Under New Jersey state law does the State Supreme Court Justice have the authority to elevate a court of appeals judge to the Supreme Court? If not, there would be only one outcome for Justice Rabner’s assumed lawbreaking — he must be removed: through impeachment, the Governor refusing to reappoint him (or firing if the governor has the statutory authority for that).

I’m willing to take chance on a Chris Christie presidency if he decided to run. I love this guy and so far I can’t see anyone else with the willingness to do the tough things that will need to be done to turn things around. So far, he has proven time and again that he has an iron set, and that would go a long way to erasing any differences I have with him on social issues. I’m just hoping that there will be something left for him to govern come 2013 . . .

My only problem with the way this has played out on the Republican side is I have no idea what Anne Paterson’s Conservative Credentials are. She worked with Christie and is a friend from his hometown, but to me it smells of another Harriet Myers (sp?). There are plenty of solid Conservative lawyers (in the legislature alone) that would be a sure Conservative voice on a court that has had NO Conservative voice for decades.

In NJ, there’s an unwritten rule that the partisan balance of the SC should be 4-3, with the Governor having the right to swing the balance to his favor if the situation arises. All we got from 8 years of Whitman were Liberal Republicans and Ultra Liberal Democrats. This basically the same court that ruled 7-0 to allow the Democrats’ illegal Torricelli/Lautenberg switch. Is Patterson any different? I have no idea. But I shouldn’t have to wonder. Pick a known Conservative PLEASE!

Sweeney is abdicating his responsibility by not holding hearings on Patterson, though. THAT is playing politics with the nomination, not what Christie did. If they don’t like her, hold the hearings and vote her down. If they don’t like what Christie did, change the Constitution to not permit a Governor’s ability to not renominate.

CJ Rabner is an okay guy actually. If we have to have a Democrat as the CJ, he’s as good as it gets. He also has a solid relationship with Christie (which is probably strained now), and is not a hyper-partisan. His stated reason for the elevation is because of the workload of the court, and the Democrats’ refusal to hold hearings on Patterson. He would do well to ask the Dem Leg to hold hearings though.

thanks for that. I love that there’s someone who’ll fight to curb judicial intervention–I live in California where we all know that a judge, just one, can overrule the law and even overrule the public’s amending of the state Constitution–so I am with CC on this all the way. I suspect and hope we’ll be hearing more. I hope CC doesn’t back down if things don’t go his way and that it gets all kinds of publicity. I believe CC knows how to frame the issues, that’s for sure.

One more thing, though. I am tired of all the talk of CC in 2012. The nation can see in Obama that it really is crucial for someone to have executive experience, and while I like CC very much and know he has leadership skills that Obama doesn’t possess, he still hasn’t been in that executive position long enough. He also has to learn when being “bully-ish” is effective and when it isn’t. He’s bright so I think he will learn that but he has to be careful not to become a caricature because moods change in an instant in our pop culture. Independents, seeing too much of the YouTubes may turn off to him if he isn’t careful.

To run an effective presidential campaign, one has to have started organizing long ago (in most cases.) He’s been busy, as he should be, running the state.

He has a young family and if he’s as level-headed as I think he is, he knows that subjecting that family to a run for the Presidency at this stage would be selfish. It would, in essence, undermine the notion that he’s a family man and would contribute to a view of him as blindly ambitious. He has said over and over he’s not interested; he needs to stick to that.

After all, he wanted badly that NJ job for all the right reasons, I hope. To abandon it now would undermine those claims of his.

CC, stay where you are. I believe it’s at the state level that people like Christie can take a blue state and show it the error of its ways, and in so doing, a guy like this can, w/out occupying the White House, start an entire movement.

Endorses the new tax plan… stimulus filled with pork…. absolutely fricking wonderful…what a joke . Time for a shot of something.

I think that because of Chris Christie will move New Jersey to the right. Who knows how far. I think from a Solid blue to a leaning Dem or toss up. I also think that Christie will be able to have State Senate and Assembly candidates ride his coattails into the legislature in 2011. I think Republicans will gain back the legislature in 11. So in this will not be a problem in a year when Sweeney is not the majority leader.

You see how can the Liberals get there Socialistic agenda forced onto the people ? Well, 70% of Americans said no to Obamacare. Now the liberal judges will be forced to show more of their true colors in the State’s lawsuits against said Obamacare. Just like AZ being sued for enforcing Fed Law. That Lib-Activist posing as a judge there needs to be taught some basic law fundamentals. This is how we say no to policies , yet they get rammed down our throats.
FYI, we voted to retain our judges here in Fl this year. Look at the totals. They dont add up or even close to it. The vote count was rigged to retain EVERY DAMN LIBERAL JUDGE in Florida. Lets see here, I was spreading the word bigtime here and had assurances from most voters I spoke to, that they would vote to NOT retain liberal judges this year. We made a list of the ones and why they need to be terminated.I did this mostly in my county and surrounding area, yet also tried to get out the word on social media Statewide. Yet all the vote totals are basically the same number from all areas, with a little jostling here and there to make them seem real. I have complained. It falls on deaf ears every time. Kind of strange how in my State of Fl, we voted totally Conservative, House, Senate, Gov, Senator and Congressman( my area), and yet we are told that we also voted to RETAIN LIBERAL JUDGES? I,lll NEVER be stupid enough to believe this lie. I hope Gov Scott and our Congress will look into this travesty of justice here. Sure seems to me Gov Cristie is well aware of this danger to our states and the Rule of law.

Christie is an interesting governor. I don’t want him running for president yet. Give him at least a full term to accomplish his first set of goals for NJ . . . . THEN we can think about a national office. How about a senate seat?
Taking a look at congress and the current president, I’d have to give the actual/real power to congress in terms of what legislation gets passed. Christie would definitely wield power as a senator.

So long as the McGreevy appointee abstains, isn’t the Court null and void anyway? In effect, isn’t the Court powerless to render rulings unless all quorum members participate in those rulings?

Constitutionally, can the CJ do what he did legally? If not, then why isn’t he removable or, at the very least, circumventable, by the Governor? Or does the CJ have to be properly impeacjhed to be removed?

Constitutionally, can the Governor unilaterally remove or arrest the CJ–if, of course, the latter has violated the NY Constitution?

Am sure folks on both sides of this issue are studiously researching the NJ Constitution to determine Constitutional remedies. Frankly, I hope Mr. Cristie is constitutionally able to prevail. Liberal dominion over the judiciary must be eliminated.

It’s SLEW of governors ( a large number), not SLOUGH (a swamp)

Well, well, well….finally someone. somewhere is actually beginning the see that it isn’t just the congress that needs to be addressed, so do the courts throughout the US…hope he continues and wins!