Reports suggest that former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli (known as “The Torch”) may want to regain his seat if Sen. Robert Menendez steps down as a result of federal charges filed against him.
Torricelli dropped out of his reelection bid late in 2002 amid plunging poll numbers that suggested he would not win. Frank Lautenberg, who briefly retired in the late 1990s, took his place on the ballot.
At the time, then-Rep. Menendez declined the offer to run in Torricelli’s place, partly because the change was made within a few months of the election. This would have posed a real challenge for anyone, but not for Lautenberg, who won handily against his Republican challenger. Menendez later was elected to fill the seat of Jon Corzine, who took over as governor in 2006.
Since then, Torricelli has been working behind the scenes, lobbying for a number of groups, including, for a time, the original owners of CarePoint Health. He also oversaw the highly successful Honeywell contamination clean up along the Hackensack waterfront in Jersey City.
With Menendez being indicted for allegedly intervening with federal bureaucrats on behalf of a fundraiser, Torricelli has reportedly had a change of heart and wants to return to take a seat in the U.S. Senate. He appears hopeful that he can take Menendez’s still-warm chair the moment Menendez vacates it. All this, of course, is disturbingly similar to musical chairs and has the air of a royal succession, suggesting that the gene pool for filling such seats is very limited.
Game of Thrones in WNY
People may be forced to pick sides in an internal conflict going on behind the scenes in West New York.
The political circle around Mayor Felix Roque is changing, and several people are jockeying to either gain or retain positions in the mayor’s inner circle.
The current makeup of the West New York board of commissioners has shifted radically from Roque’s first administration. Some members of the old guard, with ties to the old commissioners, are trying to cling to power as new forces move in.
This inner turmoil is only aggravated by recent state charges accusing Roque for allegedly taking bribes in his medical practice to steer patients to a testing facility.
“People are afraid to say that he is doomed because he managed to survive the charges against him last year,” one source said.
Roque successfully defended himself in 2013 of charges that he conspired to hack into the website of a political opponent. While the latest charges are much more serious, few are willing to count the mayor out.
This sense of uncertainly was made worse last week when Roque’s arraignment was put off by mutual consent of the prosecutor and defense attorney, raising speculation among the usual political gadflies that something is up.
Most assessments of the limited information available seem to imply that Roque may well beat the charges again.
The indictment is only four pages, one source said, and it comes from the Attorney General’s Medical Claims Unit.
“It appears to be based on the testimony of only one witness with no corroborating tapes or financial records,” this source said. “The witness was convicted and given a plea deal that takes six months off his sentence for every six doctors he testifies against. Joe Hayden and other criminal attorneys have successfully defended doctors who this guy testified against.”
Hoboken’s 2nd Ward may be a horse race after all
Nobody knows if Councilwoman Beth Mason intends to seek reelection to Hoboken’s 2nd Ward, although sources said some of her people were collecting signatures for the petitions she needs to run.
This has not discouraged others who are also seeking signatures, including former Board of Education member Peter Biancamano and Bonnie Murray. The latest rumored name is Tiffanie Fisher, a member of the Hoboken Zoning Board.
If four people run for the seat, Mason may not be able to outspend her way into a victory, especially if developer Frank Raia’s wealth supports Biancamano.
If she loses, this could result in Mayor Dawn Zimmer getting another sympathetic council member and thus the super majority needed to pass some bonding ordinances. This would also take some power from Councilman Michael Russo, who currently is the swing vote when it comes to such legislation.
The 4th Ward is also in dispute as former Assemblyman Ruben Ramos seeks to beat Councilman Tim Occhipinti. Dana Wefer, an ally of Zimmer, could also take advantage of the split vote in the anti-Zimmer side, and give Zimmer that seat as well.
A glimmer of hope for Zimmer critics resides with former Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia, who is trying to unseat Jennifer Giattino in the 6th Ward.
Giattino is a Zimmer ally who Garcia believes is vulnerable. If the old guard manages to retain the seats they currently have and can eke out a victory for Garcia, they can retake control of the council. This is a long shot, but it is possible.
Stolen bench in Bayonne
Someone stole the bench from in front of Deb Peveler’s storefront on Broadway in Bayonne this week.
Peveler is a strong supporter of Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.
Referred to as “The Bench,” it has been a meeting place for pro-Davis people since his upset victory over Mayor Mark Smith last year. Peveler would pose on the bench with local residents and political leaders and then post these on her Facebook page.
This looks like more than just an ordinary theft, but a political attack, removing one of the icons of victory. While there is a lot of finger pointing, no one saw anything, nor does anyone know where to look to get it back.
While a number of people have expressed outrage, the theft of the bench has also inspired much humor – and some people have also volunteered to take up a collection to replace it.
Meanwhile, the Bayonne Initiative, a civic group that has been accused of anti-Davis activity, has moved out of its digs a block away. Its new offices have yet to be disclosed. But Peveler said she is eyeing the old location as a site for a possible social club.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.