Barack Obama

Senator Joe Pennacchio is counting down the days until Governor Corzine actually keeps his promise of transparency in the spending of $17 billion in federal stimulus aid. Is this aid going to generate the maximum amount of jobs for New Jersey, or is it being used as an election-year goody bag for the governor's supporters? It's impossible to know if the governor won't keep create a Web site that shows where the $17 billion is really going. 

Governor Jon Corzine was joined by President Barack Obama at a campaign rally in Holmdel, New Jersey yesterday in the latest attempt to inject some life into his flagging campaign. President Obama said Governor Corzine has been “tested” by the national recession. The results of that test are clear – Governor Corzine has failed and New Jersey families are paying the price. 

State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan

HOLMDEL - Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan told a brace of reporters jostled in the crowd outflow that Gov. Jon Corzine will not pick and announce a lieutenant governor tomorrow.

"Not happening," said Cryan, who received early criticism about how Obama appeared to use the venue more to talk about national healthcare than to discuss the particular merits of the incumbent governor by noting Corzine's standup for the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP).

"Those were two profiles in political courage on that stage today," said Cryan.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. It is good to see you. Hello, New Jersey! (Applause.) All right, everybody have a seat. Everybody have a seat. I want to begin by just making a few acknowledgements. First of all, I'm going to have a lot to say about this guy, but I just want everybody to know that one of my earliest supporters, somebody who had faith and confidence in me before I was a United States senator was the man standing next to me right here -- Jon Corzine. (Applause.) And so it is a special honor to be with him.

I've got a couple other friends I want to quickly acknowledge. Larry Cohen is around here somewhere. CWA -- right here. We appreciate you, Larry. (Applause.) President of the Communication Workers. We've got a couple of outstanding mayors -- the Pride of Newark, Cory Booker is here. (Applause.) There's Cory in the back. And we've also got the Pride of Jersey City, Jeremiah Healy. (Applause.)

I want to just say a little something at the top. As many of you may have heard, five officers were shot in the line of duty in Jersey City. Jeremiah -- I just saw him; we just discussed it. He may already be on his way back. Obviously we are watching this closely. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all the officers who have been hurt. And we are confident they are going to end up coming back strong as ever. But it's a reminder for all of us of the incredible sacrifice that our law enforcement officials engage in, and their families are part of, each and every day. So I hope everybody keeps them in their thoughts and prayers in the days to come. (Applause.)

It is great to be back in New Jersey. I'm proud to stand with a man who wakes up every single day thinking about your future and the future of this state -- and that's your governor, Jon Corzine. (Applause.)

Like many of us in public life today, Jon is a leader who's been called to govern at some extraordinary times. He's been tested by the worst recession in half a century -- a recession that was caused by years of recklessness and irresponsibility, and obviously had a disproportionate impact here in New Jersey, given the closeness of the financial sector to the state.

Sierra Club New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel continued his unrelenting assault on Gov. Corzine’s environmental record today.

Just two hours before Obama took the stage at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel to rally the Democratic base for Gov. Corzine, Tittel put out a release calling the governor “Unbama.”  

“The Sierra Club, which endorsed President Obama for election and has worked with his administration on many environmental issues, finds the differences between the Obama and Corzine Administration’s striking. In many instances when it comes to the environment they are on opposite sides,” said Tittel, whose organization yesterday issued a mostly negative report on Corzine’s environmental accomplishments.

• Cryan says there won't be an LG pick tomorrow
• Full text of President Obama's remarks
• Tittel: Corzine is bizarre-o Obama when it comes to the environment
• Cryan responds to Christie's Obama welcome
• Corzine on the GOP: 'no-bid contracts for their friends, and tough talk for everyone else'
• GOP protest Corzine from Holmdel hinterlands
• Booker slightly partial to Weinberg for LG
• Mueller moves to Corzine campaign
• Not auditioning for LG, Redd welcomes the crowd with Bush-Christie linkage
• Greenwald says he's not worried about the polls
• Pinkett versus Pinkston
• Cantor set to redeploy
• Filing in, getting set for Obama
• On a tragic day for Jersey City, Healy shows up to Obama/Corzine rally
• Webber says Corzine has a 'record of failure'
• Obama set to touch down amid Pinkett questions in Corzine land

HoLMDEL - Now Gov. Jon Corzine stands onstage in front of this PNC Bank crowd and almost immediately shares a memory of the small restaurant table meeting he had with President Barack Obama, back when Obama was a little known "lawyer with a funny name" and Corzine was serving as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Obama impressed Corzine, who backed him early in his U.S. Senate bid, and now it's Obama standing just off-stage - to back Corzine above this crowd of 17,500.

"Thank you for standing with me, God bless you," shouts Corzine, charcoal suit, silver tie. "For almost nine years, it's been my highest honor, my greatest privilege to serve the State of New Jersey. Today, I couldn't begin to express how proud I am and how humbled to introduce our new president, Barack Obama."

"The roots of this crisis are in a series of decisions in Washington and Wall Street, but...this is our time of renewal and we will succeed, right?"

The crowd gives a sincere enough roar.

Universal healthcare. Energy. Jobs. Economic recovery plan.

Tricia Mueller

HOLMDEL - State Director for President Barack Obama's New Jersey campaign, Tricia Mueller started her job this week with the Corzine campaign, she told PolitickerNJ.com. 

"State director of the 2.0 program for victory 09," said Mueller.

Chief political operative for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, Mueller is a Camden native with close ties to Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) and granddaughter of a Local 19 sheet metal worker who first started working campaigns for her father, a telephone installer who served as the youngest mayor of Oaklyn, New Jersey.

She received Corzine's personal imprimatur to serve as Obama's statewide director, and State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan told her last year to get ready for part two this year: Corzine's re-election bid.

Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg-Pool/Getty Image

President Barack Obama waves as he departs on Marine One for New Jersey, where he will campaign for Gov. Jon Corzine.

"I spell my name with two L's," veteran newsman Randall Pinkston, left, tells Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen, right.

HOLMDEL - Of course, no one gets five steps here without the name Randal Pinkett dropping sooner or later.

He's the rumored short-list candidate for Gov. Jon Corzine's lieutenant governor.

Body language abounds.

Even as state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) gives a shrug from the other side of the crowd as if to suggest she's out of the running but gave it a good try, at least, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) says he likes Buono for lieutenant governor.

Maybe Buono was just shrugging as if to say "no comment."

"I don't know the other candidates, but I know Senator Buono and I think she's shown leadership in the senate and mastery of a broad range of issues," says DeAngelo.