"This has now truly become a regional, if not national, effort."

Thus spoke City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at a press conference yesterday. Former-governor-turned-state-senator Richard Codey and New Jersey Assemblyman Ruben Ramos came to City Hall to join her in previewing their own version of a bill announced in New York City less than a month ago: a measure to boost the age at which you can buy cigarettes to 21. Quinn is a forerunner of the bill that has placed her directly in front of an issue Bloomberg has championed--a position that could injure her campaign more than help it.

"Less than a month after our initial announcement, our great neighboring state of New Jersey is planning to introduce legislation to do exactly the same thing: raise the age to purchase tobacco to 21," Quinn said. The provision has also been introduced in Albany to apply on a statewide level.

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One who tweets much can only expect this to happen.

In an article for PolitickerNJ, Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver expressed an interest in running against Cory Booker for the Democratic nominee spot in the upcoming 2014 New Jersey Senate race. And, right off the bat, she brought some fighting words with her.

"I want to know what his platform is. What is your position on gun control, what is your position on public education? I don't care that you're in Vogue magazine or Esquire. That's not important to me as a citizen of this state. What's important to me is what will your positions be on Capitol Hill?"

When Cory Booker filed his papers for a senatorial race next year, the main question he faced was whether or not veteran Senator Frank Lautenberg would seek re-election for an office he has occupied for a few decades or so. But, now, it seems as if he has another obstacle to face from potential opponents: himself.

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We swear it doesn't look like this anymore.

This will probably be the last post-Sandy transportation post of its kind. Unless, of course, the H Train in the Rockaways becomes a permanent thing.More »

All eyes are on Corey Booker. Three weeks ago, we reported on the mayor's announcement that he would consider running for the New Jersey Senate in 2014. And, following suit, BuzzFeed's Ben Smith argued that the mayor and Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick were destined to battle it out for Barack Obama's presidential throne in 2016. Speculation has already planned out the next three years of this guy's political career. Ugh.More »

If Saturday Night Live is any validation, the most revered public figure to come out of this Hurricane Sandy catastrophe is none other than New Jersey governor Chris Christie. The man was calling out incompatible mayors, lambasting accusations of political treason, surveying his state with daily press conference updates, and, throughout all, rocking the hell out of his governor sweater. 

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Each week, we're presented with more metro news from the Sandy recovery. The most recent installment was the re-introduction of the H line to help out with the displaced residents in the Rockaways. You can find the rest of our metro coverage here.
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This is the week of celebrities saving the community, one citizen at a time. First, with Ryan Gosling pulling away journalist Laurie Penny from oncoming traffic and, now, Mayor Cory Booker of Newark. The up-and-coming star politician, who, some argue, has "President" written all over him, saved his next-door neighbor from a ferocious fire after having "a proverbial come-to-Jesus moment."

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Mayor Mike Bloomberg was on the defense this morning against criticisms thrown at him this week that the New York Police Department's surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey is arrogant and paranoid.

Since the Associated Press came out with reports that the NYPD spied on Muslim student groups at campuses throughout the Northeast, the mayor has continued to defend his position. He told reporters last month that the surveillance is necessary to fight terrorism and protect freedoms (like free press, guys!). Last week, after reports came out that the NYPD has also been conducting surveillance on mosques and Muslim-owned restaurants in Long Island and Newark, Bloomberg said that the city is consistently following leads and not targeting individuals based on religion or race.

In addition to pressure from universities and advocacy groups, the mayor has faced significant backlash from Newark Mayor Cory Booker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

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Suck it, New Jersey!

More Americans like New York, your neighbor to the north, according to a new study.

Public Policy Polling has determined that 40 percent of Americans think of New York favorably -- compared to a mere 25 percent who viewed NJ favorably (via Politicker's Colin Campbell).

If 40 percent doesn't sound too impressive, consider: It's still among the top 15 states!

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On Thursday, we told you about the passage of a bill in New Jersey's Assembly that would make same sex marriage legal in the state. N.J. Governor Chris Christie promised that he would veto the bill when it landed on his desk, and he held true to his word. The New York Daily News says that Christie wants "voters to decide whether New Jersey changes the definition of marriage." Unfortunately, as the Voice's Steven Thrasher said on Thursday, "the votes in Jersey's legislature are shy of overriding his promised veto." The bill's suporters have until January of 2014 to get the few key votes necessary to override the governor.

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