1 Chris and Palin would be unstopable.

2 Man crush... full of awesomeness... etc.

3 "If judges want to legislate, they should run for the Legislature".

Oh my Lord...mental bunk!

4 OT, but this just up on MSNBC:  Obama: I'd have fired BP chief by now.

It's just not right to read crap like that after a sip of coffee. What a bozo.  And Rasmussen has his favorables up today. Are the American morons going to vote these idiots back into office?

5 Balls to the wall, baby!

6 Awesome! Just awesome!

7 Really, Newark Star Ledger?  That's a "hard-right agenda", that the branches of government should focus on what they were intended to do and not cross over into the others?

_{/Do I lose my man-card if I admit that I'd turn gay for Gov. Christie?}

8
If judges want to legislate, they should run for the legislature.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

9 If this guy was trying to set himself up for a presidential campaign in '12 (or more likely '16), could he do it better?  He has read the zeitgeist perfectly. 

10 Good Lord, I love this man more every day..... (swoon)...

11
Just imagine the kind of US Supreme Court Justices this guy would appoint.

Oh, I am.  I am indeed.

12 I suspect there are politicians all over the country studying Christie's speeches and practicing them in front of their mirrors. ... then they look down and see they don't have the balls to deliver them.

13 Wow, no teleprompter even.

14 He has read the zeitgeist perfectly.

To be clear, though, I don't believe for a second that he is posing.  He is the real deal. 

15 Good God!!  Was that his balls clanking in the background as they hit the floor?

When his term is up he can have my house if he'll run for Governor here in MD.

16 Notice his videos are so big they don't even fit in the column?  I couldn't get the size down when I tried to post at my blog no matter how small I made the object.

He is truly Meester Beeg...

17 Holy.  Freaking.  Crap.

First of all, where is his teleprompter?  Where is the stuttering and hemming and hawing and let-me-be-clear-ing?

And second: "If judges want to legislate, they should run for the legislature."  Pure brilliance.

18 Man, if only there were more people with Christie's ideals and intestinal fortitude.

19 My Gov. I voted for him. I take credit. Thank- you.

20
Chris Christie is seven feet wide!

   Yes, I've heard. defeats libs by the hundreds. And if HE were here, he'd consume the progressives with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his arse.

21 Oh. My. God.

My panties just flew off.

I have to have this man.

22

I have family in NJ, lifelong dems, THEY LOVE CHRIS CHRISTIE!

23 My panties just flew off. I have to have this man. Posted by: mpfs, I was late for work at June 08, 2010 11:26 AM (iYbLN) Did I mention I was his cousin? /

24 Try to imagine him giving a State of the Union address.  No chance it doesn't end up without him punching a couple of Democrat senators.

25

The star-ledger writer starts his cannonade with the Limbaugh/Beck rallying cry. Since George W. Bush can no longer be hung around the neck of Republican politicians, the radio yakkers' names are used to frighten the libby-libs.

This article by Tom Moran will be required reading in all the NJ public schools, because -hey,  indoctrinating future leeches of America is what the NJEA does.

26
bolts of lightning from his arse

That's really the way Zeus did it, you know.

27

Christie could eat Obama for lunch both literally and figuratively.

 

_{too much?}

28 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

29
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Don't be such a wet f*ckin... oh, right.

30 The guy gives me a political orgasm!

31 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It's like buying a lottery ticket. It's a cheap dream.

32 "Borderline"?

33 I think the GOP has found their Great Communicator.  This man has a gift, in that he can explain political concepts and destroy their counterarguments at the same time.

Notice the applause in this video.  He's winning fans.

34 He could be my President.

35 Oh, yeah? We challenge you to shirtless beer pong!

36 There was a man abroad in the land in those days who went by the name of CHRISTIE, and his mighty name caused fear and trembling among the wicked. His voice was rolling thunder, driving the evildoers to gnash their teeth and tear at their hair, saying, "Who is this man? Who is like unto him? How shall we survive his terrible wrath?" A man great of girth and great in wisdom, now called by many the Hoboken Hammer and Union's Bane.

37 very effective, in the good sense.

38 He's talking the talk, which is a great start that most squishes at the federal level can't even do, but he's got 3.5 years to walk the walk. Fingers crossed that he does it.

39 If only Scott Brown was more like this guy and not the weasel he turned out to be.

40

Didn't Christie win the election??

Yes.  HE WON.

 

So libtards can shut their fucking traps.   I guess Chrisitie is just looking for some ASS to kick.

 

41 Any video of Christie in a debate? Cage match?

42 But how good is he in a super soaker fight. Not that's how you judge leadership?

43

It's not just that his point of view is awesome, it's that he can explain it clearly and goes out and does explain it to people.

Is he publishing any of this? Or is anyone collecting transcripts? If I lived in Jersey I'd be printing out the speeches and handing them out.

44 Modern America will not elect a chubby President. Unless it gets to feeling historic again.

45 This guy truly is..."The Shit".

46 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

It's like buying a lottery ticket. It's a cheap dream.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at June 08, 2010 11:31 AM (0q2P7)

You go, Mike.  Christie may be better than 95% of the pols out there, but he still likes gun laws and can't be bothered with illegals.  If that changes, Mike and I will get with the Christie Love (didja see what I did there?)

47 He's freaking Superman. He and Jindal are the ticket.

48
OT:  CodePinkos heckle Bela Pelosi - the lefties are eating their own teeeheee!

49 We need to clone him so all governors can be Chris Christie.

50 Dateline Trenton:

The CDC has been called in to Trenton, NJ after receiving reports that heads are spontaneously exploding all over the state of New Jersey.  What is unusual about this condition is that it only seems to be affecting union members, Democratic legislators and members of the State Supreme Court. 

There are reports of sporadic incidents of exploding heads in the tri-state area.  The CDC is concerned that it may spread unchecked across the United States.

Gov. Christie you are AWESOME!

51 Portly guy kicks ass Liberals go "screech and wail." Fat guy for the win.

52 He's freaking Superman. He and Jindal are the ticket. Posted by: Ana at June 08, 2010 11:34 AM (xOA8 Jindal is a light weight

53 sends a tingle up my leg

54 I am in awe. I am for cloning.

But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is  anti-gun. That is a deal breaker. Any chance he reconsiders that position...or do we simply quaff the good with the bad?

55 Portly guy kicks ass Liberals go "screech and wail." Fat guy for the win. Posted by: joncelli at June 08, 2010 11:35 AM (RD7QR) Chris Farley is smiling somewhere

56

avalanche building.

hope does exist.

57

of course America can elect a chubby american.

most of america is chubby.

58 The author of that piece spelled his name wrong, it should be Moron.

59

 We need to clone him so all governors can be Chris Christie.

Yes we do. We really need one in Ohio where we have Strickland as a limp wristed pansy who even whines when he talks in his sleep.

60 Isn't Christie more than a bit of a gun-grabber?

61 It'll be interesting to see how the face-off over the Ann Patterson nomination develops. I get the feeling there is so much voter rage against the machine that Christie will win. The leftards are way behind the curve on this one. They haven't understood that the peeps are beginning to "get" that the MSM is not their friend. Christie will prove to be a more effective communicator than the lefty propaganda cabal.

62 Arnold used to talk somewhat like this, then he backed down and got comfortable in Sacramento. If only Republicans in Congress would watch and learn. Can you imagine a few people who 'get it' taking over the floor?

