Read PolitickerNJ.com's Year End Review

WOOLEY GOT IT RIGHT
Fairleigh Dickinson University political
science professor Peter Woolley: “The
first rule of choosing a running mate,
whether it’s a Vice President or Lt.
Governor is; do no harm. Now, that
sounds easy, but it’s really tougher than
you might think. You want the Lt.
Governor who at the very least is not
going to drag you down, who’s not going
to do any damage to the ticket.”
STAR WARS METAPHOR
“If I may use a Star Wars metaphor, we
are leaving behind the Empire to focus on
building a Rebel Alliance.” ― Lonegan for
Governor campaign chairman Hank
Butehorn, announcing that the campaign
will not compete for organization lines.
Christies’s response: “If you’re unwilling
to compete for these votes, and if you’re
unable to win these votes, then you’ve
got to wonder if you belong on the ballot
at all.” (3/09)
IT DOESN’T TAKE A BRAIN SURGEON
“Is he a brain surgeon? No. Neither am I. Joe Coniglio is not a
conniver. He doesn't have the street smarts that Joe [Ferriero]
has. And he doesn't have a mind that thinks that way.”
― Senate President Richard Codey, on former State Sen. Joseph Coniglio.
(The Record, 04/17/09)
OINK! OINK!
“My first bill that I voted for under
your committee made it illegal to have
sex with an animal in the state of New
Jersey. I will never forget you making
that my first vote.” ― Assemblyman
Nelson Albano (D-Vineland), saying
farewell to Assembly Agriculture and
Natural Resources Committee
Chairman Douglas Fisher (D-
Bridgeton) who resigned to become
the new Secretary of Agriculture.
(3/6/09)
his platform which, at its heart, is a
conservative fantasy of returning New
Jersey back to an earlier time before
toll roads or a state income tax, or as
he said Wednesday, when a guy could
build a model rocket and launch it —
without getting a state Labor
Department permit... The Bulworth of
Bogota is a kooky, iconoclastic wild
card, the voice of the disenchanted
party’s right wing, who hold plain
vanilla establishment Republicans and
Democrats equally responsible for
bloating government into a tax-andspend,
anti-business behemoth.” ―
The Record’s Charles Stile. (3/9/09)
JUST KIDDING?
At Steve Adubato’s annual Irish-Italian
Awards dinner in March, Democratic
leader Phil Alagia told Newark Mayor Cory
Booker: “I’m surprised you could find the
North Ward Center. There was nothing in
New York or Washington tonight?”
TAKE MY GOVERNOR, PLEASE
“I heard the governor said yesterday in
Atlantic County that he needs four more
years to get the job done. I think he’s
done enough of a job on us already.” ―
GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris
Christie. (3/24/09)
LEAST ARTICULATE MAYOR
OF THE YEAR
Magnolia Mayor Betty Ann Cowling-
Carson got a little tongue tied when
talking about Assemblywoman Nilsa
Cruz-Perez “She is very dedicated to
our community, and we are very
dedicated because of her
dedication.” (3/9/09)
STILE ON LONEGAN
“I’m glad (Steve) Lonegan is running
for the Republican nomination for
governor, and it has little to do with
ONLY IN BERGEN
“It’s not accurate to say that I have
ever publicly stated that I wanted the
job.” ― Bergen County Freeholder
James Carroll on whether he wants to
become the next Executive Director of
the Bergen County Utilities Authority.
Charles Stile’s follow-up question:
“OK, then, what about discussing it
privately?”
Carroll: “You know what my mother
used to say — what’s said in private is
meant to be private or else it would
be publicly said.” (4/6/09)