By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
The consequences of the New Jersey Republican Party’s disastrous legislative cycle are starting to take their toll, Save Jerseyans.
Trenton Democrats are eagerly pursuing potential scandals and policy conflicts to hurt Chris Christie’s chance of becoming president. Their no-weaker-for-the-wear caucus feels emboldened for having survived the “wave” that never arrived.
Next up? Passing an Assembly version of the DREAM Act that they know the Governor has to veto.
The Assembly Budget Committee spent a healthy chunk of Thursday discussing the Tuition Equality Act legislation (A-4225/S-2749) and refusing to omit extending benefits to the realm of student aid, a bridge which Christie has said is too far for him to cross.
“By playing rope-a-dope with the Governor, the Democrats have jeopardized ‘tuition equality,’ going too far with the addition of financial aid eligibility and creating a bill that is unacceptable for New Jersey’s legal citizens and taxpayers,” complained Asm. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), a staunch Christie defender on the Assembly Budget Committee.
I’m not sure most voters will appreciate the distinction.
The Left is betting big money that they won’t. National Democrats are already sinking money into ads characterizing his refusal to entertain the more radical Assembly measure as a flip-flop.
Expect Christie to brush off the criticism and double-down on the Ellis Island optics in the new year if the Assembly doesn’t quickly track closer to the more moderate (but no less wrongheaded) Senate version.
