What Christie Should’ve Said

Chris Christie

By Bill Pascoe | Cross-Posted from In the Right

Christie Confused“The responsibility of making an appointment to fill a seat in the United States Senate is one of the most serious things any Governor is called upon to do. It requires a Governor to make a judgment in lieu of and on behalf of his state’s voters, and his decision rightly will become part of his own record in office.

“Consequently, I have chosen to rescind my earlier order setting a special primary election for August 13, and a special election for October 16. Upon further reflection, it’s become clear to me that holding a primary election in the middle of August, when many New Jerseyans are vacationing at the Shore, isn’t the right thing to do. Neither is holding a special general election on a Wednesday in the middle of October, three weeks before an already-scheduled statewide general election. There’s just no way I can justify spending $24 million of the taxpayers’ money on this, when a cost-free option is so readily available.

“And yes, the ‘further reflection’ I alluded to a moment ago includes consideration of the likely actions of New Jersey Democrats — a particularly litigious bunch (after all, with no disrespect intended, it was only because of a lawsuit brought by former Sen. Robert Torricelli that Frank Lautenberg was able to return to the U.S. Senate) — who are likely to have been planning to sue me to overturn my earlier decision. Their argument would have centered on the notion of ‘voter choice,’ and they would have argued that, the clear wording of the statutes notwithstanding, the earlier date for the special general election would have had the effect of ‘disenfranchising’ voters. And, given the history of its jurisprudence in this area of law — including the aforementioned suit brought by Mr. Torricelli — the New Jersey Supreme Court would likely have ruled in their favor, anyway.

“Therefore, despite my political advisers’ counsel that my own reelection prospects would be best served by ensuring that the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat for the duration of the term NOT fall on the same day as the day of my own reelection contest, I have chosen to overrule them. I swore an oath to serve the interests of ALL New Jerseyans, not just my own political interests.

“Therefore, the special election for the U.S. Senate seat will take place on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

“Some New Jersey Republicans will, no doubt, be concerned that this will drive up Democratic turnout, and reduce the likelihood of a Christie landslide. To them, I say: Don’t sweat it. I’ve got this.

“Moreover, since I believe I wear two hats — one as Governor of the Garden State and all its residents, and the second as the head of the Republican Party in New Jersey — I’m also announcing today my appointment of Assemblyman Jay Webber as the interim U.S. Senator. I’ve watched him as he has represented the residents of his district in the Assembly, and I have been mightily impressed by his thoughtfulness, his demeanor, his commitment to representing his constituents and the principles that drive him. The way he has balanced political, economic, and moral interests in his approach to public policy is a model for all.

“Jay has assured me he will contest the seat in the special election, and I intend to fully back him with all the resources at my disposal. It is imperative that we Republicans rally around this dynamic young conservative leader, and return that seat to the GOP column.

“Some of my political advisers, looking ahead to a possible presidential run in 2016, have suggested that my best play would be to run up the score in my reelection contest as much as I could. They said, ‘You’d be better off winning by 15 points and giving up a Senate seat no one expects us to hold, anyway.’ I responded that I’m a team player, and I’d rather win by 52-48 and send a conservative Republican to Washington than win 58-42 and send Cory Booker. So I fired those counselors.”

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