Dana Rone

It’s no surprise, given his public comments the last few weeks regarding a possible replacement for former Central Ward Councilwoman Dana Rone.

But any doubt regarding where North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato stands in the special elections for her replacement on Nov. 4th evaporated on Saturday when Adubato prodded Charles Bell into a picture with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and local elected officials at the Flamboyan.

Running as part of Team Booker, Rone defeated incumbent Councilman Bell in the 2006 mayoral election. Citing Rone’s use of her public office to obstruct justice in December of 2007, an assignment judge this summer relieved Rone of her council seat and barred her from public office.

Newark Council President Mildred Crump with Brendan Gill, campaign manager for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park): Politicker photo 

DENVER - The Rone drama drones on even though it’s Denver and not Newark.

Mayor Cory Booker, who today is scheduled to speak at the Black Caucus Town Hall at the convention center, says he would prefer a woman representative in the Central Ward.

His first choice is ousted Councilwoman Dana Rone, whom an assignment judge released from her elected duties last month after concluding that the councilwoman’s punishment for using her office to obstruct justice merited being barred for life from public office.

Rone remains in appeals mode. Meanwhile, support for former Central Ward Councilman Charles Bell - vanquished by the Booker Team in 2006 - grows, according to Newark sources.

NEWARK - Former Councilman Charles Bell is generating considerable support in the Central Ward as Newarkers continue to jockey for position in the event that former Councilwoman Dana Rone loses her appeals and does not return to the governing body.

"I did pick up the petitions and I had more than enough as of last night's gathering," Bell told PolitickerNJ.com. "I am running, yes, but at the same time, I'm hoping Miss. Rone is successful in her appeals. That would solve my problems, but if she is not successful I am prepared."

In the community room of the New Hope Baptist Church on Tuesday night, Bell received the blessing of Central Ward Democratic Committee Chairman Dwight Brown.

Superior Court Judge Patricia J. Costello removed Dana Rone from her seat on the Newark City Council earlier this month for abusing her office when she interceded in a 2006 traffic stop involving her nephew. PolitickerNJ.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe has an interesting take on the matter: that New Jersey operates under a culture where the powerful and politically connected use their influence to get special treatment every day.

Whether its premium seats for concerts, special license plates and badges for judges and elected officials that send a not-too-subtle don’t-mess-with-me signal to state troopers and local police officers, or even the get out of jail free cards the PBA provides to legislators and political leaders in quantity to give away to friends (maybe even contributors), New Jersey politicos actively seek special treatment on a daily basis. So maybe Tornoe is right when he opines that there is some hypocrisy to the system, although his characterization is entirely generic – there is no confirmation that Costello or her family drives a car with judicial license plates.

At-large Councilman Luis Quintana: Politicker photo 

NEWARK - Coming off a press conference in which he stood with former Councilwoman Dana Rone, veteran Councilman Luis Quintana said he favors keeping Rone’s Central Ward council seat vacant until the public votes in a Nov. 4th special election.

"I’d be willing to introduce a resolution saying leave it alone," Quintana told PolitickerNJ.com.

Keeping the seat unoccupied makes sense from several vantage points, argued Quintana, an at-large representative who lives in the city’s North Ward.

Former Councilwoman Dana Rone greets well-wishers in City Hall Rotunda on Tuesday.: Politicker photo 

NEWARK - Former Councilwoman Dana Rone stood in the rotunda of City Hall today with her colleagues and in front of cheering supporters, apparently happy to be reunited with the Newark City Council.

"I'm grateful for the support of my colleagues," said Rone in a brief statement.

How far the council would go to support her was not clear on Tuesday.

The lower courts have rendered their verdicts, said West Ward Councilman Ronald Rice, but the Council intends to support the former Councilwoman as she continues to pursue the process at the appellate level and in the state Supreme Court.

Flanked by Rone, and fellow council people, who this morning in council chambers helped Rice pass a resolution in favor of standing beside the former Central Ward councilwoman, Rice said the penalty in Rone's case is too severe.

She's called a special meeting, but will Council President Mildred Crump and the council take substantive action tomorrow?: Politicker photo 

NEWARK - They could end up coming out of their offices tomorrow and standing unified behind their fallen colleague with a statement of support, but a prospective City Council vote on whether or not to replace embattled former Councilwoman Dana Rone summons an inevitable question.

Who would vote to replace Rone, and who would replace her?

The fact that Council President Mildred Crump called a special meeting tomorrow at a time when East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador is on vacation may indicate that Mayor Cory Booker - an ally of Crump’s - wants the council to move on the vote as quickly as possible.

Some Newark sources say Crump - not Booker - has more of a stake in would-be replacement Nikea White; and that is was Crump acting alone, not the mayor, who pushed for tomorrow’s vote.

A few days before Superior Court Judge Patricia Costello removed Dana Rone from public office, Newark Mayor Cory Booker approached Attorney General Anne Milgram to discuss the Central Ward Councilwoman’s situation.  Sources say that Milgram told him she could not discuss it with him – effectively shutting him down on the spot.  Booker also looked to Gov. Jon Corzine for assistance, but was told there was nothing he could do to help.

Newark City Council President Mildred Crump has called for a special meeting of the City Council to consider what to do with the council's vacant seat in the Central Ward.

Convicted of using her office to obstruct justice, Dana Rone last week lost her Central Ward seat after an assignment judge ruled against a state-recommendation of leniency.

Rone is lobbying the council to delay any vote on a replacement until after she has exhausted her appeals process.  

An appellate judge late last week upheld the assignment judge's earlier ruling, leaving Rone in pursuit of a reversal from the state Supreme Court.