At the Reagan Library, a citizen told Governor Christie what Americans are thinking - " We need you. Your country needs you to run."

Paul Gigot of the Wall Street Journal discusses NJ Governor Chris Christie's possible candidacy for President in 2012 with Wall Street Journal editorial board member Jason Riley, columnist and deputy editor Dan Henninger, and assistant editorial page editor James Freeman.

There are some key points here including:

" Governor Christie can talk about reforming teachers unions and their pension systems without coming off as antieducation.."

" Republicans don't trust Mitt Romney, and they don't think Perry's electable.."

" I think if you look at (Governor Christie's) background, he was not a career politician. Before he was governor--he became governor of the state in 2009--his day job was putting away politicians who were corrupt in New Jersey..."

This is the man we need. Not another career Pol, but someone who is adept at taking on problems and making sure that the People come first.

-----------------------------------

Paul Gigot: This week on "The Journal Editorial Report," the clamor for Christie. Calls continue for the New Jersey governor to jump into the GOP presidential race. He said he won't, so why do many Republicans keep hoping? Plus, Rick Perry draws fire from his rivals for being soft on immigration. We'll take a closer look at his record as a border-state governor and his controversial stand on in-state tuition for illegals. All that, and anti-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki is killed in Yemen. Does the U.S. have al Qaeda on the ropes?

***
Unidentified woman: We need you. Your country needs you to run for president.

Gigot: Welcome to "The Journal Editorial Report." I'm Paul Gigot.

Well, he has said he won't run, but the clamor for Chris Christie continues. That plea from a supporter after the New Jersey governor delivered a speech at the Reagan Library in California this week. So what does Christie have that the current GOP field is missing?

Joining the panel this week, Wall Street Journal editorial board member Jason Riley, columnist and deputy editor Dan Henninger, and assistant editorial page editor James Freeman.

So, James, is this clamor about the appeal of Christie or the lack of appeal of everybody else?

Freeman: It's mainly Christie. Obviously Rick Perry, the recent entrant into the race, hasn't done a great job in the debates. But you're seeing the clamor for Christie because people are looking at all these guys on the stage, the Republican debates, and saying they're not as good as the governor of New Jersey, who's been making, for the last two years, a very powerful case for more-limited government.

Gigot: So is it the fact that Christie has been in that battle, people have seen him, people have seen him taking on the challenges? Is that it?

Freeman: They've seen him, and they've also emulated him. He's really taught Republicans around the country how to talk about reforming government, limiting benefit programs, in a direct way--in a way where, for example, he can talk about reforming teachers unions and their pension systems without coming off as antieducation, and that has been very hard for Republicans to do until Christie.

Gigot: Jason, is this about, though, the rest of the field not quite measuring up?

Riley: Republicans don't trust Mitt Romney, and they don't think Perry's electable, and I think that is why you see a clamor for Chris Christie. And I think one of the things that may be giving Christie pause, however, is Perry--what happened to Perry. Here's a veteran politician--governor, one of the largest states, 11 years. He sort of flopped in the debate. Christie's been governor for two years. He might be thinking to himself: "Wow, look what happened to Perry. Am I ready for this?"

Gigot: You really have to go to school on an awful lot of issues, foreign policy and other things.

Dan, you've argued to us as a group that you don't think that Chris Christie is ready for this kind of vetting and candidacy. Why?

Henninger: Well, taking him at his word, he's the one who also says he isn't ready. I think the thing you have to understand about Chris Christie, and one of the sources of his appeal, is that Christie is a former prosecutor, a former federal prosecutor. What prosecutors do--and we went through this, recall, with Rudy Giuliani--prosecutors assemble their facts, they absorb them, and then they're terrific at making a presentation and an argument based on those facts. And I think what James is describing is why Christie has had such an appeal. He knows New Jersey--pensions, unions, its finances. When we've talked to him, it hasn't just been a guy who makes interesting, funny arguments. He knows his stuff.

But Medicare, Social Security, entitlement reform, foreign policy, tax policy--I don't think he would feel comfortable in having his facts mastered the way he has New Jersey, and would run the risk in a debate of that coming through.

Gigot: James?

