New Jersey

Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama in each independent poll released over the last four days – but in many with slim margins:

Quinnipiac 48%-43%
Norcross 44%-38%
McClatchy/MSNBC 46%-39%
Monmouth/Gannett 50%-34%
Reuters/CSpan/Zogby 43%-43%
Mason Dixon 46%-39%
SurveyUSA 51%-39%
Rasmussen 49%-37%

A new Quinnipiac poll has Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama, 48%-43%: Getty Images Photo
Hillary Clinton's lead in New Jersey has shrunk to just five points and leads Barack Obama 48%-43% among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning. On the Republican side, John McCain leads Mitt Romney 52%-30%.

"Sen. Obama has put together a coalition of blacks and independents to dramatically narrow the gap in just the last few days in New Jersey, but the big question remains: Will there be enough of these new, young, first time voters showing up to pull a surprise on Super Tuesday?" said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The Quinnipiac poll mirrors one conducted at the end of last week by Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg for George Norcross that showed Clinton ahead by six points. Clinton had a 17-point lead in a January 23 Quinnipiac poll, and had been ahead by as much as 34 points late last year.

U.S. Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio wants Bill Marino to resign as N.J. Chamber of Commerce chair for backing toll hikesState Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Joe Pennacchio is so adamant in his opposition to the Governor’s fiscal restructuring plan that he wants the Chamber of Commerce’s president to resign for supporting it. Or the Chairman of the group’s Board of Directors. Or both.

In a press release sent out yesterday, Pennacchio today called on Horizon Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Jersey President William J. Marino, who he identified as the chamber’s president, to resign.

"The Chamber of Commerce's endorsement of Governor Corzine's toll-and-borrow scheme is very disappointing. For six and a half years, the Chamber has proven itself ineffective at lobbying the Democrats against their overtaxing, overspending, and over borrowing ways,” said Pennacchio.

Marino is actually the Chairman of the chamber’s Board of Directors. Its president is Joan Verplank. When informed of the apparent mix up, Pennacchio said that they both should resign.

New Jersey Right to Life endorsed Mike Huckabee, saying that Ron Paul's libertarian views conflic with his pro-life stand: Getty Images Photo
New Jersey Right to Life has endorsed Mike Huckabee for the GOP presidential nomination, saying that the former Governor of Arkansas supports passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life, and believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

Lautenberg Announces Increased Homeland Security Funding For NJ/NY Region

Residential and commercial electric customers join forces to pull the plug on a billion buck boondoggle by NJ's largest utility company. And why isn't this front page news?

That’s the real point of Wednesday’s Star Ledger story about a Public Advocate-led ratepayer complaint against PSE&G for surcharges on electric customers to pay - again - for the utility giant's decades old power plants. Only problem is the story was buried inside the Business section, below the fold, and a mere three column inches.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora still holds out hope that former Vice President Al Gore will emerge as the Democratic candidate for President. The seven-term Assemblyman from Princeton is running for Delegate on an uncommitted slate in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Gusciora explained his reasons for not picking between Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in a statement released last night:

Jack Kelly and Chris Myers, the two leading candidates for the Republicans’ third district congressional nomination, have both indicated that they plan to keep their primary contest gentlemanly despite strong pushes from each of their counties’ Republican organizations.

“What you don’t want to turn this into is us against them,” Kelly, an Ocean County Freeholder, told PolitickerNJ.com in November. “We need to assure them that the needs of the district come first. Which one of us becomes a successful candidate comes second.”

But are the candidates merely paying lip service to civility this early in the race, or will they actually be able to live up to the idea?

If the 1984 primary race for the seat is any indication -- the last time there was a competitive primary in the district and Burlington and Ocean Counties went head-to-head – then yes, the contest may very well remain civil.

“We had a gentleman’s primary,” said retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, who went on to narrowly win that primary and then serve 12 consecutive terms in the House. “We debated the issues. Ronald Reagan was a theme of the campaign. He was very popular at the time.”

Dick Codey, who may be New Jersey's most popular politician, will endorse Barack Obama for President
Senate President Richard Codey is expected to endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, according to sources close to Codey. Codey, who served as Governor from 2004 to 2006, had served as New Jersey Chairman of John Edwards’ campaign.