63 Gov. Christie you owe me a pair of panties.

64 Meanwhile these fags try to label Kagan as a moderate compromising pragmatist iron chef.

65 I'll bet his "State of the Union" will contain no mention of what is Bush's fault.

66 If only Scott Brown was more like this guy and not the weasel he turned out to be.

Dude he does have to run for re-election in 2012, he only gets 2.5 of 6 years. Yeah he was going to be a squish we knew that going in.

67 This guy could be President.  No teleprompter in sight.

Says what he feels, and doesn't have to hide it under pussy ass labels like 'moderate'.

Obama, thank you for helping America never again elect another "Rock Star" BUFFOON such as yourself.

68 I was on the fence about this Christie guy, but thank goodness for the Ledger. Who knew Nazis could still win offices in America!

69 But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is anti-gun. That is a deal breaker. Any chance he reconsiders that position...or do we simply quaff the good with the bad? Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good, folks. I make the same argument about Scott Brown. Just having a Republican from Massachusetts in Turd Kennedy's seat is enough for me -- he's not going to be a rank-and-file GOPer, and I'm okay with that. Christie is the same way: he's a New Jersey kid, not a Texan. He's pretty damned conservative, given his environment. He's an enormously-better choice than any alternative I can think of in that state. Electing a politician is a choice among alternatives, not a best-of-all-worlds selection. (And politicians will always disappoint you. Always. They are changeable and unreliable creatures by nature.)

70 Obama hits the mic, on now.

71 My panties just flew off.

I have to have this man.

Posted by: mpfs, I was late for work at June 08, 2010 11:26 AM (iYbLN)

and you said i was a romantic.... well there you go.

72 He just told 3 black-robed morons: You're fired! It's like he's daring them to rule against him.
Anyone know if there is a controversial case pending before the NJSC that will benefit Chris if they rule in their usual, stupid liberal way?

Compare/contrast the skinny little man-child Obama threat to find an ass to kiss kick. (The only ass Obama is interested in hangs out in Man's Country in Chicago.) (drifting farther afield, how come no pictures of Obama doing manly sports stuff recently?)

73 49
OT:  CodePinkos heckle Bela Pelosi - the lefties are eating their own teeeheee!

Posted by: Dang Straights at June 08, 2010 11:35 AM (fx8sm)

That's awesome. I have one request though, can we get her to wear a turtleneck?  Those wrinkles are hideous!

74 Yea, sure he can give a speech. But can he -bow to our enemies? -alienate our allies? -spend all the $$ we don't have? -and play golf while the Gulf dies? Heh, I didn't think so!

75 Brown is way beyond squish in my book already. The one thing he decides to stand against is DADT repeal? Not the farcical Wall Street Reform bill? After running on financial responsibility?

I'm disappointed. But not surprised, this is Taxachusetts.

76 But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is  anti-gun.

Christie quotes from fox news:

"Listen, at the end of the day, what I support are common sense laws that will allow people to protect themselves. But I also am very concerned about the safety of our police officers on the streets. Very concerned. And I want to make sure that we don’t have an abundance of guns out there.” He then finally extricated himself from the issue and turned the focus back to the economy."

“We have a densely populated state and there’s a big handgun problem in New Jersey. Now, I don’t support all the things that the governor supports, by a long stretch. But on certain gun control issues, looking at it from a law enforcement perspective, seeing how many police officers were killed — we have an illegal gun problem in New Jersey.”

77 Go comment at the Star-Ledger.  Bury them in common sense.

Christie is actually going out to do townhalls taking his message to the streets.  TO THE STREETZ myun!

78 This guy could be President...

I do not see someone who does not have the NRA's endorsement EVER winning the Republican primary.

_{(The same reason I predicted Giuliani would crash and burn)}

79

Christie will prove to be a more effective communicator than the lefty propaganda cabal.

That's what we need. With his speeches that are so clear and Palin's Facebook entries, it's actually making progress against the media. People are hearing something different.

Lefty propaganda cabal, huh? LPC has a nice ring to it.

80 My panties just flew off.

I have to have this man.

Posted by: mpfs, I was late for work at June 08, 2010 11:26 AM (iYbLN)

and you said i was a romantic.... well there you go.

Posted by: Racefan

Ha!
Point taken.

81 The author is Tom Moran, the asshole Christie destroyed in the video clip that went viral last month.

Can't wait for video from Christie's next press conference when the big man devours him whole.

82

#55  We press to see if he's a true conservative who'll abide by the constitution.  He can be as anti-gun as he wants to be so long as he acknowledges that the Constitution provides a right to keep and bear arms.

As long as he walks the Constitutional straight-and-narrow, I don't care if he's (personally) an anti-gun weirdo.

83 NRA's endorsement

That's like 2/3rds of Republican voters nationwide. Fewer in the moonbat east like NJ, but you can't win any mid-west, western, or southern states if the NRA gives you an F-. (Except maybe Illinois)

84 67 also, Brown's major selling point was his anti-"Health Care" vote. He was true to his word, but it ended up not making a difference due to democrat bribery and strongarming. He never claimed to be a social conservative (that pick-up he drives is probably pushing up against the MA tolerance level for conservative).

85 Monty, if I may presume to speak for Mike T. Moose, we're not saying we dislike C.C. , not at all.  He's doing a bang-up job straightening out NJ's finances, union thuggery and judicial activism.  Most states would be lucky to have him.  What we're saying is that we're rooting for him, but not for higher office until he comes to his senses on 2nd Amendment rights and recognizes that illegal means illegal.

86

Contrast this with His Awesomeness who is, after having gone to bed last night and woken up this morning with the oil spill in his thoughts, and who is focusing laser like on jobs for the unemployed, is right now at this very moment, trying to re-sell Obamacare.

WTF - over!

87

But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is anti-gun. That is a deal breaker.

I don't get too worried about that because I can't imagine that if he somehow became president in 2012 or 2016 that he would run right out and make this a priority. Seems like he'd be working on bigger problems for the first 4-7 years.

88 I do not see someone who does not have the NRA's endorsement EVER winning the Republican primary.

_{(The same reason I predicted Giuliani would crash and burn)}

He certainly needs to craft his own policy on how to deal with illegal guns in urban settings_, but I wouldn't call him anti gun. This is an area that the NRA needs to work on too.

89 Just now on Fox:  Pelosi's being heckled at a conference, people are throwing shit at her, her aides had to pull her off stage.  Great.

90 Meanwhile, the Lord of the Teleprompter is waiting to hear back from the beer pong committee on whose ass he should kick.

91 I could care less if a person is socially conservative or not, I care if they abide by the constitution and aren't a spend thrift with our tax dollars.

And I find the idea people here in MA wouldn't care for his truck silly, I see more SUVs on the road here then anything else. Maybe if they have cognitive dissonance.

92 O/T:  Beck just gave out the website of his guest "constituting america. org" and you can't get on the site....(and they say no one listens to Beck, lol)

93 I forget what call in show I was listening to this weekend, but the caller was saying how there were no men leading the way among conservatives (lots of women, he said) and the host reminded him of Christie (though I think they both had to overlook several other excellent pols to do so).  Everything the governor said here was right, but I wonder if he won't have to make some compromises we won't like at some point to actually enact some of what he wants.  I don't mean to say that he isn't serious, I think he is, but that politics often forces our heroes into positions that we, the faithful, find distasteful.  And that brings me to how I think we have a "flavor of the month" mentality on the right.  A few years ago I remember how many were praising Ah-nold (yes, it's true) just because he was a Republican who could win California, then we loved Bobby Jindal, then the Sarah and now Christie.  Right now, Governor Christie looks like an excellent standard bearer for the pubbies, but I wonder if we are guilty of looking for a new hero because the others had to sully themselves somewhat in order to actually accomplish something. 

