Assemblyman GOP Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) raised eyebrows and instigated heated backroom debate last week when he announced a forthcoming “Rally the Reasonable” tour designed to showcase what he believes should be a ‘kinder’ trajectory for the post-Christie New Jersey Republican Party.
“I am not going to engage during the next two years in partisanship or partisan politics just for the sake of partisan politics,” Bramnick said. “I also am not going to be painted with a brush, a Republican brush, based on the tweets or some of the conduct that’s coming out of the White House.”
Recently-installed NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt disagrees with Bramnick vision.
The veteran Warren County GOP’er issued a rare statement on Sunday publicly distancing his organization from one of his party’s senior legislative officials.
“While I appreciate Assemblyman Bramnick’s desire to speak out about the direction of our State Party, I think it is important to make clear that he does so as an individual and not on behalf of the NJGOP,” Steinhardt said. “Our State Republican Organization is a diverse group of individuals and organizations, with multi-faceted views on a variety of issues. Still, the core principles of the Republican State Committee are to fight for lower taxes and to reduce the intrusion of government into our everyday lives.”
“Governor Murphy’s extreme agenda of higher taxes, runaway spending, and giveaways to public employee union bosses at the expense of hardworking taxpayers isn’t reasonable, nor is it rational. Now is not the time for us to be passive, nor is it a time to tear down our President or each other, as we work to rebuild and rebrand as the Party of common sense, inclusion and fiscal responsibility. The future of our Party, the affordability of our State, and the quality of our lives are at stake.
“NJ Republicans must stand together. We must offer a fiscally responsible vision that appeals to the most diverse coalition of taxpayers. Then, we must be willing to fight for it, together, in all 21 counties, and all 565 municipalities, with a common vision and collective voice.
“The NJGOP looks forward to working with our State, County and community leaders and alongside the teams of concerned New Jerseyans to develop a winning strategy that is beyond over reacting to the President’s tweets or simply waiting for the Murphy administration to make mistakes. This is a time of opportunity and for action. We can ill afford to sit by idly and let it pass.”
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Newly-minted Governor Murphy, meanwhile, shows no signs of meeting Republicans halfway should they opt for a ‘kinder’ opposition, advocating a radical economic agenda and comparing President Trump to Voldemort of Harry Potter infamy at this weekend’s Women’s March in Morristown.
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