The creation of Christie’s Town Halls

Governor Christie explains the not-so-glamorous side of being New Jersey’s boss. It’s the reason he holds Town Hall gatherings across the state.

New Jersey is getting better

Governor Christie gives himself a pat on the back. He says “things are starting to get better” in New Jersey, thanks to his administration’s refusal of new spending and tax increases.

An opportunity for New Jersey

Defending his proposal for a 10% income tax across the board, Christie says New Jersey has an opportunity now that it hasn’t had in years.

Turning Trenton upside-down

Governor Christie claims “we have turned Trenton upside-down,” following the Democrats’ response to his plan for an income tax cut. He says instead of wanting to hike taxes, they are arguing with him over which tax to cut.

Muslim surveillance

Governor Christie comments on the recent news that Newark Muslims were monitored as part of the NYPD’s efforts to build databases.

Having fun as Governor

After receiving a “thank you” from the crowd, Christie says he is enjoying the job much more than Jon Corzine, his predecessor.

Minimum wage hike

On Thursday, legislation will be considered in the Assembly to increase NJ’s hourly minimum wage to $8.50, and then adjust it annually. Governor Christie offers his (scarce) thoughts on the issue.

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Reaction among Republicans is mixed, after a proposal today from President Barack Obama for a lower corporate tax rate and an end to dozens of loopholes that Obama says have helped companies move jobs and profits overseas.

Obama’s plan would set a new 28-percent corporate tax rate, down from the current 35 percent but still higher than the 25 percent rate sought by Republicans.

The Republican head of the House Ways and Means Committee, Dave Camp, says Obama should be offering an overhaul of the entire tax system. He called it a “good step by the administration” but urged the president to “keep going” — echoing Obama’s own words to Congress yesterday on the economy.

But Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah is dismissing Obama’s plan as “a set of bullet points designed more for the campaign trail.”

Under the framework proposed by the administration, the rate cuts and closed loopholes would result in no increase to the deficit. That means that many businesses that currently slip through loopholes or somehow pay an effective tax rate that is substantially less than the 35 percent corporate tax could end up paying more. Others would pay less, while some would simply benefit from a more simplified system.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Primed for a fight, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum traded fiery accusations about health care, spending earmarks and federal bailouts Wednesday night in the 20th and possibly final debate of the roller-coaster race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Santorum, surging in the race, also took his lumps from the audience, which booed when he said he had voted several years ago for the No Child Left Behind education legislation even though he had opposed it.

“Look, politics is a team sport, folks,” he said of the measure backed by Republican President George W. Bush and other GOP lawmakers.

With pivotal primaries in Arizona and Michigan just six days distant — and 10 more contests one week later — Romney and Santorum sparred more aggressively than in past debates, sometimes talking over each other’s answers.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Luis Scola had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 13 points and two crucial three-point plays down the stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 93-87 on Wednesday night.

Kevin Martin scored 16 points and Patrick Patterson added 12 off the bench for the Rockets, who’ve won three in a row and snapped a four-game home-court losing streak to Philadelphia.

Nikola Vucevic scored a career-high 18 points and Thaddeus Young had 15 for the 76ers, who will head into the All-Star break on a five-game losing streak. The 76ers lost for only the second time in their past nine meetings with Houston.

Philly was held without a 3-pointer for the first time this season, missing all nine attempts.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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How could we imagine getting through a week without yet another Republican Presidential Debate?

Tonight marked the 20th and hopefully final debate before a nominee is chosen for the GOP to square off against President Barack Obama. The process has been arduous, to say the very least.

Governor Christie spoke out about the topics of the GOP process and his nomination of Mitt Romney.

While acknowledging that he’s still being courted privately to jump into the 2012 presidential race, Gov. Chris Christie says he’s only interested in having Mitt Romney secure the Republican nomination.

Christie also blamed the system of awarding delegate proportionally with dragging out the nominating process for Republicans. He said the protracted inter-party battle is hurting Republicans’ chances of unseating Barack Obama in November.

“We ought to get a nominee” and focus on the president’s record, Christie said.

I could not agree more with our Governor. I totally get that a vetting process is needed to sift through the candidates, but the process has gone overboard and completely turned people off.

Mitt Romney has remained strong throughout the campaigning, but one thing that remains clear is that the masses are not sold on the former Massachusetts Governor. Seemingly every month, a candidate has cut into Romney’s stronghold before falling back down. That trend has winded through Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and now Rick Santorum.

