A clear message

One week after New Jersey Gov. Jon. S. Corzine taped a TV spot advocating buckling up, the sport utility vehicle he was riding in crashed at 91 mph. Corzine wasn't wearing a seat belt and was critically injured. The state trooper driving him to a meeting was wearing his seat belt and walked away from the accident.

Corzine has a broken leg, 11 broken ribs and injuries to his credibility. He has some healing to do. The bones will mend, but preaching one thing and doing another makes you look like the bad caricature of politicians so many voters have in their minds.

Fortunately, the accident's very different outcomes for the governor and the trooper send a clearer message about the importance of buckling up than any video could.