Conan O'Brien, The Scourge of New Jersey

Newark Mayor Cory Booker says he'll end his state's ban on Conan O'Brien if the Tonight Show host visits his fair city

By Natalie Finn Oct 02, 2009 12:13 AMTags

UPDATE: Conan's latest reaction to being banned from flying into Newark: "So Mr. Mayor, I can't tell you how sorry I am that I didn't make that joke 15 years ago."
_______________________________________________________________________

Conan O'Brien better steer clear of the Holland Tunnel next time he's in New York.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has banned (humorous mock-feud-style) the Tonight Show host from the entire state of New Jersey after O'Brien, who had already mocked the sanitation situation in Booker's fair city, dared to ban the politico from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif.

Booker said in his second YouTube video on the subject (the first having banned O'Brien from Newark's airport) that he's received emails from mayors all over the state.

"You see, we in New Jersey roll hard, we roll strong and we roll together. And now I'm here to officially tell you, you have been banned from the entire state of New Jersey.

"Now look, you may like [Atlantic City spots] Boardwalk and Park Place, but the only way you're going to get to them is on a Monopoly board."

And it turns out there are a few other places Conan can't go, as well.

"CoCo Can't GoGo" to any of Newark's sister cities around the globe, which include Monrovia, Liberia; Aveiro, Portugal; Kumasi, Ghana; and Xuzhou, China.

"Conan, your ancestors may be from Ireland, but the entire city of Bray is telling you to stay in L.A.," Booker added.

The governor said he'd be willing to appear on The Tonight Show to settle their differences, if O'Brien visited Newark.

And, if the long-legged host would prefer a physical competition, Booker's willing to race Conan, "just like Teri Hatcher" did. He even proffered a New York Giants helmet so that his nemesis doesn't wind up with a banged-up noggin again.

"This is the closest you'll get to seeing a Giants game because, they too, play in New Jersey," Booker said.

Considering O'Brien once went to Finland because he resembled its female president, we're thinking a trip to Jersey wouldn't be too farfetched.

Or maybe he'll just apologize, the way Stephen Colbert did when his assault on all the Cantons in the U.S. (minus the "awesome" one in Ohio) was taken a bit too seriously by the locals.