Mid-Atlantic Residents Favor Offshore Drilling

Don't worry, though, the politicians will never allow it to happen. Why should they listen to you? They know better, of course.

A new Monmouth University poll of coastal residents from New York to Virginia finds more favoring offshore energy exploration than opposed.

Monmouth's "Life on the Mid-Atlantic Coast" poll released today finds 46 percent of coastal residents surveyed favor ocean drilling, up from 33 percent in 2007. Thirty-seven percent are opposed, and 12 percent expressed no opinion.

Forty-seven percent believe rising sea levels are a natural phenomenon. Thirty-eight percent say they are man-made and 10 percent blame both equally.

Are you listening, Chris Christie?

For the geographically-challenged out there, all the mid-Atlantic states are blue states.

Obama Victory Could Mean Good News for New Jersey

A possible silver lining for New Jersey in the aftermath of Barack Obama's victory: We may be rid of the ineffectual Jon Corzine as governor.

New Jersey Democratic Gov Jon Corzine on Wednesday said he had not discussed joining the new Obama administration as U.S. Treasury Secretary with anybody, though he added he would never rule anything out.

The possibility that the former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs who also has served as a U.S. senator would be named to lead the Treasury by President-Elect Barack Obama was raised in Wednesday's Star-Ledger newspaper, which said Corzine was being vetted for the post.

"I have not had any conversations with anybody about this job," Corzine said. "I like what I'm doing," he continued. Later, he added: "I am not going to say never to anything.

As New Jersey does not have a Lieutenant Governor, State Senate President Richard Codey would become governor if Corzine were to depart, which would make Codey a two-time governor never elected as such, which may be a first in this country.

Codey, you may recall, became governor after The Gay American, Jim McGreevey, resigned in disgrace in 2004.

Corzine would be up for re-election in 2009 if he stays.

In the New Jersey Senate race, the cadaver in formaldehyde, Frank Lautenberg, won yet again, beating Dick Zimmer handily. No surprise, as New Jersey hasn't elected a GOP Senator since 1972.

Not a single incumbent Congressman lost. My representative, Republican Rodney Frelighuysen, won handily. At least I can say I voted for one winner.

Miss New Jersey Keeps Her Crown

An anxious nation breathes a collective sigh and the lovely young Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo, gets to keep her crown.

Miss New Jersey can keep her crown despite photos that show her acting "not in a ladylike manner."

Hours after a nervous Amy Polumbo went public Thursday with photos of herself that had been sent anonymously to pageant officials, those officials decided the pictures did not merit stripping her of the title.

"I'm very happy about this decision, and I look forward to resuming my agenda as Miss New Jersey," said a smiling Polumbo, who blew kisses to audience members during the announcement.

The beauty pageant winner apologized for the trouble the pictures had caused and thanked the pageant board for its support.

"I want to thank the public," Polumbo said. "I also want to thank God for getting me through this."

The pictures include one showing what Polumbo said was her boyfriend apparently biting her breast through her shirt, another of Polumbo in a limousine wearing jeans with her legs spread in the air and another of her in what appears to be a Halloween costume dress holding two small pumpkins up to her breasts.

"It's not in a ladylike manner. I'm not a robot. I'm a human being," Polumbo said.

A nice parting gift:


More photos here.

Miss New Jersey Being Blackmailed

It never ends with these wacky pageant girls.

A mysterious blackmailer has threatened to make public a series of personal Web photo graphs of Miss New Jer sey Amy Polumbo un less she surrenders the crown.

But Polumbo, a blond beauty from Howell who won her crown last month on a campaign to protect children from In ternet predators, vowed to fight the anonymous on line scoundrel.

"Ironically, I am now being victimized by the very threat to which I have committed myself to seek out and expose," said Polumbo, a senior at Wagner College on Staten Island.

"I will work even harder now to show our youth by my example that the Internet can be used as a weapon or a tool."

Polumbo's lawyer, Anthony Caruso, said the photos came from her page on Facebook, a social-networking site. The page was designated as private, which means the only people allowed access to the page are invited friends.

See also Model Behavior and Gawker.