Bill Bradley

DENVER - Everyone has a favorite Democratic National Convention, and for former State Democratic Party Chairman Ray Durkin and party executive director Emma Byrne, the year was 1988, when Democrats left Atlanta, Georgia with a 17-18 point lead in the polls and fully confident they would buck the GOP.

"The high we got from the convention was huge, and everyone was absolutely convinced we couldn’t lose," recalled Byrne.

"That would change, of course," said Durkin. "That was before we learned that Mike Dukakis was a nice man. He was afraid to attack, and he took a beating."

The year was important for Durkin, the Vailsburg, Newark product who lived in the same neighborhood as other Irish-American party bulwarks: the late John Cryan (father of state chairman, Joe) and Assemblyman (And former State Party Chair) Tom Giblin (D-Montclair).

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, backing up Senate President Richard Codey's endorsement of Obama.

Obama Campaign State Director Mark Alexander knew it would be hard to pry Sen. Hillary Clinton’s supporters loose in New Jersey after her victory in New Hampshire.

This was a fight now, and Clinton’s people were solid.

"We have an opportunity here in Hudson - Hudson, Hispanics, Hillary and history," Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) cried to a North Bergen audience of mostly Latinos with Clinton on stage.

The response was near to deafening with Clinton standing on stage with Menendez, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-13) and state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).

But that didn’t mean there weren’t other opportunities for Obama; in fact, one big opportunity, in the form of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), who was at the moment glumly serving as state director for the foundering campaign of John Edwards.

Alexander knew Codey. He also knew Codey was close to former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ), who had come onto the Obama campaign as an advisor.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) would love Barack Obama to pick Codey’s old pal, former Sen. Bill Bradley, as his running mate.

He recognizes, however, that a Northeastern, blue state vice presidential candidate on the Democrats’ ticket probably wouldn’t be in Obama's best political interest.

Is Bill Bradley on Barack Obama's short list for Vice President?: Getty Images Photo
Politifax’s Nick Acocella reports this week that former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley is a top contender to become Barack Obama’s veep pick.

Acocella wrote that a former Democratic governor from another state told him “that the former Hall of Fame basketball player, the former Senator, the former presidential candidate, and the current post-politics intellectual is not only very high on Barack Obamas vice presidential short list but also the preferred choice of master strategist David Axelrod.”

While the bulk of the state’s prominent politicos came out for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, Bradley endorsed Obama in January.

Bradley sought the Democratic presidential nomination against Al Gore in 2000.

Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley with state Sen. Loretta WeinbergIt was Bobby Kennedy in 1964 who inspired the young Bill Bradley to get into politics.

He would go through his hall of fame basketball career, but as Bradley writes in his latest book, "The New American Story," Kennedy ‘s leadership in the 1960s planted the seed for Bradley's life of public service following his career with the New York Knicks.

On Monday, the day before Election Day, the late Bobby Kennedy’s memory was alive as both sides - the Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama campaigns - appealed to his legacy with the help of his heirs.

Even as Sen. Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy mounted the stage in the Meadowlands Monday to back up Obama, Bobby Kennedy, Jr., was preparing for a campaign appearance in Passaic on behalf of fellow New Yorker Clinton.

On the eve of the New Jersey presidential primary and with most polls showing his rival trying to maintain a slight lead here, Sen. Barack Obama made a last stop in the Garden State today, telling voters that his message of hope is not one of naivete but of common purpose.

As presidential candidate Barack Obama enters the IZOD Arena today to address a crowd of between 5-6,000, former Senator Bill Bradley, a candidate for president in 2000, says the sight of Obama makes him feel great.

"It's what America needs," Bradley says.

Sen. Barack Obama will have company on the stage at the Meadowlands today, according to the Obama campaign.

Sen. Ted Kennedy is scheduled to be at the presidential candidate's side, as are former Sen. Bill Bradley, and Senate President Richard Codey.

Senate President Richard Codey at the Wilshire Grand Hotel todayAfter getting one question cleared up in the affirmative with Sen. Barack Obama, Senate President and former Governor Richard Codey today officially endorsed Obama for president at a press conference in his hometown of West Orange.

"What’s the skinny on the fact that you’re part Irish?" Codey said he asked Obama in a 10 minute conversation with the presidential candidate this morning, six days before the Feb. 5 primary.

"I am," Obama told him.

"Is that on your father’s side?" Codey cracked.

"It’s O’bama," Senator Loretta Weinberg informed the Senate President.

Former Sen. Bill Bradley is making a rare public appearance in New Jersey on Thursday
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley will host a Rally for Change in support of Barack Obama's campaign for President tomorrow, Thursday, January 31, at Trayes Hall in the Douglass Campus Center.