Freeman: Well, I think if you look at his background, he was not a career politician. Before he was governor--he became governor of the state in 2009--his day job was putting away politicians who were corrupt in New Jersey, not studying their policies. And so I think if you look--

Gigot: But what about the vulnerability that Dan points out and Jason suggests, which is, you've got to be a quick study on these national issues. Otherwise they're going to say, "Aha! You said--you really said your going to raise the retirement age on Medicare?" Boom, you step on a land mine like that, and everybody suddenly says you're not ready for prime time.

Freeman: Well, I think he's been showing lately that he does have a broader view. I think one of the things that got people excited in that Reagan Library speech is he's talking about free trade; he's talking not about New Jersey, but about how America has to lead the world economically if we want to be a model to the world. I think you've seen him go in great depth on a lot of issues, and I don't see why he couldn't do that at the national level.

Gigot: I really liked that speech myself, Jason. He talked about "earned American exceptionalism," and he took that speech out of just policy wonkism and brought it to a higher level about the better angels of America's political character.

Riley: Sure, but you know what another theme of that speech was? His ability to lead New Jersey with divided government. He was highlighting his ability to compromise, and that is part of leadership. That was another running theme of that debate. He's a Republican, he's working with the state Legislature run by the other party, and he was able to get things done because he was willing to compromise. Is that a primary message that those voters want to hear?

Gigot: But he compromised on his turf in that sense. He got, 50%, 70% of what he wanted, not what they wanted.

Riley: But it's not just whether Christie can defend positions. It's some of those positions that he holds that we don't know a lot about but that could come up if he were to get into the race--his positions on energy policy, his positions on gun control, even some of his positions on abortion. He's pro-life, but on the campaign trail when he was running for governor, he opposed a law that would have forced minors, for example, to get permission from their parents before getting an abortion.

Freeman: But he's also cut funding for Planned Parenthood. He's governed as a small-government conservative to the extent he can in New Jersey--gotten the Democratic Legislature, amazingly to some, to go along on a lot of reforms. I think conservative voters are going to be very comfortable with him, and some of the things you mentioned are not going to scare away independents, which I think is why a lot of Republicans around the country are excited to have him at the top of the ballot.

Henninger: Well, I think if he gets in, he'll be responding to go what the woman said at the outset: "Your country needs you." Voters understand this is a historic election, and Chris Christie would be taking some risk to get in. And if he gets in, I say more credit to him for taking that risk and understanding it is a bigger-than-average election.

Gigot: Sometimes the moment comes before you think you're prepared for it.

All right, still ahead, Rick Perry's rivals attack, accusing the Texas governor of being soft on illegal immigration. We'll take a closer look at the Perry record in Texas and his controversial decision to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students

The Sunday Funnies

Or not-so-funnies, depending on your point of view....

CHRISTIE/GIULIANI 2012 - The best team the GOP could hope for in the upcoming Presidential election

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has been busy assessing his chances for a national run for President and been assisted by operatives of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani’s 2008 campaign.

To the GOP, I would feel this represents the best team they could field...one that would wipe up the floor with Obama in a Presidential election.

CHRISTIE/GIULIANI 2012. The Straight Shooter from NJ and America's Mayor.

That would put the DEMS into an absolute fit. It would also relieve us of having to endure more of PERRY, SLICK MITT, BACHMANN, NEWT et al. The GOP would be wise to get behind the Man from NJ as the rest of their crowd of candidates are about as exciting to the electorate as watching paint dry. True, almost anyone would be better than Obama, but America needs the BEST Candidates for the job and as far as I can see, CHRISTIE/GIULIANI 2012 would be the ticket.


Christie Team Assessing How Fast a 2012 Campaign Could Be Mounted
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR, DAVID M. HALBFINGER and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: October 1, 2011 - NY TIMES

WASHINGTON — Chris Christie’s political advisers are working to determine whether they could move fast enough to set up effective political operations in Iowa and New Hampshire in the wake of a relentless courtship aimed at persuading Mr. Christie, the governor of New Jersey, to plunge into the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to operatives briefed on the preparations.

Mr. Christie has not yet decided whether to run and has not authorized the start of a full-fledged campaign operation. But with the governor now seriously considering getting in, his strategists — many of them veterans of Rudolph W. Giuliani’s 2008 campaign — are internally assessing the financial and logistical challenges of mounting a race with less than 100 days until voting is likely to begin.

Those challenges include not only raising money, but also spending it effectively in the crucial states with early primaries. That would mean meeting filing deadlines, hiring staff members, recruiting volunteers, putting together a travel schedule and devising a media campaign.

