Democratic National Convention

DENVER -- New York Governor David Paterson this morning said he was a “great admirer of the State of New Jersey.”

Paterson came a long way across the Denver Metropolitan area to speak to the New Jersey delegation at the Inverness Hotel in Englewood, Co, arriving close to an hour late after watching Gov. Corzine speak to his own delegation. After being introduced by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Princeton), Paterson joked about the distance.

“I am a great admirer of the state of New Jersey, and I will come to any event that’s schedule that any of you invite me to,” he said. “I just want you to know that this facility is further away from the Sheraton than any geographic point in New Jersey is from New York. So if I can get here, I can get to your event.”

DENVER -- If there's any controversy involved with today's roll call vote, New Jersey will not be a part of it.

Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan made a motion this morning to endorse Barack Obama by universal acclimation. It passed, without any voices raised in opposition.

Cryan said that after listening to Hillary Clinton’s speech last night “I really think it would be mistake if the New Jersey delegation had a roll call,” he said before putting it up for a vote. “If there was some way, I ask that we by acclamation nominate Barack Obama and dispense with the roll call.”

Check back tomorrow morning to view my sketchpad for day three of the Democratic National Convention, and go to my national blog to follow convention coverage by cartoonists from around the country.

It was a big night for State Senator/3rd District congressional candidate John Adler, who got to share the main stage at the Democratic National Convention with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman (DCCC) Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and several other top Democratic House prospects.

It was a brief but powerful moment in the spotlight for Adler, who spoke one sentence in front of the crowd. 

“In a governmental, political sense, it meant a lot to me to be with people who together want to make a better, more prosperous, stronger America,” reflected Adler hours afterwards.  “And frankly, on a more personal basis, it was thrilling to me to have my wife in the front section, in the Illinois delegation, to take a picture of me.”

DENVER -- While an FBI raid a law office might unsettle the average politician, Joe Ferriero does not fit into that category.

It was business as usual tonight for the ultra-powerful Bergen County Democratic Chairman, who came to the Pepsi Center tonight with a smile and a tan. 

“I was here last night, I’ll be here through the convention. I was hosting meetings, doing fundraising, doing everything I’ve done the last two conventions I’ve been a delegate,” he said, denying talk of his relatively low profile in the delegation. 

Ferriero’s law office was raided late last week as part of an ongoing federal probe by U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.  But he seemed confident as ever tonight, even pledging that Barack Obama is going to make an appearance in Bergen County.

“I’m sure that he will be in Bergen County,” he said.

DENVER -- As one of the younger faces in the New Jersey delegation, Jun Choi, 37, insists this year will be different: instead of paying lip service to the Democratic candidate, young people will actually come out to vote for Barack Obama. 

More than they came out for Bill Clinton in 1992.  And certainly more than the lackluster youth vote for John Kerry in 2004. 

“The difference between Obama and past candidates is that Barack’s leadership inspired a movement that has excited a whole new generation of young people to get involved in politics,” said Choi while attending a party sponsored by a lobbying/public relations firm. 

Frank Lautenberg may have had to settle for having a train station named after him instead of Newark Airport, but former Denver Mayor Wellington Web joked today that he may yet get his name on part of an airport – just not one in New Jersey. 

Webb addressed the New Jersey delegation at their breakfast this morning. 

“We decided to build a new airport and didn’t have the money to do it.  We found a great advocate for us in Senator Frank Lautenberg,” said Webb, the first and only African-American Mayor of Denver.  “As a matter of fact, a wing of that airport should be named after Frank Lautenberg.”

With a primary challenge from Joe Ferriero’s Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO) always looming for Assemblyman Gordon Johnson, he announced earlier this week that he would resign from the Englewood City Council in March.

Although Johnson belongs to a slate of Democrats that has protested the practice of dual office-holding and voted to ban it, he has held an Englewood City Council since defeating a Ferriero ally, Rev. Vernon Walton, in a primary in 2006 (Walton is now a freeholder).

Ferriero allies have called Johnson’s hold on two offices hypocrisy, even if Johnson pledged not to seek another term.

Danny O’Brien, who was just hired as Sen. Bob Menendez’s new chief of staff in May, faces a happy predicament.

O’Brien, a native of southern California with deep political roots in New Jersey, spent three-and-a-half years as Sen. Joe Biden’s chief of staff before moving on to Menendez. Before Biden, he was chief of staff for former Senator Robert Toricelli, and worked on former Gov. Jim McGreevey’s 2001 gubernatorial campaign.

Now, having just started his job with Menendez, it’s easy to see him being recruited to the executive branch if Barack Obama and Joe Biden win the general election. But as of right now, he has no plans to change jobs.

“I have no plans to make any changes right now. I’m lucky to be working for Senator Menendez,” he said.