Cryan says it's all about Feb. 5th as Obama backers exult

With a few hours to go before the end of the New Hampshire primary, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s statehouse supporters went into full-bore Rudy Giuliani campaign strategy mode, downplaying New Hampshire, and emphasizing the importance of the Feb. 5th primary in New Jersey and 21 other states.

Lagging behind Sen. Barack Obama in Iowa and likely New Hampshire, Clinton's supporters also found a comforting target in the former senator from North Carolina, whom Clinton had excoriated in in self-defense during Saturday's ABC debate.

Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, New Jersey spokesman for the Clinton campaign, said of tonight's primary, "It doesn’t matter whether she wins or loses. What’s going to happen in New Hampshire tonight is you’re going to see John Edwards eliminated. Then it’s going to be Barack and Hillary straight up."

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney said he doesn’t believe Edwards - a second place finisher in Iowa after Clinton - is done after tonight. "I think they can go to South Carolina (Edwards' birthplace) and he can compete," said Sweeney.

But A.J. Sabath, Senate President Richard Codey’s chief of staff, said the early word out of New Hampshire regarding their candidate’s chances wasn’t exactly putting the fight in the Edwards camp.

Then there’s the matter of Edwards’ decision to accept public financing, which limits his ability to stay financially competitive with his rivals.

Clinton supporter Assemblywoman Nellie Pou followed up on Cryan's battle cry with her own commitment to seeing Clinton win.

"It's absolutely still a contest," she said, "and Feb. 5th will be in play."

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes said Princeton Women for Hillary had organized a house watching party for the New Hampshire primary, but fellow Clinton supporter Assemblyman Thomas Giblin said, "If she loses by double digits in New Hampshire, she's out."

In the middle of a crowded hallway as lawmakers spilled out of the Assembly chamber following Gov. Jon Corzine's state of the State address, Obama supporters Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein held each other. And as he filed in to the War Memorial for today's swearing-in ceremony, Assemblyman Neil Cohen had two words: "Go, Obama."