David Paterson

In an appearance on Face the Nation this morning, Republican National Chairman Michael Steele questioned why the White House wants David Paterson to drop his campaign for Governor of New York, but didn't ask Gov. Jon Corzine to do the same thing.

"I think Governor Paterson's numbers are about the same as Governor Corzine's numbers, and yet the president was with Governor Corzine and I don't know whether there's been a request for Governor Corzine to step down in New Jersey," Steele said.  "I just find it to be stunning and also rather bold."

Republican Gov. Jodi Rell of Connecticut, the most popular Governor in the northeast, has an approval rating 59%-34%, down from 65%-30% in July, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.  More than half the voters (56%) say Rell "copped out" by refusing to either sign or veto the state budget, and 52% disapprove of her handling of the budget.

"She has hit an all-time low, although neighboring governors would love to have those numbers," said Dr. Douglas Schwartz, Quinnipiac University Poll Director.  Democratic governors in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have worse numbers.

New Jerseyans like their Governor more than New Yorkers do.  A Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows David Paterson with an upside-down 28%-61% approval rating -- worse than Jon Corzine, who was at 36%-56% earlier this month.  Corzine trails Republican Christopher Christie by ten percentage points, while Paterson runs eighteen points behind one possible GOP rival, Rudy Giuliani.  (That doesn't matter: Andrew Cuomo has a 3-1 lead against Paterson over Democrats.)

But as other big state Governors look at truly horrible budgets, Corzine looks to be enjoying some relative success.  The Democratic Governor appears headed toward legislative approval of his budget tomorrow without much of a fight, and his Supreme Court nominee is poised to win Senate confirmation on Thursday, probably with some Republican votes.  

This probably isn't how Republicans viewed June 2009: Corzine getting his budget passed on the day Christie testfies before a House Judiciary subcommittee on federal monitors.

Gov. Jon Corzine has an upside-down approval rating, but the worst numbers in the region belong to New York Gov. David Paterson.  A Quinnipiac University poll released today shows Paterson with a 28%-60% approval rating, with 63% of New York voters saying he should not seek re-election.  In a general election poll, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads Paterson 53%-32%.  State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo leads Giuliani 53%-36%.

Five Democrat governors including New Jersey’s Jon Corzine and New York’s David Paterson have called upon the incoming Obama administration to spend $1 trillion over the next two years on a host of programs such as public education, roads, and social services.  The governors also want a middle-class tax cut as part of their “stimulus proposal.”   The spectacle of these governors literally begging for federal dollars so they can maintain their respective welfare states is another shameful episode in our nation’s history. 

Big government advocates like Corzine and others claim the “people” really want a welfare state to take care of low income families, provide numerous social services for middle income families, and maintain an expensive public school system.  If they are correct, then the people should be willing—unequivocally--to pay higher taxes to support a comprehensive welfare state.  Corzine, Patterson, et. al., should immediately increase taxes on everyone in their states if they believe the people want to maintain the welfare state in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin. 

Senate President Dick Codey (D-Essex)

The campaign of 5th District Congressional candidate Dennis Shulman is bringing in state Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) to campaign on Monday during evening rush hour in Hoboken.

Codey and Shulman will work the platforms of those trains bound for 5th District destinations, according to Shulman spokesman Jeffrey Hauser.

"NJ-5 lacks a lot of the prototypical retail opportunities, that's why we're big on football games, soccer tourneys and Halloween parades," Hauser said.

Shulman is running against U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-Wantage).

JERSEY CITY – Although the pro-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) crowd in the student center of New Jersey City University was juked with polls showing their candidate in possession of a double digit lead in Jersey, they supplied no demonstration of shock and awe support three days before Election Day.

Waiting for keynoters New York Gov. David Paterson and Gov. Jon Corzine, local politicians warmed up the proudly attentive audience.

“If you don’t stand for this man (Obama), you don’t stand for anything,” state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) cried. “Get up. Get up!”

The crowd jolted to its feet.

Paterson in Jersey City

JERSEY CITY – At an Obama rally here in the student center of New Jersey State University, New York Gov. David Paterson took aim at Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) repeated denunciation of Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) economic policy.

McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, refer in their down-the-stretch stump speeches to remarks made by a campaign supporter who told Obama that the Democratic nominee’s tax cuts sound like socialism.

Paterson put that on McCain’s home turf.

New York Governor David Paterson will be the keynote speaker at the Essex County Democratic Committee fundraiser in West Orange next Thursday. And look for another high profile New Yorker to become involved in a New Jersey campaign tomorrow morning.

For New Jerseyans who follow the race for Mayor of New York City more closely than they do the contest for Salem County Freeholder: a new Quinnipiac University poll released this morning shows that NYC voters, by a 54%-42% margin, support extending the eight-year term limit to twelve years so Michael Bloomberg can serve as third term as mayor.  Bloomberg, who says he wants to run again in 2009 even though city law does not currently allow it, has a 75%-19% job approval rating.  Nearly two-thirds of the voters (65%) say they still support the basic concept of term limits -- especially for City Councilmembers -- but they still want Bloomberg to remain in office.  In a head-to-head matchup with six other potential candidates, Bloomberg is at 51%; none of the others break out of single digits.

“Will it be a coronation? Bloomberg’s support is more than 50 percent. The others?  Way down in single digits.  His job approval is still up in the stratosphere, where it’s been for three years,” said Maurice Carroll, the Quinnipiac poll director.