NJ Gov. Christie Calls Out Washington, White House on Budget Woes – and Rules Out Presidential Run
EmailABC News’ Karen Travers and Michael Falcone report:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie traveled to Washington today with a blunt message: “We are teetering on the edge of disaster.”
“I look at what’s happening in Washington, DC right now and I’m worried,” Christie said about what he called out of control spending and an unwillingness to take on entitlements. “Our country and our states are weighed down by an albatross of irresponsibility.”
Christie did not hold back in his dire warnings about where the country is heading (potentially down the “path to ruin”) and was not shy about touting his own legislative actions in New Jersey, even as he acknowledged that he has his critics howling.
“I did not run for this job for failure, I ran for this job for success,” he said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
The visit to Washington and the tough talk on budget cuts and spending has created considerable noise around a possible Christie run for president in 2012.
But today the governor ruled it out, saying the timing is not right.
“What do I have to do short of suicide to convince people I’m not running?” he asked. “You have to believe in your heart soul and mind that you’re ready. And I don’t believe that in myself right now.”
But he acknowledged that he was paying attention to the buzz surrounding him.
“I’m not stupid. I see the opportunity. I see it,” he said. “But that’s not a reason to run. I can’t imagine that changing.”
New Jersey is facing an $11 billion budget deficit and to fix it, Christie said he’s focusing on three key issues, which he called “big things:” restoring and maintaining “fiscal sanity;” bringing down the costs of pensions and health benefits, and reforming the state’s education system.
He said these are not Democratic or Republican issues, noting that his fellow governors are confronting the same issues as he is in New Jersey and using the same language to talk about solutions.
“These problems and issues are not partisan. They are obvious and they are long overdue to be solved,” he said.
In a jab at the White House, Christie said that President Obama is also focusing on what he calls “big things” – high speed rail, high speed internet and electric cars are the examples Christie picked out of the president’s State of the Union address.
“Ladies and gentlemen that is the candy of American politics those are not the big things,” he said.
Christie said he was expecting more from Obama’s annual address and feared the president would “cement” his re-election that night by announcing he would make the “tough calls on entitlements” and spending cuts.
“What I was looking for that night was for my president to stand up and challenge me,” Christie said. He said Obama still has time to right the ship and he hopes that he does. Unlike others, he “I’m not looking for the president to fail,” he said.
Christie put the pressure on House Republicans too, saying that when it comes to fiscal responsibility, “it’s put up or shut up time.”
The governor recalled the campaign appearances he made last fall on behalf of Republican candidates and issued a warning: “If people who I campaigned for don’t stand up and do the right thing, the next time they’ll see me in the district is with my arm around their primary opponent.”
Biden Reflects on Grief, Suicidal Thoughts 
Is Congress Sounding Dumber?
No Chris, you are not thinking right. Governors do not understand economics. You must understand the root cause of our economic problems. Economic problems are created by capitalism. Unless you destroy it no economic problem can be solved. Year after year it will only worsen. That is the way capitalism is designed.
Capitalism is headed by central bank. It prints money and gives it to government and wants it back with interest. That must be stopped. By printing money, it creates inflation, to transfer wealth and make our life miserable. Unless you change our constitution to destroy the central bank we will not come out of the budget problems.
Keynes, the father of economics said the following: “By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily; and while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. … The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction and it does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose”.
Posted by: Subhendu Das | February 16, 2011, 7:25 pm 7:25 pm
Oh Christie, PLEASE take the keys away from the child in the White House. We need you!!
Posted by: stephanie | February 16, 2011, 7:40 pm 7:40 pm
Time Out….it is way too early to know if Christie is going to be “Superman” or “Dudley DO-Wrong”. And the same for Andrew Cuomo in New York (you see I really am a moderate…and fair). All I know is that you can’t just “cut spending” without doing something else to create more revenue (taxes and/or jobs) to balance budgets. And the other REAL IMPORTANT thing to remeber is that these two guys in their respective States only represent 1/50th of our nation. A far cry from what our President is faced with.
Posted by: CND FOX | February 16, 2011, 8:02 pm 8:02 pm
Christie needs to heed Michelle Obama’s words. He could do with a few less burgers. Wait, I take that back. Maybe he should eat more to fill up that big, crude mouth of his. He’d never get elected – he’s Rush in a cheap suit.
