Frank Lautenberg

Defense attorney Joseph Hayden says he won't seek appointment as the U.S. Attorney from New Jersey

Joe Hayden, a prominent defense lawyer whose name has surfaced in legal and political circles as a potential pick for U.S. Attorney, took his own name out of the mix today.

“It is an honor that people within the legal community suggested that my name be considered as a candidate for the next United States Attorney,” said Hayden in response to an inquiry from PolitickerNJ.com.  “I have reflected upon it, but I am convinced that I have longstanding commitments to clients -- a half dozen clients -- that would not make this possibility feasible.”

Hayden represents Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero, who was indicted in September on eight corruption counts.  He also represents former Nets star Jayson Williams, who faces a retrial for manslaughter over the shooting of his limo driver in 2002. 

Senators Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken) and Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) both voted in favor of the automaker bailout that failed last night.

The purpose of the vote was to end a filibuster by the bill’s opponents. While supporters of the bailout had 52 votes in favor of cloture, they fell eight short of the 60 needed to proceed.

The vote was mainly, but not entirely, along party lines.

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is actively campaigning to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal when Barack Obama takes office as President next month.  McGuire, a two-term Sheriff and former policeman, has been using his political contacts to seek support from the two voters who will ultimately decide who Obama picks: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  McGuire's resume was submitted to the transition office last week.

Sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine, who does not have a vote in this election, is actively pushing Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff who now heads the police force of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

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President-elect Barack Obama won't make federal appointments in New Jersey, like U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal, without going through the state's two Democratic Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez.

There is no shortage of Democrats picking horses in the race for several top federal appointments in the new administration, especially U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal.  Gov. Jon Corzine has been weighing in with his recommendations, as have key Democratic leaders who supported Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton in the February 5 presidential primary.  One thing that ought to be crystal clear to potential federal jobseekers -- there are only two votes that matter: U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.  Ultimately, the White House will make no appointments out of New Jersey that don’t run through the two Democratic Senators.  That’s the way it works.

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Gov. Jon Corzine likes Joe Hayden, one of New Jersey's best criminal defense attorneys, for U.S. Attorney. Corzine also likes Sen. Frank Lautenberg's choice, Paul Fishman, and Attorney General Anne Milgram.

Gov. Jon Corzine is meeting with President-elect Barack Obama next week (along with several other area Governors) and could bring up his short list of three candidates for U.S. Attorney: the Governor likes Paul Fishman and Joseph Hayden, and Attorney General Anne Milgram.  And there are two names -- both former federal prosecutors -- sources say, that Corzine opposes to replace Republican Christopher Christie: Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow and Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin.   

It's possible that none of Corzine's three picks will get the job: Milgram would be opposed by some serious Democratic players, and Hayden has some pending legal matters -- he's the attorney for Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero who is under federal indictment and awaiting trial.  Fishman, who reportedly has the backing of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, is an interesting pick for Corzine: he's representing labor leader Carla Katz, the Governor's former girlfriend, in a lawsuit about private emails between the two. 

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

There are reports from some Democratic insiders that Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is testing the waters to see if he can become the next U.S. Marshal from New Jersey -- a race where there are essentially two voters, U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.  Both Senators enjoy a good relationship with McGuire.

McGuire, who was not included in early Democratic short lists because of his interest in running for Bergen County Executive in 2010, is suddenly warming to the idea of leaving his county post to succeed James Plousis, a Republican who is expected to leave office at the end of the Bush administration.  

If McGuire resigns to become federal marshal, Gov. Jon Corzine would appoint an Acting Sheriff to replace him.  That could be problematic for the Governor, since he would need sign off from at least four State Senators from Bergen County to get the Senate to confirm his nomination -- not an easy task, since he'll need Paul Sarlo and Loretta Weinberg to back the same candidate.

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Port Authority Police Superintendent Samuel Plumeri has won key support to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal

Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff and Democratic County Chairman, is emerging as a leading candidate for U.S. Marshal, according to Democratic sources.  The current Marshal, James Plousis, a Republican and former Cape May County Sheriff, is expected to resign by Janaury 20, 2009, so that Barack Obama can nominate his own candidate, with the advise and consent of New Jersey's two U.S. Senators.  Sources say that Plumeri has the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine, and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, though uncommitted, reportedly has no problems with Plumeri.  The state's other U.S. Senator, Robert Menendez, has not yet indicated a choice.

The 61-year-old Plumeri has served as Director of Public Safety and Superintendent of Police for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  He joined the Port Authority as New Jersey Director of Government and Community Affairs in 2002 after narrowly losing a bid for State Senator to GOP incumbent Peter Inverso in 2001. 

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John Dingell, ousted as chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, is reportedly mulling a challenge to Frank Pallone for the Health Subcommittee chair

Most New Jersey Congressmen won’t comment on the potential chairmanship fight for the influential Health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. For the past two years, that subcommittee has been chaired by New Jerseyan Frank Pallone.

Last week, Pallone played a role in the ouster of John Dingell, the 82-year-old longtime Energy and Commerce Chairman. Dingell, a Congressman since 1955, lost to Henry Waxman in a vote of the House Democratic Caucus. Now Dingell may want a consolation prize: Pallone’s subcommittee chairmanship.

Only Democratic members of the Energy and Commerce Committee have a vote on the matter, and the only New Jersey Congressman who’s also on that committee, Mike Ferguson is a Republican who’s retiring at the end of the session.

But, although their support wouldn’t translate into a vote, there’s no reason to doubt that most of the delegation would back Pallone. Six of the seven other Democrats (including incoming U.S. Rep. John Adler) last week supported Waxman -- only one New Jerseyan, Rob Andrews, supported Dingell, and worked as a whip for his reelection effort. Andrews has not had a particularly friendly relationship with Pallone since he challenged U. S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg in a primary this year.

So would Andrews back Dingell if it came down to it? His spokesman, Francis Tagmire, kept the answer vague.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone will become more powerful with the victory of Henry Waxman in the race for House Energy and Commerce Chairman

Henry Waxman defeated John Dingell by 15 votes today to win the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the most powerful posts in Congress.  One of the big winners of the day was New Jersey’s Frank Pallone, who played a key role in Waxman’s successful insider effort.  Pallone, who chairs the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, is likely to have expanded clout under Waxman.   Sources suggest that seven of eight New Jersey House Democrats backed Waxman; Rob Andrews was a whip in Dingell’s losing bid for re-election.

There is some irony to Andrews’ role in helping to re-elect an 82-year-old chairman who has been elected to Congress 27 times, considering his own challenge to 84-year-old incumbent Frank Lautenberg in the 2008 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.  Dingell was in Congress for 27 years before Lautenberg won his campaign.