The Wall Street Journal

It's probably not a great campaign slogan, but Tennessee Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn can claim the title of the "Hottest Woman in U.S. Politics." She won the superlative in an online poll of politics1.com readers.

Here's the #1 reason to suspect your Senate campaign may be in trouble: "Your campaign slogan is 'My father used to be President'"

As if Democrats need another reason to push universal health insurance, enterprising New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine found one: Tax the sick. Not as a novel incentive to stay healthy, but to help close a state budget gap.

His $47 per day hospital bed fee is only one of a bunch of new taxes he proposed to fill a $4.5 billion budget hole. He also wants to boost the sales, booze, and cigarette taxes and tax utility water. You flush, you pay.

Tennessee Democratic State Senator Ophelia Ford, a member of the Ford political dynasty that includes U.S. Representative and Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr., has been given a stay by a federal judge in her bid to keep from getting kicked out of office.

Apparently brotherly love doesn't extend across the Delaware River to New Jersey. Pennsylvania's Governor Ed Rendell and U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, normally political opponents, have formed an alliance to threaten New Jersey with retaliation for reneging on a gentleman's agreement about dredging the waterway that separates the two states. Both pols are up for re-election this year.

Pennsylvania pols are failing to quiet a voter revolt that won't go away. Lawmakers for a second time voted to repeal a stealth raise that awarded some of them a 34% pay increase before they were constitutionally allowed to receive it. Lawmakers took the money in the form of unvouchered "expense" reimbursements. Judges and some executive-branch employees also received raises.

Two of the Republicans in the race to fill Bill Frist's Senate seat are gaining early momentum. Bob Corker, a former mayor of Chattanooga, has amassed more money than any other candidate, Republican or Democrat. He's got three times more cash on hand than the likely Democratic nominee, Rep. Harold Ford Jr., according to Political Moneyline.

U.S. Senator Jon Corzine handily beat Doug Forrester in New Jersey's race for governor. The Democrat won 53% to 44% thanks to strong turnout from his base in key North Jersey urban counties and adjacent suburban districts. The strong showing by union voters gave Mr. Corzine a somewhat bigger win than last-week's tightening polls suggested.

Who was the winner in this weekend's debate between Doug Forrester and Jon Corzine? It was the moderator, WNBC's Gabe Pressman. Mr. Pressman was visibly pleased by the candidates' near constant sparring: Accusations and denials punctuated answers to almost every question. Mr. Pressman, a local legend, has been on the air in the New York City area for 60 years and is credited with coining the term "hippie" among other broadcast coups.

Quick, take this test: A candidate who opposes renewing a nuclear power plant's license, opposes development on prime riverfront land, balks at lowering income taxes and is pro-choice is from which party?