CPAC 2014: Christie Delivers Address Amidst Bridge-Gate and 2013 CPAC Snub

Christie Good to be ░░░░░░░░ Good to be here ░░░░░░░░ you all for your ░░░░░░░░ welcome I want to ░░░░░░░░ off with a story ░░░░░░░░ New Jersey A few ░░░░░░░░ ago our pension fund ░░░░░░░░ our public employee health ░░░░░░░░ fund together was over ░░░░░░░░ billion in debt And ░░░░░░░░ put together a plan ░░░░░░░░ do the things that ░░░░░░░░ should be doing here ░░░░░░░░ Washington D C on ░░░░░░░░ Raise the retirement age ░░░░░░░░ cost of living adjustments ░░░░░░░░ penalties for early retirement ░░░░░░░░ more money being put ░░░░░░░░ the system by the ░░░░░░░░ who are actually benefiting ░░░░░░░░ it And after we ░░░░░░░░ this you can imagine ░░░░░░░░ I was extraordinarily popular ░░░░░░░░ the public employee unions ░░░░░░░░ so we decided to ░░░░░░░░ what we do in ░░░░░░░░ Jersey not to go ░░░░░░░░ the chamber of commerce ░░░░░░░░ have a lunch I ░░░░░░░░ to go to the ░░░░░░░░ Jersey firefighters convention I ░░░░░░░░ to the firefighters convention ░░░░░░░░ I was introduced and ░░░░░░░░ was significantly a longer ░░░░░░░░ to the stage than ░░░░░░░░ was up here And ░░░░░░░░ entire time I was ░░░░░░░░ bathed in the love ░░░░░░░░ the public employee unions ░░░░░░░░ I got up to ░░░░░░░░ stage the person running ░░░░░░░░ convention said governor I ░░░░░░░░ sorry for the reception ░░░░░░░░ said no no I ░░░░░░░░ to the podium like ░░░░░░░░ and I said as ░░░░░░░░ were booing the hell ░░░░░░░░ of me I said ░░░░░░░░ on you can do ░░░░░░░░ than that let s ░░░░░░░░ and they did And ░░░░░░░░ I said to them ░░░░░░░░ had a prepared remarks ░░░░░░░░ make and I took ░░░░░░░░ and tore them up ░░░░░░░░ threw them to the ░░░░░░░░ of the stage And ░░░░░░░░ said here s the ░░░░░░░░ I understand that you ░░░░░░░░ angry And I understand ░░░░░░░░ you feel deceived and ░░░░░░░░ understand why you re ░░░░░░░░ The only thing I ░░░░░░░░ t understand is why ░░░░░░░░ re booing the first ░░░░░░░░ ever to come here ░░░░░░░░ told you the truth ░░░░░░░░ truth is that if ░░░░░░░░ don t change these ░░░░░░░░ you re not going ░░░░░░░░ collect them That s ░░░░░░░░ truth and the fact ░░░░░░░░ that for each and ░░░░░░░░ one of you you ░░░░░░░░ hate me now but ░░░░░░░░ years from now after ░░░░░░░░ ve made the changes ░░░░░░░░ need to be made ░░░░░░░░ you re collecting your ░░░░░░░░ you ll be looking ░░░░░░░░ my address on the ░░░░░░░░ to send me a ░░░░░░░░ you note for saving ░░░░░░░░ retirement for you and ░░░░░░░░ families The amazing thing ░░░░░░░░ happened was that after ░░░░░░░░ was done with those ░░░░░░░░ and I ended six ░░░░░░░░ seven minutes tops I ░░░░░░░░ off the stage and ░░░░░░░░ thirds of the audience ░░░░░░░░ cheering Here s the ░░░░░░░░ why and what I ░░░░░░░░ to talk to you ░░░░░░░░ this morning The fact ░░░░░░░░ we ve got to ░░░░░░░░ talking about what we ░░░░░░░░ for and not what ░░░░░░░░ re against And the ░░░░░░░░ for that is very ░░░░░░░░ simple And it s ░░░░░░░░ what I said to ░░░░░░░░ in Chicago in 2012 ░░░░░░░░ reason we have