In yet another free media boost for the cash-strapped independent candidate, the Newark Star-Ledger endorses Chris Daggett in its Sunday edition. From the editorial:

The newspaper's decision is less a rejection of Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie than a repudiation of the parties they represent, both of which have forfeited any claim to the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey. They share responsibility for the state's current plight.

Only by breaking the hold of the Democratic and Republican mandarins on the governor's office and putting a rein on their power will the state have any hope for the kind of change needed to halt its downward economic, political and ethical spiral.

New Jersey needs radical change in Trenton. Neither of the major parties is likely to provide it. Daggett's election would send shock waves through New Jersey's ossified political system and, we believe, provide a start in a new direction.

Daggett hasn't been able to compete with Gov. Jon Corzine (D) or former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R) on the airwaves, but did make some headway with a well-reviewed debate performance.

Though some suspect his support may not hold on Election Day, he clocks in at more than 11 percent in RCP's polling average. Newspaper endorsements ain't what they used to be, but the support of the top-circulation paper in the Garden State can only help keep him in the game with three weeks to go.