Michael Aron

Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) Executive Director Fred Hermann calls it "Selection Tuesday."

The commission, which requires all candidates who receive public campaign funds to participate in two debates, will farm out the hosting of the Republican gubernatorial primary debate to two applicants on Tuesday, April 7.

Three television stations that are partnered with newspapers, civic groups and a public university have applied for the two spots. 

In one corner are the ABC affiliates from New York and Philadelphia, who applied to host the debate along with the League of Women Voters of New Jersey.  In another is My9, whose reach is limited to the New York media market but has the added heft of being partnered with the state's two biggest dailies: The Star-Ledger and The Record, and William Paterson University.  Finally, there's NJN, working in collaboration with The Asbury Park Press and The Philadelphia Inquirer - which has hosted an ELEC gubernatorial debate each year since the commission started requiring them in 1989.

So far, it looks like only two candidates will be eligible to participate: former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie and former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan.  The other three, Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham), Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine and entrepreneur David Brown, are not likely to raise the $340,000 necessary to qualify for public financing, making them ineligible to participate.

Christie, who as the frontrunner in the race might stand to benefit by facing more candidates than just his closest rival, said that he would like to see the other three Republican candidates participate as well.

"I can tell you how difficult it is to raise money out there, and I don't think money should be involved in the decision at all," he said.  "I've watched Rick Merkt, Brian Levine and Dave Brown travel all over the state."

The ELEC commissioners will consider a number of factors in picking the two winners, according to Hermann: the networks' audience reach, pre-debate publicity, time slots, audience selection (if there is an audience) and geography.

If elected, Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie would seek a series of reforms that would ban elected officials from taking a  salary if they have a full-time public job, force legislatures to disclose business conflicts or abstain from voting on issues where they have a stake, eliminate the grandfathered in dual office-holding loophole and make more information about state spending available on the internet.

Those were four of seven proposals Christie made in a conference call with reporters that touched several times on the corruption trial of former Democratic state Sen. Joe Coniglio (D-Paramus) and his own record as U.S. Attorney.

Christie also said he wants the legislature to create a constitutional amendment to make way for initiative and referendum, eliminate "blatant conflicts of interest" on state commissions, change the anti-pay-to-play executive orders to include labor unions and force former elected officials convicted of offenses that touched on their jobs to give up all of their pensions-not just part.

Christie said that he wanted to time his proposals with Coniglio's ongoing trial, in which witnesses have testified about the ways in which the former state Senator secured millions of dollars in payments to the Hackensack University Medical Center, where he worked as a $5,000-per-month consultant.

Using Coniglio as an example, Christie said that he would pressure the legislature to institute a law requiring all legislators to fully disclose any financial interests relating to any law they're voting on, or else abstain from voting on the legislation.

"That's not the policy we have right now, and given what's going on in the court house, this policy is aimed at making sure there are no more Joe Coniglios in the State Legislature," he said, adding in response to a question that it was necessary to have the option to abstain because many legislators are lawyers and, because of attorney/client privilege, cannot disclose those interests.

Governor Corzine will appear on "On the Record" with host Michael Aron this weekend to talk about the state budget and his reelection bid.  The show airs Sunday at 9am and 11am, and again on Monday at 6:30 a.m.

"Reporters Roundtable," also hosted by Aron, will feature New York Times freelancer Dunstan McNichol, The Star-Ledger’s Claire Heininger, The Press of Atlantic City’s Derek Harper and yours truly, Matt Friedman.  We’ll discuss the recent Communications Workers of America furlough protests, the state’s growing unemployment rate, the state budget and the gubernatorial race.

On NJN's Reporters Roundtable, Michael Aron will discuss Gov. Jon Corzine's budget, the confirmation hearing of BPU President Jeanne Fox, and the indictment of Assemblyman Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy) with Matt Friedman of PolitickerNJ.com, Angela Delli Santi of the Associated Press, Josh Margolin of the Star-Ledger, and Jonathan Tamari of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Reporters Roundtable airs on Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 10AM.

