Whitman pushes GOP moderation

Star Ledger ^ | 04.17.06 | DEBORAH HOWLETT

[Coleus]

Former Gov. Christie Whitman believes the Republican Party is in deep trouble. The GOP, she says, is now where the Democrats were a dozen years ago in Washington when they lost control of the House for the first time in 40 years. President Bush's popularity is at a low ebb and several GOP leaders have been snared in ethics scandals.

"We're at a critical point," she said. "We're starting to see polls that look just like the polls looked to Democrats in '94." From a converted hayloft of the barn on her family estate in Oldwick, Whitman works each day on what she believes will be the salvation of her party.

She says Republicans must stop their internal bickering and adopt a broader view that allows a less conservative take on social issues such as abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research. She calls for a "new civility."

"The rhetoric is getting harsher, and we're having more divisive elections," Whitman said. "We can't just agree to disagree anymore without being disagreeable. ... People see their opponents as not just wrong, but evil."

Whitman is spreading her word of "radical moderation" and making campaign contributions to moderate candidates through a political action committee she formed last year after releasing her book, "It's My Party Too: The Battle for the Heart of the GOP and the Future of America."

The book has just been published in paperback, giving new spark for an effort she hopes will pave the way for mavericks like Sen. John McCain of Arizona or former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani to run for president in 2008. Whitman has collected $1 million for moderate Republicans in as many as 120 local elections across the nation.

[sionnsar]

ACLU...whatever they say to do, do the opposite.

A good generalization, but even the ACLU gets it right from time to time. Let's apply a bit more thought than that to the issues...

[Torie]

But her organization seems more about GOP process, rather than substance. If it was about substance, she would be pushing the merits of her ideas, not complaining about not being loved enough vis a vis process.

[Pukin Dog]

A dead tree could have beaten Florio that year.

[Coleus]

Governor Christine Whitman (R-NJ)

In 1994 Whitman became an overnight national cause celebre when she carried her anti-tax message to an improbable, victory over liberal, pro-tax incumbent Jim Florio. She delivered the 30 percent income tax cut on schedule and without running up big deficits. The Whitman tax cut was an unmitigated success: the economy rebounded nicely and the tax cut critics were confounded when the budget remained balanced. It’s a wonderful success story; if only that was the end of the story!

Since the middle of her first term, Whitman has reversed fiscal course. After barely winning re-election, Whitman has supported a seemingly endless barrage of new taxes: a 40 cent a pack increase in cigarette taxes, a 67 percent increase in the gas tax (that even the Democrats in the legislature wouldn't support), a $3-a-day increase in the car rental fee, an increase in motor vehicle fees, and loads of new debt-financed spending. The budget has exploded under Whitman recently (in 1998 it rose by 8.3 percent) and she has irritated fiscal conservatives in the state for her support for new bond initiatives, her refusal to help push school choice for parents, and her lost interest in tax cutting in a state with a still highly uncompetitive tax system. Whitman started strong but has moved further to the left every year and appears to govern as a tax slayer only as a last resort.

Whitman, Heading for EPA, Leaves Fiscal Mess
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2000/12/25/222843.shtml

N.J. bypasses voters on rail funding
http://www.southjerseynews.com/lightrail/m042301b.htm

What A Bunch Of Phonies!
http://www.oceancountypolitics.com/inhouse/2004/07_10_04_State_Bonds_Hypocrisy.html

[Torie]

There are two wings to the party. Both need each other, even if it is a sometimes abusive enabling relationship. Having said that, Whitman does seem to be a rather air brained arrogant b-itch. She just doesn't know how to win friends and influence people. It can be done.

[CBart95]

Good Lord!

"From a converted hayloft of the barn on her family estate in Oldwick, Whitman works each day on what she believes will be the salvation of her party."

And any moment Martha Stewart will glide in and pronounce that it's a "Good Thing".

Saints Preserve Us!

This babe's going up against the likes of Hitlery Klintoon?

[Aussie Dasher]

Some people will NEVER learn...

[Lancey Howard]

It was actually a fairly close race. I contend to this day that what put Whitman over the top was the "runny egg" controversy. Some socialist in Florio's administration decided that runny eggs (eggs not fully cooked) could potentially cause food poisoning and they were outlawed by decree in all New Jersey eating establishments! Eggs over easy and Caesar salad were declared illegal!! (This is not a joke.)

