Christie, citing Obama, unveils energy plan

By Matt Friedman | July 6th, 2009 - 2:14pm

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Governor Jon Corzine is not the only politician in the state trying to associate himself with President Obama.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie today took a page out of Obama's 2008 campaign playbook today, promising that a Christie administration will push hard to create renewable energy-related jobs in New Jersey.

“It’s a change that President Obama stands firmly behind. I couldn’t agree more,” said Christie in a web video, which even included a still shot of Obama inspecting a solar panel.

In a multi-pronged unveiling of the campaign platform, which included the web video, a splash on Christie’s campaign Web site, a marketing push on Facebook and a tour around towns in central and southern New Jersey, Christie blamed Gov. Jon Corzine for high taxes that he said stunted renewable energy production.

“Here in New Jersey, unfortunately, we’ve had leadership that likes to talk a lot about renewable energy but hasn’t done much of anything,” he said.

The Christie ad cited federal government statistics that ranked New Jersey the 43rd state in renewable energy generation, although the statistics were based on data from 2007 and did not adjust for geographical and environmental limitations. States of comparable size to New Jersey all rank in the bottom half of the list.

“That’s simply not good enough. It’s not meeting the president’s goals, and it’s not meeting the needs of New Jersey citizens. That’s why I’m going to make renewable energy a key part of the Christie Administration,” said Christie.

Christie said he would personally reach out to CEOs of green energy companies to convince them to relocate wind turbine and solar panel manufacturing here. He said he would create two programs to help that along: one to promote the state to the companies, and one to encourage the use and manufacture of renewable energy.Manufacturers would get either a full tax credit or a full insurance premium credit, Christie said, while 20% of farmland preserved with state funds would be devoted to solar farms.

Corzine, for his part, hosted U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar two weeks ago to give four companies leases to explore wind power off-shore.

Obama remains a popular figure in New Jersey. A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released last week put President Obama’s approval rating here at 61%.

Corzine, who had Vice President Joe Biden add some star power to his reelection campaign kickoff last month, plans a rally with Obama at Rutgers on July 12.

Christie’s campaign responded to that news by emphasizing that the election would be about state issues, not Obama. But today was not the first time he invoked the President. After testifying in front of a congressional subcommittee about his use of deferred prosecution agreements when he was U.S. Attorney, Christie noted that a Deputy Attorney General who testified opposed legislation authored by U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) and Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) that regulated the agreements.

"I agree with the Obama Administration, who think that what we did was completely appropriate," he said.

The Corzine campaign, however, prefered to link Christie with the immediate past president.

“It is good to see the Christie campaign finally releasing something that might be considered a ‘detail,’” said Corzine spokesman Sean Darcy. “Unfortunately, giving 100% tax credits does not constitute an energy policy. In fact, providing 100% tax breaks for corporations is reminiscent of the type of policies given to us by George W. Bush for the past eight years.’

Darcy said that New Jersey has “one of the strongest solar programs in the nation,” and said that the program Salazar helped kick off is the nation’s first offshore wind project development.

He also said that Corzine’s Energy Master Plan, which was unveiled last October, will ease energy costs, create 23,000 “green collar” jobs and “establish the energy industry as a cornerstone of the state’s economy.” The plan’s goal is to have 30% of the state’s energy consumption come from renewable energy by 2020.

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could his campaign be more off message

Submitted by k986jl3 on July 6, 2009 - 1:33pm.

i've never seen such a scattered message campaign...i'm a conservative, i'm tough on crime, Obama is wrong on stimulus, wrong on Sotomayor....but i love his energy plan and will use him and his image to try to steal democratic votes.

What a phony.

The message is clear

Submitted by gorednj on July 6, 2009 - 1:38pm.

The message is clear. Christie is the independent thinker that this state needs. Partisanship has led us to near ruins. Thank God finally someone that isn't willing to be boxed in by party ideology

To k986jl3

Submitted by roryar on July 6, 2009 - 2:11pm.

