PENNINGTON - A park bench sat in the shade of a school here, across from the tennis courts - the perfect setting for the perfect joining of New Jersey and the perfect word, and for a story about Tom Kean, Sr. and John Russo playing a few sets at Drumthwacket as they hammered out a budget deal.

Bob McHugh looked back on that, among other reminiscences, in a life rich with NJ politics, as he simultaneously took a hard look at the gubernatorial contest now pitting Republican Jack Ciattarelli against Democrat Mikie Sherrill.

An old school Washington D.C. AP reporter who covered the New Jersey delegation in the heyday of Rodino, Roe, and Howard - McHugh would go on to serve as deputy director of communications for then-Governor Kean and later work for then-U.S. Senator Bill Bradley.

What did Kean and Bradley have in common?

"Integrity," said McHugh.

As for Sherrill and Ciattarelli, in a conversation with InsiderNJ he expressed dismay at the trajectory of the race, horror over the "repulsive" leadership of Donald Trump, and gave advice to the competitors - one of them in particular as the next debate approaches.

InsiderNJ would humbly like to consider the time well spent earlier today with Bob McHugh as a rough-cut sequel to an interview Mr. McHugh did eight years ago, with time ticking down on the 2017 showdown between Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno.

Watch that classic with the late great Michael Aron HERE.

And below, check out today's (FULL!) InsiderNJ interview with Bob McHugh, now Historian Bob McHugh, an expert on the Revolutionary War, especially the fateful personalities and events around Washington Crossing the Delaware, not far from here...