“They’re getting their arms around what’s going to be required,” said a political operative who has been briefed on the deliberations among Mr. Christie’s team. “What does an operation look like? What are the requirements in each of the states? What are the things that need to be done before we talk about people and résumés and office space?”

Mr. Christie’s advisers said on Saturday that no formal planning for a campaign would begin unless the governor made a decision to run. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, they said current efforts are nothing more than “due diligence” should Mr. Christie decide to make a bid. One senior adviser said no campaign is under way but expressed confidence that one could be started in 24 hours if needed.

The high-level advisers also said the flurry of political activity around Mr. Christie includes unsolicited strategic advice and offers of help from potential donors and consultants who are eager to see him run but are not part of the governor’s inner circle. Friends say that only Mr. Christie can decide what is right for him.

“This is a very smart guy who can figure this out for himself, and I think that’s all that needs to be said,” said William Palatucci, a close confidant of Mr. Christie. He played down any immediate campaign planning, saying that his own weekend plans included “going to pick up my daughter from her sleepover and going to get my cleaning from the cleaners.”

Those pushing Mr. Christie to run include the media mogul Rupert Murdoch, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, Nancy Reagan and the conservative columnist William Kristol.

If the odds of a campaign were very low just weeks ago, they are increasing.

A hastily put together campaign would upend what two of Mr. Christie’s advisers said was his original plan: to consider running for president in 2016. But with President Obama looking more vulnerable, and with dissatisfaction among some voters and influential party leaders with the current Republican field, Mr. Christie is said by those close to him to feel that his best opportunity to run might be now.

“They have to run a billion-dollar operation, which they weren’t prepared to do,” said a second political operative who was briefed on the deliberations among Mr. Christie’s team. “For the first time, they are actually considering it seriously.”

The pressure on Mr. Christie has come from just about every direction. It came at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California last week, where everyone from members of the audience to Mrs. Reagan urged him to reconsider his refusal to run.

It came when Mr. Christie stopped by a breakfast of conservative columnists at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington. Mr. Kristol said he told Mr. Christie that day that he was “a big man for a big job.”

At a fund-raising event in SoHo this year for New Jersey Republicans, with Mr. Christie as a host, Mr. Kissinger showed up. A person who was there quoted Mr. Kissinger as saying: “At my age, I have other things to do than to spend a Thursday night at a fund-raiser — but this guy is so important to the future of our country that I came here to tell you that you have to support him — and now I have to go.”

Mr. Kissinger was also among the guests at a meeting of dozens of top donors and other prominent Republicans convened by Ken Langone, the Home Depot founder. Mr. Kissinger surprised some of those there, according to a person briefed on the meeting, when he spoke up and urged Mr. Christie to run, saying that he would best represent United States interests abroad.

The pressure has also come during calls Mr. Christie has received or as he has bumped into influential Republican supporters, among them Mr. Murdoch, according to people close to both men who would discuss the subject only on the condition of anonymity.

In private conservations, several Republican governors have suggested that Mr. Christie consider running, as well.

One of them was Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio, who has publicly praised Mr. Christie, saying in a recent Bloomberg View forum that “he has a certain magic about him.”

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin said he believed that Mr. Christie would bring “intelligent straight talk” to the race but conceded that he was mixed about whether he should jump in.

“Do I think Christie should run? My heart says without a doubt — with that passion and because of his excitement,” Mr. Walker said. “My head looks at it, though, and thinks anyone who is in their first term as governor needs to run for re-election first. It’s tough to be ready to be a candidate and to be well versed, particularly in foreign policy, and to have an organization.”

As recently as three months ago, Mr. Christie’s advisers had few doubts that Mr. Obama would be re-elected.

That changed with polls showing steep declines in the public’s assessment of Mr. Obama’s leadership and with a Republican upset in a special election for a House seat in the Democratic bastion of Queens.

“Sometimes the man can’t choose the moment,” one of the political operatives said. “That discussion has been part of the last 10 days.”

Those last 10 days have largely been spent assessing the practical questions of conducting a campaign in what one operative described as a “very low-key, very hush-hush” way.

“It’s not a lot of time,” the operative said. “It’s a fair thing to say that they’re aware of that. But it’s not impossible. And there’s lots of people, financial and otherwise, who are still on the sidelines. There’s going to be personnel there if he decides to go.”