Michael Aron will talk about the state budget with Ed McBride, the Governor's Chief of Staff, on NJN's On the Record.  The show airs on Sunday at 9AM and 11AM, and Monday at 6:30PM.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie

Republican gubernatorial candidates Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan sparred on the issue of medical marijuana on NJN’s On the Record this weekend, with Lonegan arguing in favor of a bill allowing treatment centers to grow marijuana plants for chronically sick patients, and Christie rejecting the bill in its current form, citing the lack of specific and strict controls.

NJN’s senior political correspondent Michael Aron broached the issue with the candidates on Saturday while taping his show at the Ram’s Head Inn in Galloway Township, which aired on Sunday. 

“It’s a freedom and liberty issue,” said Lonegan, former mayor of Bogota. “If a doctor knows that’s what needs to be prescribed to a suffering patient, I’ve met patients like this, that’s their decision and government should get out of the way.”

Now Christie considered the question. 

Gov. Jon Corzine finishes the NJN taping session.

WOODLEY PARK – NJN political director Michael Aron sits on a stage in a ballroom here at the Marriot in Washington, D.C., taping Reporters Roundtable in front of a live audience on the occasion of the 72nd annual New Jersey Chamber Trip.

Joining Aron and three reporters is Gov. Jon Corzine, who argues the necessity of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan and answers some questions about the unfolding gubernatorial campaign, including former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s campaign kickoff next Wednesday. 

“There will be significant political debate and I welcome it; it will make for a better end result,” Corzine says. But “while we’re trying to think about rationalizing a budget, it is better for those of us sitting in office to stay focused on those issues.” 

Getty Images Photo

The House Judiciary Committee has subpoenaed Karl Rove as part of their probe on the firing of nine federal prosecutors.

A subpoena issued to former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove to appear before the House Judiciary Committee has possible implications for the race for Governor of New Jersey.  The panel is seeking information on the "politicization" of the Justice Department and the firings of nine U.S. Attorneys.  Christopher Christie, now a GOP gubernatorial candidate, was reportedly on the list of federal prosecutors to be fired in 2005, but won a reprieve.  If Rove actually winds up testifying - the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed him earlier and he refused -- expect Judiciary Committee Democrats to ask about Christie.

New Jersey’s two new congressmen-elect – state Sens. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) and Leonard Lance (R-Clinton) -- will appear on On the Record this weekend with host Michael Aron, airing Sunday at 9a.m. and 11a.m., and Monday at 6:30a.m. on NJN. 

On Reporters Roundtable, Aron will host Star-Ledger columnist Mark DiOnno; WBGO-WHYY Radio reporter Mary Fuchs; Gannett’s Michael Symons and the Bergen Record’s John Reitmeyer.  They’ll discuss the Republican state budget lawsuit, the pension deferral bill and Bob Mulcahy. The show airs tonight at 7:00 and repeats on Sunday at 10a.m.

Former union leader and ex-gubernatorial girlfriend Carla Katz will do a one-on-one with Michael Aron this weekend on On the Record, airing Sunday at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and on Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. They’ll talk about the ongoing email saga, union politics and Katz’s life in general.

Tonight at 7:00, I’ll be on Reporters Roundtable with Ben Dworkin, Director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics. The show, also hosted by Aron, will air again on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

NJN’s Michael Aron will host former U.S. Attorney (and future gubernatorial candidate?) Chris Christie on On the Record this weekend.  The show airs Sunday at 9:00 and 11:00am, and again on Monday at 6:30am. 

On Reporters Roundtable, watch Nick Acocella of Politifax, Cynthia Burton of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Charles Stile of the Bergen Record and yours truly, Matt Friedman.  The show is hosted by NJN Reporter Zachary Fink, and we’ll discuss Steve Lonegan’s gubernatorial run, Chris Christie’s gubernatorial prospects, Rocco Riccio and the Governors’ summit with Obama.  Catch it at 7:00 this evening, or at 10:00am Sunday.