A day after Gov. Corzine unveiled a package of ethics reforms that could boost his clean-government bonafides, the e-mail saga involving his ex-girlfriend, Carla Katz, is back in the news, providing a political counterpoint.

The Associated Press is reporting that Katz' lawyer filed a brief saying some e-mails she and Corzine exchanged during 2006 contract negotiations were related to collective bargaining and should not be released. Republicans are suing to have the communications between Corzine and Katz, until recently a powerful New Jersey labor leader, made public.

There isn't a lot new in the report, but it brings back into the spotlight a titillating saga that has dogged Corzine for months and is sure to play a role in next year's election. (The Star-Ledger has reported that the Corzine camp has done polling on the story's impact and found some ugly results for the governor; we posted a link earlier today). Republicans are likely to run on an ethics platform in 2009, especially if their nominee ends up being corruptiong-fighting U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, a man whose office includes a bottle of Mr. Clean with his face on it.

Corzine has said the e-mails are covered by executive privilege and Katz says negotiations don't have to be released. Republicans say the public has a right to know about the negotiations. Regardless of who is right, the political damage to Corzine comes every time the story, with all its attention-grabbing elements, makes news. After all, it involves the governor, an ex-girlfriend with a talent for getting her name in the tabloids, untold gifts he once gave her and negotiations over tax dollars.

Corzine clearly hopes to burnish his anti-corruption credentials with his ethics package, involving sweeping campaign finance reforms.

But which one do you think plays better in a campaign ad?

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