Corzine profile in Obama camp ever on the rise

[dkf]

In a sign of his emerging role as a financial guru for Barack Obama, Gov. Jon Corzine Sunday unveiled the latest piece of the presidential candidate's plan to curb soaring oil prices.

The governor touted an Obama proposal that marked the latest clash between the Democrat and Republican opponent John McCain over energy policy, as voters rank the economy as their biggest concern heading into the November election.

In his plan, Obama calls for more regulation in oil markets by promising to close the so-called "Enron loophole" that exempts some energy trading from federal oversight. The rollout also provided a showcase for Corzine, the former Goldman Sachs CEO whom Obama referred to as "our Wall Street guy" at a meeting of Democratic governors in Chicago on Friday.

"I can tell you, from my days as a trader of financial assets, the volatility you see is absolutely indicative of speculation in the marketplace," Corzine said on a conference call with reporters and Obama advisers. "We've just got a real problem that is squeezing American families over and over again."

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/topstories/index.ssf/2008/06/corzine_profile_in_obama_camp.html