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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday urged Washington lawmakers to speak honestly with the American people, warning the public may not like the solutions necessary to fix the country's economic woes, but "they know in their heart they have to accept it."
"Don't tell me the American people aren't ready to hear the truth. They know our government is out of control," Christie said at the CATO Institute's Milton Friedman Awards dinner. "They know our debt and our deficit is out of control. And don't confuse them liking the solution to them accepting it. They don't have to like it, but they know in their heart they have to accept it."
The Garden State governor has found himself in the midst of speculation that he could be a top contender to be chosen as presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney's running mate. Since endorsing Romney in the fall, he has been one of the former Massachusetts governor's top surrogates, and his speech here to the conservative think tank sounded like a politician on the national stage.
Christie said his leadership in New Jersey should be an example for the country, telling the story of how his state is battling back from some of the bleakest of economic times. He used an executive order to overcome the $2.2 billion budget shortfall he faced shortly after taking office in 2010.
The tough talking governor recalled for the crowd his options in overcoming the deficit. "I could sit down and negotiate with the Democratic leadership and the Democratically controlled legislature to try to come to an agreement on these cuts, or, thanks to New Jersey's unique Constitutional structure, cut spending through executive order," he said.
"Now, for those of you who watched me over the past two and a half years, if you believe I chose the former, then it is now time for you to leave. You are note smart enough to be here at the Milton Friedman Dinner."
The popular conservative, who mulled over his own presidential run, is often talked about in vice-presidential speculation because of his ability to excite the party base and record as a cost cutter in his home state. But he also is a lightening rod who could alienating independent voters with his in your face approach to politics.
"The great thing about operating by executive order is, first, that I didn't have to tell anybody," Christie said.
Christie has at times been a polarizing figure in New Jersey, but he maintains his way of doing business is something the federal government can learn from.
"Leaders have an obligation to make those tough choices. In New Jersey that is what we're trying to do. And in the process hopefully set an example for the rest of the country," he said.
"Believe me, if you can do this in New Jersey, you can do it anywhere."
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The comments can't attack Christie and what he has done to right NJ fiscal issues so they make fun of his weight. Who can stomach this base Democratic tactic?
Who can stomach this base Democratic tactic?
Thetrust - Christie has the "Stomach" for it...LOL
Obama/Biden - 2012
His eating is out of control.
I'm not a Democrat.
Sorry. A realist, though.
And, Mr. Christie is the government.
What a fraud-ramifications of his policies will erode New Jersey. I guess the helicopter to a high school game is getting it done?
Hes a joke-Dems can only hope he gets the VP nod
"don't confuse them liking the solution to them accepting it." Unless it's Communism which has been their goal all along.
Norman mattoon Thomas a six time candidate for the presidency of the U.S. said "he no longer had to seek high office because the Democrat party had adopted their platform, & that the American people would never knowingly or willingly accept Communism they would do so under the guise of freedom & democracy." He said that in 1943. "Freedom & democracy" Sound familiar?
"Redistribute the wealth" Nacy Pelosi, Harry Reid, & Vladimir Lenin. From each their own skills to each their own needs blah blah blah" Hillary Clinton & Karl Marx.
They better fix it & fix it right, because when they try to declare Communism as the solution everyone will know & no Mr. Christie no one will "know in their heart they have to accept it".
I like the democrats idea of redistributing the wealth in this country.
Take it from the middle class and redistributed as payment to China for all the borrowing they've done to fund the Obama bailouts and continuation of two wars.
Now with Obama's latest agreement, he's going to be borrowing $3.5 trillion to fund Afghan until 2024.
Middle class America, grab your butts. That another $3.5 trillion Obama will be adding to his never ending, ever growing debt crises that pushed the debt ceiling to $16.7 trillion.
Not a bad days work for 3.75 years considering that when Obama took office the debt ceiling was only $9.82 trillion.
“If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all. Instead, it becomes logical, even the perfect tool of power-seeking megalomaniacs,” explained the late Gary Allen. “Communism or more accurately, socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses, but of the economic elite.”
About eighty percent of the amount which has been added to the national debt during the Obama Presidency is the direct result of Pres. Bush policies or the direct result of the Great Recession which began during the Bush Presidency. During the Bush/Cheney administration almost five trillion dollars was added to the national debt.