94 One word: ManLove

95

Dear Mister Historic President,

Can you please go to New Jersey and kick Governor Christie's ass. He is a vewwy bad man and he made me cwyyyy...

wahhhhhh

96 Just now on Fox:  Pelosi's being heckled at a conference, people are throwing shit at her, her aides had to pull her off stage.  Great.

Heh. Too bad we don't have anybody with the balls to call it staged Astroturf.

97 I laughed when Obama said he wanted to kick my ass.

Now, if Christie said that, I'd be on my knees begging him to spare me.

98 Most states would be lucky to have him.

Hey I live in California, I would vote him into the Governors office so fast you'd need an atomic clock to accurately measure elapsed time.

_{(Besides our illegal problem/gun rights just CAN'T get MORE screwed up without wholesale ceding California back to Mexico)}

99 Jdg 15:15 And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 16 And Cristie said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men. 17 And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi

Ramathlehi in the original text means "Land of the ass kicked"

100 I love the fat man!!

101 CavMedic,

I don't think Christie is the compromising type.  He has thrown the gauntlet down now.  There is no turning back.

102

"If judges want to legislate, they should run for the Legislature".

EUREKA!!

103 I have it on good authority that Barney Franks is impressed with Gov. Christie's girth.

104 The columnist in question is the little wussy the Gov. smacked down a few weeks ago....

105

All those who say Chris' stance on guns is a dealbreaker, remember that in NJ, if you are a hard supporter of gun rights, you lose any election, period.

One step at a time.  He's as pro-gun as it is possible to be in NJ.

106 Just now on Fox:  Pelosi's being heckled at a conference, people are throwing shit at her, her aides had to pull her off stage.  Great.

Code Pink strikes again.

Good comments on the video over at YouTube.
http://is.gd/cHnIv

107 This is an area that the NRA needs to work on too.

Whether you agree with the NRA or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact the NRA controls well more than 50% of the Republican vote, and unless Chris can kiss and make up with the NRA and convince them he really is a good guy, there is no Republican Presidential Nomination in his future.

108 And what exactly is this "hard-right agenda"?

That's what us pros in the biz use as code for "Nazi." You know, the big government Jew-killing police state that all us elite journalists fap to. Pretty much the exact opposite of what "hard-right" actually means. Doublethink FTW!

109 12 I suspect there are politicians all over the country studying Christie's speeches and practicing them in front of their mirrors.

... then they look down and see they don't have the balls to deliver them.

Posted by: USA at June 08, 2010 11:25 AM (YZISw)

While this is what we hope I bet if you were to ask national level Republican candidates what they think of his approach you are likely to get two responses.

1. I haven't seen any of his speeches so I can't comment.

2. I think his rhetoric is way to confrontational and not the proper way to do things.

This would be doubly true for already elected Republicans.

110 Everything the governor said here was right, but I wonder if he won't have to make some compromises we won't like at some point to actually enact some of what he wants.  I don't mean to say that he isn't serious, I think he is, but that politics often forces our heroes into positions that we, the faithful, find distasteful.

The compromise is with voters.  He's touring the state with the town hall meetings to build support for his constitutional amendment to cap property tax increases.  He's bypassing the legislators.  He's going right to the people who by the way just rejected their local school budgets.

Tom Moran is at war with residents of New Jersey.  He just doesn't know it yet.

111 Obama just lashed out at Palin again. "Dis-information like the Death Panels, we all remember those"

112 I'm sick of this art and music shit. My boys were tortured through that for 9 long years in Catholic elementary school and hated every second of it. I would rather they have had extra math than that shit. Luckily in high school they are given the chance to fulfill their fine arts requirement with "human movement" which turns out to be a fitness class taught by a soviet olympic sprinter or they could have taken public speaking. They will do anything in an effort to avoid the ghey art and music crowd.

I took piano for 12 years at my parents expense after school, as well as ballet, tap, gymnastics, pottery, knitting, needlework, and horseback riding.

Not only should you pay for these extra curricular activities for your budding artist/musician but you shouldn't make those with no interest or talent take part at the STATE'S EXPENSE by STATE LAW. Enough already.

113 Feelin' a little better about CC after the morons 'splained a few things. Tolerable.

Instead of making us do all that voting and shit, can we just arrange a fight between CC and the Won? Winner take all. There you go Barry, we found the ass you need to kick. Get busy time.

114 I'm a straight guy, but I really want to have his babies.

115 @107
I love how respectful she is to the clearly freaky freaked Code Pinkers in contrast that with how she treats (or refers to) the grandmas and moms who attend the Tea Party rallies. 

116

One step at a time.  He's as pro-gun as it is possible to be in NJ.

Posted by: NJ Dan at June 08, 2010 11:56 AM (UpqKo)

What about the his squishy stance on illegals? Is that also a deal breaker in the garden state?

117 112 Obama just lashed out at Palin again.

Is this at the thing at Wheaton today?  One of my kool-aid drinking friends in Montgomery County is at that event and posting pictures of the One. 

He's (my friend) an intelligent guy... I just can't understand why he hasn't become disillusioned with Obama yet. 

Well, I guess I can, actually.  My friend's a politician.  Ends. Means.  That sort of thing.

118 116 @107
I love how respectful she is to the clearly freaky freaked Code Pinkers in contrast that with how she treats (or refers to) the grandmas and moms who attend the Tea Party rallies. 

Posted by: Y-not at June 08, 2010 12:01 PM (Kn9r7)

Great point!

119 90 Just now on Fox:  Pelosi's being heckled at a conference, people are throwing shit at her, her aides had to pull her off stage.  Great.

Posted by: Truman North at June 08, 2010 11:49 AM (FjC5u)

Gee lefty's start throwing stuff at their own apparently?  Why is it that at all these townhalls being flooded by angry "phony" awful teabaggers, we've never heard of any incidents of them throwing stuff.  It takes liberals to start chucking stuff.  I'm shocked really.  Look this is my "shocked" face.

120 My first year bio 110 class had over 300 people in it with one instructor.

Just saying.

121 Stop the purity tests.

122 Is this at the thing at Wheaton today?

Looks like it

123 Obama just lashed out at Palin again. "Dis-information like the Death Panels, we all remember those"

Jesus H... these assholes have no fucking shame.

124 He's racist because these cuts primarily affect minorities.

125 wtfci-thanks, that makes more sense and is pretty smart politics given the opposition he is sure to get from the Dem heavy legislature.

126

Tom Moran is at war with residents of New Jersey.  He just doesn't know it yet.

This.

127 I'm going to kick Obama's ass, but I have to wait until 2012.

128 I am going to NJ this weekend.  Newark actually.  It's will be nice to be in a state where common sense prevails.

My 'governor' Deval Patrick is too busy helping criminals get sex changes on my dime.  Oh and getting the legislature a fucking pay raise. 

