"Acting Governor Richard Codey has called a 2PM news conference, presumably to say that he does not want to be considered for the United States Senate seat soon to be vacated by his successor, Jon Corzine. Several pundits say that this is probably a smart move for Codey -- especially if he is not under serious consideration for the appointment anyway; his contact with the Governor-elect has been limited at best since the November 8th election. An announcement today allows Codey to say he's not interested, rather than to have Corzine pick someone else first. Some Democratic sources close to Corzine say Rep. Bob Menendez remains the leading candidate."
http://politics.nexcess.net/...
If this is true, it's not really surprising. Codey is more of an in-state guy, and it's clear Corzine was not particularly enthused about picking him. Codey could have been won over by wooing by Corzine and the promise of a clear field, but neither apparently was forthcoming.
I agree that it is looking more and more likely that Menendez will be the one tapped.
It's now official:
"Acting Gov. Richard Codey, who enjoys a 68% approval rating among New Jersey voters and a 23-point lead over the likely GOP candidate, announced today that he does not want to be considered for an appointment to fill the state's soon-to-be-vacant seat in the United States Senate."
http://www.politicsnj.com/default.asp