
After Gov. Chris Christie said that his Sicilian mother was the family boss (his notion of an appeal to women voters), he went on to blame Democrats for every Republican screw-up since George W. Bush turned Bill Clinton’s budget surplus into the biggest deficit in history and sent the economy into a crash dive.
“Our leaders today [meaning Democrats] have decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say ‘yes,’ rather than to say no when ‘no’ is what’s required.” Was that a refreshingly honest defense of the Tea Party and “Party of No?” But he went on: “We are demanding that our leaders stop tearing each other down, and work together to take action on the big things facing America,” and for the rest of his speech, proceeded to tear down Democrats.
He asked for “Politicians who led instead of politicians who pandered.” and then, “Seniors are not selfish. They believe seniors will always put themselves ahead of their grandchildren.” Assuming seniors are selfish is what Ryancare (the proposed Republican replacement for Medicare) does when it tells 55s and older that they can duck out, leaving their children holding the bag. But Christie says this is not being selfish. Who is pandering?
"We believe it's possible to forge bipartisan compromise and stand up for conservative principles." To the Tea Party, compromise is “my way or the highway.”
“So they prey on vulnerabilities and scare them with misinformation for the cynical purpose of winning the next election.” This sentence sums up the whole Republican strategy.
“Their plan: whistle a happy tune while driving us off the fiscal cliff, as long as they are behind the wheel of power.” Driving the U.S. economy off cliffs has been a Republican specialty from Herbert Hoover in 1929 to George W. Bush in 2008. The latest wrinkle is blaming it on Democrats.
“It's the power of our ideas, not of our rhetoric, that attracts people to our Party.” Beyond dissing Dems, did anyone notice a single idea in Christie’s whole speech?
We need politicians to care more about doing something and less about being something." He’s got that right! Trouble is, pols who care about doing something are an endangered species in the Tampa Bay Times Forum right now.