Chris Christie Proves CPAC Was Right!

“It’s Medicaid. It’s the biggest thing. I mean, our Medicaid program is $1.4 billion in deficit this year and because of Obamacare we can’t change the level of benefit that we offer because of the mandates that they’ve put on us. And, I think, you know, if we’re going to pay for 50 percent of it, we should have some control over it and the way this administration’s done it is they just want to control all of it. So, that’s the biggest problem for us,” he said.
Beginning in 2014, the health care law requires states to cover every individual under Medicaid whose income is equivalent to 133 percent of the poverty level or less. --New Jersey Governor Chris Christie May 2011

For the past 24 hours it seems as if every liberal pundit was questioning CPAC for neglecting to invite NJ Governor Chris Christie to speak at their conference beginning in two weeks.  Today the governor announced a decision which justified the CPAC action.

During his NJ State budget address he announced his decision for New Jersey to participate in the Obamacare Medicaid expansion.

"While we already have one of the most expansive and generous Medicaid programs in the nation, including the second-highest eligibility rate for children, we have an opportunity to ensure that an even greater number of New Jerseyans who are at or near the poverty line will have access to critical health services beginning in January 2014," Christie said.

Like Republican governor Rick Scott of Florida, Christie said that not accepting the money would mean it would simply be spent somewhere else, and New Jersey taxpayers would lose out while another state received their federal taxes.

Of course this decision runs entirely contra to the position Christie had just two years ago. But then again that was before hurricane Sandy taught him that sucking up to President Obama does wonders for one's approval rating in New Jersey.