Jay Webber

Republicans are accusing Gov. Jon Corzine of playing election year politics by economic development statistics after a top aide e-mailed cabinet members asking them to demonstrate some creativity by identifying places where the administration created private sector jobs.

"Now we have proof of what we have suspected for a long time -- the Corzine Administration is politicizing official State business to distort the true state of the economy to the benefit his campaign," said Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the GOP State Chairman.

Webber says that e-mail, written by Corzine Deputy Chief of Staff Mark Matzen, follows "highly suspicious and wildly optimistic job-creation statistics produced in consecutive months by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development."  Matzen cited those numbers in his e-mail.

Webber wants Corzine's staff to "cease all political work" and says the governor must disclose correspondence and communications between Matzen and the fourteen department heads who received the e-mail.

Gov. Jon Corzine was a no-show at joint appearance with his two main rivals at a Gannett New Jersey editorial board meeting this morning, and the Republican Christopher Christie's campaign manager says it's because Corzine wanted to avoid talking about property taxes - the topic of the Gannett forum.

 "Once again, Jon Corzine is ducking out of his responsibility to the voters of New Jersey.  We have the highest property taxes in the country, the highest tax burden in the nation and nearly 10 percent unemployment," said Bill Stepien, Christie's campaign manager.  "Voters deserve to know why Jon Corzine is promising to raise taxes when he has failed to cut spending or rein in special interests.  As usual, Jon Corzine would rather hide behind his Wall Street millions and let slanderous attack ads be his message, rather than face New Jerseyans and his failed record."

According to his public schedule, Corzine was expected to speak at the ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Elizabethtown Gas facility in Union Township.  Daggett and Christie attended the Gannett forum.

New Jersey Republicans admit that there is little possibility they'll turn over control of the Assembly this year, but they have hyped their chances in some sleeper districts where they don't typically compete.

Fundraising reports released today show that some money is being raised in those purported sleeper districts, but not much. 

In the 4th District, Republicans Domenick DiCicco and Eugene Lawrence have raised $69,887 - most of which comes from attorneys all over the country.  That's about half of the $134,473 incumbent Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.) and newcomer Democratic running mate Bill Collins have raised. 

"Obviously District 4 is a place where we expect to do well," said Republican State Chairman Jay Webber.

Republicans haven't talked much about District 7, which is considered a Democratic district even though GOP Sen. Diane Allen (R-Edgewater Park) has won there five times.  But their Assembly candidates there - Leah Arter and Harry Adams - have raised almost $90,000 and have spent $77,263 (The Assembly Republican Victory committee took enough notice to donate almost $5,000). The two Republican candidates have $12,250 on hand. 

Chris Russell, a political consultant for Arter and Adams, said the campaign against incumbents Herbert Conaway (D-Delanco) and Jack Conners (D-Pennsauken) is "under the rader." 

"We know the district is difficult, but we figure the only way to put them is position is the old fashioned way," said Russell, who cited the candidates' aggressive ground game.   "If they're in position, we'll strike, and I think right now, they're definitely outworking Conaway and Connors on the ground."

Conners and Conaway have raised a combined $196,603 and have about $53,000 on hand. 

District 14 was supposed to be one of the Republicans' top races this year, but their recruitment efforts fell through after Hamilton Councilwoman Kelly Yaede dropped out at the last minute.

In the last 24 hours: Steve Sweeney appears to have beaten Dick Codey in the race for Senate President; Sheila Oliver looks like she has the votes to become the next Assembly Speaker; and new Quinnipiac poll shows a close race for Governor, with Chris Christie leading Jon Corzine by four percentage points.