Posted by: pamp205 | February 16, 2011, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
The only time Christie should run is….every morning for 30 minutes, followed by a light free weight workout, then an energizing breakfast of fruits and whole grain goodness.
Posted by: Seapixy | February 16, 2011, 9:38 pm 9:38 pm
“catman”…LOl…I find it hilarious that you blame Nancy, Harry and Barack when all of us watched the Party of No, Do Nothing and Obstruct….do absolutely that (nothing) for two solid years. And even now after their “landslide victories” (their words, not mine)in the mid-terms…no job creation ideas or bills. Nothing but THREE vote losses and a couple of “panders” to the anti-abortion wing nut part of the “base”. Its funny how “reality” is viewed by those that “build the box” so tight around their philosophies and minds. LOL…Kimd of like they don’t really get it… Reality that is…LOL…LOL
Posted by: CND FOX | February 16, 2011, 9:42 pm 9:42 pm
I look at what this idiot is doing in New Jersey and I am worried….You can see what these these tea-baggers are doing in every state, it does not take any courage to slash services to the poor and middle class while padding the pockets of the wealthy few. Welcome to third world america. Lets raise taxes on the wealthy, end the wars, and penalize the companies sending jobs overseas if you want to improve things, but of course the Republicans are not interested in that.
Posted by: Michael | February 16, 2011, 10:13 pm 10:13 pm
I fully concur with Governor Christie’s decision not to run in 2012 however 2016 is certainly open for review.First and foremost it is vital that he begins a healthy lifestyle and diet campaign and achieve weight in proportion to height.Our country is mired in a plague of obesity and either pre diabetes or diabetes 2 which often leads to diabetes.There are a host of serious illnesses related to being unusually overweight. Voters have a history of rejecting presidential candidates who have present illnesses. Additionally a president cannot lecture our stricken children and sedentary adults unless he presents in a healthy aspect. Governor Christie having said that, will have to show diplomacy, military, dealing with Congress, the US economy and all the higher knowledge that in 2008 we knew was not there.Christie is a brawler politician and is not afraid to stand his ground. That is why I like him for president. The comments about refinement and strengthening his candidacy is only to suggest that too soon, and not prepared is not the way to win when your potential is as impressive as the Governor’s.
Posted by: Jay Adler | February 17, 2011, 1:30 am 1:30 am
“…and was not shy about touting his own legislative actions in New Jersey, even as he acknowledged that he has his critics howling.”
Well he’s spot-on here because pretty much everyone in the State of NJ dislikes him. Here’s the reason why. Everyone thought his actions would affect the other guy and not them. To his credit, he IS doing that of which he campaigned upon. However, as an earlier poster noted, it is waaay too soon to determine if his actions were correct or wrong.
Also, there have been some painful and brutal mistakes under his watch. The NJ educational system is in shambles (or soon will be)
Posted by: mytakeonthis61 | February 17, 2011, 10:27 am 10:27 am
As for those commenting upon his weight you are absolutely correct! He REALLY needs to do something about that. The one thing that I really respect Mike Huckabee for is the realization of not only his obesity issue, but that of the State that he governed, and he took some action.
Posted by: mytakeonthis61 | February 17, 2011, 10:31 am 10:31 am
I am from NJ and would not wish this fool on ANYONE else!! He is an arrogant bully who thinks he can get whatever he wants with scare tactics and threats.
Posted by: kay | February 17, 2011, 10:32 am 10:32 am
@JAY & KAY What do you mean everyone in the Garden State hates him? Recent polls show that Christie’s approval ratings in NJ is rising. 66% of Dem dislike him though so you are probably one of those. And yeah, I am from the Garden State.
Posted by: KEN | February 17, 2011, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
5 Trillion dollar Debt after the 800 Billion dollar spending bill that promised that unemployment won’t fall above 8% if not passed. 26 months strong of 9% unemployment.This is the worst since the great depression. We need some serious fiscal responsibility. The Budget that was proposed by the president would add 1.7 trillion on top of that 5 trillion dollar debt. President and the left are so out of touch with america.
Posted by: Concerned American | February 18, 2011, 1:27 am 1:27 am