How is this off message? Christie is not out to be "the anti-Obama" and he's never proclaimed to be. There are obviously issues where he feels the president is wrong, but there are also issues where he feels he has common ground with Obama. Is this so terrible?

He's also not the first Republican to feel we need to invest more in renewable sources of energy and green technology.

Christie The Liberal

Submitted by LibertyNJ on July 6, 2009 - 2:34pm.

Good God. Do we really need any more of an indication that Christie is as out of touch with New Jersey as Corzine is?

It really warms my heart and makes me feel confident about New Jersey's future to hear Christie talk about his stances on gun control, abortion, and now the environment ... yet he STILL hasn't outlined a plan to reduce taxes and cut government spending, which is the biggest concern for most citizens in this state.

You dropped the ball, NJ Republican voters. You picked another fickle cupcake in the vein of Doug Forrester and Dick Zimmer, and you practically handed the Governor's seat back to Corzine (or Booker). I am completely shocked that you haven't learned your lesson yet. No wonder why we're getting trounced at both the state and federal levels. We pick Democrat-lite choices as our candidates instead of fiscal conservatives.

If Christie likes Obama so much, why doesn't he beg him for a job in his cabinet and drop his campaign so that we can get someone that's going to tackle the issues that New Jersey citizens are most concerned with?

Fickle Cupcakes

Submitted by CliffordCase on July 6, 2009 - 3:23pm.

"You picked another fickle cupcake in the vein of Doug Forrester and Dick Zimmer,"

Of course don't bother to mention "fickle cupcakes" like Christie Whitman and Tom Kean.
When was the last time a GOP candidate who wasn't a "fickle cupcake" elected to statewide office?

WE TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!

Submitted by formaja on July 6, 2009 - 3:51pm.

Nothing more to say on the subject.

Mr 35%, still sticking to that number. And that might be generous in the end.

saying we're 43rd in

Submitted by k986jl3 on July 6, 2009 - 3:52pm.

renewable energy production is like saying we're 47th (or whatever it is) in square miles and we have to do better.

We have more solar panels than any other state besides California.

Corzine (a rich failure) Vs Christie (unproven politician)

Submitted by JP TRISTANI on July 6, 2009 - 4:01pm.

I see Christie's main problems as #1, He has yet to articulate the areas he would change that would bring NJ out from a moral fiscal bankruptcy.

But on a plus side, he is running against a governor who has failed to live up to his billing as a financial whiz and has shown repeatedly that he cannot get low enough to be an effective politician...and the end result of his tenure is NJ becoming one of 3-states listed as the most corrupt and one of the 3-most financially critical states in the obamacles 55, a beggar state relying on the largess of an articulate celebrity sitting on the White House throne (not the one in the toilet), a governor who considers it a plus that the fastest rising job market in the state is in the areas of public employment, a governor who's idea of union negotiations is postponing millions of dollars in payments to a future date and a governor who hasn't a clue on the reality of obtaining lofty goals based on solar and wind driven technologies. Governor Corzine doesn't yet realize that unlike the wind coming out of Trenton State House, wind across the earth's surface is neither steady or predictable, the sun doesn't shine 24 hours each day, but the 53% of electric power derived by NJ's nuclear power plants is a proven and reliable source that will benefit us all.

But it is no fun listing all of Corzine's failures since it becomes depressing adding him to my list of those I have found in life that should know better, yet, will always rise to my lowest expectations.

Christie would be better off if he would merely admit that he is stuck with being a Republican and running as such. It's become a party of losers...backbiters that have deservedly put them on the "backbench."

However, if he would make NJ citizens understand that he has a party reality but what he intends to do is fight for the people of the state...for the betterment of the state, NOT to elevate his party, trounce Democrats, but make us all believe that he will go head to head with anyone to effect a policy that he believes is to bring NJ out of our fiscal morass...and let us all see the transparency of his actions without worrying that he has skin in the game only for an opportunity to gain higher office, or that NJ is really just a stepping stone in a large lake of self service and ego boosting.

