Republican National Convention

John Crowley is interviewed on the Mississippi river boat by NJN's Jim Hooker.: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - It started like a scene in a movie where guests receive a mysterious invitation from a powerful benefactor. On the bus trip out to the Mississippi River, a lot of Republicans were wondering, "Who is John Crowley?"

There was another less flashy, more intimate New Jersey political meeting going on simultaneously in another corner of the sprawling Minnesota town where Republicans had converged for their national convention, but for the moment this boat covered with red, white and blue bunting was a captivating focal point for the New Jersey GOP procession answering their invitations to see Crowley.

Crowley. Princeton businessman. Owner of a biotech company engaged in finding a cure for a disease Crowley’s children have fought since birth. Millionaire. Navy intelligence officer. Presumptive GOP political star.

Republicans knew the lineaments of the story; still, everyone was speaking the name without knowing the why beyond the boat trip and the vague possibility that Crowley would challenge Gov. Jon Corzine for governor next year.

Coming off the bus, former Gov. Thomas Kean led the way down the gangplank as the jug band started in on a tune and a paranoid Jersey guy told the governor, "As long as you’re here, I know I’m not too far from home."

Fresh from vacation with his family and sporting a new goatee, retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson said State Sen. Leonard Lance is doing a “super” job trying to succeed him.

“He’s got a tremendous track record, legislative and politically. He’s a very strong campaigner, and he’s got a great record to talk about, particularly in contrast to someone we all know well has been raising taxes in our state for 15 or 20 years,” he said.

“When you look at the fiscal problems facing our state today, its’ because of people like Linda Stender who have been raising our taxes, increasing borrowing, increasing spending.  That’s a really positive contrast for him, and I think as the campaign plays out over the next couple months the voters are going to learn that.”

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.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- While many pundits say President Bush’s absence from the Republican National Convention is a political blessing, former Monmouth County Republican Chairman Adam Puharic remains hopeful that he’ll still make an appearance.

“I was born into leadership under George W. Bush.  His presidency invigorated me,” said Puharic, a 37-year-old insurance broker who describes himself as the “youngest senior stateman in Monmouth County. 

“I hope he stops by,” he said.

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.

Allison Littell McHose, a 43-year-old conservative Assemblywoman from Sussex County, thinks that Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old conservative Governor of Alaska, is a great choice for Vice President.

Much of the delegation has talked about Palin’s record on ethical reform resonating with New Jersey voters.  McHose, however, focused on her fiscal conservatism.

“She is a reformer, she has cut spending in the state of Alaska, and the refund she was able to give the people from oil is something that will resonate in the state of new jersey,” she said.  “We like someone who has chutzpah like she does.” 

Former New York Gov. George Pataki, moments after addressing N.J.'s GOP delegation at the Hilton.: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - McCain as military protector provided the solemn motif former New York Gov. George Pataki used this morning to finally prompt a standing ovation from his New Jersey audience.

"There are no finer people in our country than those who put on the uniform for our country," said Pataki, and a pattering of hands started that grew steadily as the former governor added of McCain, "I pray he spends the next four years protecting our country."

Hitting another responsive chord in the crowd, Pataki told a story about a reporter - and there were some groans as he provided the setup - who asked him if the massive loss of oil in the Gulf as a consequence of Hurricane Gustav were not sufficient proof that America shouldn’t drill.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- U.S. Rep. Chris Smith tends to shun the spotlight, but he couldn’t avoid the congratulations coming from his fellow Republicans today.

Smith (R-Hamilton) made an appearance this morning at the delegation breakfast, just weeks after making headlines for extracting two of his constituents from their grandparents’ home in the Republic of Georgia.

Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore came over to greet smith, who represents part of his county.

“You’re looking good,” he said.

Smith last month got an email from one of his constituents, Joseph Evans, telling him that his two daughters were stuck at their grandparents farm in the Republic of Georgia. Smith sprung into action from his district office in Hamilton, spending a week working the phones from Hamilton before heading to Tbilisi himself.

Mike DuHaime at today's breakfast.: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer) and McCain Campaign Political Director Mike DuHaime grew up together in the Republican Party, working for then-Congressman Bob Franks.

Referring to their paths onward as time passed, "One of them made good, and the other became a state senator," Baroni joked to the delegation at this morning’s breakfast.

Among those smiling faces in the audience was none other than the youthful DuHaime, paying his respects to his home crowd in this distant Midwestern city. The former campaign manager of Rudy Giuliani officially joined Team McCain in early July and now works out of Arlington, Va.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.  – Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee wondered out loud today why the New Jersey delegation had asked him to speak to their delegation this afternoon.”

“Why on earth would they invite a southern boy to speak to the folks of New Jersey today?  Must have been the novelty,” he said.

That was the extent of Huckabee’s remarks regarding New Jersey today.  Instead, he launched into an eight minute speech praising Sen. John McCain as an honorable man who’s ready to be president, along with the pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for Vice President.

“Today you’re going to hear us say wonderful things, but the good thing is we don’t have to make it up.  We genuinely believe John McCain is tested, prepared and ready to be president,” he said.