On the national stage, Republican Governor Christie loves to regale audiences with stories of how he gets things done for the State of New Jersey by working with Democrats and the crowds all but swoon every time he weaves that narrative.

Governor Chris Christie
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Yesterday, a Democrat-controlled committee rejected Christie’s second State Supreme Court nominee in a little over two months, but evidently that won’t spell the end of bi-partisanship in the Garden State.

“I’m not happy about this, but I’m not going to be a petulant child who is going to go off and hold my breath in the corner and say, ‘Well, now I won’t work with you on anything else,’” explains Christie. “It only undermines it (bi-partisanship) if I permit it to and I’m not going to permit it to. You have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.”

Asked if the Democrats would continue to work with him, Christie told reporters that they would have to ask the Democrats and so I did. At least I asked the top Democrat in the State Senate who has worked very closely with Christie since the Governor took office in January of 2010.

“We are not going to let partisan politics get in the way of what’s good for the people of this state,” insists Senate President Steve Sweeney. “When the Governor is willing to compromise you have seen a willingness from us to compromise also…….We’re not shutting down working with the Governor at all.”

After his High Court nominee was rejected yesterday, Christie held a State House press conference and reiterated several times that he’s not happy with the events of the day

But added, “Does that mean that I’m going to stop working with people or does it diminish the bi-partisan accomplishments we already have? No, no, it doesn’t. I’m telling you it doesn’t.”

Depending on your own personal opinions the fact that bi-partisanship is apparently alive and well can be good or bad, but one thing is for sure; no tax cut of any kind can be approved before the July 1 State Budget deadline without Christie and the Democrats working together. The same goes for education reform.

It’s not exactly Shangri la in Trenton. While The Governor and Sweeney have a history of working together, the Assembly Democrats often butt heads with both of them.

 

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