In an interview, Christie today outlined his own positions on social issues, saying he evolved from pro-choice to pro-life with the birth of his children but would not use the governor's office to "force that down people's throats."

Anyone who considers this a "pro-Life" viewpoint is either naive or a fool.

Does anyone think that Kean, Kean, Kyrillos, Eisenberg, Straight, Bateman, Kelly Hatfield and every other militant pro-abortion "Republican" would be backing Chris Christie if he were really "pro-Life."

then I might as well go with Steve over this issue and the fiscal. Neither will win a General Election with this "red herring".

Steve baited Chris to the right and Pillsbury fell for it. What a sharp stick he is.

He was a pro-abortion, or "pro-choice" if you prefer, candidate for office long after his children were born. That's a complete lie.

Regardless Rick, it is not up to the government to pass laws to bar medical procedures. This only became an issue in the GOP in the 80's when the Republicans were sick and tired of losing elections. Instead of coming up with any real substantive policy issues, they sold their souls to the religous fundamentialist movement to blur the line between church and state. When a Republican is pandering to these people the way Lonegan is, it creates the perception that as a Governor, that religious view will be the state sponsored view. This is not in the tradition of true conservatives like Barry Goldwater who were in fact, pro-choice. Deal with it, abortion is legal.

The man lied. He is a panderer and an untrustworthy liar. Everything that now comes out of the mouth of Christie is suspect.

"Smith rarely endorses in statewide Republican primaries"

As I've stated elsewhere GOP leaders like Smith know this is a blue state and they want to make sure that the top of the ticket doesn't damage the rest. He knows Chris Christie will unite the Party and run a strong campaign even if he loses. OTOH, Smith is obviously aware that a lunatic like Looneygan will damage GOP prospects in other races.

Who wants to take bets on how long before Scott Garrett wakes up, smells the kool-aid and endorses the great Chris Christie for Governor?

It's probably a good call on the Lonegan campaign. Try to run on social conservative issues in order to win the primary. Trouble is, Brett Schundler already did that, and everyone saw how well that went. If you win a primary running hard to the right on social issues, you will not be able to regain the center in the general.

Are you talking about the same Barry Goldwater who endorsed Gerry Ford over Ronald Reagan?

Why didn't Steve get his matching funds today?

I noticed Christie got a check from ELEC today for more than 3/4 of a million. Lonegan submitted his last request for matching funds the same day as Christie. Why did Chris get funding but Lonegan didn't? Could it be that ELEC has put a hold on Lonegan's funding pending an investigation into whether he obtained his initial funding through submission of a false certification?

Rick,

Goldwater endorsed Ford because he saw how Reagan was taking the party to what is now the new right-wing of the Republican. He knew Reagan was a big government authoritative Republican as opposed to a true conservative. Yes, you know, the guy that wrote the book - literally. Arguing Goldwater is not a true conservative just goes to show why none of your candidates ever win elections.

I assume you were happy with the new republican party in the 80's that dangerously embraced religious fundamentalism because that small fervant minority group would fund hopeless campaigns and it would make you a lot of money.

Hey, I'm a capitalist, it's all good.

I find it interesting that anyone with the handle "cliffordcase" -- a miserable human being who hated the state he "represented" -- would care about a Republican Primary. But NJ, that's a real stunner, claiming that Ronald Reagan was not a conservative. Next, you'll be telling us that Obama's not a socialist. And you're right: abortion is legal. So, once, was slavery and segregation, until a buch of loony toons religious wingnuts got the idea that "all men are created equal". Abolitionism was, fundamentally, a religious movement, and the politicians of the day -- Lincoln included -- hated them. Abolitionists won few elections, and certainly not here in NJ, which twice voted for Lincoln's pro-choice-on-slavery Democratic opponents. And the civil rights movement? Led by religious nuts like the REVEREND MLK. There will come a day when those who support abortion rights are thought of just like to those who supported slavery.

Ah yes, back in the days when NJ gave healthy majorities for Republican Presidential candidates.

But that was, as CC points out, because Ronald Reagan was a "liberal."

Barry Goldwater can't pass the conservative litmus pass? This is a real recipe for victory.

Chris the "RINO" Smith leans so far to the left, he tips over.  This idiot is the definition of a "Dem-Lite" and the republicans in this state look at him as a quality endosement? 

Back on December 20th, during an interview on TV13, Chris "Cupcake" Christie did not have any position on abortion.  He must have been told what his position would be when he was anointed as the choosen one.  What a joke! 

"The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."
                --Theodore Roosevelt--

Goldwater was a RINO. The only reason he pretended to be to the right of Rockefeller was because it was a RINO plot to hand the election over to Johnson. Loony Lonegan conspiracy theory.

Mountaintop, give us a break, maybe you are the RINO, and are trying to hand the election to Corzine, by attacking the Republican rank and file.

There is no record other than his word that Christie is Pro-life. He is unknown quantity that all the KoolAid driners will follow off a cliff. Lonegan has been Pro-life, outspoken on the issue and can articulate the position of our conservative base.

No Rick, Goldwater dies not only pass the conservative litmus test, he wrote the conservative litmus test. It is people of your ilk who act as authoritative republicans where you claim to want seperation of church and state but align so closely with the fundamentalist religious groups that it is impossible to draw the distinction between church and state.

It is one thing to change the direction of the Republican party. That is what the 80's party did by bringing in religious groups as a key public policy constiuency. Barry Goldwater's views NEVER changed. The GOP changed and came up with this new definition of conservative that is so pervasive, it's scarey.

You are not as bright as you think. Stick to milking people for money under the false belief that they have shots of winning.

Goldwater backed Ford over Reagan in 1976.

Or are you talking about the 1964 Goldwater, whose main policy plank was opposition to the public accommodations section of that year's Civil Rights Act?

I asked that question several months ago. No one has given me a name.

Bottom line: It's tough enough for any Republican to win statewide in New Jersey. Add to the mix a "pro-life" Republican, and we're talking about something that never happens.

Jim Courter?

Brett Schundler?

Chuck Haytaian?

New Jersey is an overwhelmingly "pro choice" state -- whether you agree with that position or not.

The LAST THING the GOP needs in 2009 is for abortion to be a central issue of the gubernatorial campaign (as was the case in 1989, for example). That will play into Corzine's (or Codey's) playbook.

Christie taking a Mario Cuomo-like stance is sensible.

Please.  The abortion issue, if anything, helped Schundler in the general election against McSleazey - according to one poll at least.