JOSH MARGOLIN

Besides giving a shout out to Wally Edge at Wednesday's New Jersey Legislative Correspondents Association Dinner ("As Wally always says, 'Hold Me Accountable.'" ... and you know we will.) Gov. Jon Corzine had some kind words for the state's political reporters and poked fun at the Star-Ledger's Josh Margolin and their declining circulation, and the Garden State's colorful array of political characters.

Click here to view Corzine's powerpoint presentation.

Fifty days ago today, Star-Ledger reporters Josh Margolin and Deborah Howlett broke the story that “Frank Lautenberg's opposition to Gov. Jon Corzine's highway toll plan has opened a rift between the two men that could affect the senator's re-election bid.”

“Lautenberg's announcement was a surprise and led one senior Corzine aide tell top Democrats that the governor would retaliate by ceasing his fund-raising efforts for the senator's re-election campaign,” wrote Margolin and Howlett.

If you were away for Labor Day weekend, you missed the Star-Ledger's story on Jon Corzine's latest problem: a $15,000 cash gift to Rocco Riccio, the brother-in-law of CWA President Carla Katz.  The gifts, $10,000 last spring and $5,000 last summer, came despite Corzine's claim that he no longer had financial dealings with his former girlfriend.  The story is bad for Corzine, who seems to have done a poor job convincing people that he's been forthcoming with information relating to his personal finances and how they potentially conflict with his job as Governor.  "The disclosure is likely to stir a new round of questions about how the Democratic governor's love life and fortune have influenced his actions, and about the romantic relationship with Katz that has haunted him as much as any legislative issue or political stance dur ing his short tenure," wrote reporters Josh Margolin and John Martin.