April 3, 2009 - 7:47am

Inside Edge

White House still vetting Fishman

By Wally Edge

The massive number of new appointments being processed by the White House has the vetting process a little backed up. That has caused a delay in President Barack Obama's formal nomination of Paul Fishman as New Jersey's new U.S. Attorney. Because he has won endorsements from U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, Fishman has the job. But Obama won't nominate him until the vetting is done, and he must still compete with other nominees waiting to be confirmed on a busy Senate calendar. In the meantime, Ralph Marra, Jr. will continue to serve as Acting U.S. Attorney.

Also delayed is the appointment of a new U.S. Marshal to replace Republican James Plousis. Lautenberg and Menendez have not yet made a recommendation to the White House, and that is where the process begins. The candidates in that race are the same: Samuel Plumeri, the Director of the Port Authority Police and a former Mercer County Sheriff, and Gov. Jon Corzine's choice; Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, who has the backing of U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn); and Bergen County Freeholder Director Tomas Padilla, who is also a Hackensack policeman.

After George W. Bush became President in January 2001, I took eleven months for Christopher Christie to be confirmed as U.S. Attorney, and it took more than a year for Bush to name a new U.S. Marshal.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.

Related topics: Frank Lautenberg, Barack Obama, Robert Menendez, James Plousis, Christopher Christie, Ralph Marra, Paul Fishman, JON CORZINE, Tomas Padilla, Steven Rothman, Leo McGuire, Samuel Plumeri

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