By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Governor Chris Christie took to Twitter on Monday as a federal government shutdown inched closer and echoed the call for compromise that he initially expressed during a CBS Sunday Morning interview:
But Governor Christie’s legislative successes haven’t always resulted from compromise, Save Jerseyans. We were there! I take the lessons of the early Christie years very seriously because they’re instructive for conservatives everywhere. He’s “taken the bat out” when necessary to advance his agenda in the face of an intransigent Democrat-controlled legislature. We loved him for it.
Back in April 2011, he visit Harvard University and told students how New Jersey Democrats and their public sector union allies showed no signs that “conciliation will be met with compromise.” The reason for his tough rhetoric, he explained, was the need to convince New Jerseyans that “the house is on fire” while an entrenched special interest culture continued to push back against reform.
And he was 100% correct in his analysis, Save Jerseyans.
Courage and principles – not bipartisanship for compromise’s sake – was responsible for advancing Christie era reforms in New Jersey. Governor Christie instinctively knew that you couldn’t start negotiations from a compromised position particularly when you’re trying to reason with unreasonable people. “Bad faith” negotiations are fruitless pursuits. The GOP incumbent played hardball with public sector unions throughout the first couple years of his first term for that very reason; we didn’t know it at the time, but his outright refusal to seek the NJEA’s endorsement in 2009 signaled the beginning of a four year decline of public sector union power in Trenton and in other states, notably Wisconsin.
This is also the Governor who ran against Jon Corzine’s decision to budget by borrowing in 2009. Isn’t that exactly what Washington is doing right now?
You might argue that Republicans need to fight “smarter” and pick their fights better.
You could also argue that the House GOP needs to fight this shutdown battle to remind Americans that “the house is on fire” thanks to an opposition embodied by Barack Obama and Harry Reid that will never meet conciliation with compromise.
You know which camp I fall into…
He's losing me