Conservatism Comes To New Jersey!

While we are all (justifiably) celebrating the victory of Senator-elect Scott Brown in Massachusetts last night, let's not forget that yesterday we saw the swearing in of Republican governor Chris Christie in New Jersey. And Christie is not screwing around; he's slamming the brakes on the madness and corruption while trying to set the state...right:

In his first news conference as governor, Chris Christie signed eight executive orders which ranged from making pay to play rules apply to unions and suspending for 90 days new state rules and regulations. He also disclosed that the Corzine administration had figures showing the state’s anticipated cash flow is $1 million less that what Corzine publicly acknowledged...The governor also said the Corzine crowd moved the $121 million to the so-called distressed cities via wire transfer before Christie took the oath of office so he couldn’t stop it.

Thieving crooks to the end, but I don't hear Christie whining about it a la Barack Obama.

And Christie's first show across the bow of the teacher's union is....more like a nuke:

New Jersey Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie nominated school-choice advocate Bret Schundler yesterday to head his education department, sending his strongest policy and political message yet with a Cabinet appointment.

The former Jersey City mayor has long-supported alternative education programs such as vouchers and school choice, as well as the less controversial charter schools.

The NJEA argues that increased government support of charter schools and other alternatives would divert funds from public schools, weakening them. It ran television ads and sent literature attacking Christie's positions during the campaign, which he referenced yesterday.

When asked at a Statehouse news conference what sort of message the Schundler selection sent to the teachers union, Christie said, "I don't think the appointment of Bret Schundler sends any signal to the NJEA. The election of Chris Christie sends a message to the NJEA."

How "controversial" are Schundler's positions to those outside the NJEA? Let's ask Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D, and a rising star):

"We are in lockstep with the governor" on education, said Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who presides over the state's largest city. "We are going to support our public schools. We're going to create high levels of accountability"

Maybe Baracky can sit at Christie's knee and learn the finer art of bi-partisanship, one which Christie has been practicing since day one:

Gov.-elect Chris Christie is to begin introducing his cabinet today by announcing Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow as the state's next attorney general, according to an official familiar with Christie's decision...

....A former ranking federal prosecutor, Dow worked with Christie in the U.S. Attorney's Office. By introducing Dow before any other cabinet member, Christie is underscoring his own background in law enforcement and the emphasis he plans to place on it during his term. Those familiar with the decision-making process also say the nomination of Dow, a registered Democrat, is meant to send the clear signal that Christie, a Republican, cares little for partisan labels, but rather gravitates toward effectiveness.

Tough on spending. Tough on crime. Tough on the unions. Party label be damned.

That is conservatism, Jersey-style!