Fuckin Deval Patrick...    *hand flap* "Yeth we can"   Ugggghhh

Christie would snap him and Obama over his knee and toss them into a coal plant to put them to good use.

fuckers

129 How can a fat guy cut the school lunch program?

130 "But it's for the Children"

Last time I looked, I couldn't find a single child walking out of their school with a check or a fistfull of dollars.

131 70 But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is anti-gun. That is a deal breaker. Any chance he reconsiders that position...or do we simply quaff the good with the bad?

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good, folks.

Exactly.  Another commenter suggested that such positions, if true, are dealbreakers.  But ask yourself this question: if faced with a choice between CC and BO, which would you choose?  It's fine to push for your perfect candidate in the primary, but the general is when you take the best of two options, and I could easily live with CC as mine.

132

If the leftist bloggers (the whole paper is) at the Star Ledger are that concerned about their NEA bretheren all they need to do is read their own employment section of the rag. We've been searching for a job for my wife for the last 8mos +;

private sector jobs account for maybe 2-3 pages while the education jobs section are easily 5pgs + on any given sunday. The threat of teachers not being able to find jobs after being cut in NJ is PURE BUNK!!

BTW, I am happy to say that wifey started a new job two weeks ago in...wait for it....an administration job at a private tech-school.

 

   

133

Well, I guess I can, actually.  My friend's a politician.  Ends. Means.  That sort of thing.

or option B: - he could be a big fan of the crisp pant crease, IFYKWIMAITTYD

134 OT Egads, but the spammers have stepped it up in coherence lately.  I was just reading the Will Folks thread from last night, and the last comment (#46) was hilarious, with a mish-mash of anti-Obama sentiment re: the ass-kicking comment and spammy offers of replica watches. 

What tickled me most was the ending sentence:  "His misplaced comments have some of my libtard friends rubbing their smallish brain cases."

LOL.  "Brain cases"?

135 I took piano for 12 years at my parents expense after school, as well as ballet, tap, gymnastics, pottery, knitting, needlework, and horseback riding.

I would laugh my balls off when talking to Jewish parents about this.  They, like I, were high on the arts, but we disagreed with the measures to best present the subject to students and to encourage them to study it.  I preferred the subject outside the school system where the student could be free of time limits and geographical boundaries.  They preferred to house it all in the school and centrally plan all the curriculum.

The worst part of all of this was the Jewish parents were the piano instructors most parents were hiring to teach their children the craft.

I basically wanted to give them more money.  They wanted to raise my property taxes to turn their craft into an government subsidized institution.

I still struggle with this today.  Too many people want control over other people's choices.  They just can't come to grips with markets.

136 Obama: I'd have fired BP chief by now.

Because going through months of effort to replace a top executive is exactly where BP's effort needs to be going while they are spewing oil into the gulf. What an ASS. He is so used to other people actually doing stuff that he has no clue what it takes to actually get things done.

If his engine seized he would fire his mechanic 3 times in the hopes of getting an overhaul done faster, then wonder why it took so much time.

He is officially A Bare Knuckle Bucket of Doesn't™

137 As a resident of NJ, and a victim of the Abbott district NJSC decision, I have a little story.
I had a contract to service an environmental testing laboratory in Plainfield, NJ.
Under the Abbott decision, Plainfield had a ton of money to build a new school.
Unfortunately, there was no space in town to build the school.
The adjacent town, Watchung, offered to host the school.
But politics being what it is, they didn't want to share.
So they took the core businesses in the center of town under eminent domain, and bought them out.
The owner of the laboratory, who was renting from the landowner, wasn't paid enough to relocate, so he shut the laboratory down.

Those high paying, local jobs were lost forever, and replaced with government jobs.

I lost a $25,000 per year contract.

138 but I wonder if we are guilty of looking for a new hero because the others had to sully themselves somewhat in order to actually accomplish something.  Posted by: CavMedic

However, we will have to nominate and elect a Republican candidate for President. That in it self involves a temporary focus on a singular individual. Politics for better or worse involves a) politicians, and b) politicians rising and falling upon on issues.

Nature, beast. Some assembly.

139 As for Scott Brown.  I'm happily willing to tak a Squish in Teddy's seat.  I'm also happy to accept one in Boxer's seat.  Because they aren't likely to set the agenda if Republicans do take the Senate.  And their holding a seat brings that one step closer to reality.  They may not vote with us 100% of the time but their Democrats oppoents wouldn't vote with us 40% of the time and its denying seats to the Dems.  At the end of the day the number of R's and D's in the Senate is very important.

140 But to be fair, on an earlier thread, someone put me the knowledge that he is anti-gun. That is a deal breaker.

It's also not completely true. He sums up his stand:

“I think, you know, from my looking at it across the country, you know, we have very, very good, tough gun laws in this country, in this state, and I don’t know that we need any more.” [Christie Press Conference at State House, 2/26/09]

That may not be enough for a hardline 2A purist, but considering that the legislature is contemplating piling even more gun restrictions on top of New Jersey's mountain of existing laws, it's not entirely anti-gun, either.

The truth is, Christie's trying to duck gun issues. When pressed by Hannity last October (maybe a week before the election), Christie coughed up this hairball: "Listen, at the end of the day, what I support are common sense laws that will allow people to protect themselves. But I also am very concerned about the safety of our police officers on the streets. Very concerned. And I want to make sure that we donÂ’t have an abundance of guns out there."

...Which is quite a piece of weasel crap. But he's trying to fix a different problem right now (out of control state spending), AND he's at least not making this one worse. So I gave him a pass on it and voted for him. So far, I have no reason to regret that vote.

141

"Obama just lashed out at Palin again. "Dis-information like the Death Panels, we all remember those""

This man must the dumbest man in America.  He just gave Gov Palin another platform to hit him with, and all Palin has to do is use articles from NYT, hell she can even use exact words from Dr. Donald berwick, who will be in charge of Medicare(and is Obama's nominee), who said:

“I am romantic about the NHS; I love it. All I need to do to rediscover the romance is to look at health care in my own country.”

"in the New York Times: “The debate over health care reform in the United States should start from the premise that some form of health care rationing is both inescapable and desirable. Then we can ask, What is the best way to do it?”"

Biggovernment dot com has the interview 

142

113 Art and music are not "shit" IF they are taught correctly -- taught correctly, there is a lot of carry over into math actually.  If you look at the Western era of discovery -- most of the great inovators, thinkers, scientists, they all were well versed in many areas of learning; I am of the opinion that if you take away that, or even compartmentalize learning into neat little cubicles as they do now, you destroy the possiblity for greater knowledge.

Imho, the problem isn't so much with the classes themselves -- it's the way they are taught and the foolish way in which scheduling works them in (plus some teachers have too big an ego -- there is no reason to have big, pricey productions for beginning band concerts...just teach it, don't use the kids to stroke your own ego or the egos of the parents on the PTA and school board).  The same applies for atheletics too.

143 123 Stop the purity tests.

Posted by: dagny at June 08, 2010 12:04 PM (NzxuI)

No. Demographic swamping by illegals are the greatest threat this country now faces. If you fail there, nothing else matters. May as well be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

144 Whether you agree with the NRA or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact the NRA controls well more than 50% of the Republican vote, and unless Chris can kiss and make up with the NRA and convince them he really is a good guy, there is no Republican Presidential Nomination in his future.

I'm a member of the NRA, but I don't think you can go into Camden or t Trenton and say more guns=less crime and think that it will sway anyone there.

