Rudolph Giuliani

Chuck Hagel picked up his first New Jersey endorsement if he decides to seek the 2008 GOP presidential nomination: Dr. Akram Yosri Abdelrahman, a New York University professor and Bergen County businessman who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Congress in 2002. He finished fourth in a field of five candidates, winning 773 votes (2%) after spending $159,930 on his campaign to succeed Marge Roukema.

The winner of that race, Scott Garrett, is hosting a visit by Sam Brownback in Bergen County next week. Assemblyman David Russo, who finished second, is said to be leaning toward John McCain, while State Senator Gerald Cardinale, the third place finisher in that primary, is expected to back Rudy Giuliani. Brian Fox, whose $8,812 got him within 108 votes of Yosri, has not yet endorsed a candidate.

"I strongly believe that Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska would make a great President," said Yosri. "His background and record on a number of key issues is unmatched among all other candidates and would be very difficult to defeat by the Democrats regardless of whoever they end up nominating. Senator Hagel is the only Republican who has the ability to swing back the Reagan democrats. As a strong supporter of the Senator in NJ, I hope other fellow Republican New Jerseyans support this man."

Assemblyman Jon Bramnick will host a reception for elected officials at his Westfield home on February 27 in support of Rudy Giuliani's campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. New Jerseyan Ken Kurson, a senior advisor to Giuliani, will be in attend the event.

The resignation of Gordon MacInnes as the Assistant Commissioner of Education is fueling speculation that he will challenge GOP State Senator Anthony Bucco in the 25th district. MacInnes, who served in the State Senate before losing to Bucco in 1997, has not announced his future plans.

The 65-year-old Democrat, who has spent five years administering the state's Abbott district program, was elected to the State Assembly in the 1973 Democratic landslide. He lost his bid for a second term two years later, and then went to the Senate in a major upset when he defeated Majority Leader John Dorsey in 1993. In 2003, his wife, Blair MacInnes, won 45% in her race against Bucco.

Bucco is the last Republican to unseat an incumbent Democratic State Senator. His campaign was managed by Michael DuHaime, now the Campaign Manager for Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid. His consultant, Mark Campbell, is now Giuliani's National Political Director, and his Field Director, Bill Stepien, is now Giuliani's National Field Director.

Remember how Forrest Gump was composited into historical clips? That's how several Republican leaders view lobbyist Steven Some, who made his way onto the set of an NJN "On the Record" taping of a presidential campaign panel as Rudy Giuliani's representative. Some's appearance on NJN last weekend has angered several key Giuliani supporters, who felt that the lobbyist should not be pro-actively spinning for their candidate on television, or representing himself as a player on their campaign.

New Jersey Network invited Some, who had identified himself to them as Giuliani's New Jersey "Coordinator" -- but the campaign told PoliticsNJ.com that Some is just a "supporter" and has no formal title with them. Some has contacted other media outlets in recent weeks to let them know that he is available for comment on presidential politics. His quotes in news stories that have appeared in the Star-Ledger, the New York Times and the New York Sun came as a result of his self-promotion. Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore is chairing the Giuliani campaign in New Jersey.

Still, Some is considered by the campaign as a "thoughtful, intelligent supporter, whose opinions are welcome and valued."

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson asked for and received a vote of confidence Wednesday evening in a private meeting with Republican County Chairmen. The party leaders believed they need to show support of Wilson to slow down what has already become an open race for State Chairman, and perceived that Wilson needed to take on the Democrats for while without the encumbrance of backstabbing from his own party. The County Chairmen were assured that Wilson has no legal issues relating to the guilty plea of his former business partner, Robert Stears, and Wilson agreed to spend a little less time worrying about John McCain's presidential campaign. A majority of the County Chairmen support Rudy Giuliani.

The first Republican County Chairman prepared to endorse Rudy Giuliani for the 2008 presidential nomination is also the most ideologically conservative of the state's 21 GOP Chairs and the one furthest away from New York City: David Von Savage of Cape May County. GOP sources say that Von Savage will be the first of many New Jersey Republican leaders to back Giuliani.

The former New York City Mayor will make two stops in New Jersey on February 8 -- both fundraising events in Bergen County.

David Plouffe, who is expected to serve as Barack Obama's campaign manager if he seeks the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, is well known to New Jerseyans as Bob Torricelli's campaign manager in his 1996 U.S. Senate race against Richard Zimmer. He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, and as Executive Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

If November '08 turns out to be a contest between Obama and Rudy Giuliani, one small irony will be that both campaign managers will have worked against Zimmer in the 1996 Senate race. Michael DuHaime, who is running Giuliani's race, was a recent Rutgers graduate when he volunteered on the campaign of his father, Passaic County Freeholder Richard DuHaime, a conservative who challenged Zimmer in the Republican U.S. Senate primary.

New Jerseyans prefer New Yorkers for the Presidency in 2008, according to a new Strategic Vision poll. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads Senator John McCain of Arizona by a 46%-24% margin among New Jersey Republicans, while 34% of the Democrats prefer New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Democrats
Hillary Clinton 34%
Al Gore 20%
John Edwards 10%
Russ Feingold 7%
John Kerry 6%
Christopher Dodd 4%
Joseph Biden 2%
Wesley Clark 1%
Mark Warner 1%
Ed Rendell 1%
Bill Richardson 1%
Tom Vilsack 1%
Evan Bayh 1%
Undecided 11%

Republicans
Rudy Giuliani 46%
John McCain 24%
Mitt Romney 6%
Newt Gingrich 5%
George Pataki 1%
Bill Frist 1%
Rick Santorum 1%
George Allen 1%
Chuck Hagel 1%
Undecided 14%

In New Jersey -- now an early primary state -- Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani still lead the pack in the race for President, according to a Strategic Vision poll released today. Among Democrats, Clinton gets 33% of the vote, followed by 19% for Al Gore, 11% for John Edwards, 9% for Russell Feingold, and 6% for John Kerry. Christopher Dodd and Joseph Biden are at 3%, while the other prospective candidates -- Mark Warner (who has signed up major state Democratic fundraisers), Wesley Clark, Ed Rendell, Bill Richardson, Tom Vilsack and Evan Bayh -- are at 1%.

In the GOP filed, Giuliani leads John McCain by a 44%-28% margin. Seven other candidates are in single digits: Mitt Romney (7%), Newt Gingrich (3%), George Pataki (1%), Bill Frist (1%), Rick Santorum (1%), George Allen (1%) and Chuck Hagel (1%).

Nearly half (48%) of New Jersey Republicans say they would like to see Condoleeza Rice run for President in 2008 -- but if she were in the race, she would be at just 13% in the state, with Giuliani still leading McCain, 42%-19%.

Among the small group of elite Republican fundraisers who met privately with Senator John McCain last Friday was former Port Authority Chairman Lewis Eisenberg, a Rumson resident who once served as Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Eisenberg is close to two other potential presidential candidates -- former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and New York Governor George Pataki -- and his presence at the McCain meeting could be interpreted as a sign that the prominent GOP fundraiser does not expect either Giuliani or Pataki to ultimately enter the race. One of McCain's fundraisers in Mark Miller, who worked for Eisenberg at the Republican Leadership Council.