Gov. Chris Christie calls for Republican Party rebranding

Politico ^

[Sub-Driver]

Gov. Chris Christie calls for Republican Party rebranding

By: Maggie Haberman and Ben Smith June 30, 2010 05:06 AM EDT

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday in an interview with POLITICO outlined a path for the GOP to rebrand as the party keeping "our eye on the cash register,” while also praising some Democrats for taking the right approach to tackling major issues like education.

Christie, a darling of conservatives after staring down Democrats over the budget and tax cuts, demonstrated his own distinct brand of conservatism over a breakfast interview. Without naming names, the seven-year former federal prosecutor took a shot at politicians who simply resort to “demagoguery” on controversial - and complex - topics such as illegal immigration.

The sit-down came hours after the newly-minted governor returned home from passing the Garden State’s budget, a plan that mostly reflected what he’d spent months pushing for, but one that also cost him some of his popularity in the polls.

Christie has generally avoided talking about national issues in his first six months in office. But he urged President Barack Obama to take the lead on immigration reform, and said he should keep speaking out on teachers union reforms, an issue that has made the New Jersey governor a controversial figure as he’s aggressively fought for changes in his home state.

But he also took positions more closely aligned with some centrist Democrats on issues such as immigration – an issue he said falls victim to “demagoguery” too easily and one that’s a national problem.

[dforest]

At least we have an idea where he stands on a couple of issues.

[MayflowerMadam]

“The way to offer them citizenship is to send them back to their own country and let them apply for entry legally.”

I don’t agree. Send them back, and specifically prohibit those people from ever returning under any circumstances. They’ve already proved they don’t take our laws seriously or respect our country; why invite them back?

[AmericaOne]

He’s sounds pro-amnesty to me. Other than fiscally, he appears to be solid RINO. Jersey can keep him.

I agree.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I don’t agree with Christie on the immigration issue. I don’t believe that there is any need to offer citizenship to lawbreakers.

“This is a federal problem, it’s gotta have a federal fix,” he said. “I’m not really comfortable with state law enforcement having a big role.”

I'm not comfortable with state law enforcement needing to exert a big role - but the governor of Arizona judges that she needs enforcement a lot more than the governor of New Jersey thinks he needs it.

Maybe she knows more about conditions in Arizona than he does . . .

[kevkrom]

I don’t agree. Send them back, and specifically prohibit those people from ever returning under any circumstances. They’ve already proved they don’t take our laws seriously or respect our country; why invite them back?

Our government's lax enforcement of the laws was tantamount to inviting them in. The only "amnesty" I'll consider is a blanket amnesty for violating any illegal entry or labor/tax laws for anyone who voluntarily self-deports. (No amnesty for other crimes, or for anyone who only leaves because they're caught.)

As noted, they also have to go to the "back of the line", so it'll be a long wait and they'll have to show that they're a good candidate for legal immigration.

[Caipirabob]

I have to echo and offer thanks to my fellow FReepers here on their perspective on illegal criminal activity being described as "immigration". It can be difficult to understand the gravity and true nature of the disaster of this situation unless you are here and it surrounds you every day.

I think meeting personally and discussing the situation with Governor Brewer would have been the wise decision here. Anything outside of that is posturing and not in a good way. We need allies who are willing to work with us to resolve this situation. Not make it more difficult for the people of Arizona to protect their very lives from this disaster.

[MNJohnnie]

Oh yeah Jersey can keep him. He is not cut out for national leadership.

My point is the meat of the story is how O and his minions are agreeing with his position on Education while Politco spins the story to make it sound like he is an Obama bot calling for the GOP to be Democrat Lite. That is not the case at all.

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

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[dforest]

Big Government, the Federal Government, has failed to enforce existing law.

They have proved beyond a doubt that they are corrupted and work against the best interests of legal citizens.

CIR is a joke. Lets not forget than when they grant amnesty, we will have millions hauling the whole family over the border sucking the life out of the carcass of what little is left.

It will forever guarantee the election of socialists.

and we are broke

[Notary Sojac]

The GOP cannot hang all social issues out to dry.

If we allow immigration policy to be characterized as a "social issue" this plays into the hands of the liberals and the MSM, making us look like Michael Savage clones.

Uncontrolled immigration is in fact a major threat to our economy, while legal immigration, even of those whose language and culture are not "white bread America" is perfectly in line with our historic traditions.

[dforest]

Actally I wasn’t refering to the immigration issue with that statement.

Somewhere up the line of posts someone had pointed out that Christie also seemed a little like Daniels as far as pushing social issues to the backburner.

Illegal immigration is a financial and political situation.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Well as usual the Leftist at Politico's spin is completely contrary to the what was actually said in the interview.

I agree. Politico is trying so hard to make Christie their kind of liberal on social issues Republican and I suspect they are doing it precisely to undermine him--to cause conservatives who love what he is doing on spending restraint to cool on him.

I don't like what Christie has said on amnesty so far but I agree the media has distorted it and until he gives a full explanation of his view, I'll reserve judgment.

The other issue Christie has a mixed record on is guns but from what I've seen, while he isn't 100% conservative on guns, he is no gun control nut. He has a truly "moderate" position.

On other social issues, he is pretty much a conservative. And he is absolutely stellar on fiscal issues. We need that. The absolutely last thing we need is another Christian Socialist like Lyndon Baines Bush or Nanny Huckabee. That doesn't mean elect a liberal on social issues but it also means that you have to put stopping spending first. If you don't the country is going to Hell. If I had a choice between a Huckabee type who was 100% on social issues and Christie, I'd take Christie without hesitation.

[Russ]

I commend you and Mike-zed for your ideological purity. Unfortunately that doesn’t translate into winning elections and passing legislation. If we keep branding every conservative who disagrees with us on 2 out of 50 issues as a RINO then we deserve all we get. Ever wonder why the left never uses the term DINO to describe those who disagree with them? Think about it...

[anniegetyourgun]

It’s the economy, stupid. 6 million jobs that Americans WILL do.

[Obadiah]

Interesting story.

I took my family on a trip to a Central American country. We just returned last week. We flew on Mexicana airlines and had a short layover at the Mexico City airport. All of us had to be processed through Mexican immigration with our passports.

Mind you, we were only on the ground for less than 2 hours and merely changing planes for our connecting flight to our final destination - with the same airline - and yet the Mexican government required that we be processed through their immigration process. And yet liberals in this country think it's just grand that entire villages are streaming across the border here and the Mexican government itself has the audacity to comment on the Arizona law!

[dforest]

No they us Blue Dog and they are villified and browbeat into submission by the dems.

[aumrl]

WELL THANK YOU -WITH YOUR APPROVAL, WE WILL KEEP HIM!

[erkyl]

That is an interesting document apparently intended for K-12 classrooms in California. I haven’t read it all, but from what I scanned, it’s an excellent overview of the historical Mexican worker laws in the US that many of us may not be aware of. Most of us could be more educated on the history of this issue.

[dforest]

oops us=are I hate it when that happens

[raybbr]

He’s sounds pro-amnesty to me. Other than fiscally, he appears to be solid RINO. Jersey can keep him.

I am a bit confused by this. Amnesty will necessarily cause fiscal crashes all over the country. I don't see how he can't see that.