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New Jersey's business class mingled with its political class Thursday to talk presidential politics Governor Corzine's plan to fix the state's finances and a Super Bowl Sunday featuring the Giants.
All three issues were among the hot topics discussed by the more than business leaders lobbyists and lawmakers who squeezed into an car train chartered by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce for its annual "Walk to Washington."
There was plenty of trading of business cards networking and old-fashioned schmoozing as the booze flowed liberally.
But the occupants also got down to business as the cars rattled their way through Philadelphia and Baltimore on the way to Union Station.
State Sens. Kevin O'Toole, R-Cedar Grove, and Bill Baroni, R-Mercer, sat on either side of the aisle in one car to make sure they were able to promote U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the new leader in polls for Tuesday's Republican presidential primary in New Jersey.
O'Toole, with a McCain sticker affixed to his lapel, said the upcoming primary was the topic of the day.
"Presidential politics," he said, adding a plug for a campaign appearance McCain is planning for Monday in Hamilton.
A few cars away state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Hudson, was handing out material in support of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama the Illinois Democrat who is running against Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York.
"This is the Barack area," Cunningham said of her car.
Corzine and representatives of the newly incorporated Save Our State organization also were on hand to make sure there was more than just primary talk on the train.
They were making the case for his plan to restructure state finances by raising tolls and freezing spending.
The trip came a few days after the state chamber of commerce formally endorsed Corzine's plan which would generate as much as billion for debt relief and investment in the state s transportation system.
The governor sitting in the busiest car in the train and wearing his usual sweater vest said his plan was getting good reviews from most of the people who were greeting him.
"It s not an antagonistic environment," Corzine said. "It s a positive thing. Face-to-face contact is good."
But politics and business weren't the only attention-getters. When asked what people were talking about the most, Corzine had a quick answer.
"The Giants," he said.
The chamber has been sponsoring a trip to Washington for more than 70 years. The chartered train leaves from Newark in the morning, stops in Trenton after noon, and makes it to Washington by late afternoon. A dinner featuring Corzine and the state s congressional delegation was planned for Thursday evening along with several invitation-only cocktail hours and parties.
Thursday's trip had a good share of socializing but veterans of the train ride said it was much tamer than earlier years.
And while the trip has a well-earned reputation as being a schmooze fest for the Verizons and PSE&Gs of the state, it was also a good opportunity for representatives of non-profit and social service agencies to catch a few minutes with Corzine and key legislators.
Kai Patterson was there to promote his Rockaway-based Amber Ready business, which seeks to use cellphones to amplify the amber alerts state officials sound for missing children.
"I'm just doing a lot of networking," Patterson said as he slipped down the aisle.
Corzine was lobbied by representatives of the developmentally disabled and cancer victims.
"It's not just business lobbying," he said.
Still, representatives of the New Jersey Citizen Action organization protested the trip outside the train station in Trenton, handing out ice scrapers to illustrate what they see as a need to clear away special interest financing from the state s political process.
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