U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-9) will not run for governor, sources close to the congressman tell PolitickerNJ.com.

Pascrell over the weekend signaled to political allies his continuing desire to remain focused on his job in Washington, D.C. and killed the guv talk, sources said.

While Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman earlier this year waged one of the most epic congressional primaries of the past two decades, U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5) absorbed much of the blame for the country’s woes – and none of the punishment.

The two Democrats savaged each other in a fight Pascrell finally won by concussive kayo, as the Tea Party-branded Garrett – who believes the country’s big government woes started with FDR - anticipated a walk-over general election, the consequence of Rothman’s decision to face fellow Democrat Pascrell rather than risk losing in a GOP-advantage district.

Now running against poorly financed Teaneck Deputy Mayor Adam Gussen, Garrett told The Hill last month he intends to pursue the chairmanship of the House Congressional Budget Committee in the event the Romney ticket wins on Nov. 6^th.

When the U.S. and the Soviet Union wanted to test out each other’s hardware, they found a place where their own civilians wouldn’t likely wake up with a megaton bomb on their front porch.

Hence, Vietnam.

That was what Germany and Russia did too, in the Spanish Civil War. They used the Castilian countryside as a staging area for their own coming roles in a world war.

So it shouldn’t have come to anyone’s surprise that when Hudson County’s two coldest neighboring warriors wanted to participate in more exhilarating running board and Tommy gun tactics, they relocated to the hillsides of Passaic County.

Operatives close to state Sen. Nick Sacco (D-32), including Hudson County Democratic Organization spokesman Paul Swibinski, sided with U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman in a 9^th District civil war-sized Democratic Primary. Eager to get into a firefight with Sacco’s people, state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-33) waited and watched the polling until he saw a chance to jump in with Rothman’s rival, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell.

PATERSON - Feisty underdog Bill Pascrell from Paterson beat Steve Rothman of Bergen County in the CD Democratic Primary tonight.

Few gave Pascrell a shot at the outset in a new district that favored Rothman on paper 60-40%, but it was Pascrell who ended up recording a 60% to 40% knockout of his same party rival and propelling Passaic County over the behemoth of Bergen.

"They had us flat on our backs and finished in February," Pascrell said yesterday on the campaign trail and today he showed spring in his 75-year legs as he romped to victory over Rothman with a huge plurality in his home county of Passaic, offsetting Rothman's built in advantage in occuping the bigger neighboring county.

A gratified local crowd packed a huge gym here at Passaic County Community College and cheered the big screen projection results.

Even if he wins next month, Democratic Party insiders wonder if U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) hasn’t irreparably damaged himself as a purveyor of party causes.

Certainly he buried any statewide pied piper potential he ever had, according to foes still stunned and vaguely angered by his decision to run against U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-9).

“That guy could have been a hero,” seethed an insider, reflecting on Rothman’s unwillingness to mount a general election campaign against Tea Party darling U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5). “He obviously had no faith in himself, and showed a split in the party’s feeling for him. I mean, let’s face it, half the district doesn’t want him in there.”

The most entertaining Congressional race in decades.

PATERSON - The ceremony honored the winners of county elections, but the war drums beat relentlessly under the currents of peace.

"Welcome to Pascrell country," grinned Passaic County Democratic Committee Chairman John Currie. "I will be counting on you, and we will be reaching out to you, and we will need you from now until June 5th. It's important for this great city for Bill Pascrell to be here for as long as he wants to be."

Moments later, at the front of the crammed room at the Passaic County Freeholders reorganization meeting, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) grabbed a microphone after the standing ovation that greeted his name.

Edged out of office in the 2010 mayoral election, former Paterson Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres told PolitickerNJ.com he endorses the re-election of U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) in the strongest possible terms.

When he learned Pascrell would be in a primary election dogfight with U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) as a consequence of redistricting, Torres said he immediately called Pascrell and told him the congressman could expect his full support.

HACKENSACK - U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) sat at the front of the chamber at One Bergen Plaza listening to U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman's (D-9) opening remarks on the occasion of the Bergen County freeholders' reorganization, an event that turned into a backdrop to Pascrell v. Rothman 2012.  

"Good evening, everybody," Rothman told the chamber. "Welcome to all visiting dignitaries. Welcome to Bergen County - the county I have lived in all my life, and where I look forward to continuing to serve."   

Hurricane Irene quickened a Republican Party collision course with itself, as Gov. Chris Christie today upbraided the GOP-controlled House of Representatives in the aftermath of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) public declaration that hurricane relief be offset by other federal spending cuts.

The fracas with Christie put the governor in a local foxhole with old foe U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)

"If Republicans want to block disaster relief, they will feel the wrath of everyday people," Lautenberg said in an email blast.