVE WEBCAST

Democrats have a real problem in New Jersey, if a new poll released by Public Policy Polling, a North Carolina-based firm that polls mostly for Democratic candidates and Democratic-leaning interest groups, is correct.  The poll has President Barack Obama’s favorables upside-down among N.J. voters, 45%-48%.

The poll has New Jersey’s two Democratic United States Senators also upside-down: Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) has approvals of 38%-44%, and Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) has approvals of 27%-40%. 

“There are more Obama voters in New Jersey now who don’t approve of him than there are (John) McCain voters who believe he’s doing a good job,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “This is the first time we’ve found that anywhere and it makes you wonder how effective Obama’s really going to be on behalf of Jon Corzine.”

The weirdest part of the poll: 21% of New Jerseyans believe Obama is not a natural born citizen, 19% say George W. Bush had advance knowledge of 9/11, and 8% say Obama is the Anti-Christ.