QUOTES & NOTES from the 2012 campaign trail....Heaven Help us....

QUOTES AND NOTES from the 2012 Presidential Campaign Trail....

I wanted to share the enclosed as I thought it would be nice to see what people are saying out there on the campaign trail....and I'll interject some commentary after each quote - The opinions expressed here are mine and based solely on trying to interject some "common sense" into what these idjits are saying...

" I know you have been seeing a lot of politicians around lately. Something tells me that you may see a few more before February is over. But Iowa, you and I, we go a long way back," Obama told workers at an Alcoa factory here.

Obama reminded the state that it helped make him President. "So we've got some history together, and together we're going to make some more history for years to come," he said.

YEAH, THANKS FOR NOTHING IOWA...." - Hopefully, Iowa will be on the list of places where the President will see that after 2 1/2 years, people are pretty tired of listening to his lies.

"We cannot afford four more years of millions of Americans who are out of work and are not making enough in wages to support a family ... We cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama," Michele Bachmann, a conservative member of the House of Representatives said in Iowa on Monday. - Yes, thank you Rep. Bachmann....please make sure you check on the facts around any future statements you make as you need another gaffed-up speech like we need 4 more years of President Doofus. We need less gaffes, not more.


"Oh, Iowa matters, every state in the union, of course, always matters," she said in an interview with Iowa Tea Party Chairman Ryan Rhodes. "Iowa matters because people are really tuned in here to what is necessary (and) … what is needed to do to grow a smaller, smarter government." Sarah Palin - That was "Palinese" for still playing hard to get.....get back to us when you have some idea what you are talking about as we have no real idea what you are speaking about either.


Gov. Chris Christie told CNN recently that he's "100% sure" that he doesn't want to run for president next year and even said "forget it" Sunday on NBC to the idea of being the vice presidential pick for the GOP nominee.- We understand why Gov. Christie wants to focus on NJ first and will look at national office later...we'll wait. He looks like he is worth waiting for.

"These things happen over and over. They fascinate the media. They have no long term historic meaning. Either there will be a message that resonates with 14 million unemployed. There will be a message that resonates when one out of every four houses is worth less than its mortgage. There will be a message that resonates when there are three wars and no strategic coherence in the administration, or there won't be. If there is, I'll be a contender in January." Newt Ginrich - Newt, Newt, Newt....you and the Mrs. must have really been hitting the Ouzo out there in the Greek Isles as you still sound/act like you are so drunk you actually believe that you have a snowballs chance in HELL of getting elected anything, let alone President.

And finally, we have the "SLICK MITT ROMNEY UPDATE"....seems like "buying" the GOP nomination ain't enough for Slick Mitt, he wants to GIN UP the primaries in his favor, even if that costs the people extra money as, " Why not, isn't that what taxes are for ??"

What a piece of work.....Please MITT, just go away and take your desperate, pandering attitude with you.

Moving the UTAH primary to the second Tuesday in March from June could help Mr. Romney—who has strong ties to the state—by giving him a victory early in the Republican nominating process. But changing the date would mean holding the presidential primary separately from previously scheduled primaries for other offices, and the shift would require approval by the Legislature and the governor.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, who runs state elections, said an aide to Mr. Romney called him in April to pitch the idea of moving the primary, which Mr. Bell said he supported anyway. The aide told Mr. Bell an earlier primary would benefit everyone, including the people of Utah and Mr. Romney, a spokesman for Mr. Bell said. .....UTAH lawmakers will decide if the expense is warranted.

Yeah, it's only the people's money.....what does it matter if it is wasted so SLICK MITT can game the system. What a feckless, self centered POL.

Gov. Chris Christie for President in 2012 - His success in New Jersey has made him highly sought after around the country

Like most people, I have a good grasp of what the nature of our country's situation is currently. We are a little over 1/2 way through the Obama era and things are adrift. This feckless idiot who was elected mainly by over-promising and getting political neophytes to follow him has lead us into a position where we are seen as weak by our enemies and lacking the ability to get our own house in order by our allies. He is an incompetant and clueless President.

Obama recently dumped on the British and betrayed info about their Nuke defenses to the Russians. I cannot think of a more naive thing to do then to assist the Russians while hurting a staunch ally like the Brits.

