Former Gov. Thomas Kean and Scott Morrison of Camden County at the Hilton: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - From Hurricaine Gustav, to the Labor Day late night cruise with the Crowleys, to Bush cringe, to the Sarah Palin story, to the Blue Grille Bar in the Hilton, to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) and back to the Blue Grille, and back to the East, New Jersey Republicans led by State Chairman Tom Wilson forged a convention of small but diehard members. 

Former state Sen. John Bennett, left, and Assemblyman Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge).: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - Everything but an afternoon business meeting is off the table at tomorrow's Republican National Convention here, with Hurricane Gustav bearing down on New Orleans south of this Mississippi River town.

Standing in front of the Hilton among the early arrivals for the New Jersey delegation on late Sunday afternoon, and going with the flow at this point, were former state Sen. President John Bennett (R-Monmouth) and Assemblyman Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge).

Widely lambasted for taking a ho-hum approach to the devastation wrought on New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina three years ago, President George W. Bush will not speak at the convention tomorrow night.

Assemblyman Sam Thompson endorsed Anne Evans Estabrook for U.S. Senate today.

Thompson, who lives in Middlesex County, joins his running mate, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, in supporting Estabrook.

"The citizens of New Jersey are looking for change and I know that Anne Estabrook will bring change to Washington, work tirelessly to provide security for America, and fight to make New Jersey more affordable by supporting tax cuts and eliminating wasteful spending,” said Thompson.

The vast majority of Rudy Giuliani’s New Jersey supporters are expected to endorse John McCain today, and pundits on both sides appear certain that McCain is the heavy favorite to win New Jersey’s winner-take-all primary on Tuesday. McCain will be in New Jersey on Monday, holding a rally at the Colonial Fire House in Hamilton; Rudy Giuliani is expected to accompany him.

Assemblyman Sam ThompsonVeteran District 13 Assemblyman Sam Thompson comes to New Jersey by way of Louisiana.

Civil rights activists last week descended on Jena, La., to protest charges of attempted murder initially brought against six young African-Americans, who allegedly beat up a white youth they said was part of an anti-black element in the mostly white town.

Republican Frank Blee will step down as the Assembly Minority Whip -- the number three post in the GOP leadership -- and Jon Bramnick of Union County appears to be the favorite to succeed him.  Blee, who won just 39% of the vote in his bid for State Senate at a Special Election Convention in February, has decided not to seek re-election to an eighth term in the lower house.  Some Republican legislators had privately urged Blee's ouster after the Atlantic County Republican said he would back Democratic Assemblyman James Whelan for State Senate against GOP incumbent James "Sonny" McCullough.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

CAMPAIGN CASH NOT DEFENSE FUND

Editorial, Gloucester County Times, April 29, 2007

The effort by Assembly Republicans to put state Sen. Wayne Bryant's campaign money out of reach for his criminal defense would eliminate an apparent gray area in the way the state Election Law Enforcement Commission works.

U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie identified corruption as the top issue facing the state during a town meeting with three Republican legislators in Monmouth County last night and called on people to join him in the fight for better government by attending government meetings and voting in elections.

But the former Morris County Freeholder and fundraiser for President George W. Bush's 2000 campaign says that his town meeting tour -- he held another one recently with State Senator Peter Inverso and Assemblyman Bill Baroni -- is unrelated to speculation that he might seek the Republican nomination for Governor in 2009.

"It's a fair question," Christie said when asked if he's running. "The answer is 'no.'"

U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie will join Republican legislators in the 13th district for a Town Meeting on April 26 in Middletown.  The non-political event will allow the federal prosecutor to "discuss the actions his office has taken to protect our children and neighborhoods from drugs and gang violence; to combat terrorism and ensure homeland security; to fight white collar crime; and to once and for all show that the people of New Jersey will no longer stand for public corruption," according to a press release issued by State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos' office. 

Assemblyman Samuel Thompson and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin will join Christie and Kyrillos at the forum, to be held at 7:30 PM at Middletown High School North.

The open slot on the Democratic Assembly slate in the thirteenth district was not intentional: Old Bridge resident Bob Brown had about 169 signatures on the wrong petition, leaving Patricia Walsh as the lone challenger to GOP incumbents Amy Handlin and Samuel Thompson.  Democrats are pledging a write-in campaign to nominate a second Assembly candidate -- and a Senate candidate against Minority Leader Leonard Lance in the 23rd district.

One indication that the Democrats don't intend to mount much of a challenge to five-term State Senator Joseph Kyrillos: their candidate is Leonard Inzerillo, who had a very public fight with party leaders last summer.