Video: Showdown between NJ Governor and Senate President

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie must be doing something right because the Senate president, Democrat Stephen Sweeney came unglued over the Governor's budget cuts. In New Jersey, the Governor has the right to line-item vetoes and Christie apparently used that pen in a major way. The contention between Republicans and Democrats started when Christie wanted everyone to work on one budget (his) but the Democrats wanted to submit their own. It went downhill for the Democrats from there. NJ.com posted an article on the exchange and the liberal bias is obvious as the writer refers to Republicans who support Christie as 'bobbleheads.'

Via NJ.com:

Senate President Stephen Sweeney went to bed furious Thursday night after reviewing the governor’s line-item veto of the state budget.

He woke up Friday morning even angrier.

"This is all about him being a bully and a punk," he said in an interview Friday.
"I wanted to punch him in his head."

Sweeney had just risked his political neck to support the governor’s pension and health reform, and his reward was a slap across the face. The governor’s budget was a brusque rejection of every Democratic move, and Sweeney couldn’t even get an audience with the governor to discuss it.

"You know who he reminds me of?" Sweeney says. "Mr. Potter from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ the mean old bastard who screws everybody."

Sweeney continued using macabre metaphors:

"Listen, you can punch me in the face and knock me down, do what you want," Sweeney says. "But don’t be vindictive and punish innocent people. These people didn’t do anything to him. It’s like a bank robber taking hostages. And now he’s starting to shoot people.

"I liken it to being spoiled. He was angry because he wanted a mutual budget. But do you hurt people because of that? Do you take $8 million in AIDS funding away? Legal services is drowning as it is, and you take away another $5 million? I’m just so angry that he hurt people like this to prove a point. He is a cruel man."

Below are two short videos, with Snipits of Sweeney's bitter diatribe followed by Christie explaining the budget.

CLICK HERE to see the entire exchange between Sweeney and reporters; it's worth watching.



Here is Christie talking about the budget in general terms.



h/t GWP