Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg with Passaic County Chair John Currie (file photo) 

NEWARK - Gov. Jon Corzine said the incumbent's demonstration of effectiveness in his successful U.S. Senate Primary contest finally distinguished U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

"There was a lot of tactical stuff in this race, but in reality Frank Lautenberg has shown repeatedly that he is very effective," Corzine told PolitickerNJ.com. 

He cited Lautenberg's early opposition to the War in Iraq (which Corzine opposed with a "no" vote when he was in the U.S. Senate), and the incumbent's work to attain universal healthcare for Americans.

Earlier in the evening, Corzine and his allies viewed Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY) speech that many interpret as an end to her presidential bid.

Asked if he would withdraw his support for Clinton now and get behind a Barack Obama presidential candidacy, the governor replied, "no, not today. We'll see what happens in the next couple of days."