The NRA needs to do a much better job of explaining its stance vis-a-vis urban gun violence.

145 Posted by: wtfci at June 08, 2010 12:08 PM (R4rMI)

From a short term financial point of view it makes no sense, however, from a long term point of view if you can get the state to finance your business, your customer base is now your slave.

146 I'm sick of this art and music shit.

Likewise.  I had this awesome fight on Facebook with my best friend when she joined the "million people who think music education in schools is important" group and I pointed out that not a single one of those people believed in spending as much as dime of their own money on it, they want to spend MY money.  If you went to a group like that and said, "East Syracuse-Minoa High School needs $50k to keep their band program--if you think music education is important, please help!" and gave 'em a donation link, you'd end up with $6.37 at the end of the week (for the record, I gave their band program money at their garage sale last spring, heh).

She came back with "you didn't have to pay for your math classes, did you?"--nevermind that music and math are different--but yes, my parents paid for some math classes when my local school district couldn't be bothered.  As they paid for piano lessons and my saxomophone and uniform rental and worked in the concession stand at basketball games (proceeds to music dept.) and on and on...

Which led to "what about poor kids with single mothers?" and while I'm not sure why those mothers can't work a concession stand one night a year for their kids' band program, *snort*  we're back to "there's nothing stopping you or anyone else from starting a foundation to buy poor kids musical instruments/lessons with voluntarily donated money except your own miserliness."

Every single freaking thing "progressives" want taxpayer money for can be funded privately, they just don't want that.

147 RE: Christie

This guy - this is my kind of guy.

148 Art in schools may have something to do with maxing retirement pensions as early as possible.

They really don't do it because "they love it".  They do it for the money, the job security, and the static time of service.

149 "and cut art, music, foreign languages and athletics."

The $ spent for art and music (all $3.50 of it) was the first to go at LAUSD to salvage union benefits. Shows you what piles of rotten shit you have teaching at LAUSD.
As a lifelong Republican, but "concerned" citizen (and artist), we don't need to cut the art, music, language and sports programs out of our children's education.
We just need to raise taxes burn off the ticks trying to suck that away.

150   But ask yourself this question: if faced with a choice between CC and BO, which would you choose?

That's a no brainer. What I've been saying is, let's not kid ourselves, we here do not decide the Republican nominee. Otherwise McLame would have gone home a lot earlier.

In a Republican Primary, given the choice between C² and some other Pro-Gun politician yet to be named, SOPGPYTBN gets my vote, along with the entire Republican voting block the NRA controls. If you like C² fine, I like him too, but, unless he can reconcile his views, he's got about no chance of winning nomination, especially after the right shift of the electorate.

151 153  touche

152 I learned more about English grammar from taking high school Spanish than I did from high school English, but that's because high school English was about feelings and watching movies adapted from books.

I wish I'd gone to a school that offered a choice of foreign language instead of Spanish or nothing, but I blame my parents for that. 

153 You can teach one child music, perhaps even up to 5 if they are interested. You cannot teach 30 when at least half have no interest. I took years and years and years of music lessons, am tone deaf and so left brained that my left hand was unmanageable. I hated every second of it and had numerous different teachers. It taught me nothing except that I hated it and the people who taught it. I'm not saying that it isn't useful for some people but it isn't for all people. I also don't buy the "studies" that say that it helps every child. I even go to a "non-music" mass to avoid it. For me and for my boys, it's shit. It should never be forced on anyone and there should be a choice about whether to take "art" or "music" or something we might benefit from as an extracurricular like autoshop or woodworking.

154 People were throwing shit a Pelosi?  LOL!

Please linky the vid

155

There was a man abroad in the land in those days who went by the name of CHRISTIE, and his mighty name caused fear and trembling among the wicked.

May the Good Lord keep Chris Christie safe.  He multiplies his enemies daily.

156 Heather, what is a saxomophone?  A new instrument?

157 157 Me too. I didn't even know what pluperfect mean until spanish. BTW, I would love to take latin now but in a pinch I really think Spanish spanish is a good substitute or even italian. The root words are from latin which again helps with english. People say that is also true of french--but I just can't stomach the nasal thing.

158 159 New thread on that is up

159 This fucker is going back out on the "Health Care" road again?

Well that was his ONLY 'win' so stick with what won't kill you...right away   I guess.

160 there should be a choice about whether to take "art" or "music" or something we might benefit from as an extracurricular like autoshop or woodworking.

Haven't they cut autoshop and woodworking already?  Machines, materials, liability insurance,that misguided idea that all kids should go to college instead of learning useful skills...

161 I'm a member of the NRA, but I don't think you can go into Camden or t Trenton and say more guns=less crime and think that it will sway anyone there.

The NRA needs to do a much better job of explaining its stance vis-a-vis urban gun violence.

How the NRA could be running its operation better to convince more people is a totally different discussion. The way they currently run it makes them the most powerful special interest lobby in the United States. Sure they could do things better, but they probably won't between now an 2012. But that doesn't change the fact they need to give the nod to the Republican nominee. If you suggest they should support C² anyway despite record/reputation, they won't. They will expect C² to come to them on their terms. Why? Because they can.

162 I took art in my HS. The first year of it was a fuck-off course for all but 25% of us.
However, Art II required you to submit a portfolio at the end of Art I and you had to be signed off by the teacher to go into it.
Art III was the highest level available, after that I convinced my administrator to give me an open credit in-studio.
The department was virtually broke,but the teacher was smart enough to save much of the supplies for the higher classes where they'd go to some practical use.

The only bullshit thing about it was Art I shouldve had a sign-off requirement, but per the administrators that wasn't "fair". I wouldve preferred an open studio course with teachers aides (I became one in my Senior year) to help out.

btw, he hated his union and voted for Bush in 2004 and McCain in 2008. Great guy. My family was utterly broke, I had to take on a job on weekends to pay for my art supplies. I appreciated the class even if I had to buy much of my own stuff.

I have a bleeding heart for arts education because it really does help a lot of kids who may not quite fit in, or who are busy exploring their intellectual sides in a public education environment where intelligence isn't really rewarded- mediocrity for grant money is. Most people in art are broke beyond belief, so it really, really, really pisses me off when I see the total art budget for a school, and the teachers and administrators are willing to scrap it to get a boost in their pensions. Some fucking teachers they are.

163

158  You cannot make a talented musician out of everybody -- but you can teach theory, history, and appreciation to anyone...and it can have carry over into other subject.

I have a child of my own who is tone deaf and has the worse sense of rhythm imaginable -- she will never be a musician, but she can understand it, knows enough about it to appreciate it on more than a physical level (learning about classical music is also learning about the history; just as learning about art and literature does the same...think about that in terms of keeping Western civ alive and kicking).

Besides, the more musically inclined of my children: reading music helped them with fractions in math -- music is a highly mathematical endeavor, why not use it as such?

But you have to be a good teacher who wants to do it.  Is that the fault of the subject, or the fault of the teacher/administration who encourages this attitude?

164 Obama is FUCKING CLUELESS about HC...

Now he's blathering about 'making specialists come to you'.

Sure, make them all mobile docs..  This?  THIS is what he calls SMART?!

I have to stop watching now.  I'm caughing up my breakfast into my coffee

165 Yep. There are no classes to be had other than art and music. When the car pool kid came home with a pig made of shoeboxes and milk cartons from his SENIOR art project, I wondered how his parents felt about the $10,000 they paid that year for his tuition.

