Corzine, 15 miles over the speed limit, returns to Drumthwacket

Governor Corzine is obviously very sorry. I wish him the best in his recovery.  

"Any Nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one" -Alexander Hamilton

If he was so sorry why didn't he order his caravan of six automobiles to do the speed limit. Can he possible be this stupid? Honestly this is the guy who was running Goldman Sachs? He gets in a horrible accident and undergoes terrible scrutiny over not wearing a seatbelt and speeding at the time of the accident and he doesn't have the common sense to at least say to somebody in a joking manner to take it easy on the way home. Didn't anybody realize people would be watching? He just held a press conference for crying out loud. If the dummies running this state can't even figure this out how can we expect impending fiscal disaster we are facing?

I wish Governor Corzine the best in his recovery. But, I do agree that someone should've been more vigilant about the speed limit. The Gov is probably a bit out of it with pain medications so I don't blame him, but I certainly think someone on his staff (including the troopers driving in the caravan) should've thought about this more.

Are you one of the "Jersey Guys"?

Somerset Republican, I agree, it was just stupid. Most people learn from their mistakes but if Corzine was smart he'd be a conservative. Republican Conscience

As I read the comments I am amazed that some people hold the Governor responsible. Several New Jersey Governors, both Democrat and Republican have been caught speeding, with a New Jersey State Trooper at the wheel. The Star-Ledger reported when Governor Christie Whitman was driving south of the New Jersey Parkway and the trooper driving her was exceeding the speed limit. This is an issue that has been going on for years, to squarely hold Governor Corzine responsible is an excuse to critcize. By the way Republican Conscience intelligence has nothing to do with political idealogy, after all Republican Governor Christe Whitman took a picture violating the civil rights of a man that was stopped by her trooper detail. Is that what you mean by if he were smart?

Let me respond to what is obvious, Governor Corzine is responsible for not wearing his seat belt. His neglence could have cost him his life. I am not arguing that point. What I am addressing is the issue of the Excutive Protection Unit that can disregard the some laws regardless of whom is in office. You appear to have taken my comment as a slight against republicans or an excuse for Governor Corzine. Well it is not a third grade arguement, but rather a point that has been overlooked and rarely discussed. Every Governor of New Jersey has enjoyed the privilege of having the nation's best law enforcement agency protect them and the comfort of moving between meetings by professionally trained drivers, and pilots. However, just as the each of our past governors have had the same responsibility to observe the laws, so do the officers that transport them. This is a reflection on Governor Corzine, that point is correct Commentor, but this is also a reflection on the New Jersey State Police. This is something that they have been caught doing before, speeding with the governor present. I hope you see room for a larger discussion and not limit the focus on Corzine and respond to the point that even if a Governor does not tell a trained officer to slow down, the officer sworn to protect those that are sharing the roads with him, should know to do his job correctly, without prompting from the Governor.

The Executive Protection Unit has a responsibility that is difficult to define just in terms of the rules of the road that you and I are expected to adhere to. The responsibility to protect the Governor -- and some others -- at least theoretically requires them to be prepared to take some assertive actions, or perhaps evasive, or even "escape" manuvers that you and I could not legally engage in. I would think that an overriding responsibility is also to work to avoid being caught in such situations.

However, I think that the manner in which they described their authority, as was outlined in the Philadelphia Inquirer recently, is overblown.  My sense is that most people have a problem with the employment of that authority, as was done in this instance, for the mere purpose of rushing the Governor back to an event that few serious people would argue rose above the level of political public relations.

Public safety is simply too important a concern to subordinate to a Governor's political needs, and I am sure that the front office will not push too hard to argue otherwise.

I am equally sure that the time of the meeting and the distance that needed to be traveled, were significant factors in why the Trooper was speeding.

The very fact that the Governor's Office now resists any effort whatsoever to release facts concerning the time of the meeting, the route they had chosen, and the time they expected to arrive, tells me that they have plenty to hide. They know we can do math. So they hide the facts, or they try a diversion such as the one about the fellow in the red Pickup. They even floated a diversion about the officer, and some relationship.

Your premise, however, that the officer is ultimately able to control the situation I believe is equally misplaced. The Governor is the top Chief Executive Officer of the State. He may well have a good working relationship with the driver, but the driver is in no position to resist the Governor's expressed desire, or the expressed desire of his Chief of Staff, to get the Governor to a meeting or event on time.

Maybe his scheduler, sitting in the back seat, got off a cell phone call and said, "So-and-so says to hustle up. We're running late."

Even if Trooper Rasinsky and the Governor were chatting as they got in the car at the prior event and the Governor merely said something like, "Whatever you can do . . ." the trooper would have felt compelled to press the pedal to the metal, as the saying used to go.

The point is that the success of any adjustment that is made arising out of this event will depend almost exclusively on the front office itself.

Finally, I didn't raise the political side -- you did. Your attempt to take a cheap shot a former Governor by mischaracterizing an utterly unrelated incident, one that had nothing whatsoever to do with this, simply does not contribute to the exchange.

by Trochilus

I appreciate the exchange, however I am surprised that you believe that the New Jersey State Trooper is powerless to resist a directive from the Governor. He is a sworn police officer that has the power to enforce the laws of our state. If an officer is instructed by anyone to break the law, he not only has the authority to resist, but the responsibility. To state that any success will arise out of adjustments made out of the front office, only demonstrates a position of unequality and unwillingness to adequately address the fault of all people involved. Again I am not arguing the responsibility of Governor Corzine, but we should not excuse the responsibilty of the NJ Trooper to uphold the laws that he is sworn to adhere to. Regardless of the request of any political person. There is no excuse for Governor Corzine breaking the law and not wearing his seat belt, there can certainly be no excuse for Trooper Rasinsky breaking the law and speeding either. The reason for mentioning Governor Whitman was not to insult her, but demonstrate the range of this problem. I think it clearly demonstrates the level of speeding that takes place for all Governors and that the recent attacks on Governor Corzine are well placed, but not solely his responsibility. The fact is many NJ Governors have or had drivers that exceed the speed limit. I believe your placement of success lacks balance. I'm assuming you are a republican and even former Governor Whittman dealt with issues regarding the state police without making excuses for their actions.