"My politics from the time I was in my early 20s have always been somewhat progressive," he said. "I grew up in a Republican home - downstate Illinois is a heavily Republican territory - and my parents used to argue with me all the time about agricultural policy, price supports, and government participation.

"The government was everywhere in making sure that agriculture was successful. And I never quite understood why my mom and dad would rail against government when

it was everywhere I was a party to, including going to really high-quality public schools and the University of Illinois."

Corzine said he supports free enterprise but sees government as part of a limited partnership. "There are just some things that the private sector can't afford to take either the risk or the time frame or the exposure," he said, pointing to research, defense, and public works.

"In these cases, government has a real role. I think it's fundamentally flawed to believe that somehow or another we're going to get sewers and highways and FAA cut from some private sector cloth. It isn't going to happen."

In a review of Corzine's left-leaning views, the Washington Post suggested he was running "against his class interest," but Corzine disagreed. "I'm of the belief that I'm part of the American promise that if you work hard and do your share, the meritocracy actually pays off and you get ahead. And that, in turn, makes it my responsibility to defend the ability for the meritocracy to truly work."

Others accuse Corzine of being "a limo liberal," saying his guilt is the overwhelming motivator for his altruistic platform. "I don't buy that either," he said. "I'm not guilty. I enjoy the fruits of the opportunities I've had, and I intend to try to make those opportunities beneficial for somebody other than just myself."

But he seems to know that this is no easy task, given the environment in which he works and the challenges ahead under a Republican administration and a sharply divided Senate. "I have no misconceptions that I'm going to walk in here and change the world immediately," said Corzine, gesturing to his cluttered basement office in the Dirksen Building.

"The U.S. Senate is a body where you have to have tremendous cooperation with others to get things done; you need to have the seniority and the credibility in regard to the subject matter that you're interested in to be able to accomplish serious ends. And I think you have to be able to show political strength externally over a period of time‹not unlike working your way up in a managerial capacity." His goal, for now, simply is "to be a great senator."