Regardless...fair disclosure, I'll vote for Christie simply because I think he cannot do worse than what Corzione has shown...so, throw one bum out and let's give another a chance to become a bum that we will replace if he cannot perform after his 4-year term is ended.

JP Tristani
Ramsey, NJ

Wrong way to go

Submitted by chrisc23 on July 6, 2009 - 4:26pm.

These type of things are bad for an opponent like Christie. Republicans need to run on a platform of individual liberty. Something the Republican party used to stand for. We need LESS government. Bottom line.
He needs to unveil a plan to merge towns. Find innovative ways to share service. Maybe merge counties from 21 to 6. Focus on volunteerism in the State. I never understood why we can't privatize our police forces. Sell the turnpike/parkway. Sell state parks.

Daggett's Energy Plan

Submitted by 2.5millionindep... on July 6, 2009 - 4:38pm.

What does a hedge fund manager or a prosecutor know about renewable energy...NOTHING!

I'd take Daggett's resume over these two any day of the week.

LOL!!!

Submitted by formaja on July 6, 2009 - 4:46pm.

posted by gorednj

The message is clear. Christie is the independent thinker that this state needs. Partisanship has led us to near ruins. Thank God finally someone that isn't willing to be boxed in by party ideology

Yes Gored, the message is clear. That there is none to speak of. You know what independants are in this party, LIBERALS! Wow have you changed your tune. You have got to be a staffer for Christie in some capacity. Only someone this loyal would say something so stupid!

Bipartisonship for Republicans is when they do what the Democrats want.

Green jobs are not ideology, they are fantasy. He is taking the side of the 3 liberal Congressman who voted on how best to legilslate the jobs of Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy, Man made Gaia worshipping Global Cliamate change is a hoax, as is any semblence of conservatism in Chris Chirstie.

I do love the clock on this website put out by Corzine. The reason Christie has not posted his values is because he has none, like most leftists.

Poor Formaja

Submitted by gorednj on July 6, 2009 - 5:12pm.

Still crying over the sour milk he drank in the primary. You are only happy with a cookie cutter candidate who esposes the same party line B.S. Christie is a conservative fiscally and socially but is innovative, tough nosed and just the right candidate for NJ in 2009.

Laughing, not crying

Submitted by formaja on July 6, 2009 - 5:23pm.

at grown adults who still believe in Santa Clause!

You people really are hysterical.

Hey, can I get a tax break to create technology to fly like superman. I really BELIEVE I can do it, can I can I can I PLEASE!

Green jobs are the same thing, DC comic fantasyland. Just like the Christie campaign for Governor.

Thanks for the entertainment today.

Couldn't resist

Submitted by Anti-RINO on July 6, 2009 - 9:44pm.

The human body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to "smarten" a person up. That's why modeLs are basically stupid people. And so I can't help but wonder...WHAT EFFECT DOES OVER-EATING HAVE ON CHRISTIE'S BRAIN!?!

CLIFFORD CASE / ALAN MARCUS

Submitted by paramus on July 7, 2009 - 9:28am.

what a fake phoney turncoat fraud you have turned out to be. A few weeks/ months ago
you were Chris Christies biggest cheer leader and now you cant dump him fast enough.

"what a fake phoney turncoat

Submitted by CliffordCase on July 7, 2009 - 6:14pm.

"what a fake phoney turncoat fraud you have turned out to be. A few weeks/ months ago you were Chris Christies biggest cheer leader and now you cant dump him fast enough."

Who's dumping Christie? I can't even lift the guy so how can I dump him?

I applaud Christie's stand on the environment which reflects not only mainstream Republicans who know how to win elections in this state like Christie Whitman and Tom Kean but also appeals to moderate independent and Democratic voters.

Kudos to Christie for not pandering to the extremists within his own party.