Conservatives love brash New Jersey Governor Chris Christie because he always speaks his mind, and his remarks at a forum on the economy (hosted by George W. Bush) were no different. Christie talked about the nation's bleak outlook, thanks to out-of-control entitlement spending -- and as usual, he didn't mince words.
Christie spent most of his 30-minute speech on New Jersey budget issues, but brought up national policy toward the end. He said it is the least optimistic period he’s ever seen for the nation.
"It’s because government’s now telling them, stop dreaming, stop striving, we’ll take care of you. We’re turning into a paternalistic entitlement society. That will not just bankrupt us financially, it will bankrupt us morally," Christie told Bush, Henry Kissinger and an assortment of Republican governors in a theater at the New York Historical Society.
"When the American people no longer believe that this is a place where only their willingness to work hard and to act with honor and integrity and ingenuity determines their success in life, then we’ll have a bunch of people sitting on a couch waiting for their next government check," Christie said.
I love that he brought up the moral implications of the entitlement attitude, as that's the heart of our country. We were founded upon high ideals, such as individuality, personal responsibility, and a desire to strive for greatness, but we're starting to forget those traits in favor of a government-provided safety blanket.
Is it too much to hope that Romney might pick him to be his running mate?