to ░░░░░░░░ talking about what we ░░░░░░░░ for and not continuing ░░░░░░░░ rail against what we ░░░░░░░░ against is because of ░░░░░░░░ simple reason Our ideas ░░░░░░░░ better than their ideas ░░░░░░░░ that s what we ░░░░░░░░ to stand up for ░░░░░░░░ if you need any ░░░░░░░░ example of that just ░░░░░░░░ at what s going ░░░░░░░░ in terms of what ░░░░░░░░ re for in Washington ░░░░░░░░ C What they re ░░░░░░░░ in Washington D C ░░░░░░░░ that the leader of ░░░░░░░░ Senate Democrats stand up ░░░░░░░░ rail against two American ░░░░░░░░ who have built a ░░░░░░░░ created jobs and created ░░░░░░░░ and philanthropy in this ░░░░░░░░ Harry Reid should get ░░░░░░░░ to work and stop ░░░░░░░░ on great Americans who ░░░░░░░░ creating great things in ░░░░░░░░ country And that s ░░░░░░░░ It s typical of ░░░░░░░░ contrast between what s ░░░░░░░░ with governors and what ░░░░░░░░ happening in Washington And ░░░░░░░░ are lots of examples ░░░░░░░░ can tell you about ░░░░░░░░ I am going to ░░░░░░░░ you about governors are ░░░░░░░░ getting things done governors ░░░░░░░░ about making government work ░░░░░░░░ keeping government out of ░░░░░░░░ s lives as much ░░░░░░░░ they can and we ░░░░░░░░ got lots of examples ░░░░░░░░ it Look at what ░░░░░░░░ happening in Wisconsin with ░░░░░░░░ friend Governor Scott Walker ░░░░░░░░ Walker stood up for ░░░░░░░░ bargaining reform You know ░░░░░░░░ happened to the teachers ░░░░░░░░ in Wisconsin Their membership ░░░░░░░░ down 60 percent because ░░░░░░░░ Walker made it voluntary ░░░░░░░░ join the union in ░░░░░░░░ They voted with their ░░░░░░░░ In Ohio John Kasich ░░░░░░░░ up against the crazy ░░░░░░░░ that Democrats had in ░░░░░░░░ that was causing economic ░░░░░░░░ in that state And ░░░░░░░░ you have now in ░░░░░░░░ because of John Kasich ░░░░░░░░ lower taxes and an ░░░░░░░░ lower than the national ░░░░░░░░ that s getting things ░░░░░░░░ in Ohio with a ░░░░░░░░ like John Kasick How ░░░░░░░░ Michigan How about Michigan ░░░░░░░░ Governor Rick Steiner has ░░░░░░░░ Michigan the home of ░░░░░░░░ UAW a right to ░░░░░░░░ state And in Florida ░░░░░░░░ Scott has taken in ░░░░░░░░ Rick Scott has taken ░░░░░░░░ unemployment rate that he ░░░░░░░░ well over 11 percent ░░░░░░░░ brought it under the ░░░░░░░░ average And because of ░░░░░░░░ market conservative ideas has ░░░░░░░░ over 450 000 new ░░░░░░░░ sector jobs in three ░░░░░░░░ in Florida That s ░░░░░░░░ governors Republican governors across ░░░░░░░░ country have stood up ░░░░░░░░ done things not just ░░░░░░░░ about them And what ░░░░░░░░ see in Washington is ░░░░░░░░ who only want to ░░░░░░░░ They can t stop ░░░░░░░░ the most dangerous 10 ░░░░░░░░ in Washington D C ░░░░░░░░ between anybody who wants ░░░░░░░░ start talking and a ░░░░░░░░ This is what they ░░░░░░░░ about and you can ░░░░░░░░ it in examples not ░░░░░░░░ with the dysfunction in ░░░░░░░░ but one story that ░░░░░░░░ love about the president ░░░░░░░░ remember when they set ░░░░░░░░ this whole super committee ░░░░░░░░ right Way back when ░░░░░░░░ were trying to resolve ░░░░░░░░ budget problems and all ░░░░░░░░ rest they set up ░░░░░░░░ super committee and after ░░░░░░░░ super committee got nothing ░░░░░░░░ what did the White ░░░░░░░░ say the White House ░░░░░░░░ the president never met ░░░░░░░░ the super committee or ░░░░░░░░ involved with them because ░░░░░░░░ knew they were doomed ░░░░░░░░ failure Man that s ░░░░░░░░ isn t it You ░░░░░░░░ the leader of the ░░░░░░░░ you see something getting ░░░░░░░░ to go off the ░░░░░░░░ and what you decide ░░░░░░░░ do is stay as ░░░░░░░░ away from it as ░░░░░░░░ Well my question now ░░░░░░░░ same question I had ░░░░░░░░ if that s your ░░░░░░░░ Mr President what the ░░░░░░░░ are we paying you ░░░░░░░░ Leadership is about getting ░░░░░░░░ and getting something done ░░░░░░░░ making government work Leadership ░░░░░░░░ not about standing on ░░░░░░░░ sidelines and spit balling ░░░░░░░░ s all we see ░░░░░░░░ across Washington D C ░░░░░░░░ it s not what ░░░░░░░░ see in the states ░░░░░░░░ s another thing we ░░░░░░░░ got to stop doing ░░░░░░░░ have to stop letting ░░░░░░░░ media define who we ░░░░░░░░ and what we stand ░░░░░░░░ Because when we talk ░░░░░░░░ what we re for ░░░░░░░░ matter what state our ░░░░░░░░ are in our states ░░░░░░░░ Look at what we ░░░░░░░░ done in New Jersey ░░░░░░░░ state that Barack Obama ░░░░░░░░ by 17 points in ░░░░░░░░ Today the fiscal year ░░░░░░░░ budget I proposed just ░░░░░░░░ week ago has 2 ░░░░░░░░ billion less in discretionary ░░░░░░░░ than the state was ░░░░░░░░ in 2008 Now if ░░░░░░░░ had said that a ░░░░░░░░ state would do something ░░░░░░░░ that you would have ░░░░░░░░ we were crazy But ░░░░░░░░ continue to talk about ░░░░░░░░ ideas that government needs ░░░░░░░░ be smaller We have ░░░░░░░░ 000 fewer state employees ░░░░░░░░ New Jersey today than ░░░░░░░░ day I was sworn ░░░░░░░░ as governor For the ░░░░░░░░ time in 105 years ░░░░░░░░ tenure has been reformed ░░░░░░░░ we can finally have ░░░░░░░░ in the classroom Teachers ░░░░░░░░ teach stay teachers who ░░░░░░░░ t go And when ░░░░░░░░ said it could never ░░░░░░░░ done now twice twice ░░░░░░░░ the first time since ░░░░░░░░ vs Wade New Jersey ░░░░░░░░ elected a pro life ░░░░░░░░ of New Jersey And ░░░░░░░░ is what I mean ░░░░░░░░ the media I got ░░░░░░░░ the question last year ░░░░░░░░ you re very popular ░░░░░░░░ a blue state How ░░░░░░░░ you export that to ░░░░░░░░ rest of the country ░░░░░░░░ the intolerance on social ░░░░░░░░ in your party And ░░░░░░░░ said well let me ░░░░░░░░ you a question You ░░░░░░░░ the Republicans are intolerant ░░░░░░░░ ll just tell you ░░░░░░░░ At our national convention ░░░░░░░░ ve had people like ░░░░░░░░ Ridge and Colin Powell ░░░░░░░░ Condi Rice speak at ░░░░░░░░ national conventions even though ░░░░░░░░ party platform and I ░░░░░░░░ t agree with their ░░░░░░░░ on abortion Tell me ░░░░░░░░ the last pro life ░░░░░░░░ who was allowed to ░░░░░░░░ at a Democratic convention ░░░░░░░░ I said by the ░░░░░░░░ don t strain yourself ░░░░░░░░ there s never been ░░░░░░░░ They re the party ░░░░░░░░ intolerance, not us.”