Since Pres. Obama took office, the continuation of the Bush policies[unfunded wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the unfunded Bush income tax cuts(2001-Jan. 2011) which were extended in January 2011, Bush's unfunded Medicare prescription drug benefits program, debt service on these unfunded endeavors and etc.] have added an additional 1.5 trillion dollars to the debt.
At the same time the the financial crisis and the Great Recession and the aftermath for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012 have cost or will cost the federal government at least 2 trillion dollars in lost revenue, this has also been added to the debt since Pres. Obama took office.
In addition, Since Pres. Obama took office well over one trillion dollars has been added to the national debt to combat the effects and aftermath of the financial crisis and the Great Recession and forestall a second Great Depression, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(the stimulus), the extension of the Bush income tax cuts(begining in Jan. 2011), the payroll tax cuts and expanded unemployment benefits.
So policies and events which began during the previous administration have added at least 4 trillion dollars to the deficits and debt since Obama took office. President Obama has not been on a spending spree at at all, in fact it is quite the opposite. President Obama inherited the out-of-control debt producing disaster from his predecessor and the vast majority all the deficits and debt which have occurred since Obama took office are a result of the policies of the previous administration or are the result of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.
Carlson
Why hasn't Obama stopped the Bush Policies?? Why hasn't he ended the Afghan War? Why hasn't he stopped the Bush Tax Cuts? Why hasn't he stopped the Bush spending? Why hasn't he stopped anything that Bush started??
Carlson
Why didn't Obama propose his tax reform to congress when the democrats had control and he could have gotten it passed as easily as Obamacare?
Not a word about his tax reform for those two years. Stange isn't it, considering he made it a major campaign issue in his first campaign like he is making it an issue in this campaign.
@slodon
Pretty simple explanation. Aside from the party names of republican or democrat there is very little difference between the two when they are answering to the demands of their lobbyists. That... in a nutshell... is the biggest problem we as a nation face today.
You, as an intelligent person might question this. However when one studies the big picture over the last thirty years or so I believe you'll find it to be not far off the mark.
For some time now the various presidents have served as little more than pawns to be manipulated by their benefactors.
If we want an actual return to sanity we're going to have to come up with a way to remove the outside influences from D.C.
M.Carlson---Your facts are correct. The right hates facts but they do love to make bullsh!t up. Next thing we will hear from these morons is that President Obama was secretly behind 9/11 and OBLaden so that he could take him out when he became president and win re-election.
To clear the air.
Here is the debt ceiling dates and amounts for the past 12 years.
January 2012 - $16.7 trillion
$14.294 trillion
$12.394 trillion
$12.104 trillion
$9.815 trillion
$8.184
Please take a minute to read this Obama speech about debt ceilings. Then look at the debt ceiling above.
From Sen. Obama’s Floor Speech, March 20, 2006:
The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that “the buck stops here.” Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.
At the time, Senator Obama was urging Congress not to tolerate an increase that would bring the debt ceiling to $9 trillion.
This clearly shows that Bush was getting the debt ceiling raised so he could borrow money to pay for his folly.
It also clearly show that Obama was not only getting the debt ceiling raised to pay for his folly, he was also getting it raised to pay for his never ending, ever growing debt crises.
Obama's speech clearly states that these actions are the actions of failed leadership that puts this country at risk.
That makes Obama no better than Bush as a President. The only difference between them is the amount of time (8 years as opposed to 3.5 years) in which these two men put this country at risk.
@what happened
Hmmm.... just a little note, but I believe Obama was elected in 2008 and took office in early 2009. You might want to revise your little debt ceiling chart a bit.
Other than that you're doing okay although I would like to hear your thoughts on Romney. I have some concerns about his previous methods of operation as well.
Sorry for that. You are correct,
Wizzard
I'm not happy with the republicans either. I was downsized 4 times but not at Romney's doing...LOL. I respect their faith. It serves them well, but we are a nation of many faith and beliefs. Just because their faith provided the comfort they seek, it doesn't mean that its right for everyone. Its a choice that we make as individuals to choose to live and follow as our faith dictates. To force this on others is just plain wrong.
