Also on Election Day in New Jersey voters authorized the state legislature to act on creating a position for a Lt. Governor. I think it’s an excellent step, as I often had qualms with an acting Governor being able to break ties in the Senate. The concerns though are how the State will move forward with a proposed amendment to the Constitution.

The biggest question is going to be should voters vote separately for a Governor and Lt. Governor, or should the Lt. Governor be picked on a party ticket. The advantage of having voters elect seperatley creates another state wide position to be elected in a state where the only locally state-wide position is the Governor. On the flip side, personally I’d be more comfortable picking a ticket so that we have continuous leadership in the case of a removal from office.

We’ll have more on this as the state legislature begins working on the amendment.

Blogger jmelli over at BlueJersey is talking about the latest Quinnipiac poll that puts Senator Corzine 12 points over Forrester one week before New Jersey goes to vote. Of course the poll hasn’t been backed up by others, but there’s a more important result in this poll.

On the question of who is better to deal with corruption and property taxes, Corzine has finally taken the lead.

New Jersey voters now say 38- 35 percent that Corzine would do a better job reducing property taxes, an issue on which Forrester had led in previous polls. In a similar shift, voters say 39 - 36 percent that Corzine would do a better job handling corruption.

And the next result, man this one must really be causing the Newark Star Ledger to kick themselves in the ass:

Voters say 67 - 24 percent that Corzine has the right kind of experience to be Governor, compared to 54 - 30 percent for Forrester.

More polls should be coming out this week and we’ll see if this poll is outside the normal 6-7 point lead we saw last week, or if Corzine has jumped to double digits.

Just to offer some more on the bizare endorsement the Star Ledger made for Forrester. Why Bizarre? Well, it’s half-hearted, incomplete, and highly contradictory as a writer at BlueJersey.net has pointed out. Probably my favorite passage:

Somehow, the skills required of a United States Senator are irrelevant to New Jersey politics. Perhaps if New Jersey was such an exemplar of Democracy and politics, there would not be the corruption and budgetary shortfalls the editors are whining about. Yes, Forrester’s experience as mayor of a rich town in New Jersey, must by all means supercede [sic] the lawmaking skills acquired in our nations capitol.

What it comes down to is for some reason the SL saw it unfit to endorse Corzine, even though they’re fine with endorsing a Republican while that party is engaged in turmoil, corruption, cronyism, and everything that exemplifies bad government, more so than we could find in the darkest back room of New Jersey politics, the SL is going to have some explaining to do, especially when Corzine is elected next Tuesday.

The Hotline has been reporting today that in most polls Corzine is leading in the race for Governor, and any momentum Forrester appeared to have in October seems to have come to a screeching halt. Which brings back what has been my favorite topic to debate recently, who Corzine should/would pick to fill his seat upon taking office as the Governor? Early on I suggested Codey and have largely stuck by that for a number of reasons, additionally in the running are Representatives Holt and Menendez.

Menendez appears to be an early favorite, he has lobbied hard for Corzine during this entire race, and has been filling his campaign coffers. In last quarter’s report, ending September 30th, Menendez has this year raised about $3.3 million, and has near $4.1 million in cash on hand. A friend of mine who worked for Menendez over the summer stopped into his congressional office back in September as the end of the quarter results were coming in. According to him everyone in the office seemed really positive, the over all impression was that Menendez is going to be Corzine’s pick, and they have the money to show the DSCC that they can raise. Also keep in mind that national Democrats like Menendez, a lot, he’s currently the caucus chair in the House and often seen as an up and coming star in the party. Additionally Menendez comes from a safe district, one that party Democrats would not mind putting into contention in 2006 since they should be able to easily win it back, Menendez has held his seat since 1992.

The other often floated name is Rush Holt. Holt is perhaps best known for the campaign sticker that reads “My Congressman is a Rocket Scientist”. Holt has a great record and is well respected in New Jersey and by the party, but he has a few stumbling blocks if he were to be picked for Senate. First, his district is the home of Republican candidate for Governor Doug Forrester, and is anything but safe. In a year where keeping the seats we have and building upon them is important, I imagine there will be intense lobbying from national Democrats for Holt to stay put, and wait his turn, when Lautenberg retires again. Additionally, Holt is made all the more unattractive because in comparison to Menendez he can’t raise money nearly as well. At the end of the last quarter, Holt has raised only $440,553, and his cash on hand totals only $400,677. With two strikes against him Senator Schumer and the DSCC would probably rather him not run. However, there’s often speculation in the op-ed pages that Corzine may choose Holt because of his reserved style, similar to his own. However, true as that may be, this choice will probably in large part be dictated by what Schumer wants as well, after all with everything going on we need to put our best feet forward for 2006.