166 He's racist because these cuts primarily affect minorities.

~ Future NEA talking point

He isn't racist, he's just for equitable redistribution of taxpayer school funding.  (you've got to learn to speak their language)

167 Heather, what is a saxomophone?

A neologism.

168 You can teach art appreciation and art history as part of a history class. The history teacher should be up to that. Each era, each art/music. It's the extra expense for the community and the forced nature of the music programs I object to.

169 with a pig made of shoeboxes and milk cartons from his SENIOR art project

Hey, that'll get him into the Whitney Biennial these days.  Garbage is in.

170 Hmmm. Didn't Maverick "danged fence" McVain have the NRA endorsement?

If a conservative voter has to ask the NRA who to vote for or how to wipe their own ass, I'd just as soon have them turn Democrat. Sheep elected Obama.
The NRA is a tool like the AAA auto club, not an infallible oracle. I'm a lifetime member of the NRA, but I think and vote like a big boy.

If outright communists Obamao, Piglosi and gReid couldn't take away our guns by now I truly doubt that Christie would.

Right now there is a guy in New Jersey trying his damnedest to take the rains of a retarded horse on meth. He has my support and prayers.

171 158 You can teach one child music, perhaps even up to 5 if they are interested. You cannot teach 30 when at least half have no interest. I took years and years and years of music lessons, am tone deaf and so left brained that my left hand was unmanageable. I hated every second of it and had numerous different teachers. It taught me nothing except that I hated it and the people who taught it. I'm not saying that it isn't useful for some people but it isn't for all people. I also don't buy the "studies" that say that it helps every child. I even go to a "non-music" mass to avoid it. For me and for my boys, it's shit. It should never be forced on anyone and there should be a choice about whether to take "art" or "music" or something we might benefit from as an extracurricular like autoshop or woodworking.

Posted by: dagny at June 08, 2010 12:20 PM (1roDT)

That's how it was in my high school. I even think the drafting class might have counted as an art credit, but as I never took it I have no idea.  What I do know is that while I loved band and took 4 years of it I only needed to take one year of it to fulfill my requirement.  And with that I didn't have to take art.  Which was beneficial for me and the art community as a whole.  I do think that like band, art beyond the 6th grade should be optional. I think by that point the kids know whether they enjoy it or not and whether it counts as fun or torture.

172

170  Once again, is that the fault of the class, or the teacher/unions/administration?

I was blessed with a very gifted and passionate music and art teachers in school -- I learned more math in both of their classes than in the math teacher's class (outside of two very, very good teachers our math department was atrocious), and quite a bit of history too.  My son has been blessed to have that music teacher himself -- she is one of the few left who believes in imparting knowledge...I'm rather sad that she will be retiring soon.

It is unfortunate that those sorts of teachers are not the majority.

173 So, in other words, the NRA is willing to hold the rest of us hostage, possibly even supporting a fiscal stooge as long as he gives sufficient lip-service to gun laws? No wonder things are so screwed up.

174 As an aside to MiketheMoose's interesting points, I'll point out that the last issue of American Rifleman had multiple pictures of Harry Reid at the opening of a shooting range in Nevada; I believe they rank him a 'C' for gun rights issues. I only hope someone talks Harry into posing in the cupola of a Abrams tank, complete with outsize helmet........

175 Did art classes create the emo kid, or do all emo kids just take art classes?

176

 So, in other words, the NRA is willing to hold the rest of us hostage, possibly even supporting a fiscal stooge as long as he gives sufficient lip-service to gun laws? No wonder things are so screwed up.

Keep in mind the NRA is a special interest. It is interested in backing the most pro-gun candidate. It isn't a "conservative" group, it is a pro gun group.

You have to understand they aren't interested the fiscal conservatives winning, they are concerned with pro guns politicians winning.

Can you blame them? That is the whole point of their existance. To ensure guns remain legal in accordance with the second amendment.

 

177

What came first

Art or Public funding for art?

178 reins.  damn words.

179

The art teacher and the shop teacher both teamed up to teach drafting -- even if you didn't take the drafting class; they taught the basic concepts in their other respective classes -- same with mechanics, and no small amount of physics.

Being in a very small, country school has its benefits.

 

My husband is certified as a history/civics/geography/sociology teacher (it used to be "social studies" but now it's broken down into specifics) -- the history part he could probably do, but the appreciation... uhh, it would be difficult for him; the appreciation of music/art involves having a feel for science and...math.  Not my husband's strongest suit.

180 I mean, it's for the children

Oh, it's for the children alright.  Unfortunately, no politician anywhere is going to acknowledge that the "school" is just one big do-gooder/think tank social engineering experiment meant to dumb-down, classify and instill "right thinking" into children.  It has nothing to do with education.

Check out this page, which is the last of a slide show that shows the states with the largest percentage of gubbmint workers.  5 of the top ten public sector jobs are teachers. 

The left whines about the military/industrial complex.  I'd sure like to see some stats on how many people are employed directly and indirectly by our public  school systems.  When it comes to educating kids the public school system will always fail because it's purpose is not to educate, it's to indoctrinate.

181 I just took a short walk here in Wisconsin, and there were dozens of panties flying in the breeze.   Did Chris Christie make another speech??

182 Every single freaking thing "progressives" want taxpayer money for can be funded privately, they just don't want that.

Posted by: HeatherRadish at June 08, 2010 12:14 PM (mR7mk)

All too true. And interestingly as you note they consider the "why don't you pay for it then" argument to be a non-serious one.

Money is one type of power, and giving your own money is then voluntarily giving up some small amount of power for some greater good. Since liberalism is only about acquiring power though, liberals recognize no greater good.

This is another area, by the way, where a balanced media would be invaluable. Remember the chickenhawk argument the MSM never tired of during the Bush year? The exact same argument applies to all our liberal friends that want to take things from us for their pet projects.

Of course, the chickenhawk argument seemed to have disappeared in Jan 2008 for some reason...

183 Let the damn Medici pay for the art. Let some of these candy-ass liberals fork over some of their millions.

How about Robert Redford and Babwa Stwisand coughing up some money? They are convinced they don't pay enough taxes.

Let Algore pay for some science classes. Let Lindsay Lohan pay for some STD education. (she might want to sit in on some of those classes)

Let Sting pay for a few agriculture classes if he has such a hard-on for trees.

184

The RNC needs to think strategically and spend some money defending Christie. Are they so riven by 2012 politics that they are incapable of action?

185 I agree but I still think that some people are tortured by it. For example, I listen to no music.None. My ipod had history lectures on it. I listen to talk radio only and the bumper music annoys me. I avoid masses with music. My two teenagers feel the same way. My 6 year old shows some interest so my husband loaded an ipod with him so we didn't have to hear it. If he wants to start band in 3rd grade, I will pay for it, as it is not part of the curriculum. We catch my husband listening to music sometimes and try not to tease him. My point is that it is not for everybody. I did however have to take music history and art history in prep school. I can discuss it and even recognize most composers and schools/artists. I have some appreciation for real art which seemed to cease being produced lately.However, if something is cut, it should definitely be that not math, reading, science, or history. I'm also good with the foreign language requirement being 2 instead of 4 years in HS.

