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Donald Payne Jr. came to visit Bayonne Monday. He planned on spending the day meeting and greeting folks who could vote for him in the new 10th Congressional District that now takes in about half of Bayonne. The plan was to visit folks at senior citizen housing. Perhaps he didn't get the memo. In Hudson County, only the "official"...

Newark Council President Donald Payne Jr., who is running in the Democratic Party primary for the 10th Congressional District seat once held by his late father, is left outside of a Bayonne senior housing complex. About half of the Peninsula City is in the district. Mayor Mark Smith prefers state Sen. Nia Gill of Montclair for the post.

Donald Payne Jr. came to visit Bayonne Monday. He planned on spending the day meeting and greeting folks who could vote for him in the new 10th Congressional District that now takes in about half of Bayonne.

The plan was to visit folks at senior citizen housing. Perhaps he didn't get the memo. In Hudson County, only the "official" Democrats are allowed to access those elderly residents, who at this time of year can expect double the number of picnics and potholders.

Payne couldn't get past the door at the Back Bay Gardens at Avenue A and 24th Street. There was a Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith lock on it -- a housing manager who denied access after presumably receiving a call from the "boss." The boss, sometimes called Mark, is also chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. The mayor has endorsed a Payne rival, state Sen. Nia Gill of Montclair, which gives her the HCDeadbeatO line in the primary.

At Back Bay, the official line is that a nutritional program was being held in the building and could not be disturbed. The rest of us call it lunch.

Star-Ledger photoSenior citizen voter magnet.

Payne countered with an old politician's trick. He brought a Mr. Softee ice cream truck to the building and seniors and other Bayonne residents were treated to free cones.

Later, Payne stopped at the Dunkin' Donuts across from the Eighth Street Light Rail Station, for a couple of hours and planned to meet with Little League parents and then hit a Peninsula City bar and eatery to continue mining for votes.

Don't let the "junior" fool you. He's no neophyte. Payne practically grew up in politics. His father was a local party committeeman in Newark for 30 years, and "Jr." did it for 25 years. His uncle Bill is the deputy chief of staff for Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, who backs the younger Payne. The aspiring congressman was an Essex County freeholder for three terms and is in his second term as a city councilman.

Payne is on the ballot not only in a special election for the remaining few months of his father's term in office, but for the upcoming regular term. In other words, he'll be running twice on the June and November ballots.

Twice is also the number of times Payne believes Smith has "screwed" him, once with the Gill endorsement and then with placing a hurdle in his path on his Peninsula City visit. It has forced the Newark pol to seek Democratic Party help where he can find it in Bayonne, mostly among anti-Smith types.

While Payne is on the regular Democratic Party line in Essex, his name can only be found on Row F on the Hudson County ballot.

"We'll have to get voters to vote Row F first," Payne said.

What he does have going for him in Hudson, which accounts for about 22 percent the new congressional district, is the endorsement of Hudson's khan, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez -- which means U.S. Rep, Albio's Sires' endorsement for Payne can't be far behind. Payne also has the thumbs up from state Sen. Brian Stack, mayor of Union City, which is out of the 10th District but easy to reach by way of a busload of workers.

As previously reported by everyone, Payne was involved in mutual endorsements with Jersey City Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop and got a boost from Fulop's future running mate, Councilman at large Rolando Lavarro. In return, Payne promised Fulop his backing. I don't know how to measure the impact of these mutual admiration declarations. The Essex County official was anxious to know my take on the endorsements, which told me he didn't read my last column. I told him he was anxious to let Hudson voters know that he had boots on the ground in their voting district. I didn't tell him that Menendez urged him to do so. It's strange because it almost appears that Payne is aligned with HCDeadbeatO outsiders and yet he is part of the Essex Democratic Party establishment.

The councilman's platform in his congressional campaign is what you would expect -- jobs, jobs, jobs. Also, like his father, he cares for people (as opposed to not caring), and believes in second chance opportunity programs for those who were in trouble with the law.

On national issues, you can just look it up on the Democratic National Committee website.

My interest in this race is what it means for both Smith and Menendez, who is not happy with the Bayonne mayor's endorsement of Gill. This means that Smith's HCDeadbeatO chairmanship could be in jeopardy in June. Payne is backed by the Democratic Party establishment in Essex and Menendez needs those folks in his re-election bid.

The day after his Bayonne jaunt, Payne had a fundraiser at the Newark Club out near Penn Station. It was announced that Payne received the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. There was also a Bayonne contingent present. Can you say Gary La Pelusa?

So next time you hear the Mr. Softee tune outside your Bayonne window, take a look, there may be a free cone in it for you. We sell our souls for a lot less.