Primed for a fight, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum traded fiery accusations about health care, spending earmarks and federal bailouts tonight.

With pivotal primaries in Arizona and Michigan just six days distant — and 10 more contests one week later — Romney and Santorum sparred more aggressively than in past debates, sometimes talking over each other’s answers.

It is time for the Republican party to move forward and present a candidate, putting their focus on the President. Obama has had the luxury of sitting back while these candidates have bloodied each other up. It’s almost like a golfer sitting in the clubhouse with a 10 stroke lead with the other remaining on the course. The GOP has vilified Obama at every turn, but have made critical mistakes in showing now unity as a party and having a process that is this dramatic.

And even as we near the finish line, there still appears to be those in the Republican camp clinging to the dream of a late Chris Christie run.

The governor said he would not be the GOP nominee if Republicans arrive at the convention in Tampa without a clear front-runner.

Will the GOP candidate please stand-up? Just please no more debates to decide it.

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Jeremy Lin had an easy night ahead of his toughest opponent yet, and the New York Knicks tuned up for their trip to Miami by beating the Atlanta Hawks 99-82 on Wednesday night.

Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare game during his remarkable run that the Knicks needed little from him.

Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points in his second game back from injury for the Knicks, who led the depleted Hawks by 25 points at halftime. New York bounced back from a loss to New Jersey on Monday and won for the ninth time in 11 games since Lin joined the rotation.

They visit Miami on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Jae Crowder scored 27 points and Darius Johnson-Odom added 21 to lead No. 10 Marquette to an 82-65 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday night.

The win was the fourth straight and 11th in 12 game for the Golden Eagles (23-5, 12-3) and it kept them tied for second place in the Big East with No. 20 Notre Dame, which beat West Virginia 71-44 on Wednesday. The top four teams earn a double-bye for the conference tournament.

Jerome Seagears had 14 points and Gilvydas Biruta added 12 for Rutgers (12-16, 4-11), which lost for the sixth straight time, including three in a row to ranked teams. The Scarlet Knights were routed by Notre Dame on Feb. 15, but held its own against No. 2 Syracuse before losing 74-64 on Sunday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Dwight Howard had 20 points and 17 rebounds and the Orlando Magic rolled to a 108-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.

Howard, who can become a free agent in July if the Magic don’t trade him by the March 15 trading deadline, got the loudest cheers from the crowd of 15,364 in the pregame introductions.

And the center didn’t disappoint in leading the Magic to their ninth straight win over the Brooklyn-bound Nets.

Glen Davis, who hit his first seven shots, added 16 points for Orlando, which won for the eighth time in 11 games.

Deron Williams had 23 points, six rebounds and eight assists to lead New Jersey, which headed into the All-Star breaking having lost 8 of 11. Rookie MarShon Brooks added a game-high 24, while Brook Lopez had 15 in his second game of the season after recovering from a broken right foot.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Jury selection is under way in the murder trial of a New Jersey man accused of drowning his wife in a bathtub at their Morristown home three years ago.

Thirty-two-year-old Kleber Cordova, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador, also faces charges of child endangerment, witness tampering, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension in the death of his 26-year-old wife, Eliana Torres.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Among the witnesses expected to testify in the trial is the couple’s older daughter, who was 8 years old when her mother died.

The girl told police she saw her parents struggle before officers arrived and that Cordova pulled Torres out of the tub.

Several prospective jurors were questioned Wednesday. Lawyers say the selection process could take several weeks to complete.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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A motorist who crashed into a southern New Jersey tavern last year, killing a passenger and seriously injuring a pedestrian, has been indicted on numerous charges including aggravated manslaughter.

Twenty-two-year-old Antonio Vargas of Somers Point also faces charges of vehicular homicide, aggravated assault and three counts of assault by auto in the indictment handed up Wednesday by an Atlantic County grand jury.

Prosecutors say Vargas’ license was suspended and he was speeding and driving drunk when the crash occurred Jan. 6 in Somers Point.

His 33-year-old passenger, Kevin Botta of Somers Point, was killed. A pedestrian, 26-year-old Joseph Higbee of Northfield, was seriously injured when he was struck by a fire hydrant that was dislodged during the crash.

Vargas, who also was injured, remains jailed on $350,000 bail.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)