So why Codey? Why should Corzine pick the man who was once only the state’s Senate President and claims to want nothing more? A lot of reasons, frankly. First, the benefits to Corzine are pretty clear. Codey is hugely popular in New Jersey, entering office after McGreevy and being in the same party still able to restore trust in the Governor’s office. Codey has managed to work positively for New Jersey and gain huge support from the people. The Newark Star Ledger in an Op-Ed on Sunday in which they endorsed Forrester said:

Like many of you, we’ve come away from this gubernatorial campaign with little affection for either candidate. Candidly, we’d rather vote for acting Gov. Richard Codey and call it a day.

People believe that Codey would be better suited to stop corruption, and think Corzine will have a tough time dealing with the party machines, also revealed in that endorsement. Codey’s popularity would make him a key force to be dealt with if he returns to the NJ legislature, and Corzine would rather not have someone contesting him in the state for popularity and power.

Earlier this year Codey was forced to step a side for Corzine in the 2005 run for the party’s nomination for governor. Corzine, who funded himself, simply had more money and more resources than Codey could match at the time. Additionally, I speculate that Codey knew he had the popularity to raise the money if necessary, and use the podium of the governor for the same, but Codey must’ve made some kind of deal with Corzine to step aside. It’s worth noting that until recently Codey also remained silent in support for Corzine during the campaign, after recent talks however, Codey has been on the trail supporting the Democrat for office.

Finally, the Democrats realize just how popular he is it’d be a way to keep a senate seat that will be contested by a formidable Republican, Tom Kean Jr., and keeps all of New Jersey’s democratically held House seats safe. According to the Hotline,

At a recent event, Codey says DSCC chair Chuck Schumer (D-NY) pulled him aside to whisper in his ear: “The most popular one always becomes the candidate.”

It appears as though the ball is very much in Codey’s court, and I predict he will be the first name called by Governor Corzine if he wins the election. Corzine would be repaying Codey for his help, getting a political opponent out of the state, and not be forced to make a king between other candidates who have expressed great interest; much of Codey’s appeal after all is his humility. We’ll soon find out, but as I’ve said, don’t be surprised to see Senator Richard Codey coming to DC soon.

Well being in DC most of the time, I’ll confess I’m not directly watching the governor’s race in my home state. Sure, I’ve kept up with the polls and read the commentary, but I think when you’re home and watching the ads and reading the home newspaper you get a different appreciation for the race. And boy is this one getting down and dirty. I haven’t even been home for 24 hours, but I’ve already been bombarded with negative ads the entire time.

It’s no surprise then that a recent poll reported by the New York Times shows voters growing weary of the campaign. The same poll also includes some worrisome information for the Junior Senator from New Jersey.

In a state where voters traditionally decide which lever to pull in the final days of a campaign, 14 percent of likely voters were undecided, and one-third of those who signaled support for a candidate said they may still change their mind. Mr. Corzine also remains potentially vulnerable to Mr. Forrester’s promise to clean up rampant corruption by sweeping Democrats out of office. While the survey’s respondents gave both men nearly identical marks for personal integrity and moral values, they said by a 10-point margin that the Democratic Party was more likely than the Republican Party to have corrupt politicians. The poll also found that the more closely voters followed the campaign, the less likely they were to support Mr. Corzine.

That New York Times poll however, has Corzine at 46% and Forrester at 37%.

Things might not be so bad though, as always apply the obligatory grain of salt to poll results, two other recent polls come with some differences.

Yesterday, Monmouth University with the Gannet News Corporation released a poll showing Corzine at 45% and Forrester at 38%. The poll however says that Forrester is having trouble locking in his base, and recent movement to his side is done so as an “anti-Corzine” vote rather than a vote for the GOP. Recent elections should have taught us however that the anti vote usually ends up loosing. Most recently the Anybody But Bush campaign, and before that Dole with Anybody But Clinton.

