The New York Times endorses Senator Jon Corzine for governor of New Jersey

[MaineDem]

Given the mounting problems in New Jersey, one can only marvel that anyone of intelligence wants to be governor. Property taxes are among the highest in the country. The state budget faces huge deficits and growing pension woes. The school system is in perpetual trouble. And there is more political sludge and scandal than there are toxic sites.

It is heartening that Senator Jon Corzine has chosen to run for this daunting job. A Democrat who entered politics after a career on Wall Street, Mr. Corzine has shown himself to be a force for America's better instincts in Washington over the last five years. He had the foresight to oppose the war in Iraq. He has worked to fend off Republican attacks on Social Security and voted against President Bush's reckless tax cuts. The former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, Mr. Corzine has also provided the Senate with valuable expertise on the needs of consumers and employees in a post-Enron world.

Douglas Forrester, Mr. Corzine's opponent, has a scant public record. A former state pension director and briefly the mayor of a small suburban town, Mr. Forrester is a very successful businessman whose main company manages employee health benefit plans. He advertises himself as a moderate Republican in the manner of former Govs. Thomas Kean and Christie Whitman, but those credentials are thin on many telling issues. As one example, the cleanup of polluted sites could easily cost the polluter less and the taxpayer more under Mr. Forrester. And his reasons for opposing the state's embryonic stem cell research seem intentionally ambiguous. Mr. Forrester will only offer the argument that adult cells are more promising than embyronic cells. This is an argument made by anti-abortion activists, but supported by few scientists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/16/opinion/16sun2.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fEditorials&oref=login

Sorry, you have to register to read it I think.

[vi5]

1. If Corzine loses this I'm going to be pissed....

Codey is a more than capable Governer who is well liked and is (as much as can be expected) doing a good job and would likely have won the office easily if put up for election. He agreed not to run so that Corzine could step in and get swept into office on what should have been a slam dunk. But now with the polls showing Forrester and Corzine so close I'm getting worried.

[wiley]

2. Don't Worry. The people of Jersey come through when it matters.

Forrester is no change and not the answer to corruption. Corzine is just the right person for this job. I agree that Codey is doing a good job. Wouldn't it be wild if he was appointed to the Senate?

[JPZenger]

3. Battle of the Multi-Millionaires

Both candidates are spending tens of millions of their own money on this race. Corzine is doing his best on radio and TV ads to portray his opponent as a clone of George W.

"He is George Bush's pick to be Governor."