PolitickerNJ.com's coverage of today's news:

Governor
Quinnipiac poll has Christie ahead by 4 points as Corzine gets closer
Christie camp highlights Corzine's QPAC negatives
Cryan heartened by poll numbers showing closer race
Webber focuses on Corzine's 39%
Daggett brings out the impersonators again

Senate President
Sweeney has dinner with Cunningham... and Cardwell
Opposition researcher says OLS tipped off Codey
Codey absorbs news of Sweeney's backers, won't give up
Sweeney announces endorsements of majority of Democratic Senators in bid for Senate President
Lesniak: having a Speaker and Senate President from the same county would be 'unprecedented' and 'not good'
Bowser reminded DiVincenzo about the consequences of opposing Codey
Labor group backs Sweeney

Assembly Speaker
Oliver: 'I am the most independent person ever elected'
Coleman not ready to give up on speakership
South Jersey Democrats back Oliver for Speaker
Wisniewski drops bid for Speaker and endorses Oliver

Assembly Minority Leader
DeCroce/Bramnick flex overwhelming support in face of Biondi faction

Legislative Races
40 Assembly candidates seek 'return the Legislature to regular citizens'
FOP releases endorsements

Local
Former Irvington mayor pleads guilty to taking kickbacks
Healy files with ELEC for 2013

State Republican Party Chairman Jay Webber looks at this morning's Quinnipiac University poll and shakes his head at the fact that an incumbent governor still can't crack 40%.

"The latest Quinnipiac University poll confirms the stagnation in Governor Corzine's support," Webber said in a statement. "Millions of dollars in attack ads have not given the Governor any traction; his approval rating continues to be upside down, with a 58%-36% disapproval rating.  63% of independent voters disapprove of his job as Governor.  Tomorrow is October 1st and the incumbent Governor still can't crack 40% support in the ballot test, with 55% of voters who have made up their minds planning to vote against him.  That's bad news for the Governor, but great news for New Jersey -- as Governor, Chris Christie will bring the change we need."

Dislodged from his seat of power and relegated now to a halfway house in Newark, former Middlesex County Democratic Party Chairman John Lynch sits in a landscape in which this gubernatorial contest unfolds and the candidate from his party fights for political survival.

Indicted for failing to report income by former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (now the Republican nominee for governor), convicted and sentenced in 2006 to three years and three months in prison, Gov. Jim McGreevey's political genii and hard-nosed boss of the Raritan River rustbelt occupies political no man's land while Corzine flails and discord punctuates much of the sprawling county he once ruled.

"We need John Lynch," one Middlesex County Democratic Party insider moaned a coupled of weeks ago at the issuance of yet another poll showing incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine struggling to get his chin over 40% and eight points behind Christie.

"He's a missed leader in Middlesex," County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Spicuzzo said of his party forbearer. "He had his own style and it was successful. I talk to him once a week. He's doing fine and will get out around Nov. 13th."

Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the Republican State Chairman, today accused Gov. Jon Corzine and his campaign staff of avoiding transparency and "providing excuses without evidence" by claiming that the state Attorney General's forensic review found no connection between TPG and TPG-Axon.

Webber says that "evidence provided by major publications" confirms a relationship between the two companies, and wants all documents related to the Division of Gaming Enforcement's review of TPG to be made public.

The Corzine campaign releases documents related to the DGE review on Sunday.  Click here to view: Division of Gaming Enforcement 1 | Division of Gaming Enforcement 2 | Division of Gaming Enforcement 3

Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the GOP State Chairman, says revelations that Gov. Jon Corzine has a personal financial interest in the state's casino industry is a "possible violation of state law" and that the governor "has put his own financial interests apparently ahead of legal propriety and the public good."

"When the Governor is using those same tainted personal funds to finance tens of millions in attack ads, there are even more reasons to examine these revelations of the Governor's potential illegalities, conflicts of interest, and gaming associations," said Webber.

Webber says that Corzine's refusal to admit the appearance of a conflict "further strains the public's faith in his administration, and is another example of the Governor putting his interests before those of the public.

The uptick in the state’s unemployment rate from 9.3% to 9.7% in August -- matching the national rate – became further fodder for Republicans to use against Gov. Corzine today, although Democrats countered the criticism by pointing to private sector job growth.

Republican State Chairman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), an assemblyman, pinned the blame squarely on the Govenror, saying he “tries to shift the blame for his failures onto anyone but himself.”

“Governor Corzine needs to take responsibility for the highest unemployment in 32 years, and the pain he has caused millions of New Jerseyans,” he said.

New Jersey added 2,900 private sector jobs in August and lost 2,100 from the public sector, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) reported today.  But the LWD cut its private sector job growth estimates from July in half, showing a gain of 5,600 rather than the originally touted 13,000.  Webber seized on that, calling the original estimate a “complete fabrication.” 

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