Dick Codey

Senate President Dick Codey and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez were not present for Frank Lautenberg’s official campaign kickoff today, but made sure to voice their continued support for him.

Codey said that Lautenberg “has the experience to rise above partisan politics and focus on what's best for New Jersey – strengthening our security, improving our health care system and protecting our environment.No one fought harder than Frank to defeat the Bush administration's senseless attempts to deprive New Jersey of well-deserved homeland security dollars and sell our ports to foreign interests.”

Menendez ticked off a number of Lautenberg’s recent legislative achiveements, like repaying military families for buying their own body armor and increasing the federal investment in Amtrak.

Chris Christie may have rained on the Democrats’ parade with his corruption bust yesterday on the day of the party’s convention, but the most popular politician in the state isn’t blaming him.

Although his running mate, Assemblyman Mims Hackett, was arrested yesterday along with Assemblyman Al Steele and eight other Democratic officials for taking bribes, Senate President Dick Codey told an audience at the convention this morning not to complain about the timing of the arrests. Codey also said that he talked privately to Hackett last night and expects an announcement from the indicted Assemblyman soon.

“I want to make myself clear on this. I know there’s been criticism and talk about whether the US Attorney is political in nature in his investigations -- the timing of his investigations,” said Codey. “Let me say to those who would say that, that is not the question. He is doing his job, and he should be doing his job. He didn’t put a gun to anybody’s head and put their hands in the cookie jar.”

While state Senator Ron Rice, Sr. is not supporting the Democratic candidate for the 29th district state Senate seat, Dick Codey is not fuming about it.

“I understand the dynamics involved. I understand the feelings,” said the state Senate President.

In a final farewell to a political mentor, Senate President Dick Codey recalled in his eulogy for Sen. Byron Baer one particularly telling story: as soon as Jim McGreevey resigned and Codey learned he was going to become Acting Governor, he received a call from Baer asking him about his agenda.

“I’m still reeling from the shock, and I’m scared,” said Codey. “So I said ‘Byron, right now I have no agenda… So you can rest assured that Byron followed that phone call with many others in which he talked my ear off trying to help me set an agenda.”

It was not the first political advice Baer bestowed on Codey – he and his running mate, Al Burstein, worked closely with Codey as soon as the young Assemblyman entered office. Over time, the two grew close enough that Baer specifically requested Codey give his eulogy.

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