Governor

Judge Michelle Hollar-Gregory swears in Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, left, as Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) looks on. 

ORANGE - The son of a former beauty queen and crusading Civil Rights attorney, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., took the oath of office today as Mayor of the City of Orange in a well-attended and star-studded ceremony in the Middle School auditorium.

"On Day One of our new administration, I don’t say to you, 'Just watch what I can do in City Hall,'" the new mayor challenged the crowd. "Instead, I say, 'Get involved in every way that you can.' Together we will create new ways for you to participate in the building of a better and more prosperous Orange.

"And I say, 'Come with me to City Hall, and together, we’re going to turn our city around!' The future is now!"

Elected two months ago to replace the now convicted Mayor Mims Hackett, Hawkins literally walked up a red carpet rolled out onto the concrete in front of the school, and faced a sea of Orange residents and luminaries that included singing star Dionne Warwick.

Gov. Jon Corzine "On the Record."In advance of a signing today, Gov. Jon Corzine tried to defend his administration’s $32.9 billion budget in a Sunday broadcast with NJN’s Michael Aron.

Corzine admitted the state is looking at a projected $1.7 billion budget shortfall in the coming year, but noted, "We were projecting a $2.8 billion shortfall."

While he boasted that this "very tough and painful" budget contains no new taxes and pays down $650 million in debt, his critics cite reductions in state aid for smaller towns as a tax inducer at the local level.

In his interview with the governor, Aron kept on Corzine over the issue of borrowing, pointing to the $3.9 billion the governor wants for school construction

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released today shows Gov. Jon Corzine’s approval rating at 40-41%.

In the school’s April poll, the governor stood at 44%-45% and in February 42%-43%. In early January, before the legislative session began, he stood at 48% approving to 32% disapproving.

"The twists and turns of the budget process are under the radar of most voters," said poll director Dr. Peter Woolley. "In the end, it's the taxes they pay, the services they receive and the value of their homes that voters care about."

If the GOP’s long march of self-combusting U.S. Senate candidates failed to inspire a lot of rank and file Republicans, the brief flirtation Princeton businessman John Crowley had with a June Senate primary run held for some the more lasting promise of an "it" factor party champion.

The lineaments of the Crowley narrative were indeed compelling for Republicans.

Son of a cop who died in the line of duty; Naval Intelligence officer; Successful CEO; Young and devoted father who founded a biotech business to create a disease cure to save his children; Hollywood movie subject with a movie apparently due out next year, according to Republican sources.

Crowley’s would-be entry into the race had come under the radar, as Andy Unanue prepared for his return to New Jersey from the ski slopes of Colorado intent on claiming his party’s in absentia nomination.

Speculation about who would run for lieutenant governor on a ticketGOP State Chair Tom Wilson with potential GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie amounts to a parlor room game, according to State Republican Chairman Tom Wilson.

U.S. Attorney Christie has not said publicly that he intends to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine in 2009, but the lawman who has a sterling record cracking down on public corruption remains the party’s superstar.

Gender. Geography. Ethnicity. All of these factors come into play when Republicans consider who could strongly stand with Christie as a candidate for lieutenant governor.

But ultimately, said Wilson, "If Chris is the nominee, his running mate for lieutenant governor has to be someone who shares his priorities and his sense of ethics."

The Star-Ledger is reporting that Gov. Jon Corzine cut short his trip to Chicago where he had been scheduled to confer with other Democratic Party governors and presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Corzine wants to be in Trenton for the budget process, which remains stalled in specially scheduled committees today in both the Assembly and Senate.

Tom Shea served as Chief of Staff to the Governor from 2006 to 2007: Getty Images PhotoFormer Corzine Chief of Staff Tom Shea told PolitickerNJ.com today that he would never return to Trenton.

Pressed with rumors that he might retrieve his job as chief of staff, Shea was firm.

"Never," he repeated. "Once is enough."

Assemblywoman Alison McHose and Assemblyman David Rible today in Trenton. 

TRENTON - A day after Gov. Jon Corzine and the Democrats launched what had the vibe of a pre "overwhelming victory" party, Republicans attempted a low-key, state-level counter-offensive here this afternoon at the height of the budget season.

While Democrats may be in the throes of Obama fever, "Jon Corzine is not terribly popular now," said Assembly Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), referring to the governor’s 38% job approval rating, according to Quinnipiac University.

Battling for some GOP respect, Bramnick announced the formation of the New Republican Policy Committee, which he hopes will be one of the features of a new-face Republican party. The move comes in an atmosphere in which the departing Republican president’s job approval rating is 22% and Obama leads presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain by six points.

Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan in Newark on Tuesday night. 

NEWARK - They came together in Newark tonight in a public display of unity, the forces of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, all lining up behind Gov. Jon Corzine, who proclaimed his support for Obama in this governor’s fund-raiser for the Democratic State Committee.

"Yes, we can, and he will be the next president," shouted Corzine, echoing the campaign slogan of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

The Democrats raised over $500,000 tonight at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, according to party spokesman Richard McGrath, as part of a $5,000 VIP ticket, $1,500 per-person kick-start for what Corzine hopes will be blue state heaven for these Democrats come Nov. 4.

Barack Obama campaigns for Bob Menendez in the 2006 U.S. Senate race: Getty Images Photo
During the primary season, Sen. Bob Menendez’s name circulated as a possible vice presidential pick for Sen. Hillary Clinton.

With Clinton now out of the race and Menendez doing his best jockeying on her behalf to get her on the ticket as Barack Obama’s running mate, the New Jersey senator fielded a question Thursday regarding his filling the role himself as backup to the party’s leading man.

Is he interested? Is he on any Obama short list or has anyone from the campaign approached him?