Florio was slow to respond to this action by one of his own minions but he finally came out and said what everybody already knew - - the policy was ridiculous and unenforceable on its face. But this controversy erupted during the campaign season and the damage was done.

[Lancey Howard]

It was in 1993, not 1994, that Whitman knocked off Florio, and she won by only 26,000 votes.

[SuziQ]

This is the same thing she was saying before the elections of 2000 and 2004. She is of the Republican ilk that thinks all of the GOP's problems should be laid at the feet of the radical right wing Moral Majority Republicans. At least, that's what she's been reading in all the 'acceptable' publications. ;o)

[technomage]

Supposed moderation, or 'moving to the middle' is what has taken the Republican party to where it is at now: adrift, lost, cowardly.

Push the CONSERVATIVE agenda. Conservatism will win almost all the time.

The Congressional Republicans are more worried about getting face time on TV, getting invited to the most exclusive DC parties, then the true conservative agenda.

[EternalVigilance]

Whenever someone claims to be "a fiscal conservative, but..."...watch your wallet.

[Rodney King]

If she was a strong supporter of tax cuts and less government, I would be happy to excuse my disagreement with her on "social issues". The problem is that was have seen time and time again that "moderate" Republicans are really just democrats.

[kylaka]

Sorry Pukin Dog. The dead in NJ vote early and often, but they've never been known to vote for one of their own. That the race between Whitman and Florio was so close (25,000 votes), merely speaks to the sorry state of affairs in NJ. I've been much amused lately reading letters to the editor in the local papers from democrats who are just devistated that Corzine seems to have lied to them about raising taxes during the recent campaign for governor. Matter of fact, some seem outraged that Corzine would lie about such things.

I used to think people had short memories, but then it occurred to me that ten year olds didn't pay much attention to the Governor Florio years, way back when they were ten years old. Now they vote, and Corzine gets to recycle the same old shit yet again. They are just devistated that Corzine lied to them.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

In the election against Jim Florio that year, Christie Todd Whitman had the support of the Howard Stern radio show. He inspired young people to vote for her whom would otherwise likely not visit the polls or even be interested in the election process. She named a bathroom on Route 295 in his honor to express her gratitude.

She is a RINO of the worst degree and was a horrible governor. She ruined the reputation of two decent and honorable NJ State Troopers named Hogan and Kenna with that outrageous "racial profiling" pandering PC nonsense. Christie, for the good of the Republican party, please shut your mouth and live quietly on your fancy estate.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The graveyards of political campaigns are littered with dead Republicans who veered to the Left because they wanted liberal media adoration.

"Moderate" is just a euphemism fabricated by the DNC/MSM to brainwash Republicans into thinking that they'll get more support if they move to the "middle."

[holyscroller]

"From a converted hayloft of the barn on her family estate in Oldwick, Whitman works each day on what she believes will be the salvation of her party."

The thing Christie's best at shoveling is what's on the barn floor, not in the loft. Do us a favor Christie, leave the party.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Unfortunately, where New Jersey GOP is concerned, Conservatives are to be neither seen nor heard (except, of course, they must support the Country-Club set or they are just those wingnut "purists"). Whitman had a remarkable opportunity, with an obscenely hugh (sic) GOP majority, to remake NJ for the better, and establish a long-lasting party majority. By the time she and her slimy little predecessor was done, the NJ GOP caucus (now smaller than it was after Watergate) can caucus in a restroom (phone booth would be a bit much right now, I give it about 3 more election cycles before that happens).

If nothing else, she helped give us one of the worst, most parasitic State Supreme Courts in the nation, filling it with her hacks and cronies who managed to pervert state law and give the thumbs-up to the Torricelli/Lousycorpse switcheroo. Hey, and who says Democrats have a lock on appointing bad courts ? Thanks, Chrissie, hun. You and your "party" can go take a long walk off a short Cape May pier.

[Blue Jays]

Hi EEE-

The worst thing a conservative candidate can do is switch horses in the middle of a river. It alienates the conservative base and the liberals won't vote for the "new" candidate anyway.

~ Blue Jays ~