Former Gov. Whitman says Republicans should expand focus

Former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman told dozens of students and local residents Wednesday that the Republican Party needs to return to its core values of political moderation before the 2006 Congressional elections.

"It's a good time for both of our political parties to take a good, hard look at who they are, and where they are going," she said. "I am concerned by the influence of extremes, frankly, in both parties."

Whitman argued that Republicans could help overcome the problem of political partisanship by refocusing on the key issues of lowering taxes, respecting the individual, promoting education and protecting national security. The party should distance itself from narrow social issues like abortion, she said.

This week's Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito '72, she said, highlighted the partisanship of the political process.

Whitman, who introduced Alito to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, spoke to his record as a New Jersey federal appellate judge. Alito was one of five judges she nominated for the bench during her stint as the first female governor of New Jersey from 1993 to 2001.

"I told Judge Alito on Monday that this was probably going to be the worst week of his life," Whitman said.

She said her frustration flared during the hearing as senators focused on narrow social issues and Alito's membership in the Concerned Alumni of Princeton (CAP) group.

Alito, who was a member of ROTC as an undergraduate, said this week that he may have joined CAP in protest of the ROTC's expulsion from campus in 1970.

Whitman said Wednesday that despite his membership in CAP, Alito wasn't involved in the group's opposition to the University's integration of women and minorities.

"His bias is toward judicial responsibilities, and I don't think you can ask more of a judge than that," Whitman said.

Alito's past 15 years as a judge demonstrate his intellect, integrity and respect for judicial precedence, she said.

Whitman added that she believes real reform is possible in the midst of the scandals surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty last week to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe various Congressional officials.

Whitman, who headed the Environmental Protection Agency from 2001 to 2003, also suggested Republicans should start publicizing their progress on environmental issues, even though they may not appear on the far-right agenda.

"I think today really opened a lot of minds talking about the Republican Party being the party of civil rights, the party of the environment," said College Republicans president Alex Maugeri '07, who organized the event. Maugeri is also a senior writer for The Daily Princetonian.

He added, however, that some College Republicans expressed discomfort with Whitman because, "she said some critical things in the past against Bush."

Member Will Scharf '08, who attended the event, said he respects Whitman but believes she is underestimating the power of base mobilization in winning elections.

"If you look at the last two elections, the general trend is that the most successful political mobilization efforts have been of ... political extremes," he said.

Whitman also discussed the broader issue of voter participation, especially among college students.

"A democracy is not a spectator sport, and it doesn't work if we don't participate," she said.

New Jersey's gubernatorial race in November only mustered 48 percent of the voting population, she said. Such low numbers reflect voter alienation as campaigns focus on personal attacks and overlook issues.

Whitman said Governor Jon Corzine's priority upon entering office should be to fill his cabinet positions quickly. His appointment of an attorney general committed to fighting corruption will send a positive message to the public that he is dedicated to fulfilling his campaign promises, she said.

Looking forward to the 2008 presidential campaign, Whitman speculated that Hillary Clinton would take the Democratic nomination.

Though she said she was unsure who might win the Republican nomination, she expects Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to try for the vice-presidential ticket.