“The teachers’ unions are trying to send a signal to all fiscal conservatives that it’s not worth it to try to tackle legacy costs that are bankrupting states and the Federal Government,” Gillespie said in an interview. “Conservatives around the country should be rallying to his defense and supporting those who are supporting him.”

By Jon Ward – The Daily Caller

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has become an Internet video sensation among conservatives for the blunt and confrontational way he has challenged the state’s unions and the press in a showdown over budget cuts.

But in his own state, the Republican governor’s job approval rating has plummeted in the last three months, as the unions and their allies have spent as much as $5 million on critical TV ads.

In early March, Christie’s approval stood at 52 percent, with only 21 percent disapproving. By late May, the governor’s approval had slipped to 44 percent, while disapproval had spiked to 42 percent.

Christie’s policies remain popular. About 60 percent of state voters said in late May that the state government should reduce spending even if that meant cuts to many programs, while only 23 percent were in favor of raising taxes to continue funding state programs.

And the New Jersey Education Association, which has spearheaded attacks on Christie, has seen its disapproval rating go from 35 percent at the end of March to 44 percent this week.

Nonetheless, the quick and dramatic shift in the governor’s job approval has alarmed his advisers, according to outsiders who have been in contact with them. And Republicans at the national level have begun to draft plans for a response.

Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee Chairman and senior White House adviser to President George W. Bush, said that Christie’s showdown with the unions “may be the most important public policy debate in the country right now.”

“The teachers’ unions are trying to send a signal to all fiscal conservatives that it’s not worth it to try to tackle legacy costs that are bankrupting states and the Federal Government,” Gillespie said in an interview. “Conservatives around the country should be rallying to his defense and supporting those who are supporting him.”

Nothing has been decided, as national Republicans wait for Christie and his administration to decide whether they want outside help or not.

FULL STORY

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