Politician watch

• Pennsylvania's Senator Rick Santorum appears unworried about his poor poll numbers or the backlash of public opinion against GOP troubles.

  "I've been behind in every single race, so I'm in a comfortable position for me," Santorum told radio host Don Imus last month. "So I mean, it's a good time, if you want to, to sort of bail, endorse my opponent, and then come back at the end when I'm going to win."

  He may be wrong this time, but it's way to early to be certain of anything.
  
  
• The Inquirer also has a profile of New Jersey's Democratic contender for governor, John Corzine, sure to be followed by a profile of his opponent in the next week. They portray Corzine as a liberal crusader:

  Corzine has long argued that government can be a force to improve living conditions for everyone - a view that is out of fashion in conservative circles - and his campaign prescriptions seem to flow naturally from his Senate career.
  
  "I prefer the term progressive, but I don't run from" the word liberal, Corzine said. "I believe in equal access and opportunities, not outcomes. I believe in making sure we have a social safety net. Those are fundamentally liberal policies."

  He's probably hoping that he can get more done from the governor's seat than as a junior Senator in the minority party.