I compare gay rights to the slavery issue. It was the republicans that freeded the slaves. Its time they offered up the same humanity to gays as they did to the slaves. After all, there were many Christians who believed that slavery was the will of God.
Health care is defined as a humanitarin need of people, not the profits for an insurance company. We have many sucessful nonprofit healthcare organizationa across this country that provide quality health care services on a persons ability to pay. I feel the republicans are droping the ball on this issue becasue they aren't working with these nonprofit organizations to create a national health care program. Having nonprofits health care organizations adminsiter a natonal program would get the government out of the health care business altogether while sill protecting the insurance companies profits by reducing the risk on their policies.
Since the 70 when our jobs started to get exported to foreign nation, the believe that job creators should get tax breaks becasue they create jobs is so out of date that they make themselves look foolish when they repeat it. The tax codes need to be reformed so that revenues are generateed to attack our debt crises. Its time that everyone accepted the hard choices that need to be made. I heard a congress member say the other day that the taxes we pay today are less than the taxes paid in 1958. That's just wrong by any standard.
Have the republicans served us any better than the democrats, no. Neither one had made the hard choice to do the right thing for the people of this country.
Obama has a record and a pattern of behavior that shows he's not the man to turn around this country.
We need change, so I going to give Gary Johnson a look see. But in any case, I'm voting for change because the unkown is a better choice than Obama.
What happened- Does that include the two wars that weren't on the books? That Obama immediately added?
What is clear is that when President Obama took office the economy was already a deck of cards on the verge of collapse, no one thought it was going to be so sever, but you deal with it and move on, and if the GOP would help instead of wanting the President to fail, maybe we can completely recover!
Obama/Biden 2012~~~~~~
Humming bird
you use the two war like Obama ended them in the first week he was in office. Since you apparently aren't aware of it, Obama just committed $3.5 trillion to Afghan.
So I supposed its Bush's fault that Obama will have to raise the debt ceiling to cover this committment by Obama.
You democrats need to come back to the real world. The facts and Obama's own words just make you look like ass wipes with the nonsense you post.
You Obama supporters have shown me one thing.
We are wasting our money on Public education. You're proving that it is a failure as you all have educated yourselves into stupid by the nonsense you post.
Gov union buster & his twin here in wisconsin should both be removed. media saying they have rock star status amongst republicans..after we kick em to the curb maybe they can open for ted nugent..
It love the fact that you people assumed I supported Bush. Next to Obama, Bush is the second worse President this country has ever had.
I supported Obama. He became president. Then he continued with the Bush economic policies. Didn't repeal the Bush tax cuts to the rich, sign at least three Bush bailout bills, didn't propose his tax reform to congress when the democrats had control. On and on it went.
Then when he wasn't pushing Bush economic policy, he was borrowing and spending money, printing money that's devalued the dollar and has started an inflation that will better Carter's.
Now he has created a never ending, ever growing debt crises that pushed the debt ceiling to $16.7 trillion.
Apparently you miss some information that I didn't that was reported during the debates over the Obama debt crises.
That was the reports that said this country was barely able to pay the interest charges on the accumulated debt this country had already amassed. That this country had stopped paying the principles on some of it loans.
By any standard, that means this country is in deep do do with its debt. Well, here it is 9 months later and the borrowing continues and the debt ceiling keeps getting raised and the only changes to the revenue sources is they are being cut at the request of Obama.
A man who stood on the Senate floor in 2006 giving a speech about how these actions were failed leadership and a danger to this country.
Vote for him, what the hell do I care. I'm not voting for him for the above reasons and it doesn't have a damn thing to do with whether he's a democrat or a republican because at times its hard to tell which he is.
Its all about the debt he was elected to turn around so he would get this country on solid footing again. That was his promise if elected and from day one he abandoned it.
President Obama has been called every foul name in the book.
If he tries to work with the Republicans in Congress, they stomp on whatever he proposes. They brag publicly that their one and only agenda is the destruction of our President. If he does what he can through Executive Order, they accuse him of being a dictator.
Now we have this Republican bully bragging that he has no respect for the other elected people in his state. He brags that he does what he wants, when he wants. And the Republicans consider him their hero.
Irony? No. Hypocrisy!
How about if Obama showed some integrity for a change rather than play the political whore 24/7.
How quickly you forgot the arrogance Obama showed the Republicans when Obamacare passed.
