An Open Letter to Bret Schundler, by Mert Walther
This post is in response to a letter sent by Bret Schundler endorsing Christie. The letter included at the end of this post.
Why Indeed Bret Schundler ? by Mert Walther
I was one of those who went beyond the call of Duty to support you in your first Campaign for Governor. You destroyed the Party Hack in the Primary because honest Republicans Statewide no longer satisfied being Just The Party of Opposition In State Politics… drew a bead with you on the Governors Mansion and backed you, Heart, Soul, and Wallet !
Result …A Primary Win All Could Be Proud Of !
I fully believed that only an honest man could have made the Blunder That Followed… an immediate cozying up to Party Bosses in Trenton to Heal the Party and ask their Support.
Bret, with that Huge Primary Win against their Man and voter support now behind you, Sooner or later, Like it or not you were the new Party Leader but that poorly timed approach put them Back in Charge.
Trenton’s not Heaven there’s No Integrity There.
They worked years, long and hard to create Their Good Thing, a huge pay to play was brewing when you appeared, an Outsider no less, and Already A Spoiler.
As quickly as possible the In Crowd from both Parties ( Partners forever… until jail do they part ) undermined you.
Bret, I was content with that assessment until I received this Notice from you: ‘Why I Support Chris Christie’ Now a new hand was on the Table, beliefs to adjust, and a decision to make on an Action to Take…Fold or Play? I chose Play, the risk to Fold was too high… Principle was at Stake.
That inadequate “Why I support Chris Christie” Mantra stuck in my throat I just can’t swallow all of it.
I’m sure you still consider yourself a true Conservative. I can no longer agree, but I’m Intrigued with the Obviously Careful wording of the second sentence of your Inadequate “Why Christie Explanation”.
“Part of the answer is that Chris is more successfully advancing Issues that are important to me.”
As I read your list of Issues I can’t deny they’re Important.
You did not include some of my more critical issues you stood on in 2001 in your list this time. Is that An Omission a Change in Core Values, or just an adjustment in them to accommodate Chris Christies Position? I don’t believe Chris Christie can be relied on to advance all of your more important issues any more than I believe He will advance any of mine.
You assert "Christie beats Corzine in polls." As a hobby I’ve tracked this game since the Truman, Dewey Race. The only polls I trust are the ones I write and manage.
I've noticed Small News Papers tend to support Lonegan the ones large enough to create a poll to attempt a Set Up for the Democrats Promote Christie, the weaker Candidate until the Primary is Over then Wham!… Like McCain 2000, 2004, 2008 for Example.
Are you now a Genuine Political Pundit qualified to hang your hat with the other Supporters of Moderate Chris Christie as the Candidate Most Likely. Many of the other supporters, I see, range from moderate to liberal…Especially the Liberal News Media who are about to go Bankrupt, (thank God) for the Lies they Publish and the Truth they Withhold.
Chris Christie Fits all of their Requirements Steve Lonegan certainly does not!
As a Mayor Steve has had to contend with the economic created by two failed Administrations in a row and has Drawn Attention Nation Wide From True Conservatives for his Admirable Job.
Steve Lonegan can Beat Corzine, Chris Christie cannot.
But Bret, you still support Chris Christie, Bret
Why?
At the bottom of your Inadequate Mantra we come to the other part of the answer but not all…
“I have other far more serious reasons for not supporting Steve Lonegan, but for the sake of party unity, I would rather speak about why I support one candidate than why I oppose another.”
Party Unity, Whoa Bret ...Party Unity after what you’ve been through with the Party. If you owe them anything, could It be for a recent favor ? Because If it’s for advice, it’s worth a lot less than Two Dead Flies certainly not a change in your Core Values.
“I have other far more serious reasons for not supporting Steve Lonegan,”
Now, I want to reveal what I call Just Plain Dirty Politics.
Why use Innuendo? to tarnish Steve’s integrity. He has no Defense against it, you know that Bret. It takes some one else To defend him, I can Try.
It’s Like a Judge asking the Jury to forget they heard a statement made as an aside… at an opportune moment … by a “ Sharp” Lawyer …by the way isn’t Mr. Christie an Attorney with some really Heavy Baggage of his own?
See,…., Pure Innuendo!
I rest my case !
Why Bret ?
Most of my friends volunteered for your second Campaign I couldn’t afford to.
But, like the Poker Player waiting for his Table to fill I watched, and evaluated, each and every move by all the candidates.
Friends aware of my life long interest in Honest Politicians asked my opinion of your progress along the way I told them point blank… You were neglecting to adequately secure the Christian Conservative part of your Base. The part that bolted the Party to put you over the Top in 2001… Instead you chased the Moderates.
Again...Why Bret?
After Forrester Won that Primary Race I was told by all of my friends that worked on Your Campaign “Steve Lonegan stole Bret’s votes.”
That’s Absurd !
All you had to do to garner enough of those votes to win…was get to the Right of Forrester and forget Steve Lonegan. Simply Put You abandoned the core of your base.
Now for what I believe may be the real reason you can’t support Steve Lonegan… and the outlandish manner you chose to Support a Candidate like Christie.
Bret It’s a bit of all of the above plus Sour Grapes.
Lonegan stole Bret’s votes!
Bret, if you started that Whine or continue to believe it, and put principle aside to exact Retribution, Besides Pundit, you’re finally a Party Hack…the Genuine Political Animal.
That’s Reprehensible!
But Bret you are correct on this… It Is 2009 Not 2001
Everything American Is NOW On the Line!
New Jersey’s Freedom Loving, Over Burdened, Under Represented, Hard Working Middle Class Tax Payers from both Parties are realizing… Now, RIGHT NOW, In This Election…Is Our Golden Opportunity, To Lead This Floundering Nation Back To The Path That Made America The Greatest Nation In The World.
Why would any one think they could follow a Lawyer Back that far to that Path. The last Lawyer to move this Nation that far in a Positive Direction is the one “President” Obama claims to emulate, Abraham Lincoln.
Surely no one would Propose that Chris Christie or “President” Obama, for that matter, Is an Abraham Lincoln in the Rough.
Again, Why ?
Bret Now I Put My Case to Rest !
From: Bret Schundler, bds@schundler.org
Date: May 22, 2009
RE: Why I endorsed Christie over Lonegan.
A number of people have asked me why I endorsed Chris Christie over Steve Lonegan in the election for Governor.
Part of the answer is that Chris is more successfully advancing issues that are important to me.
Both Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan are pro-life, pro-school choice, pro-reduced state spending, and pro-lower taxes -- but Chris Christie is more successfully winning support for these issues.
I don't want New Jersey to remain a state where outright infanticide, in the form of partial birth abortion, remains legal.
I don't want our state to be a place where children are cheated out of an education by politicians who throw money at failing schools when what the schools need is the increased accountability for performance that only school vouchers and/or tuition tax credits can bring.
I don't want New Jersey to remain a state where ever more residents and business owners want to leave. State spending and tax rates need to be CUT to make New Jersey a place people can afford to stay.
I have other far more serious reasons for not supporting Steve Lonegan, but for the sake of party unity, I would rather speak about why I support one candidate than why I oppose another. So just looking at the positive standard of who is being more effective building support for the conservative changes New Jersey needs, I think it's clear that the answer is Chris Christie. It's why Chris is so far ahead of Corzine in the polls, while Lonegan, as unpopular as Corzine is, still looks vulnerable.
This is NOT 2001. BOTH Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan are conservatives, but Chris is doing a better job building support for conservative policies, and that's a big reason I'm supporting him.
BRET SCHUNDLER