The other poll, which is better news for Democrats, was released on Thursday by Quinnipiac University, showing the Senator hitting 50% to Forrester’s 43%. However, this poll’s toplines echo a disturbing trend among voters also shown in the NYT poll. On the question of Corruption:

A total of 92 percent of New Jersey likely voters say government corruption is a “very serious” or “somewhat serious” problem. [...] By a 50 - 22 percent margin, voters associate the Democratic Party with corruption, rather than the Republican Party.

Yet Corzine retains a lead among independents the group one would most logically associate with breaking away from a candidate they linked with corruption. In that group Corzine leads Forrester at 50%. So while the polls show mixed results, I think they should be sending a very clear message to the Corzine campaign.

Corzine needs to get out ahead of the corruption image. He has managed to stay above it for now; gaining independent votes despite recent Democratic scandals in the state, but the latest round of spots by Forrester are pushing the image of corruption. If Corzine plans to hold on to that independent advantage, if the poll is accurate, then he needs to come out strong ahead of this mess and speak with plans to end corruption, and air some positive ads detailing plans.

For Forrester, the strategy appears clear; keep hammering away and hope to link Corzine with corruption. Additionally McCain’s recent visit should also help Forrester lock in more of the Republican base that has been reluctant to support him.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission voted to close Fort Monmouth, a military facility close to Gary and I. They voted 7-1 to accept the Pentagon’s recommendation, but said the Army must ensure the communications and electronics technology from the base, used by soldiers in the ongoing war on terror, is not interpreted. This means that the base would not be immediately closed, but either way it will be closed eventually.

Fort Monmouth has been a center for military communications development for decades. It has been home to carrier pigeons and, more recently, to satellite technology. It was known as Camp Little Silver when it was established in 1917 and was renamed in 1925 in honor of those who died in the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth, which was fought nearby. The fort’s closing would not only ring down more than 80 years of military history. It would cost New Jersey more than 5,000 jobs if it is indeed closed, but Maryland stands to gain some 2,000 jobs at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, which would take over much of Monmouth’s functions. … In its discussion of Fort Monmouth before voting to close it, Mr. Coyle said that the Defense Department has proposed breaking up a well-established facility at the wrong time - a time of war - and sending the pieces to places not known as “world class centers of excellence.” He noted that Fort Monmouth provides daily support for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, and played a role in homeland security, saying it supported the police and firefighters after the Sept. 11 attacks with technical support that included cameras to search for victims. Fort Monmouth pumps about $1.4 billion into New Jersey each year, according to the Army. Officials had lobbied to preserve the bases. New Jersey officials had argued that Fort Monmouth should be kept open because few of those civilian engineers are thought to be prepared to move to Maryland and the Army will suffer a loss of scientific talent when it is most needed.

Fort Monmouth employs some 5,000 civilians, many of them highly paid engineers engaged in research and development projects, including how to improve batteries in military gear and developing ways to interrupt signals used by terrorists to detonate bombs. Those functions are to be shifted to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Aris Melissaratos, Maryland’s secretary for economic development, says the engineers can be found there. However, in a time of war, I do not think its wise to be moving our R&D around. Closing this fort clearly has a huge economic impact on my home area, but the Pentagram seems to have frivolously suggested the closing of many bases due to their extra expenditures on the Iraqi war. The closure of Monmouth and the movement of thousands of scientists who help protect troop convoys from roadside bombs and helicopters from heat-seeking missiles could prove disastrous for troops.

While lobbying congressional members is an option, the list produced by BRAC is an all-or-nothing vote designed to prevent lawmakers who want to save their local base.

Jon Corzine realtionship with a union leader is making news back home. Corzine had extended Carla Katz a $470,000 mortgage while the two were dating and then when they were breaking up he forgave it. This ammounts to her giving her that money. Katz is president of Communications Workers of America Local 1034, which represents 9,000 state workers, and will be fighting for employee benifits and salaries with whomever the new governor is.

Republicans have questioned Corzine’s ability to negotiate with a union led by a woman he dated for several years. The GOP also questioned why Corzine did not reveal his loan to Katz on his Senate disclosure forms, even though he disclosed two other personal loans.

I have to say those are actually good questions.

Furthermore, when Corzine ran for his seat in 1999, he promised voters he would put his assets in a blind trust to avoid possible conflicts of interest should he be elected. Corzine is under no obligation to put his money in a blind trust. But he told voters he would do so and he failed to keep his promise. Also, the Newark mailing address for the trust is the same as his U.S. Senate campaign committee.