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A Washington lobbyist will be holding a high-dollar fundraiser next month to help U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) pay off his debts from an ill-fated surprise challenge to Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 Democratic U.S. Senate primary.  The event, hosted by Heather Podesta, has a suggested contribution of $1,000 for individual sponsors, $2,600 for PAC sponsors, and $5,000 for co-hosts.

"If you have already maxed-out to Rep. Andrew's Senatorial campaign, you may donate to his Congressional campaign," Podesta wrote on an e-mail. "If this is the case, please make checks payable to ‘Andrews for Congress.'"

The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) has recommended that the House Select Committee on Ethical Standards launch an investigation into two privately funded Caribbean trips by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark) and four other Members of Congress, according to a report in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

"This marks the first time that the panel has made recommendations since the House voted to establish the quasi-independent ethics watchdog in early 2008," Roll Call wrote.

The committee named an investigative subcommittee in June following published reports that Payne and others violated House rules by taking the trip.

Obama as a presidential candidate with AFL-CIO workers at the War Memorial in May, 2007.

This time, he is the establishment.

Democratic Party dog-soldiers go back to 2006 with Barack Obama, who campaigned in the Garden State for Bob Menendez and made fast friends with Paterson Councilwoman Vera Ames - among others - when he addressed her personally from the stage at a Passaic County rally.

Since then, Obama came here for numerous private fundrasiers connected to his 2008 presidential campaign, among them an early Bergen County mixer with elected official supporters he could count on two hands at that stage of his career, including state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), Newark Mayor Cory Booker and West Ward Councilman Ronald C. Rice; and later a summer soiree at the Middletown manse of Jon Bon Jovi after he secured his party's nomination for the presidency and had the big money behind him. 

Now as Democrats hope to solder their champion to the still-standing but wobbling - if most of the polls are to be believed - candidacy of Gov. Jon Corzine in an attempt to create energy by proximity, President Obama's Thursday evening PNC Bank Center rally with the governor stands within a two-year campaign context.

Paul Brubaker, a former high school social studies teacher who covered politics for the Star-Ledger, the Herald News and the Montclair Times, is the new Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson).  Brubaker succeeds Caley Gray, who has moved over to the Senate side to work for U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park).

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre

TRENTON - Fair Haven Mayor and private practice attorney Mike Halfacre figures he will probably need between $500,000 and $1 million to run an effective campaign against U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.) in this major media market called the 12th Congressional District, and hhe sees postive signs early in his effort to muster support.

"As I stand here today I've raised $35,000," said Halfacre, 42, standing on the State House steps at the second of two press conferences he held today to formally launch his bid for U.S. Congress, where he savaged the sitting congressman.

In an unsuccessful 2008 bid against Holt, Halfacre's Republican predecessor, Alan Bateman, raised as much over the entire course of his campaign, which landed him an ovr 20% loss.

Bateman told PolitickerNJ.com yesterday that he intends to again seek the Republican nomination in the 12th District but as he nurses $6,000 in debt from last year, Halfacre and his allies say at a certain point the former deputy mayor of Holmdel "has to stop tilting at windmills."

Alan Bateman for Congress

Holmdel Deputy Mayor Alan Bateman

It looks like a GOP primary in the 12th Congressional District. 

Republican Alan Bateman of Holmdel, who ran for Congress in the 12th last year and lost, said Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre's decision to pursue the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell) alters nothing.

"I did plan on running and I filed my papers a couple of months ago," said Bateman, a former deputy mayor in Holmdel and hospital administration consultant who lost to Holt last year, 62% to 36%.  

"This doesn't change my plans, not at all," added Bateman of Halfacre's announcement, scheduled tomorrow, that he intends to run.

Bateman said today's news about Halfacre created a surge of telephone calls from supporters, who told the Holmdel resident that he can count on them. 

Mike Halfacre for Congress

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre

Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre will hold two press conferences tomorrow to announce his decision to challenge U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell).  

“In his 10 years in Congress, Rush Holt has been ineffective on matters big and small throughout the 12th Congressional District and has compiled a voting record which is not representative of the district he represents," Halfacre said in a statement. “At a time when Americans of all political stripes are growing increasingly concerned about record federal spending and ever expanding government involvement in the private sector, I believe my record as a tax cutting fiscal conservative will be an attractive alternative.”

The legendary sports journalist, Jimmy Cannon of the now defunct New York Journal-American said of Howard Cosell: “His real name is Howard Cohen, he wears a toupee, and he claims to tell it like it is.”

Of Leonard Lance, it may similarly be said:  He voted as a state Senator to reappoint Deborah Poritz as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he voted as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Democrat cap-and-trade proposal on greenhouse gases, and he claims to be a mainstream Republican.

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Conservative strategist Rick Shaftan says potential candidates have emerged to take on three Republicans who voted for cap and trade

Cape May County Republican Chairman David Von Savage said today that he does not agree with U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo's (R-Vineland) vote on cap-and-trade, but that conservative political consultant Rick Shaftan is “taking advantage of a highly volatile situation” by helping candidates take up primary challenges against three Republican congressmen who voted for cap-and-trade legislation on Friday.  

“I think Rick Shaftan is reckless," said Von Savage. I understand Rick is a vendor, and therefore looking for willing accomplices to advance his financial endgame.”  

Von Savage, whose county is entirely represented by LoBiondo, said that he does not agree with the his congressman's vote.  Instead, he favors tax incentives for alternative energy development and over  “punitive levels of taxation” to wean the United States off foreign fossil fuels.  

“While there are issues regarding the Congressman’s vote with conservatives in the party, I think it’s irresponsible for Shaftan to be sticking his nose down this way,” he said.  “Respectfully, what he ought to do is consider relocating to the south and utilizing his approach to campaigning south of the Mason-Dixon Line.”

Three New Jersey Republican House members are facing heat from conservatives over their votes on a global warming bill, and they may face primary challenges because of it.  

U.S. Reps. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), Frank LoBiondo (R-Vineland) and Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) are members of a group that conservative bloggers and activists have taken to calling the “Elite Eight” because they broke ranks with the rest of their party to vote in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454).  

The bill – especially the cap and trade provision that makes up the bulk of it-- is anathema to conservatives.  Within a few hours of the vote on Friday night, the right wing blogophsere was full of outrage, with Michelle Malkin even photoshopping the photos of the eight on a “wanted” poster.  

Conservative political consultant Rick Shaftan was out to dinner when the voting took place.  By the time he got back at about 9p.m., he found about a dozen charged up emails in his inbox.  

“I’ve never in my life seen a vote have a reaction like this,” said Shaftan, the right hand man of former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, whose recent gubernatorial candidacy secured his spot as the conservative movement’s unofficial leader. “The ones who really got to me are the comments about Chris Smith, people who are very strong pro-lifers who I didn’t know even cared about cap and trade.”