Tom Wilson

NEWARK - Confronted today with a question about whether he intends to release details of his public and private schedule from the last two years, U.S. Attorney Chris Christie said "no comment."

The question came on the heels of a letter issued by U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey. Describing "troubling reports" that Christie has been holding political meetings in advance of the 2009 gubernatorial contest, Pallone says he wants Mukasey to clarify the role of federal prosecutors in politics.

"I have no comment on Congressman Pallone’s letter," Christie told PolitickerNJ.com.

According to State GOP Chairman Tom Wilson, Christie would be the establishment favorite if he decides to challenge Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine next year.

A riverboat welcome.: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - If the Democratic National Convention provided a simple conflict-resolution storyline, the Republican counterpart took the shape of a Quentin Tarentino script in comparison, with a hurricane threatening to throw everything off and the New Jersey delegation heading out on a river boat cruise anyway and doing relief work in the morning, and protest actions punctuating the streets.

All against the backdrop of McCain/Palin.

Despite a gaffe-filled Tuesday production, with Jo Ann Davidson, co chair of the Republican National Committee, referring to Alaska Gov. Sarah "Pawlenty," and a trio of gray or white-haired prime time speech-makers, including an unpopular sitting president and a former Democrat, hardly igniting the New Jersey delegates.

Tear gas cartridges hit the pavement outside the Xcel Center

"The protesters are all in here fighting with police," said the cabby on the way out of the downtown.

Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex).: Politicker file photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - It’s several hours until Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) takes the stage downtown at the Xcel Center and one of his supporters sits in a hotel where the New Jersey delegation is housed, and he reflects on the years he’s spent in support of this man who would be president.

Soon he will again observe McCain in person.

State Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-Essex), a state campaign co-chair for McCain, goes back to 2000 in his support. But it was during the 2008 Republican presidential primary that he deepened his respect for the Arizona senator and recognized up close what he sees as McCain’s particular leadership qualities.

"He came into Hamilton - and look, I’ve been in politics going back to 1984, I’ve been around presidents and the rest of it, it’s heady stuff - but we were sitting in the back of a bus that day in Hamilton: Baroni, and Sean Kean and others who have long supported McCain," O’Toole says. "Lindsay Graham and Joe Lieberman were there, and so was John McCain."

The presidential candidate talked strategy, and seated with him, O’Toole, the Essex County political insider who came up in politics the hard way, says unabashedly that he felt he was in the presence of greatness.

Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), campaigning last year with Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande and Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon.: Politicker file photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - Identifying in her hockey mom, small town mayor’s story the features of a universal American life, and exhilarated by her willingness to put her head down and charge after their rivals, members of New Jersey’s GOP delegation praised the acceptance speech delivered tonight by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, their vice presidential nominee.

"I know my constituents will be able to identify with her, a working mother whose family depends on two incomes," said state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Union).

Since he first declared his hope two or three weeks ago that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would choose Palin as his running mate as a way of reaching base conservative voters, women, and blue collar America, Kean has consistently emphasized as a strength Palin’s distance from the ambitious political culture of Washington, D.C.

"This was someone who was picked because of her competence as governor, as opposed to her going out and seeking the office," the senator added.

Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson said that U.S. Rob Andrews’s decision to seek reelection to Congress shows that a new Congressman is needed in the 1st District.

“Rob Andrews has spent nearly 20 years in Washington. It’s time for a change,” he said just before boarding a bus to watch Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin speak at the Republican National Convention. “It’s a sad statement that the Democrats have to rely on defeated retreads. If you can’t trust Rob Andrews when it comes to one of the most personal decisions of his life, I don’t know what you can trust him on.”

GOP State Chairman Tom WilsonMINNEAPOLIS - A floor blanketed with white faces at the Republican National Convention doesn’t mean the GOP - or their presidential nominee - lack a universal message, argues State Republican Chairman Tom Wilson.

Coming off their convention in Denver last week, Democrats urged observers to note the contrast between their ethnically diverse party and the Republicans.

"When you have a quota system, it guarantees the result you saw in Denver," Wilson shot back. "Look, you have one million Republicans in New Jersey, and 52 New Jerseyans sitting on the floor, representing them. These 52 people are there day in and day out doing the hardcore party activism.

"Our hardcore party activists are predominantly middle class, white New Jersey," Wilson added.

MINNEAPOLIS - George Bush’s face filling a screen at the Xcel Energy Center last night didn’t prompt a chorus of boos because most Republicans still like the president, said State Republican Chairman Tom Wilson.

"He’s liked by a lot of people - remember, the people in that room are mostly hardcore party activists," the state chairman said, "and last night he did what he had to do."

"I know his poll numbers are upside down but I think history will judge him well," said Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore. "No terrorist attack in seven years. We’re doing better in Iraq."

State Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (D-Parsippany-Troy Hills) agreed.

Republicans yesterday held their fire on the Democratic Party while Hurricane Gustav bore down on the Gulf Coast. But now, with damage from the Hurricane apparently less than feared, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson and Senate candidate Dick Zimmer let loose on incumbent Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

Introducing Zimmer to speak at the delegation breakfast this morning, Wilson took a shot at Lautenberg on rumors that he spends most of his time in Manhattan rather than his Cliffside Park condo.

“For 25 years, Frank Lautenberg has left his apartment in Manhattan and gone to Washington to represent New Jersey. And in those 25 years, he’s got three things to show for it: a train station with no parking, no smoking on airplanes and a 21-year-old drinking age. Two of those things happened when Ronald Reagan was president,” he said. “And since then, Frank Lautenberg has just been along for a ride.”

MINNEAPOLIS - Stunned by Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) headline-snatching announcement last Friday that he selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, N.J. Democrats this week re-set after taking a three-day hard look at Palin.

So far, they’re having a difficult time squaring an obscure Alaskan with New Jersey’s hard-edged, ethnically diverse environs, despite Republicans’ best efforts - in the words of State GOP Chairman Tom Wilson - to make a case for why "New Jersey will love Sarah Palin."

"They have Eskimos in Alaska," former Summit Councilwoman Kelly Hatfield said to the suggestion that Palin may not have experience relating to the kinds of ethnic groups whose myriad cultures saturate New Jersey.

As for the fact that Palin’s a woman - a younger, slimmer verison of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) with an attitude to tempt backlash voters over to the GOP after Clinton’s primary loss - Democrats remain unimpressed.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- By law, retiring U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton can’t tell the National Republican Congressional Committee what to do with the $400,000 he just donated to them.

But Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson has a good idea of where the money should go: to the cash strapped Chris Myers, who’s running as Saxton’s choice to fill his 3rd Congressional District seat. Myers is running against Democratic State Sen. John Adler, who as of the last filing period had about 10 times Myers’s cash-on-hand.

So far, the NRCC hasn’t made any public commitments to the district. When asked if he would be disappointed if the NRCC didn’t commit any resources to the 3rd District, Wilson was candid.

“If they don’t, I’ll be more than disappointed. I’ll be sickened, and I’ll be pissed,” he said. “I can tell them to. They don’t have to listen to me. Once the money is in their treasury it’s theirs to do what they will with, but hopefully his colleagues will be respectful of his commitment to the caucus and make sure that his seat stays in Republican hands.”