Bill Pascrell

Ritzy Morales of Passaic: Politicker photo 

DENVER - You can’t stray far from New Jersey’s ward politics here, not if you’re at the Hotel Inverness, where Ritzy Morales told PolitickerNJ.com that she definitely intends to run for mayor of Passaic.

A longtime director of constituent services for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Morales, 41, said she plans to submit 700 petitions to the municipal clerk in advance of the Sept. 12th filing deadline, and expects to have at least 400-500 of them certified to earn well over the required 200.

"The public has known me for a long time," said Morales, born in Paterson and a resident of Passaic for ten years. "I have strong values, and I wouldn’t even accept a cup of coffee from someone as mayor, because of the negativity left by Sammy Rivera. I would definitely stop corruption."

The day after FBI agents seized eight boxes of documents from the law office of Jospeh Ferriero, State Party Chairman Joseph Cryan said he does not plan to ask the Bergen County Democratic chairman to sit out the national convention, which starts next week.

Cryan’s answer to the question about Ferriero was straightforward.

"No," he said. "I’m not going to ask him to stay home."

The Bergen Record reported yesterday that agents stormed the offices of both Ferriero and Bergen County Democratic Organization attorney Dennis Oury.

Tricia Mueller, state director of the Obama campaign, would not comment on Ferriero’s troubles, saying only, "We’re completely deferring to the Democratic Committee."

In recent months, Democrats in general have questioned the timing and political motivations of U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, a likely Republican gubernatorial candidate.

The race for the 2009 Democratic gubernatorial nomination has begun, with Congressman Bill Pascrell and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo saying that they would consider running if the incumbent, Jon Corzine, decides not to seek re-election to a second term.   

If Corzine were to leave office early, Senate President Richard Codey would succeed to the governorship.  Codey served as Governor when James E. McGreevey resigned, and then backed down from a bid for a full-term when Corzine, willing to self-fund his campaign, secured the endorsement of key county Democratic organizations.  Codey, his friends say, is unlikely to back down again.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), right, with U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).: Politicker file photo 

On a regular basis now, Gov. Jon Corzine reminds audiences that he’s running for re-election. If he doesn’t end up running for whatever reason, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) says he wouldn’t mind personally stepping into the breach.

But whoever ends up out there on the barricade facing the GOP in a statewide race, Pascrell said his party should not fear likely Republican candidate U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, whom Quinnipiac University last week listed one point above the governor in a statistical tie - 41% to 40%.

Of his own gubernatorial run, "I would think about it very seriously," Pascrell said. "Right now I’m supporting the governor and I would urge him to run for re-election.

Steve Adubato, Jr., presides over a meeting between Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, center, and Sen. Joseph Kyrillos.: Politicker photo 

SPRING LAKE - They drove and were driven to the Irish Riviera from all corners of New Jersey, in cars with government plates on them and dark SUVs and sedans with tinted glass, sporting sunglasses and paunches covered with sports jackets, mostly Democrats and a handful of Republicans, converging on this mansion by the sea.

Congressmen and mayors and assembly people and state senators and opposition researchers and retainers.

Standing at the front of the Seashell Dining Room in the Breakers to greet them was Steve Adubato, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and welcoming smile - and casting an eye that invariably sharpens human activity into the lineaments of political theater.

"I believe in the luck of the Irish," said the executive director of Newark’s North Ward Center and head of the Democratic Party in the North Ward, facing a sun-filled room packed with rivals hunched over plates of eggs and bacon: Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican State Party Chairman Tom Wilson; former Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, and Assemblyman Albert Coutinho and Assemblwoman Grace Spencer; Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Montclair).

In this poor man’s Olympiad of Jersey ethnic groups gathered under one roof, Adubato highlighted - as he does annually at this North Ward Center-sponsored breakfast - the Irish, who now number 141,379 registered voters in New Jersey, or 47,514 Democrats, 36,063 Republicans and 57,802 independents.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6): Politicker photo

Based in part on U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s awarding of a potentially fat contract to ex-boss Attorney General John Ashcroft, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) don’t want U.S. attorneys appointing federal monitors.

To that end, they announced their intentions today to introduce legislation they say would take politics out of the appointment process, and prevent unelected officials from having "unfettered leverage against companies and corporations who have potentially engaged in criminal behavior," Pallone said.

As it is now, "The U.S. Attorney in this case has total discretion about when to decide who to appoint as a monitor and what the terms are," the 6th District Congressman told PolitickerNJ.com. "Everything we’re addressing is at the discretion of the U.S. Attorney, and it has led to the appearance of political cronyism and a lot of cynicism."

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), right, (with U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg).: Politicker photo 

Two New Jersey congressmen intend to announce tomorrow their plans for legislation to regulate how U.S. attorneys award federal monitoring contracts.

Their Washington, D.C. news conference comes as part of the fallout from U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s having awarded his former boss, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, a federal monitoring contract in which Ashcroft could make up to $52 million.

As part of their investigation, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) requested full disclosure of 85 deferred and non-prosecution agreements and lists of corporate monitors selected in 41 agreements.

Team Lautenberg may have handled U.S. Rep Rob Andrews (D-1) in the Democratic Primary, but the bats of U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell’s (D-8) Silk City Sluggers proved too much for the senatorial nine last night in Clifton.

Pascrell’s gang defeated Team Lautenberg 7-3 at Sperling Park.

Lautenberg pitcher Steve Lenox worked some guile on the mound, and centerfielder Michael Pagan pulled some bang-up plays, but ultimately to no avail.

Silk City manager and third baseman Fahim Abedrabbo of Clifton homered for the Paterson diehards, as did former Pascrell field rep. and current Lautenberg aide/team manager Michael Venezia of Bloomfield.

Jose Sandoval of Passaic City 

PASSAIC - In a room just off Passaic Avenue with the ceiling fan spinning down on about 30 people in early summer, Jose Sandoval starts with the Lord’s Prayer, then goes into his attack plan for the Nov. 4th special election.

Although he’s never held elected office, Sandoval’s been through this drill before, having run unsuccessfully for the Assembly against Gary Schaer in 2005 and the U.S. Congress a year later against U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8). 

A 55-year old Republican real estate developer and family man who owns three huge properties in the scandal-ridden city’s upscale section, he looks like a sharply dressed man of the people as he stands in front of a colorful banner with one word bigger than the rest: "Sandoval."

It’s four months before the election to fill the unexpired term of convicted former Mayor Sammy Rivera, and Sandoval’s talking strategy. He’s talking about getting voters registered and getting the elderly and infirm to polling places. He speaks fast and eloquently in Spanish.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today in Paterson 

PATERSON - It worked in 2006, and with time running out in which to prop up and target an upside-down President George W. Bush and his allies, senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez took a shot today in front of a Citgo gas station sign that read: Gas: $3.95, cash; $4.05, credit.

While station owner Fadi Sabbagh stood nearby with arms folded and the cars rumbled in and out on Chamberlain and Preakness, Lautenberg and Menendez laid siege to the Bush administration and their Republican helpmates over high gas prices.

"When you have two oil men in the White House, it’s not shocking to wonder where our energy policies are headed," said Menendez, who along with Lautenberg wants to reintroduce legislation that last week failed to reach the required 60 cloture votes (51-43) on the Senate floor.

The Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008 would roll back $17 billion in tax breaks to oil companies and green light the reinvestment of that money into renewable fuels and energy efficiency. It would also create a windfall-profits tax for the top five major oil-and-gas companies (25% on windfall profits), and make price-gouging for gasoline a federal crime.