Morning Digest: Oct. 8, 2013

First Gubernatorial Debate set for Tuesday

TRENTON – It spurred her to suggest in July that he’s “a coward” and prompted him to respond by declaring it will be “the worst days” of her campaign. (Arco/PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/68679/first-gubernatorial-debate-set-tuesday 

FDU Poll: Booker leads Lonegan 45-29%

In the Oct. 16th Special Primary for U.S. Senate, Democrat Cory Booker maintains a 45-29% lead over Republican opponent Steve Lonegan among registered voters, according to this morning’s Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll. (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/68682/fdu-poll-booker-leads-lonegan-45-29 

Steve Lonegan received state bailout as mayor of Bogota

NEWARK — He opposes government bailouts. He chides Cory Booker for relying on aid from Gov. Chris Christie. And he boasts of his fiscal leadership as mayor of Bogota. (Giambusso/Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/lonegan_received_state_bailout_as_mayor_of_bogota.html#incart_m-rpt-1 

Guadagno says Christie sticks to principles, but willing to ‘compromise’

CARLSTADT — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno told supporters this evening that Gov. Chris Christie has stuck to his principles of smaller government and less taxes while still finding room for “compromise.” (Hutchins/Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/guadagno_says_christie_sticks_to_principles_but_willing_to_compromise.html#incart_river 

Christie cancels public event, citing weather and a busy agenda

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie canceled two public events this afternoon.

Michael Drewniak, Christie’s spokesman, said he canceled plans — on his official schedule as governor — to talk about his “middle-class reform agenda” with a business owner in Harrison, Hudson County.

“The cancellation was due to a combination of a tight schedule and hazardous travel conditions,” Drewniak said. (Portnoy/Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/christie_cancels_public_events_citing_weather_and_packed_agenda.html#incart_river 

Booker, Lonegan speak to Jewish voters even after lights go out

HANOVER TOWNSHIP — The 50 or so people who turned up to hear the two major party U.S. Senate candidates this afternoon at the headquarters of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest New Jersey were literally in the dark. (Friedman/Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/booker_lonegan_court_jewish_vote_in_us_senate_race.html#incart_river 

State Senator Weinberg presses Port Authority on GWB lane closures

A high-ranking state lawmaker, angered by unexplained lane closures at the George Washington Bridge last month, demanded answers Monday, as speculation continued to swirl about the real reason for the unannounced traffic shift that led to long backups in Fort Lee.

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, warned that she may seek subpoena power for a legislative panel if the Port Authority, which operates the bridge, continues its silence about the reasons for a supposed traffic study that it cited as a reason for the lane closures. (Boburg/The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/State_Sen_Weinberg_presses_Port_Authority_on_GWB_lane_closures.html 

Tactical U-turns in Booker-Lonegan Senate campaign

Newark Mayor Cory Booker had rarely mentioned Republican Steve Lonegan in their race for U.S. Senate. And Lonegan, a conservative who boasts of his opposition to federal relief for Superstorm Sandy and his support for the federal shutdown, had been attacking Booker, a Democrat known nationally for his social media celebrity, almost daily.  (Lindhorst and Reitmeyer/State House Bureau)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Tactical_U-turns_in_Booker-Lonegan_Senate_campaign.html 

New Camden Cancer Center Offers Hope for Today, Sets Ambitious Goals for Future

Christie says facility will provide many with new hope for future; Menendez says it also illustrates need to end government shutdown

The MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper will begin offering treatment within weeks, but its largest impact will take decades to unfold as it joins the global effort to develop new treatments for cancer.

That was part of the message at yesterday’s opening ceremony, which was attended by some of the state’s top political and healthcare officials. (Kitchenman)

http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2013/10/cory_bookers_people_arent_gett.html#incart_river 

From the Back Room

Biden will not campaign with Booker

Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to New Jersey to support Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s U.S. Senate candidacy has been cancelled because of the federal government shutdown, the Booker Campaign said today. (PolitickerNJ Staff/PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/biden-will-not-campaign-booker 

Reported shakeup at inquirer

Various reports are indicating an upheaval within The Philadelphia Inquirer’s newsroom.

Philly.com is reporting Bill Marimow is no longer the paper’s editor-in-chief as of 11 a.m. today. The website cited a memo from publisher and CEO Robert Hall. (PolitickerNJ Staff/PolitickerNJ)

Opinion

Christie shifts blame for NJ Transit damage, but his facts are shaky

It was bad enough to know that NJ Transit left hundreds of pieces of rail equipment sitting in low-lying, flood-prone yards just as Hurricane Sandy thundered through the state. But now, it’s our governor who’s got all his signals crossed. (Star-Ledger Editorial Board/Star-Ledger)

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2013/10/christie_shifts_blame_for_nj_t.html