New Jersey

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg is trying to help Paul Fishman become the next U.S. Attorney from New Jersey.

Paul Fishman was fairy close to becoming New Jersey's U.S. Attorney in 1999, and as Democrats prepare for their first opportunity to fill the post since then, there is increasing speculation that 2009 may be his year. 

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg pushed hard for Fishman to get the U.S. Attorney post when Faith Hochberg was nominated to a federal judgeship in 1999.  But Fishman got in the middle of a rather extraordinary public feud between Lautenberg and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli.  The Clinton administration sided with Torricelli, and when Hochberg resigned to take her seat on the bench (after a lengthy delay in the confirmation process), Attorney General Janet Reno elevated Torricelli's preferred choice, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Cleary, as New Jersey's interim federal prosecutor.  Cleary served until George W. Bush's nominee, Christopher Christie, took office in January 2002.

PolitickerNJ.com reported last October that Fishman would be Lautenberg's top choice if Barack Obama won the presidency.  With other potential contenders asking not to be considered, including attorney Joseph Hayden and Attorney General Anne Milgram, Fishman has moved to the top of the list in a campaign that essentially needs just two votes: Lautenberg and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez. 

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Barack Obama campaigning in Jersey City last year.

President Barack Obama has a 65%-16% approval rating in New Jersey, with 59% saying they like the way he's handled the economy so far, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this morning.  New Jerseyans back Obama's economic stimulus package 53%-36%, although 67% of voters believe the plan won't help them personally.

"The bottom line is that a majority of New Jersey voters say their personal financial situation is poor or not so good and two thirds do not expect their personal finances to get any better because of President Obama's Economic Stimulus Package being debated in Washington," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.  "Voters give the new President a strong 65 percent job approval rating, but nearly three quarters say it will take more than a year for the stimulus program to work.  One voter in five says it will not work at all."

Republican Christopher Christie leads Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine by six percentage points, 44%-38%, in the race for Governor, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released early this morning. 

Corzine's approval ratings have dropped to an upside-down 41%-50%, and his favorable are upside-down at 41%-49%.

"Corzine suddenly has become the underdog in this race and history will surely repeat itself in New Jersey in 2009.  The big question is whether Corzine will come back like Democratic Gov. Brendan Byrne did in 1977 or go down to defeat like Jim Florio in 1993," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

In a Republican primary, Christie, the former U.S. Attorney, leads former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan 44%-17%, with Franklin Mayor Brian Levine at 5% and Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham) at 2%. 

More than half of New Jersey voters, 54%-33%, say that Corzine does not deserve to be re-elected to a second term.   Just 23% of independent voters want Corzine for another four years, 64% do not.  Christie leads Corzine among independents by a 49%-24% margin.
 
Most New Jerseyans still don't know Christie (61%) or Lonegan (78%).  Christie has a 31%-7% favorable rating.

In a head-to-head general election matchup, Corzine leads Lonegan 42%-36%.  Lonegan leads among independents by 12 points, 40%-28%, and has a 15%-6% favorable rating.

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Port Authority Police Superintendent Samuel Plumeri has won key support to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal

Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff and Democratic County Chairman, is emerging as a leading candidate for U.S. Marshal, according to Democratic sources.  The current Marshal, James Plousis, a Republican and former Cape May County Sheriff, is expected to resign by Janaury 20, 2009, so that Barack Obama can nominate his own candidate, with the advise and consent of New Jersey's two U.S. Senators.  Sources say that Plumeri has the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine, and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, though uncommitted, reportedly has no problems with Plumeri.  The state's other U.S. Senator, Robert Menendez, has not yet indicated a choice.

The 61-year-old Plumeri has served as Director of Public Safety and Superintendent of Police for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  He joined the Port Authority as New Jersey Director of Government and Community Affairs in 2002 after narrowly losing a bid for State Senator to GOP incumbent Peter Inverso in 2001. 

As New Jerseyans get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving the nation's economic outlook is indeed bleak, and there doesn't seem much to be thankful for after eight years of the neoconservative Bush administration and seven years of the McGreevey, Codey, and Corzine regimes.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain by a 57%-42% margin in New Jersey, with a 17-point lead among undecided voters.

Marist College released a poll Friday evening that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg has a narrow seven point, 48%-41%, lead among likely voters over Republican Dick Zimmer.  Among all voters, Lautenberg is ahead 47%-37%.  Recent independent polls has Lautenberg way out in front in his bid for a fifth term: he was up 22 points in a Quinnipiac poll, and ahead 16 points in a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll.

The same poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain 56%-39% in New Jersey among likely voters (53%-36% among all voters).

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, with presidential candidate Barack Obama, has a huge lead in his bid for a 5th term

A new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll shows incumbent Frank Lautenberg with a 16 point lead over Dick Zimmer in the race for U.S. Senate -- 52%-36% among likely voters.  A Quinnipiac University poll released this week has Lautenberg ahead by 22 points.  Zimmer, a former Republican Congressman, remains unknown to 56% of voters.

“With just two weeks to go, the incumbent’s stealth campaign appears to be succeeding. Of course, it certainly helps that his challenger has yet to introduce himself to most of the state’s voters,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.  “Given the lack of visible campaign activity, Lautenberg seems to be coasting along on Obama’s coattails.”

Lautenberg has a 48%-28% job approval rating, up from 45%-33% in July.  He has a 45%-24% favorable rating.  Zimmer has a 28%-16% favorable rating.  

Nearly four out of ten New Jersey voters don't know about Gov. Jon Corzine's economic stimulus package, according to a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll.  Voters narrowly approve, 44%-37%, a financial rescue plan approved by Congress and signed by the President earlier this month.

Of the voters who have heard about Corzine's proposals, 38% say it would make things better for New Jersey families, while 22% think it would make things worse.  More than a quarter of the voters (27%) say it will make no difference.

“The federal government’s plan hasn’t quelled uncertainty among most New Jersey voters and it’s not yet clear whether Governor Corzine’s proposal for state action will do much better,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

A Reminder of Past Obfuscation for Those New to the Debate