Healy's Obama ties were forged for a reason

Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Jersey Journal
Politicial Insider

The Jersey City municipal election is more than a year away, but it is considered smart to start cultivating your votes early, and if you are Mayor Jerramiah Healy, this means those in the city's black community.

He started by becoming an active coordinator for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's run for president in New Jersey. Quite frankly, at the time, it seemed to this writer that the mayor was misguided by jumping too early and he would get hurt as the Obama wagon would get flattened by U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's ballyhooed steamroller.

To make matters worst, the rest of the leadership in the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) made no bones about their intention to support Clinton. After all, Obama seemed incapable of winning.

What is it they say - it's better to be lucky than something or other.

Obama and Healy's fortunes changed overnight in Iowa, where the senator from Illinois came away the big Democratic Party winner and front-runner. Suddenly, New Hampshire and each state up to next month's Super Duper Tuesday - primaries in 24 states including New Jersey - becomes extremely important, not just for the presidential hopefuls seeking their party's nominations, but also for the Jersey City mayor.

If Obama does quite well in New Hampshire, it will be difficult for Clinton to hold on to any black primary votes in Michigan, South Carolina and Florida primaries before Super whatever Tuesday.

Should fortune continue to smile on Obama, there may a desire among some Hudson Democrats to abandon their support for Clinton, but Gov. Jon Corzine, a Clinton backer, is expected to keep them sutured to their commitment.

On another front, Healy's pick for chairman of the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Jeff Dublin, was selected unanimously by the county panel on Thursday. Jersey City's Dublin becomes the first black to hold the post.

Give the mayor credit, when it appeared bleak, Dublin always said he had a commitment from the Jersey City mayor for the post and despite some pressure from state Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham, Healy stayed with him.

The one puzzling move by Healy to attract black votes is a decision to hold off on influencing the firing of Undersheriff L. Harvey Smith, who has made it known he intends to run against Healy next year.

Oh, you say county Sheriff Juan Perez makes those decisions and not the Jersey City mayor, who is also head of the HCDO. For you, the cartoon pages in this newspaper are just a few pages further back.

When county Sheriff Juan Perez took office, it was expected that he would select new undersheriffs. Instead, his spokesman said there was no transition period with former Sheriff Joe Cassidy and that Perez has decided to have a 90-day evaluation period before making a decision on the future of several undersheriffs.

The translation is that Smith has some time to think about keeping his job, or another assignment in the Sheriff's Office, if he swears not to run for office. Otherwise, he is gone.

All this is predicated on Healy's strong belief that Cunningham will not run for mayor. Should the mayor eliminate Smith as a rival candidate, he also paves the way for Cunningham, by making her decision whether to run easier because there would be little chance of a split vote in the black community.

We have a long year and a few months to see how it all evolves. Unless John Edwards seems more electable among Democrats.

There is more and more evidence that the war between the HCDO and the upstart Democrats for Hudson County is cooling with the disappearance of former Sen. Bernard Kenny of Hoboken - but it's not entirely gone.

Every freeholder voted for Dublin as chairman of the county panel, but not so for Dr. Doreen M. DiDomenico of Bayonne, who was voted in as vice chairwoman. Freeholders Jose Munoz of West New York and Tilo Rivas of Union City voted "no," a clear message from Union City Mayor and Sen. Brian P. Stack.

Stack was not pleased with the role DiDomenico played as a swing vote that helped expand the Hudson County Schools of Technology Board of Trustees from seven to nine members and helped oust Union City Commissioner Chris Irizarry from the panel. Irizarry was replaced by Jose Falto, also of Union City, who is best described as rabid anti-Stack.

Then there is the case of Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons of Hoboken. A member of the DFHC, Fitzgibbons seemed the next target of the HCDO in this year's freeholders race.

Instead, county sources say Fitzgibbons will be on the county Democratic line, thanks to the Puckish work of Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner and several leaders on the HCDO who want to take a break from those very expensive election clashes. Fitzgibbons has invited county committee people from Carol Marsh's camp to run with him, a new ingredient in the ever changing chemistry of Mile Square City politics.

What does this mean for Frank "Pupie" Raia, a former Hoboken at-large councilman who says he received a promise from Kenny and county Executive Tom DeGise that he would get HCDO support in a bid for Fitzgibbons' freeholder seat?

During the Yule season, Raia has been overheard at a Mile Square City local restaurant telling people he plans to run for mayor. Check, please.

The feeling here is that U.S. Rep. Albio Sires of West New York will also be on the county Dem line in the primary. It appears that anyone who is an incumbent is on the Dem line.

Is there peace?

Well, one should ask Sen. Stack - once he realizes that North Bergen Health Inspector Richard Censullo was just placed on a Senate list nominating him for a spot on the state Public Health Commission.

This is the same Censullo who was the plaintiff used in a North Bergen lawsuit challenging a contract for Irizarry as executive director of the North Hudson Community Action Corp., a major antipoverty agency.

More than likely, the HCDO - as in North Bergen Mayor and Sen. Nick Sacco - knew Stack was too busy administering to local government to pay attention to that inside Trenton stuff.

It is not known whether Censullo has retained his other post, as health inspector for Union City.

INSIDER NOTES:

- There were some missing names on Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason's annual Christmas bash at her home. So, former Business Administrator Michael Lenz held his own party and ex-Councilman Tony Soares were among those who attended.

- On Monday, last day for voting, the Legislature will act on Gov. Corzine's school funding plan, a measure rejected by Jersey City officials as one that will hurt urban school districts. The question is how Sen. Cunningham will vote. As a Senate whip, she is expected to corral all "yes" votes for the Dems.

A typical solution would be to have her vote against the measure, if it appears that there will be a majority in favor of the governor's plan. Welcome to Trenton.

- Yesterday, after the Iowa results, David W. Jones of Arlington, Va., of the Hillary Clinton For President campaign faxed the county executive to seek financial contributions and volunteers for her cause.

As Jones put it: "Senator Clinton has taken all the radical right wing has had to throw at her and she has always come back stronger."

I am sure the "Honorable Robert C. Janiszewski" will respond to Jones' fax once it is forwarded to his jail cell.

Clinton may have to wait awhile for help from that other guy - Tom DeGise.