He was on national TV and told the Republicans he didn't need them to pass any thing he wanted.
Well he was right, so why didn't he propose his tax reform to Congress right then and there?
Why did he wait until he lost control of the House to the Republicans before he prosed his tax reform to congress for the first time?
what happened?
How about if you apply the same standards to everyone, regardless of Party?
How about if you encourage your heroes to put our country first, instead of doing everything they can to destroy it?
How about if you encourage your heroes to care more about jobs and the economy, instead of obsessing on other people's sex lives?
Yes butterfly #37, obama was rejected by the Republicans because he wanted his programs done the 'obama way.' And the 'obama way' is spend money that the government doesn't have on welfare programs that he fully supports and embraces. You can spin and justify all you want but the 'obama way' is the wrong way.
Butterflywings
Obama is the one putting this country in danger with his out of control borrowing and spending policies using money he doesn't have.
His impassioned March, 2006 speech on the Senate floor says it all. In his own words, he condemns his actions as those of a failed leader.
Well, I agree with that speech, and I'm surprised that you don't. He's created a debt crises that has pushed the debt ceiling to $16.7 trillion and put our economy, our country in danger.
It's not the government that's out of control, it's the politicians heh heh!
Liberals hate him because he is not into 'doling out' business.
As long as Republicans are unwilling to accept any tax increases, they are the ones refusing to face reality.
Irresponsible.
They took 8 years to destroy the economy, It's going to take more than 4 to fix it. Especially when they obstruct every effort.
The Republicans have stated that their #1 priority is to defeat Obama. They have done everything they can to try to make it happen, while ignoring their responsibility to help fix what they broke.
Chris Christie commenting about government out of control? Well, he can't even control his own state that is mired debt in uncontrolable debt. Old Fatman can't even control his own eating habits. He is no authority on ANYTHING and why this creep is getting media attention is very hard to understand. He isn't much different when it comes to common sense than his fellow Republicans -Paul Ryan & Scott Walker,the new version of the Three Stooges.
Gov. Christie is absolutely correct ! Liberals can scream, whine, mock, insult and call him names all they want. It will do them no good. He is tougher than they are. The only ones who will not admit that we have unsustainable Social programs and union contracts are Liberal Democrats. They refuse to face reality.
Who cares what this fat piece of $h!t has to say about anything. He's a f'n loser.
The only thing "out of control" is your eating fatso.
How can anyone that morbidly obese talk about self control, and claim to be one who knows how to reign in government? Reign in about 160 lbs and you'll have an ounce of credibility, but still about 50 lbs to go. Yea, it's personal. Personal integrity is the source of public integrity.
I may start believing one word Christie or any other Republican say's,,,,,,,,,The day after they totally denounce and suggest the repeal the Bush taxcuts which have add'd $6 trillion to our debt and equal 1/2 of our present annual deficit.
The Federal Gov cannot give away $500 billion a year and still expect to pay the bills any more than you or I could give away a HUGE chunk our our own income and pay our bills.
Republicans will promise the World to regain power, But once they are there, Every single one of them have proven they have NO idea how to govern.
Christie is correct that changes can be made.
The first issue is that you must have folks in D.C. that actually want to return the government to an economic path that is sustainable, and not headed for a Greek style disaster.
Currently, there doesn't seem to be anyone in that city that cares about that. They are only concerned about the immediate political wars, and short term political gains.
In order to get things back on track, the voters need to make a massive overhaul, both in the White House, and in Congress.
Every thing bad happening is because of the Koch brothers, right? Yet all you demodrones don't say a word about George Soros and his control over odumbo. Barbara, are you related to Feisty? You both have your noses so far up odumbo's azz. When do you find time to get a breath of fresh air? Hey Bo, your wonderful president saw fit to extend the tax cuts. Thats ok, right?
When are you going to find the time to compose a cogent statement?
If there's anything out of control in New Jerseys' government, it's Jabba the Guv. He seems to have the same outlook as the late Jersey City mayor Frank "I am the law!" Hague. If he keeps it up, he will probably find a similar fate. His arrogance and bullying are like a rasp file running across the teeth, and has worn thin with a great deal of the population.
Okay, okay, I've got it. Eating contest between Chris Christie and Michael Moore. Winner gets to be president...
