Ledger Live: Bon Jovi backs Corzine.

Ledger Live: Bon Jovi backs Corzine

The Sayreville-bred rock star kicked off his set with the hit "Who Says You Can't Go Home," a song used by the state's tourism agency. He followed that with "Livin' on a Prayer," which could prove an apt hymn for Corzine's re-election effort in light of his sagging poll numbers and the state budget crisis that has been exacerbated by the national recession.

Corzine, governor since 2006, is facing Republican Chris Christie, the former U.S. attorney, in the general election in a race that promises to be a classic of New Jersey's nasty politics. Noting that, Bon Jovi told the crowd "politics is an ugly stage to perform on." The singer made a brief speech to tout Corzine's credentials as an advocate for the underprivileged and someone who has a "selfless attitude...I always have the governor's ear and the ability to share our thoughts on what we can do to make Jersey a better place."