Just a follow up to this story, TIFWIW.
From
Philly.com Clinton's a hit at Corzine rally:
UNION, N.J. - New Jersey needs a governor "full of new ideas and capable of implementing them," former President Bill Clinton told Democratic Party faithful who packed the 3,200-seat Harwood Arena at Kean University yesterday afternoon for a rally championing Sen. Jon S. Corzine's candidacy.
The former president stole the show, as even Corzine knew he would.
"I'll shut up now," Corzine said as he introduced Clinton. "You didn't come to hear me."
Waving to the screaming, standing crowd, Clinton said, "You have to stop that, or I'll forget that I'm not president anymore."
Turning serious, Clinton told the audience: "If you ever needed a governor who's strong and smart and good and experienced and full of new ideas and capable of implementing them, you need that person now... . I don't know of a better-qualified person I ever saw present himself or herself for the office of governor than Jon Corzine."
Clinton said Corzine's plan for property-tax relief, which would increase rebates by 40 percent in four years to eligible residents, was preferable to that of Corzine's Republican opponent, businessman Douglas Forrester.
Corzine, who once led Forrester by double-digits in polls, has seen his advantage erode to as little as 4 percentage points in one independent poll released this week. In two other polls released this week, Corzine led by about 8 points, with 10 percent or more undecided.
Forrester called Clinton's visit the mark of a desperate campaign.
"Jon Corzine's campaign is stumbling badly," Forrester said. "I'm sure they are looking for all the help they can get."
Forrester downplayed his own high-profile visitors from Washington, including Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who was in New Jersey on Wednesday. Appearances by Vice President Cheney and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also have benefited the Republican; Sen. John McCain of Arizona is slated to stump for Forrester in October.
Corzine dismissed Forrester's remark about the campaign's desperation after the latest polls.
"This has been on the schedule for a long time," he said. "You don't get President Clinton on a 24-hour notice."
Joanna Kidd, 60, of Browns Mills, said she had ducked out of work early to grab a ride to the rally.
"I came so I could hear him firsthand, so I could go back to where I live and say, 'I was there. I heard it. And you should support him,' " Kidd said, referring to Corzine.
