President

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. It is good to see you. Hello, New Jersey! (Applause.) All right, everybody have a seat. Everybody have a seat. I want to begin by just making a few acknowledgements. First of all, I'm going to have a lot to say about this guy, but I just want everybody to know that one of my earliest supporters, somebody who had faith and confidence in me before I was a United States senator was the man standing next to me right here -- Jon Corzine. (Applause.) And so it is a special honor to be with him.

I've got a couple other friends I want to quickly acknowledge. Larry Cohen is around here somewhere. CWA -- right here. We appreciate you, Larry. (Applause.) President of the Communication Workers. We've got a couple of outstanding mayors -- the Pride of Newark, Cory Booker is here. (Applause.) There's Cory in the back. And we've also got the Pride of Jersey City, Jeremiah Healy. (Applause.)

I want to just say a little something at the top. As many of you may have heard, five officers were shot in the line of duty in Jersey City. Jeremiah -- I just saw him; we just discussed it. He may already be on his way back. Obviously we are watching this closely. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all the officers who have been hurt. And we are confident they are going to end up coming back strong as ever. But it's a reminder for all of us of the incredible sacrifice that our law enforcement officials engage in, and their families are part of, each and every day. So I hope everybody keeps them in their thoughts and prayers in the days to come. (Applause.)

It is great to be back in New Jersey. I'm proud to stand with a man who wakes up every single day thinking about your future and the future of this state -- and that's your governor, Jon Corzine. (Applause.)

Like many of us in public life today, Jon is a leader who's been called to govern at some extraordinary times. He's been tested by the worst recession in half a century -- a recession that was caused by years of recklessness and irresponsibility, and obviously had a disproportionate impact here in New Jersey, given the closeness of the financial sector to the state.

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HoLMDEL - Now Gov. Jon Corzine stands onstage in front of this PNC Bank crowd and almost immediately shares a memory of the small restaurant table meeting he had with President Barack Obama, back when Obama was a little known "lawyer with a funny name" and Corzine was serving as chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Obama impressed Corzine, who backed him early in his U.S. Senate bid, and now it's Obama standing just off-stage - to back Corzine above this crowd of 17,500.

"Thank you for standing with me, God bless you," shouts Corzine, charcoal suit, silver tie. "For almost nine years, it's been my highest honor, my greatest privilege to serve the State of New Jersey. Today, I couldn't begin to express how proud I am and how humbled to introduce our new president, Barack Obama."

"The roots of this crisis are in a series of decisions in Washington and Wall Street, but...this is our time of renewal and we will succeed, right?"

The crowd gives a sincere enough roar.

Universal healthcare. Energy. Jobs. Economic recovery plan.

Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, and New Jersey Democratic State Committee Executive Director Rob Angelo, right,

HOLMDEL -- Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan finds it hard to believe that Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie’s web video welcoming President Obama to the Garden State will do anything to blunt a hoped-for association between troubled incumbent Democrat Jon Corzine and the popular President.

“I think for a guy who’s against everything Barack Obama is for, I think the idea that he’d try to welcome him in any way speaks for itself,” said Cryan just after passing through metal detectors with his organization’s executive director, Rob Angelo.  

Christie also released a web video today containing snippets of New Jerseyans who said that they voted for Obama in November but plan to vote for Christie.

GOP operatives Ben DeMarzo, left, and Matt Mowers.

Somewhere out there in the bucolic netherworld of Holmdel, there's a counter-protest going on led by Republican operatives Matt Mowers and Ben DeMarzo.

Just in case there's anyone who didn't get it, the signs waving in the PNC Bank Center read: "Obama and Corzine: Working Together to keep New Jersey Working."

There's yet another Michael Jackson standard blaring through the speakers.

Far - but not as far as the next town- Mowers and DeMarzo and their GOP allies are brandishing their own anti-Corzine signs.

They finally encamped at the front gate of Holmdel Park, but they had started out believing they were going to be corraled somewhere on the grounds of the Arts Center.

Stymied, Mowers later sent out an email blast notifying volunteers that they would have to settle for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to make their statement.

Tricia Mueller

HOLMDEL - State Director for President Barack Obama's New Jersey campaign, Tricia Mueller started her job this week with the Corzine campaign, she told PolitickerNJ.com. 

"State director of the 2.0 program for victory 09," said Mueller.

Chief political operative for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, Mueller is a Camden native with close ties to Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) and granddaughter of a Local 19 sheet metal worker who first started working campaigns for her father, a telephone installer who served as the youngest mayor of Oaklyn, New Jersey.

She received Corzine's personal imprimatur to serve as Obama's statewide director, and State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan told her last year to get ready for part two this year: Corzine's re-election bid.

State Sen. Dana Redd (D-Camden)

HOLMDEL - Not in the lieutenant governor mix anymore, State Sen. Dana Redd (D-Camden) accepts the role of emcee with President Barack Obama and Gov. Jon Corzine apparently in the wings. 

"We are going to re-elect Jon Corzine in 'O9," says Redd, a candidate for mayor of Camden, who proceeds to bash GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie and his minions as bedraggled Bush cronies.

"George Bush's disastrous policies" is what Redd blames for the economic wreck, shifting to Vice President Joe Biden's comment on June 2nd about who he called when he wanted economic advice: Corzine.

"It was Jon Corzine who had the vision to get the state's fiscal house in order during his first three years in office," she says.

Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg-Pool/Getty Image

President Barack Obama waves as he departs on Marine One for New Jersey, where he will campaign for Gov. Jon Corzine.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), left, and Newark South Ward Councilman Oscar James II.

HOLMDEL - Essex County Executivve Joe DiVincenzo just led a contingent of county political brass into the PNC Bank Center: DiVincenzo, Jr. and other recognizable North Ward acolytes, including state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), accompanied by Essex County Democratic Party Chairman Phil Thigpen.

Moments later, someone goes down, evidently in the excessive heat.

Two guerney bearers walk briskly past with a woman getting oxygen stretched out on top and they're out of here as more people crammed into a cone of VIPS and press people start squirming as they grow more and more impatient about gaining access.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) arrives, goes into an immediate hardcore hand clutch and cheek-to-cheek embrace of Newark Mayor Booker.

There was a panic-stricken cry out of Essex County this morning for Gov. Jon Corzine's allies to prevail on President Barack Obama to urge Codey to join the ticket as Corzine's running mate.

*Update: President Obama referred to the situation in Jersey City at the beginning of his speech.

“I know many of you heard that five officers in Jersey City were shot in the line of duty this morning. I’ve been in contact with Mayor Healy about this issue, and obviously all the families are in our thoughts and prayers.  It’s a reminder of what our law enforcement officials do each and every day to protect us and protect our families. Continue to keep them in mind as we go forward," he said.

Update #2: Jersey City officials want to stress that Healy, after meeting privately with Obama, immediately headed back to Jersey City. 

HOLMDEL -- With five members of his city’s police force wounded in a gun battle with two suspects this morning, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy came to see President Obama to push for federal legislation to “staunch the flow of illegal handguns into our city,” according to spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill.

Healy had long planned to attend the rally, but was faced with grim news early this morning upon learning that two officers were in critical condition.  He made it to the Jersey City Medical Center at 7:15am and stayed until 11:15am

When he arrived at the hospital, the life of one officer was in serious jeopardy, but his condition has improved.  Healy said that the department has not yet identified the officer.  

“It was very gloomy prognostication, but it’s gotten better and better,” said Healy. “By the time we left, the surgeons, nurses and staff at the JCMC had basically accomplished a miracle and brought this one guy back from the edge…  This could be a very happy ending”