[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 9, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        IN MEMORY OF PETER WEISS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT MENENDEZ

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2003

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of my friend and 
Jersey Journal political editor and columnist Peter Weiss, who passed 
away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 6, 2003. In the countless 
tributes to his life since his passing, Peter Weiss has been described 
as the chronicler of the political landscape and people of Hudson 
County and the State of New Jersey.
  In the three decades that I was fortunate enough to know and work 
with Peter Weiss, he abided by the highest journalistic standards and 
pursued his stories in Hudson County, New Jersey, with honesty and 
dedication. From my early start in politics when, as a 20-year-old, I 
ran for school board and hand-delivered my first press release to him, 
to the more recent race for House Democratic Caucus Chairman, Peter 
Weiss always kept a watchful eye on me.
  Those of us, who had the privilege to work with Peter Weiss, will 
miss his boundless energy, wit, and honesty in pursuit of the story 
behind the story. His sense of humor was of such an infectious nature 
that even the most serious matters could be discussed in a more relaxed 
and friendly environment.
  He lived and breathed Hudson County politics, understood the 
machinations of our world, brought to light the backroom dealings, the 
infighting and competition among New Jersey's powerbrokers, and helped 
us understand the historical context of present-day politics. He came 
to the Jersey Journal in 1970 after having worked at the New York Post 
and Long Island Press. In those 33 years, his institutional knowledge 
of Hudson County was second to none--with his death, we lost what 
amounts to the national archives for Hudson County.
  Throughout the recurring turbulence of Hudson County politics, Peter 
Weiss was always a reliable, steady, and, above all, honest force. And 
with every request for an interview from Peter Weiss, I knew we would 
embark on a new adventure. As his own paper described, ``He savored the 
scene as a chess player who took delight in anticipating the next 
moves. For him, though, it was the progression of the game that was 
most fascinating, not the end result.''
  Peter Weiss, the Brooklyn native and graduate of Erasmus Hall High 
School and Long Island University, was a kind, warm, and selfless man, 
who will be missed dearly. As we all come to terms with this 
immeasurable loss, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Margaret 
Schmidt, loved ones and the entire Jersey Journal family. We will 
always feel his presence in our midst, and will never forget him and 
the incredible void he leaves behind.

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