They actually freakin’ love one another.
That was the message at this morning’s unity breakfast held by Democrats who spent the last several months in ravenous cannibalizing mode.
“We’re a big tent party,” said one of them, choosing Democrats’ favorite expression to characterize political suicide as a virtue and texting on condition of anonymity lest the remark be parsed.
The party members found their way to their last scene of past glory: the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick, where in 2011 they crafted a redistricting map they apparently thought could withstand all manner of future self-inflicted damage.
Unable to get out of one another’s way in the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary, U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) sat at the table up front, along with former Gov. James Florio, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8), U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-10) and U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1).
Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason was present, too, as New Jersey Democrats gave State Party Chairman John Currie a standing ovation.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was in the room.
State Sen. Donald Norcross (D-5) was in the room.
Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-6) was in the room.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker sat at the same table as state Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-14) and Assemblyman Vinny Prieto (D-32).
Many standing ovations punctuated the clatter of breakfastware.
