Republican gubernatorial candidates cross paths at GOP chairmen's event in Princeton

PRINCETON – It didn’t look like a scene of devastation – or of a coming battle.

In the swank lobby of the Hyatt Regency, water tumbled over rocks and splashed into a pool, where Koi fish gaped up at a swiftly striding figure heading toward a crew of young, BlackBerry-thumbing operatives at the far end of a long, carpeted corridor.

On his way to the Republican Party chairmen’s dinner on Monday evening, Chris Christie took several questions before an aide steered him toward his destination: a room in which 15 of the party’s 21 chair people and party leaders waited to assess the merits of the former U.S. Attorney and three other Republican candidates for governor a month in front of the first county convention in Union.

Like a lot of his colleagues, Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore personally thinks Christie gives his party the best shot at rebirth.

“I will be endorsing Chris Christie,” he said, against the nagging back story of former Bogota Mayor and movement conservative Steve Lonegan, who for months has aggressively organized a grassroots effort in the likely event he’s unable to scale the walls of the establishment at a majority of the party’s nominating conventions.

Continuing in his role as presumptive front-runner, Christie tonight refused to get specific about his views on the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), saying only that he wasn’t going to answer questions on Lonegan’s timeline.  

Trying to mix it up early, Lonegan and his campaign have repeatedly criticized Christie for publicly failing to support the demolition of COAH, and for failing to delve into the finer points of his economic policy.

Of Gov. Jon Corzine’s pension deferral plan, which came out of the budget committee today, Christie said, “It’s a gimmick. I think it’s unfortunate they’re not dealing with the underlying budget issues.” 

Asked how he would spend what Corzine estimates could be up to $4 billion in federal stimulus dollars, the candidate wouldn’t comment without yet knowing specifics about a federal aid package.

On the economy in general, he remained steadfast in his refusal to go micro.

“I’ll talk about that when the time comes,” he said, and reiterated his willingness to take in-depth questions regarding his plans at his formal campaign kickoff next week.

Earlier in the evening, Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-Egg Harbor Township) had made that same walk down the hallway as a stand-in for Atlantic County Republican Party Chairman Keith Davis.

“I have no horse in the race yet,” insisted Polistina when asked whom he’s supporting for governor. “I’ve not had the opportunity to talk to Chris Christie. He’s been good on corruption issues, no one questions that. What I want to hear at this point is his plan to get New Jersey’s economic house in order.”

Christie and his fellow GOP competitors –Lonegan, Franklin Mayor Brian D. Levine, and Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R-Mendham) – didn’t have much time tonight in front of the party Pooh-Bahs, including chair of the chairmen state Sen. Kevin O’Toole (R-Essex), who tossed them several questions apiece over the course of about fifteen minutes each.

Levine said as he headed in to make his case that federal aid shouldn’t be used to plug the state budget and provide business tax cuts, as Merkt suggested two days ago in an interview with PolitickerNJ.com.

“That’s a one-time gimmick,” Levine said. “No, we should be focused on strengthening our hospitals, many of which have struggled or have closed. That’s where federal aid should go.

“As for the deferred pension payment plan of the governor’s, that’s not a good concept,” Levine added. “That’s only putting off until next week what has to be paid anyway. We should bite the bullet now."

Some of the grumbled remarks from insiders on the way in to the dinner concerned the fate of Republican Chairman Tom Wilson, and the tough prospect for the party to try to stand upright after the leveling it took in the Nov. 4th election, with President Barack Obama smothering Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by 15 points in New Jersey.

Yet whatever happens, to a man party members pledged that this year’s process wouldn’t tun into another Andy Unanue coronation implosion.

“We heard from all the candidates tonight - how they would run in a primary and how they would run in a general election,” said O’Toole, serving in his first year as chair of the chairmen and as Gilmore’s successor.

“Everyone marvels at the job Chris Christie did as U.S. Attorney - that goes across the board, but what’s important now is that the process be open, and it will be,” O’Toole added.

For his part, Christie dismissed the notion that the post-W Republican Party has devolved into a slow death civil war between mutually gored RINOs (Republicans in name only) and social conservatives incapable of drawing blue state Democrats into a meaningful fight.

“These are cute names and labels put out there by desperate consultants,” the candidate said. “People will get the opportunity to watch me over the next several months and will be able to make their own decision beyond the labeling of political consultants.”   

After meeting with party members, Christie exchanged a brief greeting with Lonegan, who was on his way in to the dinner on the heels of Levine. The men clutched hands at close range, but Christie kept moving before a flash camera could frame the event as a rebel meets lawman moment.

“I will sure make my best effort to be a team player,” said Lonegan, as he waited for Levine to make his pitch so that he could go in and take his own turn before a crowd of pro-Christie Republicans, including Wilson, Gilmore, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr., (R-Union), Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany-Troy Hills), and Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield).

In the meantime, he took a double blast at Corzine and Christie.

Any money the state gets from the federal government should go to re-establish an already pilfered unemployment trust fund and pension fund, Lonegan argued.

“But unfortunately, Corzine will use money from a federal stimulus package to grow government,” he said, before taking a second crack at Corzine’s pension deferral plan, which he called “worse than Christie Whitman’s pension bonds. It will bite us worse in a couple of years. Instead of deferring pensions, we ought to end COAH. I’ll do that. Chris Christie? How can he take on the Supreme Court when he was the greatest cheerleader for (Chief Justice) Stuart Rabner?”

Sources say Gilmore would ask Lonegan if the Republican underdog would commit to not running slates against organizational lines in those counties where Lonegan fails to win the party’s backing. There might be opportunities in Burlington and Ocean counties, for example, where renegade Republican factions are fighting the power.

Lonegan reportedly told Gilmore he couldn’t make that commitment, likening such a promise to unilateral disarmament.