I'm from NJ. Whitman (RINO) wasn't much of a difference from Florio or what will be Gov Corzine.
RINOs are very annoying, but they are far less destructive to the republic than the socialist Demodogs are.
I didn't like Whitman much at all, but she managed to keep NJ under some control for a period of time. Nevertheless, NJ was a little better off when she was governor - yet I know that's not a great claim.
I thought it was an error in judgement that she was put on the Cabinet. The EPA was somewhat better of under her than the 'Toon Sec, at least, but she was dangerous there overall. The best part of her being on the Cabinet is that her relative failure there virtually removed her from influence on the national scene, and as a former "R woman governor", she was pretty dangerous for a while. Now I think she's relatively neutered.