Barbara Buono

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), center, in the crowd today with Assemblyman Joe Egan (D-New Brunswick), left, and Middlesex County Freeholder H. James Polos.

EDISON - Against a landscape of Middlesex County Democratic Party strife, Vice President Joe Biden this afternoon stumped for Gov. Jon Corzine, arguing the international context of the recession, which he said Republican candidate Chris Christie has tried to pin solely on Corzine.

"Jon has said he governed in tough times," said the vice president. "Let's give him the chance to govern in good times."

Deadlocked with Christie, according to most polls, Corzine's handlers want him to repeat a double-barrel message from here until Election Day two weeks from now: remind people that he acted early to blunt the impact of the recession, and that the pro-unon, pro-choice, anti-gun incumbent shares the values of most New Jersey voters. 

Biden was here to amplify that two-pronged argument.

"Isn't it great we have Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House?" Corzine asked the crowd. "Their values are our values, right?"

Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), right, with Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange)

PATERSON - Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) won't deny that he's the missing link from Middlesex as part of a new legislative leadership package that would make him the next state Democratic Party chairman and successor to Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union).

"'If there's anyway I can augment that team, let me know,'" is how Wisniewski sums up his communications with the power brokers, describing the ins and outs of those talks as "internal party politics."

Appearing tonight at the Brownstone in Paterson at a fundraiser for Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), he said he would be interested in the job.

"One of the things that the state party chair needs to do - and this goes for whoever holds that position - is to build the roots of the party and encourage among young voters and new voters an identification with the Democratic Party," said Wisniewski.

If Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) wins her bid for Assembly Speaker, she will become the first woman Speaker since Marion West Higgins (R-Westwood) held the post in 1965, the first African American Speaker since the Rev. S. Howard Woodson (D-Trenton) served in 1974 and 1975, and the first from Essex County since Thomas Kean (R-Livingston) was Speaker in 1972 and 1973.

Democratic sources say that Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) has the inside track on becoming Senate Majority Leader.  She committed to support Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President before Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) did.  If Sweeney wins - he has fourteen of the 23 votes in the Democratic Caucus - and if Buono takes the number two post, it opens up the Appropriations Committee chairmanship.  There is some talk that Sarlo will take the Appropriations post and that Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) will become Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman.

There is speculation among key Democrats that Senate Judiciary Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) will endorse Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, possibly as early as this week.  Sarlo had previously refused to publicly state his preference, but late last week supporters of incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) had listed the Bergen County Democrat as one of their likely votes in the upcoming leadership fight.  Sarlo would represent a major defection from the Codey camp.

Sarlo's relatively early endorsement of Sweeney extends an alliance with South Jersey Democrats that began when he backed U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) over incumbent Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 U.S. Senate primary.  That alliance could help him win a race for Majority Leader, with Sweeney's backing.  Sarlo was Codey's candidate for Majority Leader in 2007, but was defeated by Sweeney.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie in between state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove), left, and state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City).

News about GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie's failure to disclose a loan to a former employee and report the income on his federal income tax and fallout from his pre-campaign discussions with Karl Rove have Democrats alert to shifting terrain in the gubernatorial election even if they remain guarded about the outcome.

Ahead by double digits through the bulk of the summer, Republicans say the headlines are inevitable campaign turbulence, and not even close to death spiral spasms.

"We'll continue to work contrasts between Jon Corzine and Chris Christie," said Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, who wouldn't identify this week as the first time in the cycle that Gov. Jon Corzine has appeared to have climbed off the political cold slab, a condition some polls have shown the governor to be in since he and Christie officially started their head-to-head rivalry back in June.

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) today stepped up the optimism.

"At this point it's a horse race, but I'm feeling very confident the governor will be successful," said the chair of the Senate Budget Committee and a prospective candidate for lieutenant governor until Corzine picked her colleague, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck).

Buono toured Indian-American businesses with Corzine today on Oak Tree Road in Edison in her first campaign appearance with the governor since failing to lock up the LG spot.

Gov. Jon Corzine campaigns earlier this week in Irvington with Mayor Wayne Smith.

A combustible gubernatorial campaign ignited this week with competing newsflashes that do damage in both camps - just how much damage is creating accelerated intrigue with 82 days until Election Day.

Republican GOP nominee, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, endured a headline and ongoing questions about conversations he had with Karl Rove, political mastermind for former President George W. Bush, still a radioactive presence in this mostly Democratic state.

But Corzine also caught newscycle flak this week.

Already trying to put distance on a bombshell from last month in which federal law enforcement officers arrested 29 mostly Democratic politicians and political operatives on corruption charges, the governor suffered his own headline headaches with news that 10 adult training programs run by the state Department of Human Service's Division of Developmental Disabilities blew $1.4 million.

In addition, Corzine fired former state PBA President Michael Madonna from his post as a Commissioner of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor after the New York Inspector General issued a report alleging considerable abuse, including "misusing federal Homeland Security funding, hiring unqualified cops, and allowing convicted felons to get jobs."

Gov. Jon Corzine and state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen).

Silver medalist state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen), who lost to state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) in the lieutenant governor's contest last week, objected to the way the New York Times characterized her in its Saturday morning coverage of Gov. Jon Corzine's LG drama.

Zeroing in on the 74-year old Weinberg's boss fighting resume, the paper described Buono, by contrast, as the "flashier" candidate and protege of jailed ex-Middlesex County Democratic boss John Lynch.

"I'm nobody's protege," said Buono. "I got to where I am because I worked hard. I'm very proud of that."

Several party sources confirm that Corzine was primed to pick Buono before Thursday, when the feds pulled busloads of shackled politicians and operatives charged with corruption up to the doors of FBI headquarters in Newark.

The governor almost immediately embraced obvious anti-boss poster child Weinberg, additionally a personal comfort zone choice for Corzine as the Bergen anti-establishment senator has been a longtime ally.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) looks to be winning the race for Lt. Governor, according to sources who are familiar with the selection process.  As of this afternoon, Gov. Jon Corzine appeared to be prepared to select Weinberg over State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) to be his running mate.

Gov.  Jon Corzine continues to wrestle with the selection of running mates and will make calls to the winners and losers tomorrow.  State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) began an extraordinarily turbulent day as the favorite to become the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, but sources say that State Sen.  Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) is still a viable candidate.