N.J. Gov Preps for Life After Politics

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine expressed a hint of regret that he won't be around to lead the state out of the recession, but said he's looking forward to returning to work - probably in finance and teaching - after leaving office.

The Democratic governor said since losing his bid for re-election that he'll
consider career offers after his first term ends on Jan. 19. He lost the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election to Republican Chris Christie by about 85,000 votes, a result considered an upset in Democratic-leaning New Jersey.

“I haven't really made any plans,” Corzine said on Saturday. “My future is really something I want to work on after I leave government. I'm very unclear at this stage.”

Corzine described his return to finance as “probable,” and said he'd like to teach on the side beginning next fall. He previously denied a rumor that he had been a candidate to be Bank of America's next CEO.

Corzine made a fortune as head of Goldman Sachs before being ousted and turning to politics. He spent $131 million of his own money on successful runs for U.S. Senate and governor, and his recent defeat.

As governor, he accepted a token salary of just $1 per year. So, while Corzine said he remains financially comfortable, the 63-year-old governor may consider it a good time to replenish his personal fortune before retiring.

Starting his own company or running someone else's are two possibilities he mentioned.

He said he also plans to keep his 2-year-old apartment on the Hoboken riverfront.

The former Wall Street executive said he'll miss making economic decisions to guide the state, especially in such difficult times.

“In a time of shrinking resources, how you make the choices to get from where we are today in the short run, through a recession, are some of the most important ones a government has to make,” Corzine said. ``You can recover from financial deficits if you're willing to make tough decisions.”

He said he has no regrets over his decade-long foray into elected politics, particularly his decision in the late 1990s to run for U.S. Senate, a race he won after digging deeply into his own pockets.

“Knowing what I know now, in 1998 or 1999 when I was deciding to get into politics, I'd do it all again,” Corzine said, with less than two weeks to go in his gubernatorial term.

“Absolutely.”