newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ADELE SAMMARCO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took center stage Tuesday, prime time, to deliver a rousing keynote address to the Republican National Convention. Basking in the spotlight, in true Christie-style, Christie told the audience he is the son of an Irish father, who worked in the Breyers ice cream factory and attended Rutgers University at night to earn his degree, and a strong Sicilian mother.

"I am my mother’s son," he declared, to laughter and applause.  

Christie called his mother, who passed away eight years ago, the “enforcer” and said, “She spoke the truth - bluntly and without much varnish.”

Making no excuses for his trademark no-nonsense style, the New Jersey Governor said the greatest lesson his mom gave him was that, “There will be a time in your life when you have to choose between being loved or being respected.”

Christie choosing the latter said, “It applies just as much to leadership. In fact, I think that advice applies to America today more than ever.”

Pointing to his Garden State, Christie said bipartisanship was the key to success, “To take on the public sector unions and to reform a pension and health benefit system that was headed to bankruptcy. With bipartisan leadership we saved taxpayers $132 billion over 30 years and saved retirees their pension. We did it.”

According to USA Today Fact Check, New Jersey is not fully funding the revamped system, and the pension liabilities gap will begin to grow again.

Nontheless, Christie went onto target the teachers, “They said it was impossible to speak the truth to the teachers union. They were just too powerful. Real teacher tenure reform that demands accountability and ends the guarantee of a job for life regardless of performance would never happen. For the first time in 100 years with bipartisan support, we did it.”

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten fired back on Twitter stating, "Christie evidently believes teachers should be seen but not heard—they may be important, but not their views about what they need to help kids.”

Avoiding his coined “comeback” phrase, Christie stuck to generalities and beefed up accomplishments to rouse the crowd and gave a steadfast delivery.

“Now we must lead the way our citizens live. To lead as my mother insisted I live, not by avoiding truths, especially the hard ones, but by facing up to them and being the better for it.” he said and added, “Our leaders today have decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say “yes,” rather than to say no when “no” is what’s required."

“We are demanding that our leaders stop tearing each other down, and work together to take action on the big things facing America.”

20 minutes into Christie’s speech, as if preparing himself for the national stage, Christie mentioned Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee, and urged the convention to stand up for America’s future.

“We have never been victims of destiny. We have always been masters of our own.” he said.

And then, Christie challenged President Obama, “Mr. President, real leaders don’t follow polls. Real leaders change polls.”

The President will have his chance to counter next week in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Democratic National Convention from Sept. 4-6.

Scheduled speakers will be Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Former President Jimmy Carter (via video), Former President Bill Clinton, Former Republican Governor of Florida Charlie Crist, Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tammy Duckworth, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Georgetown Law School Graduate Sandra Fluke, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, Former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy (retired), Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California, CarMax co-founder and former CEO Austin Ligon, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Nancy Keenan, Caroline Kennedy, Women’s rights activist Lilly Ledbetter, Obama Campaign Co-Chair Eva Longoria, U.S. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, together with the women of the U.S. Senate, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, President of Planned Parenthood Action Fund Cecile Richards, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Journalist Cristina Saralegui, Costco co-founder and former CEO Jim Sinegal, Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Los Angeles Mayor, Democratic Convention Chair Antonio Villaraigosa and Senate candidate from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren.

Democrats selected San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro as their keynote speaker. Castro will be the first Latino keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention.