In addition to being a United States Senator, Frank Lautenberg also holds a higher office: he’s an uncommitted superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Lautenberg has been careful to avoid stating his preference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – hoping to evade having to offend anyone in his own party, especially as he faces Rep. Rob Andrews, a Hillary Clinton supporter, in the Democratic primary. But New Jersey Democratic leaders are expected to push Lautenberg to disclose who he wants to be the next President before the June 3 primary – and that’s something Lautenberg does not want to do.

One uncommitted superdelegate from New Jersey appears to be leaning toward Hillary Clinton, according to recent comments he made to close friends who have communicated his position to PolitickerNJ.com. Red Bank resident Philip Murphy, the Democratic National Committee Finance Chairman and a former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs (where he was aligned with the faction that essentially tossed Jon Corzine as Chairman in 1999), has reportedly told at least three individuals that he would likely vote for Clinton over Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention – if the nomination comes down to a contest in Denver. 

Superdelegate Frank Lautenberg hasn't decided who he wants to be the next President of the United States, but he's sure he doesn't want Susan Collins back in the United States Senate. Lautenberg traveled to Maine today to support Congressman Tom Allen, alleging that Collins allowed war profiteering to occur when she denied his request to investigate Halliburton in her role as chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

George Norcross, one of New Jersey's most powerful Democratic insiders, has endorsed Barack ObamaBarack Obama today picked up the support of two super delegates from New Jersey as several major Democratic leaders in South Jersey announced that they would switch their endorsements from Hillary Clinton to Obama. Super delegates Donald Norcross, who had previously been uncommitted, and State Sen. Dana Redd, who had backed Clinton, are now for Obama. This is a net pickup of two super delegates for Obama and a loss of one for Clinton.

Obama also won the backing of one of the state’s most powerful political insiders, George Norcross, and was endorsed by Clinton backers, including Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, Democratic County Chairmen James Beach (Camden), Rick Perr (Burlington) and Michael Angelini (Gloucester), Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison, State Sen. Frederick Madden, and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty