Yesterday’s Talking Ed Note posed backup plans Beth Mason is formulating as she weighs her options.  She’s looking to keep them open as she tries to figure out if her “brand” has been ruined in Hoboken to the point a mayoral run is no longer feasible.

That in itself is big news as MSV has not heard of any poll commissioned recently.  Has someone convinced Mason she’s more likely to be elected dog catcher than Hoboken mayor?

The repeated clear attempts by her operatives to convince the Hudson Reporter she is a candidate sought out by State Senator Brian Stack on a ticket in 2013 is humorous in its one-sidedness.  

It’s notable in the repeated claims Brian Stack is interested in Masson by the Hudson Distorter; one column by Al Sullivan hedges noting Ravi Bhalla as a potential winner in the eventual Stack sweepstakes.  Looks like one columnist has finally decided to weigh his bet and not regurgitate solely what is being fed to him by Mason operative FinBoy, one town north.

Clearly the winds are shifting in Hoboken.  The opposition to Mayor Zimmer is trying to figure out how to take on the challenge in a run against her in 2013 and who is best equipped to do so.  Assemblyman Ruben Ramos will hold a fundraiser next month under his current title but that’s thinly veiled and nothing more than an option to use those funds in his current office or in a mayoral run.

Although one Old Guard politico has indicated he’s in with Ruben Ramos, the rush to get behind a Ramos mayoral run is not getting much of a lift from other Old Guard members.  He does have the hospitable support of one restaurant owner to his soiree next month.

Does Assemblyman Ramos know that the owner of the establishment believes Tim Occhipinti is a viable mayoral candidate?  Some old time powers in Hoboken politics have had to clue the owner and Occhipinti backer he’s not exactly impressing anyone with his government acumen.  Clearly this uptown restaurant owner hasn’t spent much time watching any City Council meetings.

Beth Mason is weighing her options as Tim Occhipinti awaits instruction in this City Council shot from last year.

Talking Ed Note: It should be said both Beth Mason and Tim Occhipinti share a similar reply rate when questions are posed to them.  Neither of them take well to questions these days although Occhipinti has been more consistent in avoiding them lately.  This column has been sourced from other leaky sources.

Occhipinti has pushed for taxpayer monies so members of the council can send out communications to their wards.  He already has a Facebook page and if that’s any example of what he has in mind, that’s money going to a bad cause.  His.

Whispers of Beth Mason involved in local party committees but not of the Democrat variety.  Who is playing footsie with her on the other side?

Got a tasty carrot for Da Horsey?  Send it to smartyjones@me.com in confidence.

Talking Ed Note 2: One reader emailed asking about how the FBI investigation plays into this?  Well the short answer is the FBI investigation isn’t going away although Beth Mason would like to believe it is.  She’s consistently tried to undermine their evidence overlapping the exact time in her co-sponsored resolution with Michael Russo to make thousands of emails public.

Beth Mason and Mike Russo sponsored a resolution to obtain the mayor’s electronic communications back to January 2010.  They revised it, and tried and tried and tried again.  At a recent council meeting, Mason blurted out “release the emails,” so clearly she wants to see the FBI investigation scuttled.

The FBI stated Patrick Ricciardi intercepted electronic communications coming and going from the mayor’s office in that EXACT timeframe – going back to early 2010.

Coincidence?  You decide.