Gerald Cardinale

Bergen County Democrats knew this day would come sooner or later, and today they responded to the indictment of former state Sen. Joe Coniglio not with an outright defense, but with pleas withhold judgment.

Republicans, on the other hand, pointed to the indictment as another sign of what they see as endemic corruption in the Democratic Party.

“Senator Coniglio accomplished a great deal for the working families of the 38th District during his career,” said Bergen County Democratic Organization Chairman Joe Ferriero. “Our legal system is founded upon the presumption of innocence and it is my sincere hope that Joe's upcoming trial is an opportunity for him to reclaim the good reputation that he built through his years of public service.”

State Sen. Bob Gordon spent two terms in the Assembly beneath Coniglio, ascending to the Senate after Coniglio decided not to run again after being pressured by Democratic Party leaders. During the investigation, Gordon saw his own office’s records subpoenaed, although he was not a target of the investigation.

Fifteen State Senators who were elected in the 2003 election did not seek re-election in 2007 – a record number of voluntary retirements in a chamber where Senators are more likely to die in office than to walk away. The next Senate election is in 2011 -- in newly-drawn districts that will reflect the next census.

Three Senators on the possible retirement list are Republicans Gerald Cardinale, who will be 77, and Anthony Bucco, who will be 73, and Democrat Loretta Weinberg, who will be 76 in 2011.

Eighteen-year-old Matt Mowers has not yet started his second semester at Rutgers, but he’s about to begin a job as Executive Director of the Bergen County Republican Organization.

Mowers, who managed state Sen. Gerald Cardinale’s reelection campaign, will begin work on Wednesday, making him by far the youngest executive director in the state. He’ll do that while remaining a full-time student.

Assemblyman John Rooney says he may retireAfter serving in the Legislature since 1983, Republican Assemblyman John Rooney calls himself the Dean of the Assembly, having been there longer than any other current member.

But a combination of health issues and weariness of the way he says business is done in Trenton today has led Rooney to consider retirement, even after he won a solid victory in last month’s hotly contested election. Rooney, who at 68 is the youngest of the three 39th district legislators, will evaluate his political future after undergoing hip replacement surgery later this month. Depending on how his recovery goes, he may decide to retire early or not to seek another term in 2009.

Reflecting on his legislative record over the last 25 years, Rooney admitted that the current state of Trenton politics had him dispirited. And he had already been dealt a painful blow in 2006, after a well-funded Democrat tossed him out of the Northvale’s mayor’s office – a seat that he had held from 1979-1986, and again from 1991 until his defeat.

Is Kathleen Donovan headed to the bench?In Bergen County, Republicans only have one county-wide elected official: Kathleen Donovan, the County Clerk since 1988.

That could soon change.

Multiple sources from both parties say that Donovan’s name has been suggested to Gov. Corzine for a nomination to a Superior Court judgeship by Democratic state Sen. Paul Sarlo.

Donovan, a former GOP State Chairwoman and one-term Assemblywoman, would not confirm or deny the prospect of her taking a judicial post.

Loretta Weinberg has signed off on John Molinelli's renomination as Bergen County ProsecutorJust a month and a half ago, the re-nomination of Bergen Prosecutor John Molinelli to another five year term looked to be in jeopardy.

The revelation that he had accompanied outgoing state Sen. Joseph Coniglio on a trip to Italy while the Senator was under federal investigation raised doubts among top Democratic officials whether he should be reconfirmed. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Henry McNamara and Democratic Sen. Loretta Weinberg had already exercised senatorial courtesy for different reasons, refusing to sign off on Molinelli's nomination.

But today, the prospect of Molinelli securing another term looks much more likely, even if he has several more political obstacles to overcome.

CARABALLO: BIPARTISAN DEATH PENALTY REPEAL
'BASED ON FACTS, NOT POLITICS'

(NEWARK) - Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Wilfredo Caraballo (D-Newark) - sponsor of legislation (A-3716) to replace New Jersey's unused death penalty with life imprisonment without possibility of parole - issued the following statement in response to a press conference held earlier today by Senator Gerald Cardinale:

State Sen. Gerald Cardinale says comments condemning his re-election campaign as divisive are “vile trash” and labeled Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan a “racist.” During the fall campaign, Cardinale said his Democratic opponent, Joseph Ariyan, was backed by "those who support terrorism."

“I partially agree with Cryin’ Cryan,” Cardinale told PolitickerNJ.com in an e-mail. “Inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes any ethnic, racial or religious group has no place in a political campaign. That's why I was very careful with the content of my ads. We identified a particular group, ADC, as being supportive of Hamas, Hezbollah etc. Those are recognized as terrorist organizations. We cited numerous Internet references including the ADL's web site reference to a Washington DC rally for Hezbolla on 8/12/06.”

State Sen. Gerald Cardinale, right, chats with Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero at a party in Atlantic City this week
Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, the Democratic State Chairman, issued a statement condemning the "divisive" political comments made by Sen. Gerald Cardinale, and dismissing the Republican senator's post-election explanations as "empty excuses."

During the campaign, Cardinale said his Democratic opponent, Joseph Ariyan, was backed by "those who support terrorism."

Less than two weeks ago, State Senator Gerald Cardinale fought off an expensive and nasty battle for re-election to a ninth term -- but it looks like Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has been forgiven for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Joseph Ariyan's campaign. But Ferriero won something too: his Democratic challenger in Demarest unseated Cardinale's wife from the Borough Council.

And have you ever noticed Ferriero is a bit of a close talker?