Ron Paul 2012 all others are Banker shills.
Follow the money it all leads to the Jewish crime syndicate headed by the rothschilds. Anything else you think is the cause is exactly what they want. In crime ,theft,extortion,assasination follow the money.
“Whoever controls the volume of money in our country is absolute master of all industry and commerce…and when you realize that the entire system is very easily controlled, one way or another, by few powerful men at the top, you will not have to be told how periods of inflation and depression originate.” – President James Garfield, 2 weeks before his assassination.
"Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin.
The Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them,
but leave them the power to create deposits,
and with the flick of the pen they will
create enough deposits to buy it back again.
However, take it away from them, and
all the great fortunes like mine
will disappear and they ought to disappear, for
this would be a happier and better world to live in.
But, if you wish to remain the slaves of Bankers
and pay the cost of your own slavery,
let them continue to create deposits."
--- Sir Josiah Stamp (1880-1941)
President of the Bank of England & 2nd richest man in Britain
Source: Speaking at the Commencement Address of the University of Texas in 1927
“If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth, then the seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all. Instead, it becomes logical, even the perfect tool of power-seeking megalomaniacs,” explained the late Gary Allen. “Communism or more accurately, socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses, but of the economic elite.”
"Only God can create… value out of nothing"—Justice Martin V. Mahoney in First National Bank of Montgomery vs. Jerome Daly.
"(I’m) doing God’s work." – Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein
What is fraud except creating “value” from nothing and passing it off as something?
Frauds interlink and grow upon each other. Our debt-based money system serves as the fraud foundation. In our debt-based money system, debt must grow in order to create money. Therefore, there is no way to pay off aggregate debt with available money. More money must be lent into the system to make the payments for old debts. This causes overall debt to expand as new money for actual people (vs. banks) always arrives at interest and compounds exponentially. This process is called financialization.
Financialization: The process of making money from nothing in which debt (i.e. poverty, lack) is paradoxically considered an asset (i.e. wealth, gain). In current financialized economies “wealth expansion” comes from the parasitic taxation of productivity in the form of interest on fiat lending. This interest over time consumes a greater and greater share of resources, assets, labor, and livelihood until nothing is left.
Only in a debt-based money system could debt be curiously cast as an asset. We’ve made “extend and pretend” a quaint phrase for a burgeoning market for financial lying and profiteering aimed toward preventing the collapse of a debt- (or lack-) based system that was already doomed by its initial design to collapse. This primer will detail the major components and basic evolution of fake wealth creation, accelerating debt expansion, hollowing out of the economy, and inevitable financial implosion.
Stage one—Fiat money origination, multiplication, and distribution
The U.S. Federal Reserve System (“The Fed”): A private, non-transparent entity, formed in 1913, representing and serving private, profit-driven banks that creates money from nothing (fiat) and to which the U.S. government has delegated and effectively ceded its constitutional power to coin money.
The Fed essentially lends our “sovereign” public money to us at interest, paying for things like government debt with more debt, thus expanding debt. By contrast, the Fed currently gives away money to its constituent private banks at zero percent interest, allowing those banks to buy U.S. Treasury bonds, which yield a 2-3 percent interest mark-up to be paid by taxpayers, adding to citizen debt.
Fractional reserve: Private fiat fabrication of exchangeable public “money” as a bookkeeping entry through “multiplication” of public fiat held in private bank reserves. Holding 100,000 dollars of depositors’ money may allow me, as a bank, to lend out 1,000,000 dollars. By what authority? None, really, just my say-so and my action.
In the court case referenced in the heading quote, Justice Mahoney ruled against a bank acting in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis in its efforts to foreclose upon and “buy” a U.S. citizen’s house by simply creating “the entire $14,000.00 foreclosure purchase in money or credit upon its own books by bookkeeping entry.” Further, “Mr. Morgan (the plaintiff/bank representative) admitted that no United States Law or Statute existed which gave him the right to do this.” (First National Bank of Montgomery vs. Jerome Daly)
Stage two—Delusional, unregulated value assignment, manipulation, and expansion
After money is created out of thin air, other market mechanisms have been propagated to magnify, funnel, and package value-from-nothing further still, creating financial vehicles that add more numbers without adding more value.