Wally Edge

U.S. Senate candidate Dick Zimmer walked into the convention hall today and found something unusual: delegates were sitting relatively quietly.

“I’ve been to a lot of conventions, but this one is unlike any of the others. For one thing, we don’t know what’s going to happen day to day, and we’ve gotten a reality check,” said Zimmer. “There’s a world of politics, and there’s a world of real Americans who all of us are thinking of first right now.”

It was also the first time Zimmer encountered such a subdued mood the many conventions he’s attended. His first was in 1968 when Zimmer, then a law student who managed to get on the floor, watched as Richard Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan jostled for the nomination. During that convention, some lesser-known candidates put their names in as well – including New Jersey Sen. Clifford P. Case.

“Here is something Wally Edge might know,” said Zimmer. “You know who made the nominating speech for Case? It was C. Douglas Dillon, who was in Kennedy’s cabinet.”

Mayor Martin Marks, Republican candidate for Congress in the Seventh District, has won the endorsement of New Jersey’s largest and oldest pro-life political action committee - New Jersey Right to Life PAC

The Inside Edge is always happy to help our good friend Paul Mulshine, which is why there were no complaints when his February 5 column on the idea that Mitt Romney’s campaign can run their own delegate slate in June and effectively bypass the winner-take-all system appeared to mirror a similar column on this site six days earlier.  After all, Mulshine is a better writer, and he did use the s-word. 

But one word of caution to the man who sits on the right side of the Star-Ledger:  be careful when you let C. Richard “Dick” Kamin, a man of limited intellectual capacity and even less influence, spin you on a story – especially one the ex-Motor Vehicles Director read on PolitickerNJ.com.

PolitickerNJ.com, since February 1, 2000

When PoliticsNJ.com began a journey into the world of New Jersey politics on February 1, 2000, we all lived in a different universe. Christie Whitman was midway through her second term as Governor, Republicans controlled both houses of the Legislature, 76-year-old Frank Lautenberg was retiring from the United States Senate, and some mega millionaire Wall Street guy no one ever heard of was running for his seat.

These eight years have been epic times in New Jersey politics: Jon Corzine spent $75 million to win a Senate seat; for twelve days in the summer of 2000, Bob Torricelli was an announced gubernatorial candidate; Whitman resigned as Governor to join the Bush cabinet and was replaced by Donald DiFrancesco, who dropped his own bid for Governor just four months later amidst allegations of ethical violations; Democrats outmaneuvered the GOP on legislative redistricting; Bret Schundler beat Bob Franks in the '01 gubernatorial primary; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the world; James E. McGreevey was elected Governor; Democrats captured control of the State Assembly - and an election night coup installed Albio Sires, not Joe Doria, as Speaker - and the Senate was tied at 20-20, leaving both parties with shared power of the upper house.

Who is Wally Edge? We’re handing our out “I am Wally Edge” buttons on the annual Chamber of Commerce train trip today and asking readers to take pictures with their cell phones and e-mail it to us at politicsnj@aol.com. The winner gets an original Rob Tornoe political cartoon. Who do you think is Wally Edge?

Who is Wally Edge? Picture Gallery

If you’re walking to Washington tomorrow on the annual Chamber of Commerce train trip on Thursday, you can win an original Rob Tornoe political cartoon – or design your own! PolitickerNJ.com will be handing out “I am Wally Edge” buttons on the train. When you see Wally Edge wearing the button, just take a picture with your cell phone and e-mail it to us at politicsnj@aol.com. We’ll post the photos online and let our readers vote on which one is Wally Edge!

If you’re walking to Washington next week on the annual Chamber of Commerce train trip on Thursday, you can win an original Rob Tornoe political cartoon – or design your own! PolitickerNJ.com will be handing out “I am Wally Edge” buttons on the train. When you see Wally Edge wearing the button, just take a picture with your cell phone and e-mail it to us. We’ll post the photos online and let our readers vote on which one is Wally Edge!