DAY 14: CHRISTIE'S VALUES CLOCK KEEPS TICKING

Day 14: Christie’s Values Clock Keeps Ticking

TRENTON – Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today continued his call for Right Wing Conservative Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie to get the “technical” glitches worked out from his values. The AP reported on June 18 that the Christie for Governor website took down the “Shared Values” section that declared Christie’s clearly defined positions against a woman’s right to choose and gay marriage for “technical reasons”.  The Democratic State Committee’s “Christie’s Values Clock”—now in its 14th day on the website—keeps track of how long it will take for the Conservative standard bearer to re-discover his values.

“Christie has changed his tune before on when he embraced an anti-choice agenda” said Cryan. “For two weeks now, Christie’s website has been inconsistent as well with his right wing conservative value set. The ‘Christie’s Values Clock’ is now into its 14th day and will stay up until Christie’s campaign re-discovers his values for him.”

Christie has made his staunch anti-choice agenda a centerpiece of his campaign. He has vowed to push for restrictions on a woman’s right to choose if elected governor, something he has done in the past, and has even declared his support for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

Christie’s fiery right wing rhetoric has lost much of its heat since the deletion of the “Shared Values” page and the removal of the link to the “Shared Values” page from the issues section. While all of the other issues, including Christie’s positions on the economy and education, remain on that page, Christie’s position on choice has been pushed to a less-accessible Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) section. The abbreviated response moves significantly away from the right wing conservative values espoused on the “Shared Values” page, eliminating several key details and facts, including endorsements from anti-choice leaders.

This is not the first time Christie has come under fire for his inconsistencies on his right wing conservative values. During the Republican primary, a rival challenged the discrepancies in Christie’s flip-flop on a woman’s right to choose, distributing copies of a 1996 Star-Ledger story about Christie cosponsoring a resolution to ban a late-term abortion procedure.

Christie claims he decided to oppose a woman’s right to choose after hearing the heartbeat of his unborn daughter 14 years ago. Yet in a July 1996 article by the Record of Bergen County—13 years ago—Christie is quoted as saying he is “pro-choice” but opposed to late-term abortion. At the time, he was on the Morris County freeholder board and led an effort to pass a resolution denouncing the procedure. ‘I'm pro-choice, but I think this procedure is reprehensible,’ he was quoted as saying.

While Christie now claims the Record misquoted him, a statement by him in the Morris County Freeholder minutes and two Star-Ledger articles from the time also contradict his story.

Reporters Michael Aron of NJN and Michael Symons of Gannett New Jersey have joined the call for Christie to restore his right wing conservative values to his website. In a discussion of Christie’s right wing conservative values on Reporters’ Roundtable on NJN, which aired Friday, June 26, Symons said the Christie’s Values Clock “reminds people that [Christie] holds some social opinions that aren’t, you know, overwhelmingly the viewpoint of the New Jersey public and that he’s sorta trying to hide that from you.” Host Michael Aron replied, “So maybe he should put them back up and get rid of one of those two.” “Sure. Exactly,” said Symons.

“Although there are conflicting stories about his adoption of the anti-choice position and his website is now at odds with those right wing conservative values, there is not a shred of doubt that Christie will work proactively to take away a woman’s right to choose,” said Cryan. “New Jersey voters should have an opportunity to decide whether those values are right for them.”

To view the “Christie’s Values Clock” or add it to your blog or website, please visit: www.njdems.org.