Chris Christie: Imposing a "Social Agenda"?

Over the weekend, the Star-Ledger ran this headline: "Gov. Christie brings social conservatism to historically blue state, experts say."  The evidence?

In his first year in office, Christie also drew attention from social advocates by cutting funding to historically protected programs like public schools, health programs for working poor people and legal aliens, and family planning clinics.

Note the emphasis on funding over rights.  And programs that are "historically," not "constitutionally" protected.


Sure, Christie is higher than sly in couching his cuts, as Peggy Noonan illuminated (" 'As much as I love teachers...' That's good.").  And I don't doubt that the Gov found it less painful to impose these cuts less than for some others he's called for.  But on balance, there is plenty of truth in his spokesman's assertion that "spending was cut across the board ... Many people, many interests, were disappointed, but this is what the fiscal crisis we inherited required."


"Many people, many interests were disappointed..."  That's just the price of repairing a broken hull.  As Noonan would say: that's good.