Our economy is adrift and all he can do is run up historic amounts of red ink w/o care on how badly this hurts our country. The President is beholden to the labor unions and their stupidity. He allied himself with Nancy Pelosi, a domestic enemy of the Constitution by all accounts. Her actions have made us a weaker country and her bolstering of the Obamacare legislation was moronic with her famous quote of, " We have to pass the bill to find out what's in it." Are you kidding me?

That said, I want to state that the field of Republicans lining up against Obama look like tired reruns or dangerous amateurs. I have grave concerns that the party will send up someone so feckless that the American public will be totally complacent and re-elect the Fool who sits in the office right now. Romney, Gingrich, Barber, Pawlenty, Palin, etc. ???? They are all adrift...Romney is a snakeoil salesman....take it from me as I lived in Massachusetts during his time in office....After he speaks to you, you feel like you need a shower.

So, where does that leave us?? we need someone who can make a difference, is not afraid to take on the system and has shown they have the "fight" in the belly needed to shake up the system.

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey fits the bill. He is the one person I have seen who has taken on the Labor idjits in his own state and not let up. He calls them out and has shown he is willing to do what is right for his people, the citizens of New Jersey.

Think about how tough that must be, in a state like New Jersey to stand up to the forces of complacency. If that isn't political courage, I don't know what is.

I am encouraging him to think hard & long about running. We need someone who can counter the crappola coming out of Washington and Chris Christie has the right stuff.

I have family in New Jersey and all I can say is if you have my Mom-in-law's support, you have to be doing something right.

Governor Chris Christie for President 2012.....We can show the establishment that there is a candidate who will make a difference and not drag our country down like POTUS has done. Let's get behind the good Gentleman from New Jersey and put the country back on the right track.


Christie to outline 'big things' in Washington speech
By: CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby

Washington (CNN) - No matter many times he denies having his sights on the White House in 2012, presidential buzz seems to follow New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wherever he goes.

His latest foray onto the national stage comes Wednesday, when Christie will deliver a high-profile speech at the conservative American Enterprise Institute titled "It's Time to Do the Big Things" - a plea to other political leaders to confront the country's fiscal problems head-on, much like has done in the Garden State.

The Christie appearance has stirred up so much interest that AEI cannot accommodate all the reporters who want to cover the speech in person.

His popularity among Republicans – and the media - speaks to the wide-open state of the early presidential field, which so far lacks a candidate with the kind of star power and broad appeal that some Republicans say will be necessary to go head-to-head with President Obama next year.

The rotund governor has also developed an enthusiastic national following thanks to his brash and confrontational brand of politics, on display in various YouTube videos uploaded by his staff that depict Christie clashing with unionized teachers at town-hall meetings across New Jersey.

As Christie toured the country last October with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in an effort to elect other GOP governors, Christie was met with a rock-star welcome at nearly every event.

At one such stop in Ohio, Christie lingered for nearly 30 minutes after the event to meet swarms of autograph seekers, while Barbour and Pawlenty - two Republicans actually mounting presidential bids - slipped out the back.

Christie skipped last weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, but still managed to finish in a surprising tie for third in the conference's presidential straw poll along with former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who spent three days at the event getting his libertarian-leaning supporters to the ballot box.

The unexpected result was revealed just moments after conservative pundit Ann Coulter implored the CPAC crowd to draft Christie into the presidential race.

"If we don't run Chris Christie, Mitt Romney will be the nominee and we will lose," Coulter declared.

While the governor has rejected invitations to speak in key presidential nominating states like Iowa and recently turned down an offer to deliver the Republican response to the State of the Union, Christie and his team have had a hand in stirring up the national buzz.

He recently sat for glowing interviews with "60 Minutes" and "The Today Show, for instance, and his advisers made clear to reporters that a January dinner with Romney at the New Jersey's governor's mansion came at the request of the former Massachusetts governor.

On Wednesday, the Republican Governors Association announced that Christie will serve as the political organization's Policy Vice Chairman. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the RGA Chairman, said Christie "has been a powerful example of the tremendous impact governors can make in their states and nationwide."

And now the governor is stepping into the spotlight once again in Washington, in full view of a press corps hungry for any sign of life in the slow-moving presidential race. Not that the White House is on his mind, of course.

"I am not surprised that he is continuing to share his message of fiscal sanity and shared sacrifice," said New Jersey Republican National Committeeman Bill Palatucci, one of Christie's closest friends and supporters. "His success in New Jersey with this agenda has made him highly sought after around the country."