John Graham

The top Hillary Clinton fundraisers are circulating an online petition to press the Democratic National Committee to reinstate delegates from Florida and Michigan.  "If they are not reinstated by early April. we ask the Democratic National Committee to show cause why they should not be reinstated and establish a mandate for two full revote primaries for June,” wrote John Graham and Michael Kempner. 

Clinton supporter from left, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone

Mark Alexander assumed the familiar posture this week of a man with a phone in his hand making calls for presidential candidate Barack Obama. This time, however, the scenery was different, as he occupied unfamiliar territory on the other side of the Delaware River somewhere in a mid-western American state called Ohio, a rust-belt cousin of New Jersey.

"It’s raining," the former Jersey state director for the Obama campaign told PoltickerNJ.com in a 30-second conversation between calls, where Obama and his Democratic Party rival Sen. Hillary Clinton are competing today as well as in three other primary states: Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont.

PolitickerNJ.com's Special Edition: 2008 New Jersey Presidential Primary Winners & Losers: Click Here

In an e-mail sent earlier today, Hillary Clinton’s National Finance Co-Chairman, John F.X. Graham, offered considerable praise to a multitude of Democratic leaders who played a role in Clinton’s 54%-44% victory in the New Jersey Democratic presidential primary:

John F.X. Graham 

At a campaign event in Passaic on Monday night, Clinton fund-raising co-chair John F.X. Graham predicted a victory for his presidential candidate.

"I think it’s going to be the best thing for New Jersey to have someone who’s going to help our state the way she will when she gets in there and gets elected," Graham said. "Hillary Clinton is the most qualified from day one to lead this country, and she will do it. She’ll do a great job."

Just a few months ago, New Jersey’s presidential primary – moved up to February in a quest for national political relevance – was looking like a non-event. Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani had considerable leads; in the case of the GOP, the winner-take-all primary meant that there were no delegates available to the other contenders.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. in Passaic on Monday night, flanked by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, left, and Assemblyman Thomas Giblin.

Arguing that his presidential candidate possesses a unique combination of toughness and persuasive power, Robert Kennedy, Jr. electrified a tent-ful of fellow Hillary Clinton supporters on Monday night at a private home in Passaic.

"I was very skeptical at first because I knew she was coming in under the same charges as my father did, which were that she was a carpetbagger," Kennedy, a Westchester, N.Y. resident, said of Clinton’s appeal to him when she first prepared to run for his father’s old Senate seat.

Kennedy said Clinton faced tremendous hostility, especially in traditionally Republican upstate New York - where a Senate candidate must win if he or she is to win the state, in Kennedy’s words.

New Jersey Democrats keep talking about Bob Menendez for Vice President: Getty Images Photo

Hillary Clinton should pick Bob Menendez as her running mate, says Rep. Rob Andrews.  "I think Bob Menendez would be great for the job and I would love to see it happen for New Jersey and for him," said Andrews, a ten-term Congressman and Clinton supporter. 

The Menendez for Vice President campaign was launched last week by John F.X. Graham, a New Jersey Democratic fundraiser and Clinton’s national finance co-chairman.  Several key state Democrats have signed on as supporters of Menendez for a slot on the national ticket, and on Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said that the New Jersey Senator would make a strong vice presidential candidate.   

A top Clinton campaign fundraiser says Bob Menendez would make an ideal candidate for Vice President: Getty Images Photo
Vice President Bob Menendez?

John F.X. Graham, one of Hillary Clinton's National Finance Co-Chairs, thinks that the New Jersey Senator would make a great choice if Clinton wins the Democratic primary.

Graham fired off an email this morning to Clinton Campaign Manager Terry McAuliffe listing politicians who would make good vice presidential material, including the choices most often brought up: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, John Edwards and Joe Biden. But Menendez, a Clinton campaign national co-chair, would be the "most intriguing" choice, Graham wrote.

Graham said that, like Richardson, Menendez can appeal to the increasingly important Latino voting bloc, but has universal appeal as well. And Mendendez's Cuban heritage makes him well received in Florida's predominantly Republican Cuban-American community.

"The name Richardson does not exactly sound Latino," wrote Graham. "The Latino voting block is becoming the most influential in this election, especially with the immigration and other economic issues confronting our prosperity. For a lack of a better term, he is the Latino Barack Obama with the experience."

Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen’s faux pas today was compounded by Clinton New Jersey Co-Chairman John Graham.  PolitickerNJ.com posted a flyer Thigpen sent out publicizing the opening of Hillary Clinton’s Essex County campaign headquarters, with the headline: “Good job, Phil Thigpen.” Graham, thinking the post was kudos to Thigpen for publicizing the event, sent out a copy of the Inside Edge item to his campaign insider e-mail list.  What Graham missed was that the headline was full of sarcasm: Thigpen’s flyer used the Republican elephant instead of the Democratic donkey!