Gov. Jon Corzine campaigns in Atlantic City for Team Whelan on Sunday.

The Absecon Channel separates Brigantine from Atlantic City in this world of salt water and low-slung housing broken up by tragicomic human silos with names like Taj and Showboat.

But it’s all the same battlefield here in the 2nd district, where forces are mobilizing for Sen. (and Egg Harbor Township Mayor) James "Sonny" McCullough or Assemblyman James Whelan.

In Atlantic City, a second tall and bearded politician joins Team Whelan today in a senior citizens complex on Atlantic Avenue. It’s Gov. Jon Corzine, who knows seniors are a critical voting block, particularly in an off-election year like this, and he’s working the older crowd overtime with his best up-close-and-personal demeanor.

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McCULLOUGH, AMODEO & POLISTINA SAY IT’S TOO BAD CORZINE WON’T STICK AROUND TO TALK ABOUT WHY DEMOCRATS FEEL THEY HAVE TO RAISE TOLLS AND TAXES

State Senator James “Sonny” McCullough and Republican Assembly candidates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina said it is unfortunate Governor Jon Corzine wouldn’t use his pit stop in Atlantic County today to talk about his secret plan to sell state toll road assets, his secret plan to redistribute state school aid or his failed plan to lower state property taxes.

“It’s interesting that while Jim Whelan is trying to convince the voters he is ‘independent,’ here comes Jon Corzine to say how much he needs Whelan in the Legislature,” said McCullough. “After taking money from Corzine and the other party bosses, Whelan isn’t ‘independent.’ He’s has been bought and paid for by Corzine and party bosses from North and South Jersey. They fully expect to get their money’s worth. It’s small wonder that the Atlantic City Press recently wrote questioning how Whelan could be independent when he’s accepted so much money from outside party bosses.”

Corzine stopped in Atlantic County before leaving New Jersey for a week-long European Union Summit on Global Warming in Lisbon.

Dave Burnett and the Republicans are in high gear ten days before Election Day.

Driving in the rain in Atlantic County, Democratic Assemblyman Jim Whelan says he knows it’s going to be close on Election Day when all these long months of arguing and talking and walking and pounding and fund-raising and driving come to a head in his challenge of GOP Sen. James "Sonny" McCullough.

"A win by one point is still a win," says Whelan. "Boston won the first game of the World Series the other night, 13-1. They won the second game, 2-1. The result of the second game is still the same as the first. They won."

Whelan has the strong arm reliever coming into the game in the form of Senate President Richard Codey, who’s got an $800,000 fast ball, and on Sunday, Gov. Jon Corzine will campaign with Whelan.

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McCULLOUGH, AMODEO & POLISTINA SAY CORZINE’S PLAN FOR A.C. EXPRESSWAY ASSET SALE DURING LAME DUCK

IS OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE BAG

State Senator James “Sonny” McCullough and Republican Assembly candidates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina said it should come as no surprise that Governor Jon Corzine now admits he will spring his still-secret plan for an Atlantic City Expressway “asset sale” on the Legislature and the taxpayers during the lame duck session following November’s election.

They said Corzine’s revelation was contained in a news report broadcast by Millennium Radio stations yesterday. Corzine said he hoped the lame duck Legislature would act on his scheme to sell state toll road assets in exchange for a quick infusion of money to balance next year’s state budget.

In the 2nd district, the Democratic candidates for the Assembly have clearly identified Republican engineer Vince Polistina as their chief target, whom they're trying to define as a taxpayer bilking machine.

The Dems are running an ad on FOX television that slams Assembly candidate Polistina for fulfilling public contracts - some of them no-bid contracts, according to the ad.

"Oh, yeah," the ad says. "Vince Polistina has been donating to Republicans for years."

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McCULLOUGH, POLISTINA & AMODEO:

TAXPAYERS CONTINUE TO LOSE GROUND IN THE BATTLE AGAINST HIGH PROPERTY TAXES

State Senator James “Sonny” McCullough and Republican Assembly candidates John Amodeo and Vince Polistina say the average taxpayer in almost every municipality in the 2nd Legislative District has lost ground in the fight against high property taxes since the Democrats took control of the state Legislature and their opponents offer no plan for permanent relief and reform.

WILL POLISTINA HAVE HIS CAKE AND EAT IT TOO?

With 13 government contracts, Polistina makes dual-office holders look like reformers

The Press of Atlantic City has endorsed Republican Vince Polistina and Democrat Blondell Spellman for State Assembly in the hotly contested second district race. "Polistina is a fresh, welcome newcomer to the political scene whom we can endorse without reservation. With reservation ... Blondell Spellman is our second choice," the editorial said. READ

Amodeo & Polistina: Spellman Has Her Eye On A Prize

           (Atlantic County, NJ) Vince Polistina and John Amodeo, Republican candidates for Assembly from Atlantic County, said today that their opponents’ support for pension rights and health benefits for part-time government employees “is typical of the taxpayer-be-damned attitude of those who see government service as serving themselves first.”