Christine Whitman's blog

Despite their occasionally centrist-sounding rhetoric, the Democratic candidates for president are no moderates.  This is becoming particularly clear with Barack Obama, especially in light of several recent comments he has made.   Obama ended last week by expressing his support for “age-appropriate sexual education” for students in kindergarten.  He started this week by saying in the CNN debate that he would engage in negotiations with dictators like Kim Jong-Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Hugo Chavez.  Further, he said he would walk the picket line with strikers as President. None of these positions reflects the attitudes of independents or swing voters.  Instead, they are representative of Obama’s strong courtship of far-left voters.

Although I am saddened by her passing, I continue to be impressed by Lady Bird Johnson¹s achievements - both personal and profesional - throughout her long life.  Lady Bird Johnson was a strong woman who not only supported her husband and his career, but also made a name for herself as First Lady and as a successful businesswoman.  I will always remember Lady Bird Johnson's commitment to our natural environment and her efforts to clean up the lands around our highway system.  This beautification project, which President Johnson signed into law in the 1960s, was an important milestone in the clean-up of our environment - especially in those areas where the environment was most impacted by human action.  Lady Bird Johnson is an inspirational businesswoman, naturalist, and political leader.  My thoughts and prayers are with the Johnson family at this time.

No matter one's opinion of the immigration bill before Congress two weeks ago, it is a sad commentary on the failure of our government to address one of its largest public policy problems.  Immigration is one of the most important issues we face today and it is unfortunate that the  Congress will now have said nothing about it - at least not until after the 2008 elections.  The defeat of the immigration proposal is a stark admission that politics, not policy, is the controlling factor in our governmental system.  It’s truly a poor reflection on the government on one of the greatest nations on earth.

There is great news from the two national parties, which have both decided to hold “green conventions” in 2008.  From carbon offsets to confetti made from recycled paper, the two parties are clearly taking this challenge seriously and are developing innovative solutions to curb their impact on the environment.

Although I am  disappointed in Mayor Bloomberg's decision to leave the Republican Party, I still believe today as I have over the past five years that the example he has set in New York City is a good one for Republicans.  Mayor Bloomberg has successfully governed an overwhelmingly-Democratic city by bringing together broad coalitions of diverse voters.  His centrist approach to policymaking has earned him praise from media and political pundits across the political spectrum.  And his experiences outside of government and his willingness to consider different policy options have led him to introduce innovative policy changes for America's largest city.

I was glad (and mildly surprised) to see that the last question at last night's Republican debate was about the role of centrists in the party.  I was disappointed that only three of the ten candidates were able to answer the question.  I was further dismayed by Congressman Duncan Hunter who scoffed at the question and categorically rejected the bipartisan approach to policy-making advocated by Governor Schwarzenegger.

This week’s announcement by the  Bush Administration of stiff sanctions against the Sudanese government is a  positive development in the effort to stop the genocide in the Darfur region  of that country.

There’s exciting news out of New York City today where Mayor Bloomberg has a plan to convert the entire fleet of over 10,000 taxi cabs to hybrid vehicles within five years.  It is ambitious programs like these that set the example for other cities and communities across the country – and around the world – to do their part in curbing carbon emissions.

It is remarkable that the first primary in the 2008 race for president is more than eight months away and yet the Republican candidates just finished their second, nationally televised debate.  The debate was unique in several respects - first of which was the emergence of criticism between and among the candidates.  Though the candidates' criticisms of each other were relatively mild, it is not a good sign that any attacks are starting so soon.  Imagine what the candidates will be saying about each other over the next eight months.

Last week the City Journal published a devastating account of New Jersey’s fiscal situation.  Calling the state “the country’s most fiscally unfit state, overwhelmed by huge deficits and stratospheric taxes,” the article explains how the number of public sector jobs in New Jersey has increased by fourteen percent since 2000 – twice the national average and far more than our four percent population growth.  This increase in public sector jobs is occurring at all levels of government, involving taxpayers in every corner of the state.