Donald Payne

NEWARK - An incident caught on police camera a year and a half ago proved the downfall of Central Ward Councilwoman Dana Rone, as Essex County Judge Patricia Costello on Tuesday morning decided that Rone would have to give up her office as a councilwoman.

"The state's request for a waiver of forfeiture is denied," said Costello, in response to an 11th hour letter sent to the judge by Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, who reversed an earlier recommendation of forfeiture.

"I find that whether an individual is fit to serve public office is not sufficient reason to waive forfeiture," the judge said to one of the arguments offered by Rone’s lawyer, Raymond Hamlin.

Costello ruled that it is "abundantly clear" that on Dec. 20, 2006, Rone used her office to obstruct justice, and contributed to heightening emotions - not diffusing them - at a Rutgers University police traffic stop of her nephew.

NEWARK - Coming off a big Election Day loss, South Ward Councilman Oscar James IICouncilman Oscar James II said the combination of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) and the Democratic Party organizational line made it difficult for his team to get traction.

"The line hit us hard," said James.

Moreover, the fact that James was trying to get voters to go to two separate lines proved problematic. 

Along with former Freeholder candidate Terrance Bankston, James launched a two-front offensive in the South Ward, working to elect U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1), and to elect county committee district leader candidates for the Booker Team.

His team ended up winning just seven out of 82 candidates in the South Ward against candidates backed by Payne, according to the Essex County Clerk’s Office.

Mayor Cory Booker last night in the Central Ward. 

NEWARK - After his loss on Monday night, the last one of this cycle to draw his record to 0-3 in ward fights, Mayor Cory Booker walked outside in the Central Ward and was swarmed instantly by children.

"Mayor Booker!" they shouted. "Mayor Booker!"

They wanted to play in the middle of the heat wave that caused several power outages in the city on Monday, and Booker indulged them, even as his detractors seethed.

"He just got his butt kicked and he’s outside playing Simon Says," said a Newark operative.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) basks in victory on Election Night in Newark.

The trouncing Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) gave U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) last week sends the South Jersey congressman to the back of the line among those Democratic members of the congressional delegation intent on succeeding the 84-year old senator.

It depends on the region where the question is asked, of course, but among those eyeballing Lautenberg’s seat, the names of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), U.S. Rush Holt (D-12), and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) surface more frequently than U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D- 13).

Newark City Councilman Augusto Amador no longer wants to be considered a member of Team Booker after the Mayor Cory Booker ran County Committee candidates against him and his East Ward allies. There are also reports that State Senator Ronald Rice is negotiating a deal with Newark Democratic leader Steve Adubato to keep Freeholder Blonnie Watson as Central Ward Democratic Chairman. Booker is backing Jermaine James for the post, and Dwight Brown is also running.

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), left, and his son Freeholder and Councilman Donald Payne, Jr. 

The Election Day fight for county committee ward leaders in three of Newark’s five wards so far resulted in no stop-the-presses gains for Mayor Cory Booker, who felt the particular sting of losing to candidates fielded by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) and his allies in the South Ward.

Donald Payne, Jr., campaigns down to the wire in the face of an off-the-line challenge engineered by Booker allies. 

NEWARK - The Andrews-Lautenberg battle might as well be some other era’s war here in the South Ward, where U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) and his "B" line allies are trying to withstand a line "E" challenge by Mayor Cory Booker and the South Ward Independent Democrats.

The city’s been quiet all day for the most part - except here, and now is no exception. The mood intensifies.

"Ward control," says Assemblywoman Grace Spencer (D-Newark), when asked what’s at stake here on Election Day. "The fight isn’t at the top of the ticket. For once the fight is at the bottom of the ticket, way at the bottom, county committee."

North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato heads into the Flamboyan this morning for a report on voter turnout. 

NEWARK - The Essex County Democratic Committee want voters to make a beeline to the "B" line in today’s election, which features battles at all levels in a political environment that so far can be characterized by very low-turnout.

NEWARK - Facing an uprising in the South Ward by a strange alliance of Mayor Cory Booker allies and backers of U.S. Senate candidate Rob Andrews, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) continues to condemn Andrews as one of the architects of the Iraq War resolution.

"As we see in this latest book that Bush's media person (former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan) put out, we knew it was a flawed policy," said Payne, who voted against the 2002 authorization to go to war. 

In a confusing political battle here, Booker is allied with Payne in their mutual endorsement of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), even as the mayor's South Ward surrogates are allied with Andrews as part of Booker's local fight against Payne for county committee seats.

Lautenberg in the mix. 

NEWARK - He says he’s the fighter who never forgot down deep that he’s working class, and on the last Friday before Election Day, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) headed to the docks to collect the endorsement of members of locals aligned with the International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO (ILA).

"Like you, I have an attachment to a union, only it was through my father," the senator told the crowd of over 200. "My father worked in the silk mills of Paterson, like his father did and his uncle and his brothers. And they tried their best. They tried their best... to get a union, and got beat up but eventually it happened."

The workers here handled $100 billion in goods in 2003 and unloaded 2.6 million tons in 2006. At this the world’s second busiest cargo terminal, the cheers come with any mention of a union fight and with every exhortation to be number one.