President

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), left, and his son Freeholder and Newark Councilman Donald Payne, Jr. 

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) issued a statement today concerning his switch of support from Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) to Sen. Barack Obama (D-NJ) in their presidential contest.

"Hillary Clinton is a good friend, and I continue to hold her in high regard," said Payne, a party superdelegate. "She has made important contributions to our nation through her outstanding work as First Lady and in the United States Senate."

Instead of holding a press conference at Sandy Hook National Park tomorrow to talk about the environment, presidential candidate John McCain will be at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. 

The event begins with a press conference at 11:00 a.m., followed by a tour of an exhibit with former Gov. Tom Kean, Sr.

The Sandy Hook event was canceled due to rain. 

Representative Frank Pallone acknowledged today that Hillary Clinton is the underdog for the Democratic presidential nomination, but said that he will continue supporting her until she either wins or decides to end her run.

“I’m sticking with her. I think it’s her decision to decide what she wants to do,” he said. “As long as she’s running I’m supporting her.”

Pallone disputed the conventional wisdom that Barack Obama is virtually sure to win the nomination, saying that it’s “still possible for (Clinton) to win”

“You still have some primaries, you still have the superdelegates and you still have Florida and Michigan,” he said.

Senator John McCain may not be in New Jersey tomorrow after all.

McCain was in New Jersey for a private fundraiser this afternoon, and was scheduled to hold a public, outdoor campaign stop tomorrow morning at Sandy Hook National Park. That event has been canceled due to rain.

McCain New Jersey Campaign Chairman Bill Baroni said that they’re in the process of trying to schedule an alternate event for tomorrow, or at least some time soon.

Mayor Cory Booker frolics with seniors in the Central Ward 

NEWARK - Fresh off a Motown workout with Newark seniors at the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center, Mayor Cory Booker reveled in running with the underdogs in a high stakes political contest in which his candidate just took a hit.

Booker’s an at-large delegate for Sen. Barack Obama, who lost to Sen. Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary in Pennsylvania in their ongoing war to be the party’s presidential nominee.