Friday Morning News Roundup
By Jon Whiten • Oct 30th, 2009 • Category: Blog
- This summer’s federal corruption busts have turned political campaigns around the state “inside out and emboldened underdog candidates,” the Associated Press reports.
- Matt Friedman takes a look at the race for the state Assembly’s 31st District, which covers Bayonne and part of Jersey City. The Dems are running Anthony Chiappone (who has been indicted on campaign fraud charges) and Charles Mainor; Kim Asbury and Marie Day are running on the Republican line.
- Independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett was in Jersey City campaigning yesterday. And the Journal has endorsed Gov. Corzine for re-election.
- The Star-Ledger‘s Pizza Patrol hits Jersey City for stops at Prince of Pizza, La Rustique, Frank’s Famous and John’s.
- More than 500 people are expected to participate tomorrow in Hudson County’s first Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk. The walk takes place in Liberty State Park.
In statewide news:
- Wondering why President Obama is making so many appearances on behalf of Gov. Corzine’s campaign? According to Politico, the White House is desperate to win New Jersey to avoid a setback in its own agenda — so much so that one of Obama’s key political advisers has become the central strategist for the Corzine campaign. This is as Daggett says he has received pressure from national Republicans to drop out of the governor’s race. Meanwhile, a new Farleigh Dickinson University poll shows the race still tight, with Republican Chris Christie at 41 percent, Corzine at 39, and Daggett at 14. Corzine and Christie talk to the Times about their economic plans, and all three candidates talk with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign about smart growth, traffic safety and transparency. Lastly, about 175,000 people have applied to vote through the state’s well publicized new vote-by-mail program.
- Some more bad economic news: The Rutgers Economic Advisory Service predicts that it will take 10 more years for the number of New Jerseyans who are working to surpass the 2007 peak.
- The state is rolling out a six-month pilot program that aims to guarantee that all children born in the state are covered by health insurance before they leave the hospital.
- Shots were fired this week at the Sussex County home of anti-immigrant conservative CNN talker Lou Dobbs.
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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