Reed Gusciora

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), right, campaigns in Princeton on Saturday with U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12). 

PRINCETON - The crowds flowed onto Nassau Street for Communiversity Day and in their midst at one time or another moved two politicians, intent on making contact with voters.

Cruising through the swarm of people at the blocked-off intersection of Nassau and Witherspoon, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) projected the image of a relentless white-haired pavement-pounder and man of the people. Hailing him as their 84-year old wonder, the senator’s handlers say by contrast his underdog rival’s frequent public appearances belie desperate backroom and courtroom campaign machinations.

As U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) faces a decision tomorrow in his challenge of statewide balloting procedure, Lautenberg shakes his head at his younger rival’s strategy.

“If he persists in staying in court, it tells you what he thinks about campaigning,” said the senator in between embraces and hand shakes on Nassau Street. “He’d rather campaign in the courtroom than on the streets.”

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), a supporter of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, says he can't get around U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews's point position on the Iraq War.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg addresses the crowd as Gov. Jon Corzine looks on.

TRENTON -- Burnishing his blue collar roots and seniority in Washington, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg today launched his re-election bid at the Trenton Marriott, promising to lead the fight for New Jersey's working families.

"I will build on my work of the last few years, to stand strong against those who attack our values that short change our state and to deliver the results that improve people's lives," said Lautenberg, who was first elected to the Senate in 1982.

TRENTON - Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) sported an "Obama" button at the Mercer County Democratic Convention on Saturday and affirmed his support for the presidential candidacy of the junior senator from Illinois.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora’s early legwork to get former vice president Al Gore into the 2008 presidential race ran amok when Gore flatly said he wasn’t going to run.

The left Gusciora, a prime co-sponsor of the state’s Global Warming Response Act, without his optimum green candidate.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who is leading a grass roots campaign in New Jersey to draft Al Gore for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, says that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the former Vice President is "one more demanding reason" why Gore should run for President.

In Mercer County, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 73, which represents more than 11,000 public-sector employees throughout central New Jersey, announced their endorsements in this year’s elections.

In the 14th district, the union declared it’s support for Bill Baroni for Senate, and Linda Greenstein and Wayne DeAngelo for Assembly.

In the 15th district, Senator Shirley Turner, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman were endorsed for re-election.

With 10 months to go before the Democratic congressional primary, Amy Vasquez has announced that she’s running for congress in the fourth district, again.

There wasn’t any fanfare in Vasquez’s announcement. Rather, it came in the form of a press release criticizing Republican incumbent Chris Smith for his vote against a bill that renewed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program with “Amy Vasquez for Congress” written in the address heading.

Imagine this: it’s 2010, and Chris Christie has just been inaugurated as New Jersey’s new Republican Governor after defeating Jon Corzine in his reelection bid. Meanwhile in Washington, the United States Senate remains in Democrats’ tenuous grasp, with a one-seat majority.

Suddenly, one of New Jersey’s two Democratic Senators falls ill and steps down -- control of the Senate hangs in the balance. Should Governor Christie be required to appoint a Democrat as the Senator’s interim replacement, or should he be able to appoint anyone he wants, regardless of party affiliation?

Currently, state law would allow the Governor to appoint a Senator of his or her choice.

While few people want to speculate on a Senator’s illness or death, it’s a question that New Jersey Democrats may want to look into if they’re going to re-elect 83 1/2-year-old Frank Lautenberg -- who, according to an actuarial timetable from the Social Security Administration, can be expected to live just 5.29 years after he turns 85 during the first month of his next term.

Former Vice President Al Gore joined Gov. Jon Corzine on Friday for the signing of New Jersey's global warming law
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora wants former Vice President Al Gore to be the next president. So he's launching a statewide grassroots movement to muster the necessary New Jersey delegates to put Gore's name in at the Democratic National Convention next summer.

Forget about a draft Al Gore movement now. It's too late, Gusciora contends. Gore supporters, says the veteran progressive legislator, need to organize and take their cause straight out of the February, 2008, Democratic primary to the convention in Denver.