House

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) wants the National Basketball Association to review a deal for a controversial Russian billionaire to purchase the New Jersey Nets.  Mikhail Prokhorov, a 44-year-old nickel and gold producer considered to be the richest man in Russia, has announced plans to purchase an 80% stake in the NBA team for a reported $200 million.

"Mr. Prokhorov's background raises questions about his fitness to be the owner of a high-profile NBA franchise," Pascrell wrote to NBA Commissioner David Stern.  "Both Mr. Prokhorov's business and personal history have come under intense scrutiny in his home country and abroad."

Pascrell, citing media reports, says that Prokhorov has agreed to finance much of the construction costs for a new arena in Brooklyn.   The current Nets owner, Bruce Ratner, could lose his tax-free financing if he doesn't break ground by December, and is facing some financial and legal obstacles.

PAULSBORO - When President Barack Obama this summer shifted in his New Jersey speech from Gov. Jon Corzine to the issue of national healthcare reform, some Corzine allies privately fretted over the President's abrupt transition from the task of building up a beleaguered New Jersey incumbent with personal-touch anecdotes, to delivering policy bullet points that might have just as well been projected from a podium anywhere. 

But U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) chairman of the House Health Subcommittee and a defender of the public option, sees the confluence of Corzine's reelection bid and the national fight for healthcare reform.

"Of course, we won't get the bill done by Election Day," Andrews told PolitickerNJ.com at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new marine terminal here, which Corzine attended. "But I think the fight for healthcare reform has energized the base. Back in June and July, the the other side was organized, but through August the Democrats organized in response and that's what we have heading into this election."

Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre bashed U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell) for being one of 75 Congressmen to continue support of federal funding for ACORN after staffers for the community organizing group were caught on camera coaching individuals posing as a prostitute and her pimp on how to evade taxes and hide cash.

Halfacre is seeking the Republican nomination to run against Holt next year.

"One again, Rush Holt has shown how out of touch he is with the people of the 12th Congressional District and that his attempts to portray himself as a moderate are just that- a portrayal", said Halfacre. "He was to the left of even his own party on cap and trade; he is to the left of his own party on healthcare reform and now, when 70% of his own party voted against giving any more funding to this controversial group, once again, Rush Holt stood with the far left of his party to continue funding them with taxpayer money. We seem to have a representative who thinks he represents San Francisco and not central New Jersey."

Holt was one of five New Jersey Democrats to vote against the resolution to withdraw federal funding to ACORN.  U.S. Reps. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) and Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) voted with the Republicans.

One of Gov. Jon Corzine's biggest allies in Washington is U.S. Rep. Steven Cohen (D-Tenn.), who as chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee probing federal monitor contracts has become a thorn in the side of the Republican candidate for governor, former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.  New Jersey Democrats may be asked to return the favor sooner rather than later as Cohen finds himself in a genuinely tough re-election bid: a white Jew in a heavily Christian African-American majority district, he faces former five-term Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton in an August 2010 Democratic primary.

"This seat was set aside for people who look like me," Sidney Chism, a black County Commissioner who is managing the Herenton campaign told the New York Times. "It wasn't set aside for a Jew or a Christian. It was set aside so that blacks could have representation."

New Jersey's congressional delegation voted 8-5 along party lines in support of a House resolution voicing disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.  Democrats John Adler, Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted yes.  Republicans Rodney Frelinghuysen, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo and Christopher Smith voted no.  The resolution passed 240-17.  Seven Republicans voted yes and twelve Democrats voted no.

Michele Dilorgi will assume the post of District Director for U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) on Thursday.  She will replace Kevin Donnelly, who is becoming the Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Illinois).

Three former District Directors for Rothman have moved on to successful political careers: Adam Zellner held top posts in Gov. Jon Corzine's administration; Brendan Gill was the campaign manager for Frank Lautenberg's 2008 re-election campaign; and Michael Soliman is U.S. Senator Bob Menendez's State Director.

United States Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) is the eighth richest member of Congress, according to a list compiled by Congressional Quarterly.  

The publication ranked the 50 richest members of the House and Senate combined.  Lautenberg, who has $48.88 million, made his fortune by co-founding Automatic Data Processing.  

The only other New Jersey member on the list is U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-Harding), the scion of a centuries-old political dynasty, who ranks 14th with $18.5 million.
    
 

New Jersey's two U.S. Senators and the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommitte issued statements tonight following President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress:

MONTCLAIR - Thursday night was U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell's (D-Paterson) turn to walk the gauntlet of rage among those anti-Obama forces fearing government-run health care. Given Pascrell's propensity to turn into the old street fighter at the sign of aggression, his allies worried privately that this encounter with right-wing critics objecting to his championing of a public option could turn into a brawl.

But it didn't, as Pascrell combined gut-level anger over the lack of coverage for 77,000 constiuents in the 8th District and 45 million Americans whenever someone challenged him in a provocative tone, section-by-section quotations from the House health care reform bill, and patriotic invocation to back up his arguments.

"You're going to put all the pizzerias in this district out of business with this bill," a woman told the congressman, suggesting that communisim lurked behind the healthcare legislation.

Pascrell appeared shocked, then feigned being wounded.

"I'm Mr. Pizza!" he cried. 

About 900 people packed the Memorial Theater here on the campus of Montclair State University where the crowd appeared split in half between those supporting the public option as part of the healthcare reform favored by Pascrell and those against it, with the edge going to the Pascrell team over the course of his two-and-a-half plus hour performance.

RED BANK - After weathering a roomful of angry residents tonight who called him everything from "liar" to "socialist" to Speaker Nancy Pelosi "lackey" to illegal alien enabler, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) said he failed to hear an argument to change his mind about the need for a public healthcare option.

'No, I have to be honest, so much of it is misconceptions," Pallone told reporters as 250 residents who attended the first round of this town hall meeting filed out of the Red Bank Middle School auditorium to make way for another 250.

The congressman, who chaired the committee and helped craft the healthcare reform bill which made it through committee on the House side but which the Senate still has not considered, was ready for a third batch of residents at 10 p.m.

Hundreds more lined up outside the school wouldn't make the cut.

"This program is designed not to impact employer-provided healthcare - most people get healthcare through their employer," said Pallone. "It's desiged to address the problems of those who don't have insurance. ...I'm very proud of the bill."