Tom Kean Jr. has to hope funding for the Gateway Tunnel resumes quickly - like before his reelection campaign begins in earnest.

Amid news that funding - and work - on building a two-tube, rail tunnel under the Hudson will soon cease, the CD-7 congressman sent out the following:

"The Gateway Tunnel is critical to New Jersey’s economy, our commuters, and the entire Northeast Corridor. Delays of any kind put jobs at risk, threaten reliability for hundreds of thousands of riders, and weaken one of the most important transportation arteries in the country. I am pressing for this funding to move forward in full. While there are always competing priorities in Washington - this project must be completed. I will continue fighting across administrations and working with partners in both parties to secure the federal commitment needed to complete the Gateway Tunnel.

New Jersey deserves safe, reliable transportation, and we cannot afford delays."

No sensible person would disagree with Kean's statement - up to a point, that is.

The congressman does not say why the massive project, which has already begun, is in danger. That has to do with President Trump, who Kean, clearly, does not want to offend.

Trump said he had "terminated" the project last fall in the midst of a fight with congressional Democrats over the government shutdown.

More specifically, Trump was annoyed at New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader. Cancelling a massive project benefiting the most populous region of the country out of spite is to be expected from Trump.

At the time, the project continued with money on hand, but those funds are expected to run dry next week. If the work does resume, this issue will be put to rest - at least for now.

But suppose it doesn't?

Let's go back to last fall.

Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate for governor, refused to criticize Trump. He said the president was just playing "hardball."

This put Ciattarelli in a pretty awful position. Here he was seemingly accepting cancellation of a project that would help thousands of New Jersey residents because he feared displeasing Trump.

If elected governor, who would he be serving? Afterwards, Ciattarelli's acquiescence to the president on this issue was presented as one reason for his overwhelming defeat.

So, will Kean learn from that?

Mikie Sherrill, not surprisingly, is jumping on the issue. Sometimes, good policy and good politics are one in the same.
The governor recently appeared at a Gateway construction site in North Bergen sporting a hard hat and a construction vest.

This is nothing new. As a congresswoman, Sherrill often lamented the constant delays for commuters going to and from Manhattan. The new tunnel will double rail capacity on the Northeast Corridor.

She reviewed the start of construction and accused Trump of "illegally" stopping the project. The point is that Congress already has appropriated the needed funds.

Of course, she is not alone.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer of CD-5 said of the project in a TV interview

"Just to blow it up for no reason makes no sense."

Gottheimer, of course, knows that the reason is petty politics on Trump's part.

What Ciattarelli called "hardball."

If the termination continues, what will Kean call it?