186 My God! This is better than porn, and I didn't think anything was better than porn.

187 He makes me melt

188 sifty: "reins. damn words."

If you had taken more art, you wouldn't have that problem.

189 The fact that my musical genius nephew is a giant waste case doesn't escape me. I know the music came before the pot and the musical friends came before the pot and the desire to be a rockstar/sitar star came before the pot and the divorce and his mother paying his rent.

190 It is unfortunate that those sorts of teachers are not the majority.

It is unfortunate that they work in a structure that fabricates a majority.

End collective bargaining rights for teachers.  Hell, end them for all public sector workers.  Stop feeding organized criminals a giant pot of capital to plunder.

191

This fucker is going back out on the "Health Care" road again?

Obama is FUCKING CLUELESS about HC...

Now he's blathering about 'making specialists come to you'.

Sure, make them all mobile docs..  This?  THIS is what he calls SMART?!

He's only doing this because all the Ds are sweating bullets about the Nov elections, and they told him this is "payback."  He's having a tele townhall for the old folks today so he can tout the $250 checks they're getting to help "toward their medications."

192 He's having a tele townhall for the old folks today so he can tout the $250 checks they're getting to help "toward their medications."

Some of you funemployed morons need to hit the casinos and report how many old folks show up to convert those checks into nickels for the slot machines.

193 (Nothing against old folks, but Free Money is Spree Money. When NY gave baby mamas $200 federal "porkulous" cash for each kid--enrolled in school or not--for "school supplies", they converted it into electronics and booze.)

194 Those poor oldsters. Some of them can barely afford the lunch buffet at the casino.

195 dagny: "I'm also good with the foreign language requirement being 2 instead of 4 years in HS."

Curious thing about that. It took me learning Spanish to really comprehend the language of language. Future perfect? Pluperfect progressive? Is that how I'd been speaking all those years?

English/Spelling taught me diagramming. Foreign language defined the atomic parts. It's actually one of the few liberal arts electives I found useful and constructive even though I generally disliked it. Turns out, it was pretty pragmatic. Unfortunately, learning a different language would make The Precedent proud, and that makes me sad.

196

191  Here's my ideas on cutting education costs: go to a trimester system, have the school holidays (lenghtened of course) during the times of the year when the greatest heating and cooling costs would occur, that should save on power plant expense; perhaps run a 4 day week but a longer school day (that gives the kids and parents an extra day for outside activities, plus power plant and bussing costs go down, plus it would probably work out better for working parents, as that is unfortunately a factor -- the schools do "keep" the kids); teach a standard 8 subject curriculum (english, math, science, social studies (the old definition of that), p.e., the arts, foreign language, and a life skills class (for want of a better term for a catchall category -- driver's ed, health, home ec. aren't bad classes to have, seeing as how there are parent's out there who can't do those well themselves; we'll call it my nod to progressivism, but somebody has to do it) grades 1 - 12 that emphasizes the classical model and no more of this cafeteria style specialization (you should end up with well rounded students and you should be able to cut staffing -- no more hyper specialized public school teachers).  Kindergarten and pre-school?  Well, if they must -- run two classes at half days (those two grades are there merely to get little kids used to going to school anyway...or a glorified day care for some parents); cut salaries down to corresponding private sector equivalents (that would be a biggie, but it could have the benefit of drawing only people who really want to be in the teaching business into that profession, which should correlate into better teaching, plus bringing that damn union to heel); cut expenditures for such things as concerts, football uniforms, etc. to what the individual schools can allow (and here is where school vouchers would come in handy -- if parents want their kids in a school that has a great sports, jrotc, or music program then they should have the choice).

Have class categories: slow, average, advanced; because that's reality and you will have to address it in a public system...but it needs to be streamlined compared to the way it is now.

You should have produced students who fairly well rounded with some degree of competence -- from there they can go to a trade school or college (or the military, which is not a bad option imho).  Then the district will stand a better chance of getting what it has paid for, and the amount of money they are paying should go down.  Oh, and something needs to be done to address school lunches/breakfasts -- there's a lot of needless waste in those areas and the product is of little value for what is paid...same with bussing in a lot of districts.

 

 

197 More good news: Spain needs $60 billion to cover write-downs in bad debt and increasing government bond spreads. The spread on Spanish debt vs the German Bund is now higher than it's been since the introduction of the Euro in 1999. But I'm sure that Trichet can come up with a reason why this is actually good news for the Euro.

198 Have class categories: slow, average, advanced; because that's reality and you will have to address it in a public system... It'll never fly because no parent in the world is going to admit that their kid belongs in the "slow" class, no matter how big a dullard he or she is. That's reality. Every grown-up claims to want a meritocracy...until it comes to their own kids. That's why private schools are the only way out. Public schools by their very nature are a lowest-common-denominator kind of thing. This works fine when the civilizational average is quite high; but when cultural standards drop, it doesn't do so well. Instead of algebra and Chaucer, you get "life skills" and "video game theory" classes.

199

This guy is clearly sizist. If he's elected President what will happen to all the limp dick, skinny, Europussy wannabes with jazz spots?

They're people, too.

200 204

Just imagine the kind of US Supreme Court Justices this guy would appoint.

Ones who share his pro-gun control, pro-amnesty views? Awesome!

Posted by: Moron in a Leopard Snuggie at June 08, 2010 01:10 PM (Ks4nX)

Careful, you do not want to provoke the finger-wagger's ire. BTW, just how "impure" can a candidate be before we have the right to demand some level of purity? I always ask, but I never get a straight answer.

201

Schools DO have the money for art, music, athletics, etc., even in the worst of economies. They simply choose to spend that money on the eight zillion administrators in each school district instead.

They've been pulling this 'oh, noes, we'll have to stop cultural enrichment programs' crap for 20 years and people always fall for it. Fire one of the district superintendent's six senior executive secretaries and they'll be plenty of cash for soccer balls and tempura paint.

 

202 dagny: "I'm also good with the foreign language requirement being 2 instead of 4 years in HS."

I serve on a school board and it has been a bitch just to cut Latin. (The district is broke, by the way.)

203 Not much I can add here that hasn't already been said, but his decision to do these town halls and rub elbows with the populace is genius. He knew he wouldn't get anywhere with a state legislature that has no backbone, so he decided to give them one by putting a gun against their heads (the gun being New Jersey citizens for those of you in Rio Linda). As far as art and music programs go, why can't kids learn that stuff on their own time? Or join a club at the Y? Or, Allah forbid, read a damn book? What do I care is Johnnie can paint like a mad bastard but can't spell his name? What good does that do us?

204 Hmmm. Didn't Maverick "danged fence" McVain have the NRA endorsement?

Kind of supports both my points: We here don't choose the Republican Nominee; and To become the Republican Nominee you need the NRA's support.

If a conservative voter has to ask the NRA who to vote for or how to wipe their own ass, I'd just as soon have them turn Democrat. Sheep elected Obama.
The NRA is a tool like the AAA auto club, not an infallible oracle. I'm a lifetime member of the NRA, but I think and vote like a big boy.

Good for you. That isn't all or even a majority of Republicans though. And if you'd rather have Dems than hard core NRA supporting Repubs, then you already have the government you want and deserve. For a lot of conservatives gun rights is their number 1 issue. The NRA system of letter grades is objective
and provides a good basis for making decisions grounded in actual record, not flowery lying words.

