Frank Lautenberg

Watch for New Jersey Democrats to consider legislation that will change the way the state fills vacancies in the United States Senate.  Now that Democrats have lost the governorship, some party leaders are concerned that Republican Gov.-elect Christopher Christie would appoint a U.S. Senator if Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who turns 86 in January, leaves office without finishing the final four years of his term.  Some Democratic leaders have already discussed a plan to take the appointment away from the governor and forcing a quick special election.  Jon Corzine could sign that bill before he leaves office in January.

Five years ago, when there was a good chance that Democrat John Kerry might get elected president, the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts Legislature changed the law so that Republican Gov. Mitt Romney could not appoint Kerry's successor.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) sent a letter to the Department of Justice today seeking an investigation into reports that Republican Christopher Christie was campaigning for Governor while still serving as the state's federal prosecutor.  Lautenberg cites published reports that individuals in the U.S. Attorney's office were coordinating some political activity with Christie.  And Lautenberg notes that the first meeting between a government cooperating witness and Democratic officials occurred the day after Christie's former counsel, Michele Brown, attended a campaign event at the candidate's Mendham home.

New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator has called for a Justice Department investigation into whether former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Brown aided former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s gubernatorial candidacy when she was still at the office.

"It is shocking to learn that a former deputy to Chris Christie was conducting a political campaign within the U.S. Attorney's Office,” said U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in a statement.  "It was particularly distressing that this raw political agenda came into an office with a historic reputation for fair and unbiased dispensation of justice, and Ms. Brown went so far as to try to bring political campaign objectives into the planning of law enforcement actions.   The Department of Justice must initiate an investigation into this matter.”

The New York Times broke the story on its Web site last night, citing three unnamed federal law enforcement officials who claimed that Brown wanted to move up the date of the July corruption sting to ensure Christie got credit for it, and was more involved in dealing with the Corzine campaign’s Freedom of Informaiton Act requests than previously disclosed.

A New York Times poll of New Jersey residents has President Barack Obama's approval rating at 62%-25%.  But nearly two-third of registered voters (65%) say that Obama’s endorsement of Gov. Jon Corzine will have no effect on their vote.  17% say it will make them more likely to support Corzine, and 16% say less likely.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) has a 38%-22% approval rating, and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) has an approval rating of 32%-22%.

U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman says he is running for re-election. .

U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) says he will run for re-election to an eighth term in 2010, "and for many years more." 

Rothman made his announcement hours after PolitickerNJ.com's The Inside Edge speculated that weak third quarter fundraising numbers could be a sign that the congressman was ready to retire.  Rothman made it clear he's not going anywhere.

"I wonder who gave out the creative writing assignment to suggest that I was retiring from Congress." Rothman wrote PolitickerNJ.com.  After all, I love helping my constituents, bringing an unprecedented amount of federal dollars back to many regions in New Jersey (as our only Democratic Appropriations Committee member); and working with my House colleagues and the Obama White House in matters of our national security and foreign affairs."

"My health and that of my family is good, knock wood, and I'm still able to make my mortgage payments.  And even after the ten Town Hall Meetings on Health Care I did in New Jersey in August--the most, by far of any of my Congressional colleagues--my approval rating in my district hovers between 68-70%," Rothman said.  "But above all else, I am having some of the most satisfying time as a public official ever."

Rothman says he does not obsess about running for the United States Senate. 

"While I did turn 57-years-old this week, let's remember that our longest-serving lion in the Senate, Frank Lautenberg  -- who we wish to serve till he's at least 120 --  didn't get to the Senate till he was 58 years old," Rothman said.  "As for dreams of Senate sugarplums dancing in my head, well, I remain committed to the notion that ‘what is meant to be will be'."

Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) has the biggest campaign war chest in New Jersey's thirteen member congressional delegation, with more than twice as much money in the bank as Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn).  Pallone has $4,012,918, while Rothman has $1,759,842.  Pallone raised $355,661 during the last quarter, while Rothman brought in just $25,212 - less than any other New Jersey Congressman from either party.

Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) has the lowest cash on hand - just $120,480.  He is expected to face a Republican primary challenge, possibly from former Holmdel Deputy Mayor Alan Bateman.  Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) has $195,210 in the bank, and still carries a debt from his challenge to Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Freshman John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), who won a House seat last year with 52% in a district the Republicans had not lost since 1886, has $1,193,060 cash on hand.  He raised $404,405 during the last quarter - the  best in the New Jersey delegation.  Another freshman, Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), has $314,755.

Paul Fishman will become New Jersey's next U.S. Attorney after a ten-year quest for the post.  His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate tonight.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) pushed hard for Fishman to get the post in 1999, when Faith Hochberg was nominated to a federal judgeship.  But Fishman got in the middle of a rather extraordinary public feud between Lautenberg and then-U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.  The Clinton administration sided with Torricelli, and when Hochberg resigned to take her seat on the bench (after a lengthy delay in the confirmation process), Attorney General Janet Reno elevated Torricelli's preferred choice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cleary, as New Jersey's interim federal prosecutor.  Cleary remained in office until George W. Bush nominated Christopher Christie in 2001.

President Barack Obama must now formally sign his commission; that could happen as early as tomorrow.  Then Fishman must arrange for a federal judge to swear him in; that also could happen immediately.

SENS. LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ, REP. SIRES, MAYOR SMITH ANNOUNCE $3.56 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BAYONNE FIREHOUSE

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) says that federal prosecutors should probe whether four New Jersey legislators violated any laws when they pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a medical device marketed by campaign contributors.

A New York Times story this morning alleged that U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) and Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park), and U.S. Reps. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) and Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), asked the FDA to reverse the recommendation of their scientists and approve a patch for injured knees that had been found to be unsafe.  The manufacturer, ReGen Biologics, Inc., made what the Times called "significant" contributions to their campaigns a few months before they intervened with the FDA.

DeCroce, citing OpenSecrets.org, a website that tracks campaign contributions, the four Democrats received a total of $26,00 from ReGen executives.  He wants the incoming U.S. Attorney, Paul Fishman, to make a probe of the congressional Democrats his first priority.

"This could be one of the worst cases of ‘pay-to-play' perpetrated by any public official in New Jersey," said DeCroce.

Menendez, Lautenberg, Pallone & Rothman Received Donations from ReGen Biologics, Pressured FDA to Approve Company’s Medical Device

Senator Robert Singer (R-30) urged Governor Jon Corzine to join his call for the United States Attorney’s Office to investigate shocking revelations that four New Jersey congressmen exerted pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to force the approval of a medical device after receiving campaign donations from several executives of ReGen Biologics, the producer of the device.

In a published report, the New York Times stated: “The agency has never before publicly questioned the process behind one of its approvals, never admitted that a regulatory decision was influenced by politics, and never accused a former commissioner of questionable conduct.”

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