New Jersey Nightly News; Tommie Smith Closer Look

And my guest Mayor Thomas mayor of Jersey City is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial candidate for governor. We have lots of calls still waiting let's go right back to the phones. When you're on the air like WGN. Did. Oh. Yes. Oh my god that's where I come from. Thomas Smith is proud of his Jersey City roots. He grew up in a jersey city controlled by Frankie considered the most powerful political boss to ever rule Hudson County. But it was under the reign of Hake successor John Kennedy that Smith became politically active. He served as a campaign manager for Kenny Merrill candidate Thomas Whalen. And was later made City Clerk. He held that position for eight years through the administration of Mayor Paul Jordan. In 1977 Smith won the Merrill seat and a landslide election defeating the Jordon candidate. Smith has been a popular mayor. His work in improving housing and his concern for Jersey City is unquestioned. Although not a political boss out of the Haig mold.

Smith is a power to reckon with in Hudson County. His fundraising success alone has brought him quite a bit of publicity. Saying this is a serious contender for the real nomination who is a contender of a different floor back in June 1972 man. With the current heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali going to the Jersey City Medical Center because this is the event people still talk about very. Rare. They are you. OK. Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait. Don't you. Be a great danger we are going to go and they are a way Blakely I say oh yes well that's right you raised a $10000 and I try to knock him out. Well I train for the great minds I think I saw the Mako Larry. You ok are. Very. Good Very. Good. Because.

The early contest is always overshadowed in the public's mind by the tale of Smith's relationship with the waterfront mongrel. The dog named Henry Hudson was shot back in 1978 and then about her last minute. Yeah it could be said that Henry Hudson is paying the mare back for his car with a heartfelt political endorsement. I mean really that's not the Explorer the dog when I got shot down by the docks. My life was saved by the major Tommy Smith we've been together ever since. When Tommy moves around the city he gets close enough to people and problems to get things done. In my opinion. New Jersey needs a guy like this governor that's done this mess. Democrats see any journey since Elizabeth Taylor has seen fit to come out and endorse Obama right going to someone else. We feel very very proud that I Henry Hudson came out and they support he made but let me underscore something else

a great man of great depth I'm thinking. By the name of Gandy one said that we can show it we can and we can judge the quality of a nation by its sensitivity to its animals and it's so very very true. So I love Henry Hudson he loves me and he doesn't have a government that is not just relying on Henry Hudson to ask him for the nomination. Endorsement from City mayor. You think Great Britain. Never. Clinically promised method. In June However the Democratic Party chairman instead of Smith. And earlier this year feel announced he would run for city mayor without first checking with some observers for Smith to throw his hat into the gubernatorial race. Well let me first put the record straight that's not so rarely shown I've been friends for 35 years and everyone that knows us knows that they know that we've been two brothers for that

matter for 35 years it's a long period of time. Team mates and what have you and inseparable friendship 35 years but you're never going to stop people from making those kinds of especially in politics there's no question while you show and I philosophically think differently off a lot of people that love each other and that together. But frankly his position that position didn't really determine what I was going to do. I thought for a long time that I'm aware of the system in which we work and I recognize as I'm sure you recognize guys that as the and I use this word very carefully the poem no longer is in local municipalities in the city halls Penn was in Trenton but Smith insists that his political future is not directly tied to a successful Merrill run. I honestly think that I'm going to stand up for on Tommy Smith's record. Smith can do attitude and his Hudson County popularity may just be enough

in such a crowded field to capture the nomination. But why. This candidate's medically is the overriding issues in this campaign. But we have to a select one single area that we should be concerned with its economic development and I say that because there is such a relationship and as you well know a correlation between crime and economic development. Clarence Darrow said you don't find a kind of gays and the and the Rockefellers mugging anybody. I'm never going to condone that kind of a thing but nonetheless his point being that you know if people don't have money in their pockets they you there's a tendency for them as I think another term. Bravado aside Smith the candidate is not well-known outside his home base of Hudson County. I've been very much pointed to as a very strong. Advocate of my constituency. And I think that's what New Jersey needs. In the South Deep South Salem Gloucester in Cumberland County to come out and

endorse us to support us for governor of the state in New Jersey you know no one can make that kind of a claim.