Jay Webber

Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the Republican State Chairman, dismissed Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Loretta Weinberg as a tax and spend liberal but said the fall election will be nothing more than a referendum on Jon Corzine's four years as Governor.

"As someone who has endorsed and been a vote for Governor Corzine's failed policies, Senator Weinberg has squeezed struggling families with property tax increases and done nothing to bring jobs back to the state," said Webber.  "This election is and will continue to be about Governor Corzine's record. The choice for New Jerseyans this November could not be clearer - a failed governor and his liberal legislative ally or a team of outsiders who will change Trenton for the better, create jobs, and get our state back on track."

Corzine, Weinberg and her family this afternoon in Englewood

ENGLEWOOD – In front of an audience packed with both her long time loyalists and former foes within the Democratic Party, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) joined Gov. Jon Corzine on stage today as a take-no-prisoners, unapologetically progressive and ethical grandmother who, as Corzine’s new pick for lieutenant governor, hopes to boost  Corzine’s now underdog bid for reelection.

“In case you haven’t heard this before, I am a feisty Jewish grandmother from Bergen County.  I will never be accused of being part of any – of any—insider political club,” said Weinberg at this afternoon’s rollout of her candidacy at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. 

After spending months on Corzine’s shortlist for the number two spot, Weinberg, who has served in the legislature since 1992, was finally tapped yesterday.  The pick was heavily influenced by the dozens of corruption busts that rocked the state’s political scene on Thursday.  Democrats hope that Weinberg, who has authored several ethics bills and took on an allegedly corrupt party boss in her native Bergen County, will keep Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie – who started his candidacy on his record as an anti-corruption crusading U.S. Attorney – from complete domination on the ethics front. 

Even before Thursday’s events, polls showed Christie with an eight to 15 point lead. 

There are several other rationales for the selection.  They include a geographical component, with Bergen County (population 884,000) being the biggest in the state and expected to be hotly contested in November; and the age component, with Weinberg, 74, appealing to seniors (Senate President Dick Codey (D-Roseland) called her “The Real Grandmother of New Jersey” in his remarks today).

No matter what Republicans say, there's nothing wrong with being deliberative about choosing a running mate, according to state Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge).

"If Chris Christie took 10% of the amount of time that Governor Corzine has taken for selecting a lieutenant governor to try to come up with ideas to fix this state, maybe he'd be a credible candidate.  But he hasn't, and he's not," said Vitale.

Vitale's comments came after entrepreneur Randal Pinkett, a former Rhodes Scholar and winner of "The Apprentice," kept himself in the running for lieutenant governor at a press conference today despite pushback from some fellow Democrats and newspaper editorials.

After weeks of speculation, Jon Corzine has apparently come to a decision and is expected to hold a press conference on Saturday.

Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the Republican State Chairman, poked fun at Vitale's comment.

"Did Joe Vitale just say that a man who today was fifteen points ahead in the polls wasn't a credible candidate?" he said.

TRENTON – New Jersey Republican Party Chairman Jay Webber today released the following statement condemning the negative campaigning of Governor Jon Corzine: 
“Governor Corzine and his allies should be ashamed of their tactics in this campaign. New Jerseyans, who continue to feel the pain of the failed policies of Governor Corzine, are looking for a real, open, and honest debate on the issues that affect their everyday lives. Instead, Governor Corzine and his insider friends are engaging in a ‘race to the bottom’ with attack ads meant to deflect from any meaningful discussion about how to make New Jersey better. The people of New Jersey deserve better than that.”

GOP State Chairman Jay Webber today promoted gubernatorial Chris Christie and running mate Kim Guadagno as a “formidable team” who will make state government “something we can all be proud of again.”  

“Sheriff Guadagno shares Chris’ vision to bring prosperity back to New Jersey, create jobs, and restore the faith of New Jerseyans in their state government. In stark contrast to Governor Corzine’s flailing campaign and its trivial cookie-cutter attacks, Chris and Kim are already hard at work restoring hope and optimism to the people of our great State,” said Webber in a statement released late this afternoon.

Guadagno and Christie are ending their roll-out day in Garfield, which is situated in southern Bergen County – the most politically competitive part of one of the most competitive counties in the state.  

Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains), the New Jersey GOP Chairman, says that unemployment numbers released today is evidence of Gov. Jon Corzine's "record of failure."

"The people of New Jersey don't have to look any further than today's unemployment numbers - now at 9.2% - to know Governor Corzine's record of failure has led to 17 consecutive months of job losses and the highest unemployment in the state in 32 years," Webber said in a statement released in advance of President Barack Obama's visit to New Jersey this afternoon.  "No amount of campaigning by the President or any of Governor Corzine's Washington friends can change this fact. New Jerseyans are hungry for a candidate that represents positive change in Trenton and throughout our state - it's clear they have found that in Chris Christie."

TRENTON – New Jersey Republican Party Chairman Jay Webber today released the following statement regarding President Obama’s visit to New Jersey to campaign with Governor Jon Corzine: “The people of New Jersey don't have to look any further than today's unemployment numbers - now at 9.2% - to know Governor Corzine's record of failure has led to 17 consecutive months of job losses and the highest unemployment in the state in 32 years. No amount of campaigning by the President or any of Governor Corzine's Washington friends can change this fact. New Jerseyans are hungry for a candidate that represents positive change in Trenton and throughout our state - it's clear they have found that in Chris Christie."

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GOP State Chairman Jay Webber says that Jim Florio is no longer the worst Governor in New Jersey history. Florio campaign and administration staffers are gathering at Drumthwacket tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his election as Governor.

With alumni of former Gov. Jim Florio’s administration gathering at Drumthwacket tonight to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his election, Republican State Chairman Jay Webber couldn’t help but note what he said was irony.  

“It’s just unbelievable to me that Jon Corzine and the Democrats want to celebrate one of the most disastrous governorships in New Jersey’s history,” said Webber in a phone interview today.  “He’s giving them the Governor’s Mansion to hold the celebration.”

Corzine does not plan to be at the event, but Webber said that they must have gotten his permission to use the official governor’s residence.  

The gathering comes a day after a new Quinnipiac poll shows Christie leading Corzine by 12 points, continuing an long, unbroken string of polls showing the Republican significantly ahead. 

Despite a growing chorus of GOP leaders disgusted by racist remarks police said he made, embattled Republican candidate Lee Lucas today refused to back out of his District 3 Assembly race. 

"It's not even a consideration, and I hope I make their blood boil," Lucas told PolitickerNJ.com. "I'm messing with the Republican leadership. I'm not only not going anywhere, I'm having fun. I'm doing the irish jig."

On learning that he used the N-word in 2006, State Republican Party Chairman Jay Webber, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) and Gloucester County GOP Chairman Bill Fey all asked Lucas to immediately abort his run.

But the commercial cooking equipment repairman who defeated GOP establishment candidates Arthur Marchand and Gibbstown Mayor George Shivery in the June 2nd primary in this 2-1 Democratic district, said there's no way.

"I have a lot of supporters, I get a lot of phone calls of support - of course, they're all scared," Lucas said. "This is a mountainous wave of propaganda."