Jon Corzine

Martin O'Malley is lunching with donors in New York City.

Almost a year after Maryland, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine made it official yesterday when he signed into law the state's national popular vote legislation.

Make that 25.

The Newark Star Ledger reports that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is expected to sign legislation to join a plan to elect the president by popular vote, going around the Electoral College.

Maryland is the only other state agreed to this interstate compact which pledges a state's electoral votes to the national popular vote winner.

Yesterday, the New Jersey State Senate followed its General Assembly in passing such legislation. New Jersey’s 15 electoral votes would join Maryland’s 10.

PolitickerNJ reports that New Jersey's state assembly has scheduled a vote on national popular vote legislation for this Thursday. The bill enjoys support from the Assembly'sDemocratic leadership and that of popular ex-governor Richard Codey in the state Senate.

Governor Jon Corzine is yet to say whether he'd sign it or not.

If New Jersey were to turn the legislation law, their 15 electoral votes combined with our 10 would leave another 245 votes before the agreement goes into effect.

Plus, it would finally mean this "interstate compact" consists of more than one state!

Eric "Rick" KesslerRick Kessler, a lobbyist and longtime staffer to various New Jersey Democrats, is the fifth entrant into the District 18 delegate race. Kessler joined the race on Wednesday.

Kesller is currently president of Dow Lohnes Government Strategies, a lobbying firm that describes itself as focusing on energy, environmental, media, telecommunications, information technology, health care and higher education issues.

In the public sphere, he has served as chief of staff to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell, as a staffer to House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, former Rep. Bill Hughes, and briefly as New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's Washington liason.

Gov. O'Malley & Sen. Clinton: On May 10, 2007Hillary Clinton's top aides have gone from D.C. to D.M. - Des Moines, Iowa, that is.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine is headed there on her behalf this Thursday.

So, will Martin O'Malley be doing his Christmas shopping in Iowa or New Hampshire this year?