Thomas Kean

State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), left, with Assemblywoman Alison McHose (R-Franklin).

Following a lead taken by state Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr., (R-Union), State Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) today called on Gov. Jon Corzine to detail what fund he intends to freeze to address a $1.2 billion revenue drop in this year's budget.  

"Time is of the essence if we are going to adequately address New Jersey's declining revenue," Beck said in a release. "Tough decisions inevitably must be made, but that is what governors and members of the legislature are elected to do. Governor Corzine should not keep stonewalling the release of these documents if they exist, which they should.” 

The governor’s office gave a “must be a slow news day” acknowledgement of Beck’s plea, noting that Corzine has already said he plans to release the budget details in the New Year. 

Governor Corzine is talking about the right moves when it comes to ethics reform. Republicans who have been advocating these reforms for the past three years welcome his decision to join the fight, and hope he can sway the members of his party who have blocked reform.

New Jersey's problem economy requires a New Jersey solution. The governor can't just pass the blame and the responsibility on to the president and the Congress.

A riverboat welcome.: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - If the Democratic National Convention provided a simple conflict-resolution storyline, the Republican counterpart took the shape of a Quentin Tarentino script in comparison, with a hurricane threatening to throw everything off and the New Jersey delegation heading out on a river boat cruise anyway and doing relief work in the morning, and protest actions punctuating the streets.

All against the backdrop of McCain/Palin.

Despite a gaffe-filled Tuesday production, with Jo Ann Davidson, co chair of the Republican National Committee, referring to Alaska Gov. Sarah "Pawlenty," and a trio of gray or white-haired prime time speech-makers, including an unpopular sitting president and a former Democrat, hardly igniting the New Jersey delegates.

Tear gas cartridges hit the pavement outside the Xcel Center

"The protesters are all in here fighting with police," said the cabby on the way out of the downtown.

Former Gov. Thomas Kean and Scott Morrison of Camden County at the Hilton: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - From Hurricaine Gustav, to the Labor Day late night cruise with the Crowleys, to Bush cringe, to the Sarah Palin story, to the Blue Grille Bar in the Hilton, to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) and back to the Blue Grille, and back to the East, New Jersey Republicans led by State Chairman Tom Wilson forged a convention of small but diehard members. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton at the Hilton: Politicker photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - The front doors to the Hilton Hotel just slid open and the Rev. Al Sharpton walked in, nearly colliding with former Gov. Thomas Kean.

The two men went with a big, warm handshake before they kept going in opposite directions.

"I was just participating with Newt Gingrich in a bi-partisan forum," said the veteran civil rights activist and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate. "I stopped by the hotel to get something to eat."

John Crowley is interviewed on the Mississippi river boat by NJN's Jim Hooker.: Politicker photo

MINNEAPOLIS - It started like a scene in a movie where guests receive a mysterious invitation from a powerful benefactor. On the bus trip out to the Mississippi River, a lot of Republicans were wondering, "Who is John Crowley?"

There was another less flashy, more intimate New Jersey political meeting going on simultaneously in another corner of the sprawling Minnesota town where Republicans had converged for their national convention, but for the moment this boat covered with red, white and blue bunting was a captivating focal point for the New Jersey GOP procession answering their invitations to see Crowley.

Crowley. Princeton businessman. Owner of a biotech company engaged in finding a cure for a disease Crowley’s children have fought since birth. Millionaire. Navy intelligence officer. Presumptive GOP political star.

Republicans knew the lineaments of the story; still, everyone was speaking the name without knowing the why beyond the boat trip and the vague possibility that Crowley would challenge Gov. Jon Corzine for governor next year.

Coming off the bus, former Gov. Thomas Kean led the way down the gangplank as the jug band started in on a tune and a paranoid Jersey guy told the governor, "As long as you’re here, I know I’m not too far from home."

MINNEAPOLIS - For most Republicans, that divide in their party between former Gov. Thomas Kean and George W. Bush is just as wide as the one they hope exists between Bush, and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

"We’ve got an uphill battle," Kean said on the eve of party’s national convention. "The change theme is real."

In his acceptance speech last Thursday, McCain’s rival, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) elicited a roar from the crowd when he harnessed McCain to that 90 percent of the time he voted with Bush throughout the latter’s eight-year presidency.

But the GOP wants to sell McCain as a different kind of Republican: someone with gravitas who can reach out to the middle and appeal to people outside of the party, someone not unlike the environmentally friendly and socially tolerant Kean.

Republicans last week honored Larry Pepper for his 33 years of service as chair of the Cumberland County GOP.

Marking the occasion of his retirement as chairman, over 400 of Pepper’s friends, family and elected officials throughout the state attended a gala at the Centerton Country Club on June 30.

Guests included U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2), New Jersey State Republican Chairman Tom Wilson, state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr., Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, and former state Senator and personal friend James R. Hurley.

LoBiondo and new county Chairman Douglas Sorantino awarded Pepper with a plaque honoring him for his "unprecedented" service.

McCain State Chair Bill Baroni, right, with Sen. Leonard Lance on Wednesday in Woodbridge.
WOODBRIDGE - The McCain campaign opened up its New Jersey/New York regional headquarters here in the heart of hail fellow blue collar country on New Brunswick Avenue.

"New Jersey is McCain country," declared New Jersey State Campaign Chairman Bill Baroni, flanked by fellow Republicans, including Sen. Thomas Kean, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, state Sen. Kevin O’Toole, state Sen. Leonard Lance, Burlington County Republican Chairman Bill Layton, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford, and Ed Cox, chair of the New York McCain campaign, among others.

"We are here, we’re campaigning, we’re competing, we’re building a grassroots organization, we’re opening it (campaign headquarters) in the heart of Reagan Democratic country," said Baroni, who also at least once invoked what New Jersey Republicans call the "Baroni model," or hardcore shoe leather-style campaigning.