Donald Cresitello

U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1). 

In a conference call today with reporters, U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) again accused U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) of hiding, and bewailed the incumbent’s decision to accept just two debates, despite Andrews’s repeated requests to debate seven times.

"Pathetic," said the congressman. "This is a job application. We’re talking about issues of life and death and he is unwilling to engage the issues. He’s hiding from them."

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that he has accepted terms for a second debate with his two Democratic primary challengers, this time on New Jersey 101.5.

The debate will take place in the station's Mercer County studios from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, and is the first of two debates reaching a statewide audience that Sen. Lautenberg will attend.

According to the senator's campaign, the debate will allow the candidates to take questions from callers from around the state.

Incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg has accepted his first debate for the Democratic nomination, but Rob Andrews’s campaign said that he needs to participate in more.

Lautenberg will participate in a televised debate on NJN, to be held Friday, May 30th at 8:00 p.m. at the network’s studios – just a few days before the June 3rd primary.

A Lautenberg press release said that he was the first candidate to accept the debate. But Andrews Campaign Chairman Michael Murphy said that one debate, held so close to the primary and on a night when so few people watch television is not good enough. Moreover, he said, the Andrews campaign reached out to NJN weeks ago and told them that they would accept any debate.

In a blow to the U.S. Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1),U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews the appellate division of the state Superior Court today ruled against his appeal for an open primary.

Andrews had hoped that clerks in all of New Jersey's 21 counties would be compelled to situate the three U.S. Senate candidates on ballots that do not give an advantage to the organization choice by allowing him to be bracketed with other organization candidates.

Andrews wanted to be bracketed alone on the primary ballot with U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg and Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello.

Failing last week in the chancery division of Superior Court, Andrews’s lawyers yesterday took their case before appellate division judges Ariel Rodriguez, Clarkson Fisher and presiding Judge Edwin Stern.

The judges' ruling enables Lautenberg to mantain his place at the top of the primary ballot in critical northern counties, with key allies, including all of the Democrats in the U.S. Congressional delegation and party picks in Democratic Party strongholds, including Hudson, Bergen, Essex, Union and Middlesex.

"Obviously on the issue of bracketing, he's 0-3," said Lautenberg spokesperson Julie Roginsky, referring to Andrews's previous courtroom efforts.

"We urge them to stop fighting this election in the courts and to start focusing on the real issues that matter to the people of New Jersey," she added.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), right, campaigns in Princeton on Saturday with U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12). 

PRINCETON - The crowds flowed onto Nassau Street for Communiversity Day and in their midst at one time or another moved two politicians, intent on making contact with voters.

Cruising through the swarm of people at the blocked-off intersection of Nassau and Witherspoon, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) projected the image of a relentless white-haired pavement-pounder and man of the people. Hailing him as their 84-year old wonder, the senator’s handlers say by contrast his underdog rival’s frequent public appearances belie desperate backroom and courtroom campaign machinations.

As U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) faces a decision tomorrow in his challenge of statewide balloting procedure, Lautenberg shakes his head at his younger rival’s strategy.

“If he persists in staying in court, it tells you what he thinks about campaigning,” said the senator in between embraces and hand shakes on Nassau Street. “He’d rather campaign in the courtroom than on the streets.”

Sen. Ray Lesniak signs his book for Sen. Ronald Rice and Caren Friyer at Kean on Tuesday evening.

UNION - A line of politicians and friends spilled out of Kean Hall tonight, patiently awaiting their time with Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), who at a table in the front of the room signed copies of his new book, "The Road to Abolition: How New Jersey Abolished the Death Penalty."

"I learned how to do book-signings from McGreevey," cracked the veteran legislator, whose slim, soft-cover volume recounts the Legislature’s 2007 demolition of the New Jersey law that once sent Bruno Hauptmann to the electric chair.

Rob Andrews’s Senate campaign today denied that they had anything to do with a court challenge to long-shot primary opponent Donald Cresitello’s petitions.

TRENTON - Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello todaMorristown Mayor Donald Cresitelloy filed petitions to run for U.S. Senate in the Democratic primary.

"We've collected 1,300 signatures and we hope to collect another 200 by noon," Cresitello said this morning.

This afternoon, Cresitello told PolitickerNJ.com that supporters of his delivered over 1,300 peititons to the state Division of Elections office at about 20 minutes to four.

"Not bad for a week's worth of collecting," said the mayor.

MORRISTOWN - Mayor Donald Cresitello today said he’s "99 percentMorristown Mayor Donald Cresitello certain" he will enter the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate even though U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews this week mounted his own challenge to Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

"This is a case of the power brokers battling, nothing more," said Cresitello of Andrews’ 11th hour entry into the race. "This is Andrews and Norcross and Lesniak and maybe Bergen all lining up together. This is Rothman desperate for support for himself, playing the Obama card.

"This is me, by contrast," he added, "clearly out there on my own, recognizing there are times when you need conservative solutions and times when you need liberal solutions, and that you shouldn’t be rigid. I really believe the people of New Jersey are tired of the power brokers picking the candidates."

Tom Byrne might challenge Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic primaryAs Sen. Frank Lautenberg gets ready to kick off his campaign with a show of Democratic support in Trenton, you can bet that potential Democratic challenger Tom Byrne will be paying attention.

Byrne said that he still hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s going to challenge Lautenberg for the Democratic nomination, but plans to shortly.

“I’m going to have a round of conversations this morning with some key people and see where that goes, but I think I’ll have a decision in 24 hours,” he said.

Byrne commissioned a poll that was conducted late last week, and spent the weekend pouring over the data. He doesn’t want to share the results just yet.