From left: Gov. Jon Corzine, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley)

LYNDHURST - Toxic enough to give any outsider pause to ponder the consequences of venturing in here, Democrats tonight brought in an Italian immigrant's son, born in the back of a grocery store on the other side of the river, to make a case for Wall Street Illinois import Gov. Jon Corzine in a nationalized political environment.

Republicans spawned the worst economy in the country since the Great Depression, said former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo - and Democrats have to reelect Corzine to ensure the GOP doesn't inflict more damage.

"The Republicans' supply side economics have failed and they want to use New Jersey to try to come back after their failure," Cuomo told a packed banquet hall of Corzine supporters, corralled for the evening in San Carlo's Restaurant by state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) and company.

"Gov. Jon Corzine is a great governor, and he will be an even greater governor," added Cuomo, who said GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie's proposed income tax cuts for wealthy New Jerseyans and corporate tax cut proposals reflect the trickle-down values of former President George W. Bush that again threaten the fiber of the state and should spur Democrats to action.

"We are the party of the whole community," said Cuomo. "We don't care what color you are or where you were born. But we do care most particularly about the poor and the disabled and the elderly and the infirm."

Corzine denied that the buck-up speech and arm hoist from the elder statesman tonight meant that if he gets re-elected he intends to back Cuomo's son, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, for governor of New York in a Democratic Primary against fellow poll-beleaguered incumbent Gov. David Paterson.

Noteworthy in the race for State Assembly in District 36, State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) has not contributed to the re-election campaign of his two running mates, Assemblymen Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley).  The incumbents, who had a poll this summer showing Republicans ahead in this potentially competitive district, have spent over $425,000 on their campaign.  The GOP challengers, Donald Diorio and Carmen Pio Costa, have spent less than $7,500.

While Sarlo has apparently taken a walk on Schaer and Scalera, other Democrats have come through.  They have received $16,400 each from Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Budget Committee Chairman Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), and from Gloucester County Freeholder Stephen Sweeney's campaign fund.  Gov. Jon Corzine gave them a personal check for $5,200, and State Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair) gave Schaer $500.  The Democratic State Committee has spent $67,976 in the 36th, while the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee has spent $43,381.

Democratic sources say that Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) has the inside track on becoming Senate Majority Leader.  She committed to support Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President before Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) did.  If Sweeney wins - he has fourteen of the 23 votes in the Democratic Caucus - and if Buono takes the number two post, it opens up the Appropriations Committee chairmanship.  There is some talk that Sarlo will take the Appropriations post and that Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) will become Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman.

There is speculation among key Democrats that Senate Judiciary Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) will endorse Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, possibly as early as this week.  Sarlo had previously refused to publicly state his preference, but late last week supporters of incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) had listed the Bergen County Democrat as one of their likely votes in the upcoming leadership fight.  Sarlo would represent a major defection from the Codey camp.

Sarlo's relatively early endorsement of Sweeney extends an alliance with South Jersey Democrats that began when he backed U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) over incumbent Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 U.S. Senate primary.  That alliance could help him win a race for Majority Leader, with Sweeney's backing.  Sarlo was Codey's candidate for Majority Leader in 2007, but was defeated by Sweeney.

SARLO INTRODUCES MEASURE TO REQUIRE HIGH SCHOOLS TO HAVE CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINERS ON STAFF

Says Measure Would Ensure Proper Medical Attention for Injured Student-Athletes

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, a long-time proponent of youth sports, today unveiled legislation that he will introduce when the Legislature reconvenes this Fall to require high school athletic departments to have a certified athletic trainer on staff in order to properly treat sports-related injuries, head trauma and heat exhaustion.

“School sports give our kids an opportunity to be active, healthy, and learn the fundamentals of the game, but proper precautions must be in a place to make sure these activities are safe,” said Senator Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, who also volunteers as a coach for various sports in the Wood-Ridge recreation leagues. “It seems like common sense that when a team is practicing, that there be a trained medical professional on hand to provide immediate care if need be. This bill is about keeping our student athletes safe and out of harm’s way.”

GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie, far left, sits with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) and Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair). U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) appears at far right.

WAYNE - Gov. Jon Corzine's ceremonial swearing-in of Camelia Mercedes Valdes as the new Passaic County prosecutor this evening featured the shared-stage presence of Republican gubernatorial rival Chris Christie, who smudged somewhat the Democrats' hopes of a singular Corzine imprimatur on the first Latina prosecutor in New Jersey.

Although Wayne's solid GOP, this is a Democratic base country county, and for Corzine to have to worry about a split-screen effect with Christie had Democratic Party operatives quietly fuming up and down the wings of the auditorium here at the Passaic County Technical Institute.