INSIDER NOTES

-- Thursday night, former Bayonne councilman Gary La Pelusa hosted a fund-raiser for Payne at the Villa Maria restaurant at $75 a ticket. Gill's people say that about 17 people attended and half where bypassers who had to use the restroom. They also scoffed because it was hosted by that "uninvited" co-conspirator in the Anthony Chiappone official misconduct case.

Payne's campaign crew said there were about 75 people, nine to 10 tables full. Among the visitors were ex-sheriff Perez and his shadow Bob Knapp, former mayor Richard Rutkowski, and past councilwoman at large Maria Karczewski, according to sources. They claimed more tickets were sold but that people were afraid to show up.

-- Gill is expected to meet today in Jersey City with with members of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. No doubt she is seeking Sunday help from the pastors.

-- The Hispanic Law Enforcement Association of Hudson County is having a little party tonight at Casino in the Park, Jersey City. It should be a fun event because Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari has a table and the table next to his will be occupied by former sheriff and future candidate for the badge Juan Perez and his entourage. There's probably a "check all firearms at the door" rule in place.

This could be the same police outfit that honored me with a plaque, for some reason, about 30 or so years ago, possibly at its first dinner. The next day I wrote about the event for the newspaper and after it was published, the organization wanted the plaque back. I still have the award, somewhere.

-- Jersey City Councilwoman Nydia Lopez has mailed a suggestion to the city administration. She asks that Hilltop Neighborhood Association President Richard Boggiano, a 37-year veteran of the Police Department, be named the city's new police director. Police Chief Tom Comey was turned down for directorship in a partisan vote by the City Council. Boggiano is planning to run for a council seat and has been a recent administration critic. What do you think his chances are to become police director?

-- Bayonne Mayor Smith will not have any problem with filling the police chief slot after the retirement of Robert Kubert at the end of the month.  With Public Safety Director Jason O'Donnell, who is also an assemblyman, in place, I don't think the mayor feels he needs another chief. If he does pick one, it may be from the Carabinieri.

-- Here's a factoid: Should the three people we most talk about running for Jersey City mayor actually have their names on the ballot, it will be the first time someone who has been born and raised in Jersey City does not run for the office.

Both Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop and state Sen. Sandra Cunningham are not natives and considered "newcomers." Healy was probably a Margaret Hague baby, but he was raised in North Bergen.

It's almost like a Hoboken election.

-- Menendez kicks off his campaign Monday morning at a big rally and press conference at Union City High School. Stack gets the honor of introducing the U.S. senator. I'm sure he's so happy about this - not. It could be worse. He could be West New York Mayor Dr. Felix Roque.

-- There may be a whole lot of union busting going on by the Hudson County Schools of Technology school board, which decided in March not to renew an interlocal agreement that will pretty much kill off the Career Development Center next month.

The 17 or so teachers are not to worry because some will be offered entry-level positions in county government. As "new" employees at whatever they are doing, teachers can forget about those 20 or 30 years on the job, insurance and vacation days. There is a contract in place until 2014 between the county schools and NJEA local CDC.

At least teachers would be able to look forward to new jobs such as stuffing envelopes, while aspiring to supervising phone banks.

UPDATE: Thursday, the school board pulled back its cancellation at its regular meeting -- but not sure if it's for good. Clarification will come down the road.

Peg-leg Pete is kept under Gitmo conditions.

-- An Insider reader found Peter Stuyvesant (statue) covered a tarp and tied down out by the old Pollack Hospital. No doubt Peter is still waiting for his long overdue refurbishing. At this point, why not wipe him down with a ShamWow and leave it at that?

Stuyvesant was kidnapped from the front of School 11 in February 2010 in by agents of Superintendent of Schools Charles Epps. The problem was that Peg-leg Pete was city-owned. We'll have to keep an eye on Journal Square's finger-pointing Christopher Columbus and Lincoln Park's sitting Abe Lincoln. Chris is often vilified as a disease-ridden invader and Abe is a Republican, both ripe for pickin'.

-- Can you name that Mr. Softee tune? Is there a name? I'm told it is not "Turkey in the Straw" nor is it "The Entertainer." Is the jingle called "Look for Mr. Softee"? I'm told tune's foundation is based on something called "The Whistler and His Dog." Well, this was as important as knowing that Jersey City's property tax stabilization is based on the refinancing of city bonding -- short years of debt turned into much longer ones, sometimes called mortgaging the future. There's nothing anyone can do about the bonding or that cloying ice cream truck jingle.

-- Happy Armed Forces Day.