Ted Kennedy

Anthony Coley, who served as Jon Corzine’s Communications Director, first in Washington and then in Trenton, is the new Communications Director for U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy

Bob Decheine probably wouldn’t know how to get from Haworth to Hawthorne, but he’s very much in control of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in New Jersey. His power comes from his day job as Chief of Staff to Congressman Steven Rothman, who has emerged as the leader of the state Obama campaign. And Rothman’s lead in a PolitickerNJ.com online poll of which New Jersey Democrat has the most political power today appears to be the result of Obama’s surge as a national candidate.

In case you missed it: Governor Jon Corzine delivered New Jersey to his preferred presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton – something some other major political leaders could not do. Barack Obama had endorsements from the two United States Senators from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, but still lost the state to Clinton. And Governor Janet Napolitano could not produce an Obama win in Arizona.

U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy will be in New Jersey today, joining Barack Obama for a rally in a state that has become a horse race despite Hillary Clinton’s one-time 34-point lead.  The last two times New Jersey was relevant in the presidential nominating process were in 1980 and 1984.  In the 1980 primary, Kennedy won New Jersey 56%-38% over President Jimmy Carter.  In 1984, Walter Mondale won New Jersey by a 45%-30% margin over Gary Hart, with Jesse Jackson winning 24% of the vote.

In 1994, Mitt Romney was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts against Ted Kennedy