If outright communists Obamao, Piglosi and gReid couldn't take away our guns by now I truly doubt that Christie would.

Whether he actually would or would not is a totally subjective prediction and not the pertinent question, the letter grade the NRA puts on his past gun related actions is the pertinent question.

Right now there is a guy in New Jersey trying his damnedest to take the rains of a retarded horse on meth. He has my support and prayers.

He has mine too. But simply wanting politics to be different does not make it so. We joined and support the NRA to be our gun bully. We've effectively made them king makers for the Republican presidential primary. The fact is the NRA is our AFL/CIO and their is no national candidacy possible minus their support.

If you want to throw the hard core NRA supporters out of the tent because they're "sheep" for making gun rights their primus vox, and they use the NRA pol evaluations as a primary guide, then your tent is going to get awful lonely.

205 I view people following the NRA as a single issue litmus test no differently than people who view abortion as a single issue litmus test.

There is one difference though. Anyone who doesn't support the 2md amendment as written doesn't support the Constitution. That shows wider problems.

The question on Christie is what really is his position? And that needs to be looked at locally and nationally. If he believes local areas can legislate away gun rights then he doesn't believe in incorporation of any of the BOR.

If he believes the 2nd amendment is outdated and should be ignored he will probably lose my vote if he ever runs nationally.  

I don't view gun rights as a single issue litmus test, but it is damn close. But really, this is not an issue conservatives need to be pushing on him right now.

He is not running for national office.

206 Moose,

I'm saying that an NRA endorsement doesn't mean much for the good of the country if the candidate is an asshole like McCain who will sell us out for a second of TV time and a kind word from Mexico.

Chris Christie would have zero motivation / support to advance a gun-grabber agenda if elected to higher office, despite what he may feel personally.
The higher the office a Democrat wins, the more motivation/support they have to grab guns.

I don't want to throw any hardcore gun voters out of the tent, but I do hope fervently that they develop some interest in the state of other issues in the country in addition to gun rights.


That's my simple opinion. There is probably nuance that I can't see.

207 I don't view gun rights as a single issue litmus test, but it is damn close. But really, this is not an issue conservatives need to be pushing on him right now.

He is not running for national office.

Yes but the discussion evolved into what ifs...
What if he ran? Well he has this little problem with a major conservative faction.

Do I like the guy? Yes.
Would I like him as my governor? Absolutely.
Would I support him in a presidential primary? Maybe, it depends on who else is running. But his reputation on guns/immigration makes it substantially less likely.
Do I think he could win the primary given those views? Absolutely Not.
Would I vote for him in the general? Without reservation.

208 Free speech? Litmus pass or fail.
Individual gun rights? Litmus pass or fail.
Etcetera.

I love Christie, but he must get right with the NRA and its platform. Lose those first  two amendments and you are defenseless against tyranny. So, while a President Christie might not strictly enforce "gun bans," he well might acquiesce for political expedience to the appointment of a gun-grabbing SC Justice who is conservative on all other issues. Next progressive president to take office (say Hillary, for example) will push the issue via this opening.

Vic and MTM have it right.

209 There is probably nuance that I can't see.

It is just the state of our side. There are a few "single issues" out there that court "factions" of conservatism just like the libbies. I may want the NRA to be a little more practical, but they won't. I may want the single issue voters to grow their world view and become more nuanced in the way they vote, but they won't. So instead of what I want, I'm left with what I've got; a faction whose power cannot be overcome in a national election, and a lobbying group representing them that does not always endorse the best all around candidates. I don't have the power to change it, so I have to work with it.

210 To: The Voters and Citizens of New Jersey

From: The People of the United States Of America

This is to inform you that we are going to take away your Governor, Chris Christie, in 2012.
We regret this action but the Nation is in dire straits NOW and it is presumed that by 2013 we will really be in the sh!t.

Our only hope is to have a clear thinking, strong willed conservative, such as Mr. Christie, be elected to the office of President.

Please start looking for someone to take his place.

Cheers!
Yours truly, the rest of the country.

211 218 This is to inform you that we are going to take away your Governor, Chris Christie, in 2012.

You'll have to take him from my cold dead hands.

212 FTR

McLame scored a C+ from the NRA. Which was high enough to keep the NRA from running ads against him during the primary.

Obama scored an F

D and F grades will get the NRA to send out fliers and run ads against you.

213 Hmmmm.

Excuse me.  This is New Jersey?  WTF!?

I'm sorry but this has to be a gag of some sort.  There has to be a moment where Christie goes "Oh fuck it, hey I'm a liberal and I've just been punking you fuckers".

Because frankly this is the kind of stuff I'd be saying if I were the Gov.  And it's kinda hard to believe after years of crappy GOP bullshit that NJ, of all places, has finally got a GOP Gov with the guts to say it like it is.

214 My Gov. I voted for him. I take credit. Thank- you.
Posted by: nevergiveup at June 08, 2010 11:26 AM (0GFWk)

Sorry, but I voted earlier than you did, so I elected him.

215 Can you imagine the absolute FITS he would give to the Eurotrash, Iranians, Russians, Chinese, and NORKS.

OMG, a thing of beauty.

216

205  Ok, good point -- so don't do it and teach towards the median (not the slow nor the advanced), it could still work.

  And I mention the "life skills" -- because  basic home economy courses, driver's ed., typing, health, computer usage, etc. are probably not bad classes to have but can't really be classified as any one specific thing.  So "life skills" is what I came up with -- besides, it fills the slot (I don't really believe in giving out a lot of free time at school -- on average it doesn't do anything beneficial).

 

208 Yes!  What you said!  A school does not need two or three vice principles, each making a 6 figure salary.

217 foreign languages > athletics >> art and music

218 I know why Gov.Christie is such a large guy...

He's not fat.

He's full of WIN.

219 I'm late to this party because I just got home from work and can't see videos at work.  But just let me say this: My erection may last longer than four hours.

220 He just stated in an indirect manner that he is going to fire three more NJ Supreme Court judges. I love it. Make those black robed bastards accountable to the public. They were directly responsible for the sales tax and the income tax, ostensibly for the purpose of helping the inner city schools, of which they have done absolutely no good whatsoever. The kids in Newark, et al., have never learned less and amounted to less.

221 Boing!

222 Talking loud and blowing hot air to warm up the crowd is not efficient governing. The act of dumping one Supreme Court Justice hardly suffices to address the marid of problems with the courts and the judicial system in the state of NJ.  The Family court is a good example of a court that requires attention and a fix. This is the court where newly appointed Judges receives there training. It is called the Boot Camp for newly appointed Judges, so the standard of evidence is the lowest possible standard in law. Which eliminates the finding of errors by the trial judge. When a cases is appealled, the same Judge  who made the original decision hears the appeal. Good luck with that but by some small miracle the appeal is heard by another Judge in the same Court House, do not expect for a moment that the decision will be reversed. It's like the buddy system of justice. The supreme Court said recently that it is OK,  not if but when the Family Court trial Judge make mistakes. The Family Court is clearly not important it is a burden on the judicial system and the Judges assigned to it. This is the court that makes decision concerning  children and families this is never as interesting as Criminal Court. The Criminal Court is where you find the children who went through the Family Court and a trainee Judge made the wrong decision.  So if the Governor really want to tackle the Judiciary, there is plenty to be tackled. I however, suspect he is just blowing hot air. Do you really think he will remove a woman and replace her with a man.