Kind of funny when the GOP is so extreme, they're pushing NJ Gov. Chris Christie (a real wingnut) to be more of a right-winger!

Gov. Christie says he has not decided whether to sign on to a 20-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the health-care law signed in March by President Obama. That makes New Jersey one of seven Republican-led states that have not joined the largely partisan fight.

Interest groups on both sides of the debate are lobbying the governor, but some of his advisers say he should not join the suit. Capping property taxes and managing a difficult budget have rightly been his top priorities, they say, and New Jersey residents are more open than people in other parts of the country to health-care regulation.

With 16 of 23 states led by GOP governors fighting the new law, at least one national expert said Christie faced the risk of becoming an "outlier through inaction."

"He's going to have to explain why he has stood out among his colleagues in his own party by not doing something they've all done," said Michael Franc, vice president for government relations at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative policy group in Washington.

Can you imagine? When Christie goes to the men's room, does he have to say "Mother, may I?"

I thought Republicans were for the small businessmen and against more government regulation? (Not to mention that most business experts recommend concentrating on "core competencies." Think growing marijuana is Rutgers' area of expertise?)

If the GOP ever acted consistently with their stated principles, I think I'd drop dead from the shock. But Gov. Christie has already proved he has no such scruples:

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie’s administration said Rutgers University’s agricultural center should grow the pot and hospitals should dispense it under the state’s medical marijuana program, according to three people briefed on the proposal.

If legislators agree with the administration and amend a law that passed in January, New Jersey would be the first among the 14 medical marijuana states to run a centralized production and distribution system. The proposed changes represent an even more restrictive program — beyond one that was already the most conservative in the country — and eliminate the option of entrepreneurial growers and dispensaries getting some of the state’s marijuana business.

Letting the program operate through one grower and hospitals would minimize some of Christie’s concern about the program posing a security and safety threat, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the details.

Critics have said the governor is needlessly dragging his feet in a state that has at least 5,000 citizens who need the drug to alleviate pain and suffering.

Roseanne Scotti, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, said she had heard "rumors" about the state wanting to involve Rutgers and hospitals. She said she wished the administration would stick to the bill that took years to pass.

"Why go back to drawing board, especially when seriously ill people are waiting?" she asked. Scotti also said the changes would limit economic growth from the medical marijuana industry.

"A lot of very responsible and respectable people have begun to step forward," she said. "I thought the Christie administration is supposedly business-friendly."

I don't smoke pot and don't like it, so I have no real dog in this fight. But I do have a close friend who suffers from severe vertigo after a head injury, and sometimes pot is the only drug that makes her functional - an important backup since she builds up resistance to the pharmaceuticals that do help.

I know how difficult it is for her to deal with an ordinary doctor's visit, let alone a trip to the hospital, and I don't think she's the only person like this out there.

So Gov. Christie, whatever your intent, the results are just plain mean.

I was taking a look at Gov. Chris Christie's budget today and then I saw this. Will New Jersey follow in California's footsteps and start governing by mood ring?

A state appeals court today ruled New Jersey’s secretary of state must accept a petition a citizens group filed to recall U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, but left open the question of whether the removal effort itself is constitutional.

The three-judge panel stayed its ruling to give Menendez (D-N.J.) the opportunity to appeal to the state Supreme Court.. The senator has 45 days to file an appeal but did not say today whether he would. He called the recall effort a "political stunt" that won’t distract him from doing his job.

"This an organization trying to undemocratically and unconstitutionally overturn an election in which more than 2 million New Jerseyans voted," said Menendez, whose term expires in 2012. "My focus continues to be on job creation legislation and delivering a successful extension of my local property tax relief bill."

The court found existing New Jersey law and the state’s constitution both allow U.S. senators to be recalled. For that reason, the appeals court said, the removal effort can proceed. But noting the absence of case law and precedent, it left the ultimate question of the constitutionality of the state’s recall law and amendment to a higher court.

"There are a host of genuine arguments and counterarguments that can be articulated and debated about whether or not the Federal Constitution would permit a United States Senator to be recalled by the voters under state law," the appellate judges said.

"I’m pleased," said Dan Silberstein, attorney for the Committee to Recall Senator Menendez, which is backed by the New Jersey chapter of the conservative Tea Party movement. "I think the appellate court made the right decision on where the case is procedurally."

Menendez’s attorney disagreed.

"The U.S. Constitution is clear that a senator’s term is six years and is not subject to recall," said Marc E. Elias. "The state attorney general correctly argued before the court that a recall is unconstitutional and a clear disservice to voters who take part in a petition process that is invalid. We are pleased the court stayed this opinion until the appeals process is completed."

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Michael Steele's buffoonery knows no bounds, but I wonder if he's telling the truth this time or just trying to play the race card to save his job.

Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Michael Steele, who is known for making controversial statements, on Sunday said that white Republicans are afraid of him.

Steele also took aim at some in his own party last week as well, saying that he would "come after" centrist Republicans who support healthcare reform.

The Republican chairman appeared on NewsOne's "Washington Watch" this weekend, a new Sunday political talk show aimed at a black audience. The host, Roland Martin, asked Steele how Republicans could reach out to black voters. Steele responded by talking about issues such as education, small business, jobs and the economy, The rest is in a partial transcript:

MARTIN: But your candidates got to talk to them. One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks.

STEELE: You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me. I'm like, "I'm on your side" and so I can imagine going out there and talking to someone like you, you know, [say] "I'll listen." And they're like "Well." Let me tell you. You saw in Christie and you saw in McDonnell a door open because they went in and engaged. McDonnell was very deliberate about spending...

MARTIN: Right.

STEELE: I mean, Sheila Johnson was on his team. I mean, that was a big deal. That's because he engaged her and she helped navigate him through that relationship.

Where are the black Congress members?

Michael Steele is saying that because of the color of his skin, his fellow Republicans are afraid of him. He is proving the point that we've been making for a long time. When you look at tea parties, they are predominantly white folks shouting down Obama's race and religion.

If the party Establishment is afraid of Steele, how is there any room for race relations to improve in this country---ever? This poll -- showing that Americans don't think Obama has improved race relations in the country -- first of all makes no sense: How is President Obama supposed to improve race relations when he has white supremacists, birthers, Oathers and militia members filling up the ranks the tea party brigades that are out there in full view of the American people and are smearing non-whites on a consistent basis? How is the president supposed to suddenly ease racial tensions when Republicans and mouthpieces like Fox News are promoting racial division, telling their audiences that the president is a radical black who hates white people? Why isn't Michael Steele using his position in the Republick Party to do something about it himself?

Listen, I plead guilty to having raised money for Governor George W. Bush because I thought he was the best person to be President of the United States. And I did it in a completely appropriate fashion and enthusiastically for the President. And there's no mystery to the fact that I was appointed to this job because, in part, I had a relationship with the President of the United States.

Anybody who receives a political appointment -- I am a political appointee -- there's going to be some measure of politics involved with that appointment.

Maybe it's just me, but I think this is exactly the kind of attitude that voters pretty decisively said they were done with. But good on GOP candidate Chris Christie for being so honest and upfront about what was expected of him as a Bushie. It's especially telling given that Christie talked to Rove about running while still US Attorney, a violation of the Hatch Act and that he gave no bid contracts to Ashcroft and a former US Attorney who had opted not to prosecute his brother.

It's been a fairly nasty campaign in New Jersey, with the added bonus of an Independent candidate, siphoning off some expected Democratic voters. Even so, incumbent Democratic candidate Jon Corzine is up in the polls:

New Jersey Governor, polled by The New York Times, 10/9/09-10/14/09, Likely Voters, MoE +/- 4-5%

Jon Corzine (D) 40

Chris Christie (R) 37

Chris Daggett (I) 14

After a week in which Republican challenger Chris Christie has watched poll after poll showing a dwindling lead in the gubernatorial race in the Garden State, this poll is the first to show a Corzine lead of greater than a point.

What's more, among registered voters, the polls lead really expands:

New Jersey Governor, polled by The New York Times, 10/9/09-10/14/09, Registered Voters, MoE +/- 3%

Jon Corzine (D) 40

Chris Christie (R) 30

Chris Daggett (I) 13

That would seem to suggest that the pool of persuadable voters, who are not yet quite sold on voting, is even more anti-Christie than the corps of likely voters identified by the New York Times.

PSoTD listens to Lugar and says Grow up, America.

Steve Soto is hopeful that the dam has broken with Lugar's statement.

Kiko's House - Christie Whitman: Hypocrite & Prevaricator (and the Rude Pundit has a mouthful to say on this one too).

Prairie Weather is feeling cynical about Tony Blur's new McJob.

The Heretik says some free speech is more free than others. It depends who is buying.

Over at Comments From Left Field, they're losing IQ points reading the WSJ on Gitmo...so that you don't have to.

The All Spin Zone - Bush was handed a petition by 50 High School kids yeaterday, saying they don't want America to be a nation of torturers. There is still hope. Some sane conservatives still exist, thankfully.

Here's James Joyner on the reporter who wants out of Afghanistan and wants to blame the Dems for it, and Steven Taylor pointing out that the White House defense of Cheney amounts to "I don’t know if this is my wife or not."

Texas Liberal, though, is having trouble with not-so sane conservatives and bumper stickers.

The Galloping Beaver discovers Canada has ceded military control over domestic incidents to the U.S.

Guest round up by Cernig @ The Newshoggers (newshog AT gmail DOT com).