After President Obama campaigned there Wednesday to boost Gov. Corzine, Bergen County -- the most populous county in the state -- is back in the news, this time with a piece of good news for Republican Chris Christie.

The Thursday corruption conviction of one time power broker Joseph Ferriero, who ruled Democratic politics in the county, was both a feather in the cap for Christie, who brought the indictment when he was U.S. Attorney, and a weight on Corzine, who, according to Republicans, gave more than $440,000 in political donations to Ferriero and former state Sen. Joseph Coniglio, another convicted member of the county's Democratic machine.

Christie, in a hastily arranged conference call Thursday afternoon, said Corzine, who once decried "the toxic mix" of money and politics, was one of the system's "leading chemists."

"I'm not saying the governor knew he was a crook, what I'm saying is the governor enabled somebody who was a dictator up in Bergen County," Christie said on the call.

The issue came up at a gubernatorial debate Thursday night. Corzine said the money he gave to the county organization Ferriero controlled was part of his support for national Democrats. He also noted that he backed his lieutenant governor candidate, Loretta Weinberg, when she battled Ferriero over the state Senate seat she now holds.

"The idea that I have somehow enabled Joe Ferriero, when I stood up to him first along with Loretta Weinberg when he tried to run her out of the party, is just a joke," Corzine said in the debate.

Republicans continued pressing the issue today. Christie's running mate, Kim Guadagno, said "For Jon Corzine to imply that his considerable and consistent contributions to Ferriero's political operation were simply to elect federal candidates is laughable and isn't fooling anyone."

For at least two days it brought back ethics as an issue, which we all thought would be a key to the race after 44 people were arrested on stunning corruption and bribery charges this summer, but which faded after the Corzine camp raised questions about Christie's ethics.

What impact could it have now? The guru of Bergen politics, Charlie Stile, says not much: "Most polls show property taxes as the top concern in this election — corruption and ethics reform barely register," he wrote.

Meanwhile, his Record colleague Alfred Doblin penned a song for the situation. If you like Jersey politics, or Frank Sinatra, click the link.

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