Hillary Clinton

No doubt the Rob Andrews’ cold shoulder snub by his Democrat Congressional colleagues is newsworthy.

As reported yesterday by the NY Times, Andrews’ “fellow Democrats in the state’s Congressional delegation are shunning him, avoiding teaming up with him on legislative work and seldom speaking with him,” (

But the Times’ article goes on to say the snub is “striking even in the rough-and-tumble of New Jersey politics”"

That may be a bit of stretch.

U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Jim Webb at a 2006 campaign event in Virginia.: Getty Images PhotoWOODBRIDGE -- Asked to pick a running mate for Sen. Barack Obama, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) mentioned U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.).

"Senator Webb from Virginia would be an interesting choice," Andrews told PolitickerNJ.com. "This is a candidate who is new to the Senate, who was elected in a tough state. He's been vetted. With him on the ticket, Virginia is a state we could certainly win."

A Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and a backer of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's, Andrews in recent days has stopped just short of calling for the New York senator to exit the presidential race.

Lobbyist Michael Murphy is wearing two hats these days. One Murphy is working as campaign chairman and paid spokesman for Rob Andrews’ campaign for the United States Senate, while the other Murphy is appearing on News 12 this weekend as a supporter of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. And the former Morris County Prosecutor and ’97 gubernatorial candidates boss, Andrews, is backing Hillary Clinton. (Of course, Andrews’ boss, South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross, has endorsed Obama) And further complicating matters: the guy interviewing Murphy the Obama man is lobbyist Jim McQueeny, a member of Frank Lautenberg’s circle of friends.

Superdelegates: Donald Payne has switched from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama, but Frank Lautenberg is still undecided: Getty Images Photo
Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark) is switching his superdelegate vote to Barack Obama. Payne, a ten-term Congressman, endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination on January 1. Payne is the third superdelegate from New Jersey to switch from Clinton to Obama since Clinton won a 9 point victory in the February 5 Democratic presidential primary.

There is considerable speculation tonight that Rep. Donald Payne will switch his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama tomorrow, making him the third superdelegate from New Jersey to flip since Clinton won the February 5 Democratic primary.  Payne, a ten-term Democrat from Newark, endorsed Clinton on January 1. 

Representative Frank Pallone acknowledged today that Hillary Clinton is the underdog for the Democratic presidential nomination, but said that he will continue supporting her until she either wins or decides to end her run.

“I’m sticking with her. I think it’s her decision to decide what she wants to do,” he said. “As long as she’s running I’m supporting her.”

Pallone disputed the conventional wisdom that Barack Obama is virtually sure to win the nomination, saying that it’s “still possible for (Clinton) to win”

“You still have some primaries, you still have the superdelegates and you still have Florida and Michigan,” he said.

Click more to view the Monty Python video clip this cartoon is based on.

Supporters of Barack Obama have Jon Corzine in their sites: the New Jersey Governor is viewed as one of the high profile Hillary Clinton supporters that need to jump in order to end the extended contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. Corzine, an early Clinton supporter, has dropped hints in recent weeks that he doesn’t want to see Democrats continue the battle into August, and he’s an Obama friend – Corzine, an Illinois native, was the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman during the 2004 campaign – and it won’t surprise New Jersey Democrats if Corzine is among the first to break.  But then again, nothing Corzine does really surprises people anymore.

Frank Lautenberg says that Rob Andrews should refund 70% of his congressional salary back to the taxpayers because he’s missed 70% of his House votes (63 of 88) since becoming a candidate for the United States Senate.  That’s not a bad tactic for Lautenberg, although it’s not clear whether Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John McCain would agree.

In addition to being a United States Senator, Frank Lautenberg also holds a higher office: he’s an uncommitted superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Lautenberg has been careful to avoid stating his preference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – hoping to evade having to offend anyone in his own party, especially as he faces Rep. Rob Andrews, a Hillary Clinton supporter, in the Democratic primary. But New Jersey Democratic leaders are expected to push Lautenberg to disclose who he wants to be the next President before the June 3 primary – and that’s something Lautenberg does not want to do.