Both parties credit Passaic County Democratic Party Chairman John Currie - who sat next to the governor during the ceremony as the counterpoint to Christie, who settled into a chair beside Senate Judiciary Chairman Paul Sarlo - with kick-starting the Valdes as prosecutor concept on marching order's from the Governor's Office to find a Latino(a) candidate for the vacancy.

The good news for Democrats in this county where Latino registered voters form well over a fifth of the voting population and where registered D's outnumber R's 78,009 to 47,498? Currie tracked down a hard-nosed white collar crime and financial fraud prosecutor with courtroom experience who was also Dominican American. They checked out the resume and to a man/woman the conclusion was competence. And then there was the history-making factor. Valdes would be the first Dominican-American lead prosecutor in the country, creating an opportunity for Corzine to oversee a Sotomayor scenario two months before Election Day in a state with a big and growing Latino voting bloc.

SARLO STATEMENT ON PASCACK VALLEY HOSPITAL

TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-Bergen, Essex and Passaic, issued the following statement today after Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie attempted to use the closing of Pascack Valley Hospital to score cheap partisan points in a press conference held at the hospital site:

“I have been a long standing supporter of reopening Pascack Valley Hospital and have testified to the same before hearings of the State Health Planning Commission. I am confident that Hackensack Medical Center will be granted the certificate of need from the State Health Planning Commission based upon the merits of the application.

From left: Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley), Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) (who also serves as Passaic Council president), and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), who is also Wood-Ridge's mayor.

PASSAIC - The appearance of State Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Cryan at a unity rally in Passaic two weeks ago signified the chairman's will to win in a 2-1 Democratic legislative district where the Republican opposition is especially revved up two years after coming shockingly close to victory.

"If you didn't have this dynamic duo here fighting for you - if you had two Republicans instead, let me tell you, folks, funding for the City of Passaic would be under siege," maintained Cryan. "You have two different philosophies. On the Republican side you have a gubernatorial candidate who wouldn't take federal stimulus dollars. Under GOP watch, we would have cut children's health insurance."

Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) stood with state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) while they accepted the endorsement of craggy city supervisor Vinny Capuana, a Democrat who in 2008 and earlier this year ran vigorously against Schaer's local machine and lost. 

"It's a wonderful thing to stand here with this group of people coming together," said Sarlo. "Unifying the city is a wonderful thing."

Corzine, Weinberg and her family this afternoon in Englewood

ENGLEWOOD – In front of an audience packed with both her long time loyalists and former foes within the Democratic Party, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) joined Gov. Jon Corzine on stage today as a take-no-prisoners, unapologetically progressive and ethical grandmother who, as Corzine’s new pick for lieutenant governor, hopes to boost  Corzine’s now underdog bid for reelection.

“In case you haven’t heard this before, I am a feisty Jewish grandmother from Bergen County.  I will never be accused of being part of any – of any—insider political club,” said Weinberg at this afternoon’s rollout of her candidacy at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. 

After spending months on Corzine’s shortlist for the number two spot, Weinberg, who has served in the legislature since 1992, was finally tapped yesterday.  The pick was heavily influenced by the dozens of corruption busts that rocked the state’s political scene on Thursday.  Democrats hope that Weinberg, who has authored several ethics bills and took on an allegedly corrupt party boss in her native Bergen County, will keep Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie – who started his candidacy on his record as an anti-corruption crusading U.S. Attorney – from complete domination on the ethics front. 

Even before Thursday’s events, polls showed Christie with an eight to 15 point lead. 

There are several other rationales for the selection.  They include a geographical component, with Bergen County (population 884,000) being the biggest in the state and expected to be hotly contested in November; and the age component, with Weinberg, 74, appealing to seniors (Senate President Dick Codey (D-Roseland) called her “The Real Grandmother of New Jersey” in his remarks today).

If Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is successful in his bid to replace Richard Codey (D-Roseland) as Senate President in November, Senate Democrats will have to decide who will replace Sweeney as Majority Leader.   And if Sweeney challenges Codey and loses, he could face a fight to keep the job he has now.  Either way, there could be a contested race for Senate Majority Leader.

Less than two years ago, Sweeney narrowly won the #2 Senate leadership post, defeating Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) by a 14-9 vote after Bernard Kenney (D-Hoboken) did not seek re-election.  Sarlo had Codey's strong endorsement.

Sweeney won by assembling a coalition of six South Jersey Senators, along with support from Democratic Senators in Middlesex and Union,  and Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City),  Brian Stack (D-Union City), and Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck).  Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) was Sweeney's kingmaker; he helped deliver five votes on the day of the election.

But Sweeney would not necessarily have the same coalition against Codey as he did against Sarlo.  He does not yet have the votes of Cunningham, Stack, Weinberg, and Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge), although Theresa Ruiz (D-Newark) is probably with him.