Jon Corzine in 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial debates

On Government Reform: Crack down on "pay-to-play"

Unveiling a 10-point plan he said would punish criminal officeholders and cut down on conflicts of interest, Christie blamed Corzine's "failure of leadership" for allowing corruption to fester. He said the governor has put politics ahead of principles an failed to implement strong ethics laws that Corzine himself campaigned on in 2005. "If the governor had the will to lead, some of the things on this list would be done," Christie said. "He always feels great despair after people are arrested, and he's willing to stand up and fight--and then the minute the political bosses and his patrons in the Legislature push back, he falls back on his back."

Corzine's campaign hit back with the latest in a series of television advertisements designed to undermine Christie's own ethics. The ad highlights Christie's past as a fundraiser for former President George W. Bush, who appointed Christie as US Attorney. The ad labels that pay-to-play, a practice Christie and Corzine have pledged to crack down on.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger coverage: 2009 N.J. gubernatorial debates Aug 5, 2009

The above quotations are from 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial debates. Click here for other excerpts from 2009 New Jersey gubernatorial debates. Click here for other excerpts by Jon Corzine. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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