Robert Menendez

State Sen. Brian Stack, the Mayor of Union City, is upset that political enemy Rudy Garcia was invited to Jerramiah Healy's campaign kickoff.

Sources say that Union City Mayor Brian Stack is off the charts livid that two of his political rivals, former Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny and former Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia were invited to stand on the stage when Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy announced his re-election bid last week, and that the feud is getting so out of hand that a Stack endorsement of former Assemblyman Louis Manzo for Mayor is now a possibility.  Their best hope to avoid a Second World War between the two Hudson County Democrats may be to convince U.S. Senator Bob Menendez to mediate.

The two went at it two years ago when Healy, the Hudson County Democratic Chairman, backed West New York Mayor Sal Vega for Kenny's Senate seat.  Stack beat Vega in the primary by a 4-1 margin.  Garcia, who was tossed as Mayor and as an Assemblyman (Stack took his seat) after a public feud with Menendez, remains on the outs with the Union City powerbrokers.

Matt Miller, Bob Menendez's former spokesman, will now work for U.S. Attorney General-designate Eric Holder

Honorary New Jerseyan Matthew Miller, who spent several years as Robert Menendez's communications director in the House and Senate, will serve as chief spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice once Eric Holder is confirmed as U.S. Attorney General.  The talented Texas native ran the communications operation for Menendez's 2006 U.S. Senate race, and has spent the last two years as communications director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Take a look at PolitickerNJ.com's first Winners & Losers of the Year, published in December 2000.  CLICK HERE

Bill Matsikoudis, the Jersey City Corporation Counsel, is the leading candidate to become the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to sources familiar with the appointment process.  The nomination of Lisa Jackson to head the EPA led some Democrats to believe that the veteran regulator, who became Chief of Staff to Gov. Jon Corzine in December 1, might have her own candidate in mind to replace Alan Steinberg, a Republican who was appointed by George W. Bush.  Jackson spent many years at the EPA before joining the Corzine administration as Commissioner of Environmental Protection in 2006.

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States Senate approved an extension of unemployment insurance for out-of-work Americans in these tough economic times. Those who have used up their unemployment benefits will receive seven additional weeks in most states and 13 weeks in states with the highest rates of unemployment. Democrats also favored additional economic stimulus measures, such as ready-to-go infrastructure projects, Medicare-costs assistance for states and food stamp assistance, but the Bush administration and Senate Republicans would not accept those provisions.

WASHINGTON – New Jersey’s U.S. Senators, Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg, today provided an update and reminder for New Jerseyans who are considering travelling to Washington, DC for the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON – This morning, President Bush announced air traffic modifications for the days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The president also touted his administration’s plan to auction off flight slots at the three major New York City area airports as a way to reduce delays.

CLINTON, LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ, SCHUMER HONOR THE VICTIMS OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103 ON 20th ANNIVERSARY OF TRAGEDY

Getty Images Photo

Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), who was arrested this morning, will name Barack Obama's replacement in the U.S. Senate.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested today on federal corruption charges -- he allegedly tried to sell Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat -- which means Obama's replacement in the United States Senate could be appointed by a man under indictment.  Illinois state law provides for the Governor to fill vacant seats in the U.S. Senate, and short of resignation, there is no process for Blagojevich to pass that responsibility to anyone else.  He could opt to leave Obama’s Senate seat vacant.

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is actively campaigning to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal when Barack Obama takes office as President next month.  McGuire, a two-term Sheriff and former policeman, has been using his political contacts to seek support from the two voters who will ultimately decide who Obama picks: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  McGuire's resume was submitted to the transition office last week.

Sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine, who does not have a vote in this election, is actively pushing Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff who now heads the police force of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.