Free Republic

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie broke with many in his party’s social conservative wing Wednesday, telling reporters that government employees who have objections to issuing same-sex marriage licenses should not be allowed to opt out. While many conservatives have called for steps to protect government employees who have objections to Friday’s same-sex marriage ruling from the Supreme Court, Christie said those who work for the government should abide by their oaths.

TRENTON — Stressing the importance of maintaining diversity at the highest levels of New Jersey’s judiciary, Gov. Chris Christie Monday nominated an openly gay African-American mayor and a Korean-American assistant attorney general to the Supreme Court.

"TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie moved to diversify the state’s all-white Supreme Court on Monday by proposing two firsts: the nominations of an openly gay black man and a Korean-born law enforcer to fill two vacancies. Christie announced the nominations at a Statehouse news conference attended by both nominees and their families. If confirmed, Bruce A. Harris would become New Jersey’s first openly gay justice, and Phillip H. Kwon would become its first Asian representative and the first person born outside the United States to be sworn in."

Playing off his persona as a New Jersey tough guy, Christie issued a mock warning. "New Jersey's watching you … We're watching you real closely," he said. "And I want to tell you something. I want to tell you something really clearly. I'm in a good mood this morning. I'm feeling happy and upbeat. I'm happy to be with Mitt and Ann. But let me tell ya, if you people disappoint me Tuesday, if you don't do what you're supposed to do on Tuesday for Mitt Romney. I will be back, Jersey-style."

Um, no we don’t. If anything, you could sum up the Tea Party as based in individual responsibility and the Occupy Wall Street protests as entitlement mania/revolution. Yeah, not really alike at all:

New Jersey Republican governor Chris Christie said Tuesday that he understands the growing Occupy Wall Street movement, adding that demonstrators have a right to be upset with the economy. “What they’re saying is ‘The government’s not working for me anymore, the government is not being fair, the government is not helping me the way that they should,’” Mr. Christie told a crowd of supporters. “I understand why they’re angry. Because you look down at what’s happening in Washington, D.C., it should disgust all of us,” the New Jersey Republican added. “You have a president who’s unwilling to drag people to...

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie hosted a frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday night, sitting down with Mitt Romney for dinner at the governor's mansion. Nearly two dozen people, including some of Christie's top political advisers and party leaders, gathered for the meeting with the former Massachusetts governor at Drumthwacket, according to three sources. The sources described the dinner as an informal discussion without any specific talk of endorsements in New Jersey's Republican presidential primary, which is still a year away. Romney has been laying the groundwork for a second presidential campaign, although he has not yet formally...