For the American innocent abroad, learning what our
sophisticated European cousins consider scandalous can be
instructive. So in the thick of an uproar involving Italy’s
prime minister, a blonde call girl and lurid sex tapes, it was
illuminating to flip on the TV and watch what had made the
evening news: footage of a large group of politicians being
carted off in handcuffs.  These were not Italian politicians,
however. These were from New Jersey.  Here in Italy, Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi has responded to his latest scandal
by saying that “Italians want me this way.” Thus far in New
Jersey, no elected official has been that blatant. Yet this
November’s race between incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine
and Republican challenger Chris Christie will test whether New
Jersey voters are fed up with the way their state has become a
synonym for corruption.  Much depends on Mr. Christie. As a U.S.
Attorney, Mr. Christie put scores of dirty New Jersey officials
behind bars. And his lead in the polls—one of them