Anibal Ramos

South Ward Councilman Oscar James II in headquarters.

NEWARK- Oscar James II doesn’t know if he can win this primary fight down here in Newark’s South Ward, but if he can hold Lautenberg to a stand-off, and other ground-level Andrews allies in northern New Jersey can do the same, maybe South Jersey can deliver big for the underdog.

That’s the plan anyway.

In the meantime, there’s another war he’s fighting.

A two-year councilman representing the most sprawling ward in the city, James knows U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) is a longshot in his challenge of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). But as the Booker Team leader in the south, James wants to help bust apart the Payne family machine that has long controlled ward politics.

Newark Councilwoman Dana Rone today will officially endorse U.S.Newark Councilwoman Dana Rone Rep. Rob Andrews for U.S. Senate.

Rone, who serves the Central Ward, joins North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos and South Ward Councilman Oscar James II as those members of the Newark City Council backing Andrews.

Ramos was the first to announce his support for Andrews, at an Aspira event last month. James declared his support last week. 

Rone ran with the Booker Team that swept out the old guard in 2006. Since then, and particulalry recently, she has regularly butted heads with the Booker.

North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato, left, welcomes U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews to Newark. 

NEWARK - U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) today said he has so far heard no response from the campaign of Sen. Frank Lautenberg in response to his seven-debate challenge.

"I don’t think he has an obligation to me," said Andrews. "I think he has an obligation to the people of the state to do that, so we can have a real test of ideas and so we can see what people want to do."

Chalk up another prominent New Jersey politician who thinks Bob Menendez would be a fine vice-presidential pick in the extremely improbable event that Hillary Clinton chooses him as a running mate.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said state Sen. Loretta Weinberg.

Weinberg, who supports Barack Obama, praised Menendez for his recent work on causes like Iraq, the economy and health care. 

“I think that the more time he spends on that as opposed to other areas, I think the better US Senator he’s become, and I think that people in New Jersey should be very proud of him,” said Weinberg. 

Weinberg said that the U.S. Attorney’s investigation into Menendez in 2006 should not hurt his prospects.

Newark Mayor Cory BookerAfter M. Teresa Ruiz won her general election senate race, Steve Adubato finally let Cory Booker know what he thought about the mayor’s primary election efforts on behalf of Bilal Beasley in the 28th district.

Adubato, lifelong political warrior and Newark native, frankly wasn’t impressed.

Beasley, with Booker’s so called muscle behind him, had failed to beat the always independent and hard-to-gauge Sen. Ronald Rice, perennial west ward cowboy and activist, and a mutual bane to Adubato and Booker.

Adubato’s telephone tongue-lashing awakened another old frustration for the mayor.

The YouTube of Newark Mayor Cory Booker making a controversial comment at a Summit fund-raiser in May had been in web circulation for a couple of months, according to the mayor’s staff.

This week, the issue came to the attention of the Newark City Council, and after viewing the YouTube at City Hall after Wednesday's meeting, council members Donald Payne, Ron Rice, Jr., Dana Rone, Anibal Ramos and Luis Quintana condemned the mayor’s remarks.