Harry Reid

There is another delay in the nomination of Paul Fishman as New Jersey's next United States Attorney.  The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved Fishman's nomination on September 24, along with federal prosecutor nominees from Hawaii, Nebraska and the Western District of Washington.    The next morning, Majority Leader Harry Reid put all four nominees on a list to be included in the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  On September 29, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the other three U.S. Attorney nominees, but not Fishman.  That means at least one U.S. Senator has raised a private objection to the nomination.  Democrats might prefer that the new federal prosecutor not be the one to sign off on requests for documents from Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign regarding the former U.S. Attorney, GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) this morning put U.S. Attorney-designate Paul Fishman on a list of nominees to be included on the next unanimous consent calendar vote.  If no Senate raises an objection to Fishman, he could be confirmed by the U.S. Senate early next week.

It's no secret that Christopher Christie is the preferred candidate of Republican Governors Association, which clearly views the former U.S. Attorney as their best shot at defeating Gov. Jon Corzine this year.  That's why some party insiders are wondering why the national GOP appears to be sitting idly by as national Democrats - specifically the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, has purchased about $900,000 worth of New York and Philadelphia TV ads attacking Christie in an attempt to influence the outcome of the GOP primary.

The Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, a Washington-based organization with ties to Democrats, has purchased about $900,000 worth of New York and Philadelphia TV ads attacking GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.  According to filings with the Internal Revenue Service, the political organization, which will not need to disclose their donors until July, is run by Sean Sinclair, a Democratic strategist who ran Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 2004 re-election campaign.  The ad ties a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint against Todd Christie, the candidate’s brother, to the award of a lucrative federal monitor contract to David Kelley, who as U.S. Attorney in New York declined to prosecute Todd Christie.

Reid served in the Senate with Gov. Jon Corzine.

Other names associated with the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund include: Amanda Flanary, a former Kentucky Democratic Party official; Mike Mikus, who worked for Mississippi Democrats in 2007, and Steve Bouchard, who ran Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in South Carolina.

There has been speculation for weeks that Democrats would seek to influence the Republican primary for Governor by spending some money to beat up on Christie, with the hope that he can boost Steve Lonegan's chances to win the GOP nomination.  A Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday shows Christie leading Corzine by seven points, although Corzine trails Lonegan by two points.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) in Paterson this afternoon.

PATERSON – There’s an old boast in Hudson County that if you take a politician out of there and put him anywhere else in the country, he’ll soon be running the place.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken) didn’t gloat today as he faced the cameras and took questions on the day Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) named him to succeed U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC).

But the former mayor of Union City was Hudson County-cryptic when asked how his helmsman-ship would differ from that of his predecessor across the river.

“In terms of style, he has his, and I have mine, and that’s it,” Menendez said.

Speaking at a press conference in Paterson City Hall on the issue of federal foreclosure aid with Gov. Jon Corzine, who served in the U.S. Senate as DSCC chairman when President-elect Barack Obama’s came of age as a statewide candidate, Menendez later fielded several questions about his new role.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), right, with his predecessor as Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)

It’s official.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this morning turned over the reigns of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to New Jersey’s Bob Menendez, the group’s vice-chair (D-Hoboken). 

“Our Caucus will be well-served by Bob Menendez, whose mastery of policy is matched only by his mastery of politics,” said Reid in a statement.

Schumer departs with a successful track record, presiding over the Democrats’ takeover of the Senate in 2006 and further gains this year.  Menendez said he hopes to build on that. 

Getty Images Photo

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, with President-elect Barack Obama, wil be the new Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

Earlier this evening, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez accepted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's invitation to become the Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.  Reid will officially announce Menendez's appointment tomorrow.   Menendez will replace Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who announced today that he would step down after four years heading the DSCC.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez might not have received a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention, but apparently he’s still poised to enhance his clout in the Senate over the next few years. As Vice Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Menendez is expected to move up to the chairmanship next year when incumbent Charles Schumer moves on after two cycles on the job. That puts the junior Senator from New Jersey into a nationally visible role for the 2010 elections – when (based on historical precedent) Menendez will either be defending seats in Barack Obama’s mid-term election, or looking to pick some up in John McCain’s.

The third day of the Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST on Wednesday, with a theme of "Securing America's Future."

The day will begin with the nominating process for President, including nominating speeches for U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), followed by a roll call vote.

The headline speaker will be vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.).

Featured speakers will include President Bill Clinton (D), U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.), U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

The full schedule is below.

Senator Robert Menendez is on an eight-day taxpayer-paid junket in Latin America with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He left on Sunday, with visits scheduled for Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Paraguay. Joining Menendez and Reid on the trip are six Senators – four Democrats and two Republicans.