Even with the Hoboken Democratic Committee score minus provisional ballots currently 38-33, Michelle Russo, Queen of the $5 a tow Pino’s family tax is telling anyone who’ll listen they are within “flipping” distance at 38-34.

Such a total means the will of the voters could be overturned if two elected committee people from Column B merely turn their back on the voters who elected them.  But turning a huge defeat for old style machine politics – into a full out street fight with a tie – a twinkle in Mama Russo’s eye at the moment, seems highly unlikely.

Michael Russo, son of Mama Russo is a busy guy on the phone these last couple of days.  No, he’s not burning up the phone lines on behalf of his constituents or the betterment of Hoboken, he’s calling winners of Column B on the mayor’s ticket and offering plums like vice chairmanships or other goodies to anyone willing to do the Mama Michelle “win at any cost dance.”

There’s just one problem.  The mayor’s Column B ticket was designed with a singular goal in mind – those of like mind and principles were the selectees.  Typical what’s in it for me type personalities weren’t given the nod.  Instead, even some diehard Beth Mason acolytes were declined a spot on the Column B ticket, even if it meant they could run unopposed.  Those folks could have run on any ticket of course; there’s plenty of room in the alphabet: Column D, Column E, Column F.  Instead the Mason-Russo alliance quickly led them to joining forces with the Russo clan.  Kiss your reform cred goodbye!

Friday the final provisionals will be tallied but there’s next to no chance the current majority results will be overturned.  Provisional ballots are the domain of new voters and recently moved to Hoboken voters – you know, the despised “newcomers” who for some odd reason seem to think representative government means beginning with an expectation of decent government.  For the Russo clan, absentee ballots are the bread and butter not provisionals.  Thus the urgent red phone burning up the lines from that lovely subsidized apartment in Church Towers.

Will the Hoboken Democratic Committee members elected ignore the vote count and work to allow the Russo clan to wheel and deal their way into power?   Hey it’s a Hoboken election and this one was low key with no other statewide or national issues to generate much attention.  Hobo411 the self-proclaimed kingmaker of all elections Hoboken, opted out of after a crushing string of defeats and didn’t even breathe a word of it to readers in advance, so fearful he was of yet another rejection.  Or was it suppressing the vote at the direction of his masters in the Mason-Russo alliance?

Both Hobo411 and Auggie Torres have dreams of da machine rising up and holding the reins.  Mr. Torres calls it humor and if you don’t like it he suggests you get some pharmaceutical assistance.  Da Horsey thinks he’s a funny guy and not in a good way.  The desperate last gasp is a beautiful thing to behold as the Russo clan watches yet another election slip away.  It gets harder to intimidate people when you don’t have the keys to the kingdom to offer cushy paid jobs, subsidized apartments and worst of all – the Column B folks are hanging up the phone and saying “No thanks Mikie Squared/Mama Russo.”

This town is about to cast off vestiges of old style corrupt politics.  People have worked years and years for just a moment.  After seven election victories for reform going back to a year ago last April, many people can just taste it.  Sorry Hobo411.  You and Auggie are going to lose again.

This Hoboken just ain’t what it’s cracked up to be anymore.  Da Machine be on life support.  Da Horsey hates when that happens.

Talking Ed Note:  What’s likely to happen Monday night?  Mayor Zimmer will not seek the chair for herself and will likely support Councilman Ravi Bhalla who worked very hard to bring about a smashing victory.  (This isn’t your mother’s Hoboken HCDO.)

Ines Garcia Keim is working to land the vice-chair role and if the meeting goes well without a Russo screaming match erupting, she’ll have a real shot at that prestigious slot.

Related: Grafix Avenger posted a real solid piece on this angle earlier beating Da Horsey to the punch.  We’re pretty confident her source is very solid, even if she hasn’t named him/her.

There he goes again!  Auggie Torres, not satisfied being wrong on this already is doubling down with another piece of doo doo.  When Auggie says “Mile Square sources” it ain’t Da Horsey at Mile Square View.  It should read, Mama and Mikie Squared. He’s now saying Ines Garcia Keim “will vie” for the chair.  Feel like a wager Mr. Torres?  Name it.

How is a Column C Michelle Russo candidate going to pull that off?  Child please.