Mitt Romney

Watch for New Jersey Democrats to consider legislation that will change the way the state fills vacancies in the United States Senate.  Now that Democrats have lost the governorship, some party leaders are concerned that Republican Gov.-elect Christopher Christie would appoint a U.S. Senator if Democrat Frank Lautenberg, who turns 86 in January, leaves office without finishing the final four years of his term.  Some Democratic leaders have already discussed a plan to take the appointment away from the governor and forcing a quick special election.  Jon Corzine could sign that bill before he leaves office in January.

Five years ago, when there was a good chance that Democrat John Kerry might get elected president, the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts Legislature changed the law so that Republican Gov. Mitt Romney could not appoint Kerry's successor.

CHRISTIE EMBRACES ROMNEY, CONTINUES TO SHOW
HE IS WRONG WHEN IT MATTERS MOST

 
(TRENTON) - Today, Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie is welcoming former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to New Jersey, openly embracing a right-wing conservative who opposes stem cell research, vowed to veto an expansion of children’s health care, and called for the removal of health care coverage mandates in Massachusetts.

Former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie is scheduled to attend two high dollar fundraising events next week to raise money for the Republican Governors Association. 

On Monday, Commerce Bank founder Vernon Hill is hosting a $5,000-per-person cocktail party at his home in Medford.  Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a likely contender for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, will also attend.

On Wednesday, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson will host a $25,000-per-person event at his Fifth Avenue apartment in Manhattan.   Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will join Christie at that event.  Members of the host committee include newly-elected New York GOP State Chairman Edward Cox (Richard Nixon's son-in-law) and former White House aide Fred Malek.  Watch for the Democrats to spend at least a few minutes e-mailing the results of their Google search of Malek.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) turns 86 in January. His term is up four years after that.

The Democratic-controlled Massachusetts Legislature, thinking John Kerry might win the presidency in 2004, changed state law to take away the power of the governor to fill U.S. Senate vacancies by appointment.  They didn't want the Republican governor, Mitt Romney, replacing Kerry in the Senate with a Republican.  Now that Democrat Deval Patrick is governor, there's a move to reinstate the power so that a Democrat can fill the late Ted Kennedy's seat on an interim basis.

New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the United States Senate since Clifford Case won his fourth term in 1972.  But some Democrats, seeing GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie enter September with a ten point lead over Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, have another worry: a GOP governor could send a Republican to the U.S. Senate, if a vacancy were to occur.

Frank Lautenberg will turn 86 in January and still has four years left on his term.  No punches should be pulled here: there has been no shortage of Democrats posturing for a Senate seat in the event that Lautenberg does not finish his term, and Christie's healthy poll numbers has forced the realization that the next U.S. Senator from New Jersey could be a Republican.

If Christie wins, Democrats might need to replicate the Massachusetts law as an insurance policy on their Senate seat -- and get Corzine to sign it before he leaves office in January.   Democrats will especially want to prevent New Jersey's seat from flipping while Robert Menendez is the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman.

Just last week, a Star-Ledger editorial endorsed a proposal by a Wisconsin Senator to eliminate all Senate appointments and fill vacancies only by special election. According to the editorial, 20% of American voters may be represented by unelected U.S. Senators in the near future.

CHRISTIE DISSES PALIN, STUMPS WITH OTHER TOP REPUBLICANS

TRENTON- Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today blasted Right Wing Conservative gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie for his hypocrisy in refusing the assistance of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, while continuing to accept the support of numerous high-profile, out-of-state right wing Republicans.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park), right, and Gov. Jon Corzine.

The headlining presence of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at a Chris Christie fundraiser last night in Holmdel rankled U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park), who made particular note of Romney and Christie's shared allegiance to former President George W. Bush, a bottom feeder on New Jersey public opinion polls for the bulk of time he served in office.

"Chris Christie is kicking off his (general election) campaign with a conservative Republican whose extreme right-wing positions couldn't be more out of touch with New Jersey residents," Lautenberg said of Romney, a failed 2008 candidate for president.

"Mitt Romney has repeatedly denounced President Obama's economic recovery package, has declared his opposition to a woman's right to choose, condemned the President's selection of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, and proven himself to be a prime supporter and was a cheerleader for George W. Bush," Lautenberg said in a Democratic State Committee press release.

While running for president, Romney said he was a "conservative's conservative" and didn't hide his admiration for Bush.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, on his way to becoming the pick of the New Jersey GOP establishment if he runs for President in 2012, will be in New Jersey next Thursday to headline a fundraiser for the New Jersey Republican State Committee.  Romney came in the week before the primary to endorse Christopher Christie for Governor.  State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), Christie's campaign chairman, was Romney's N.J. chairman in 2008.

Phyllis Schalfy

Team Lonegan countered the debonair presence of Mitt Romney standing in the rival camp of Chris Christie earlier today by rolling out the endorsement of conservative Constitutionalist Phyllis Schlafy, founder of the Eagle Forum.

"Steve Lonegan is the only candidate for Governor of New Jersey who is going to cut taxes, save traditional marriage, and protect the sanctity of life," she said. "Eagle Forum PAC enthusiastically endorses his Republican candidacy for Governor.

"The recent court victory for traditional marriage in California demonstrates that traditional marriage can be saved even in the most liberal states,” Schlafy added. “But we have to support principled candidates like Steve Lonegan to protect our most sacred institution: marriage. Lonegan is the only true pro-life candidate in the race and he will not back down from his principles."

Romney endorses Christie for governor in Haddonfield **Photo courtesy of the Christie campaign

The Associated Press reported today that former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stood in front of Haddonfield Borough Hall with gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie and told a crowd of about 50 people that “New Jersey has tried liberal and it's time for the state to have a chance to try conservative.”

Romney’s New Jersey campaign chairman last year was state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Middletown), who also serves as campaign chair for his close friend, Christie.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will join GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie at stops in Cranford, East Rutherford, Ridgewood and Hoboken on Saturday as part of Christie's "Take Back New Jersey" bus tour.