Whitman's alternative political lifestyle
Former NJ governor comes out as a bi-partisan
Former N.J. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman has come out as a bi-partisan.
One of the few old-school, old-money Republicans not on display in a museum, Whitman is campaigning for Americans Elect, a well-funded campaign for an alternative "convention" to nominate a Democrat and a Republican as running mates in the 2012 presidential race.
While there are no official candidates yet participating in what is essentially a third-party effort, Whitman likes Jon Huntsman -- the sort of candidate Republicans would nominate by acclamation, if only the upcoming presidential election were taking place in, say, 1956.
"I worry about where the country is going because of the partisan gridlock I'm seeing," Whitman told the Star-Ledger newspaper.
She also predicted that "there are Republicans who are going to say, 'you're a traitor and you're terrible.'"
Presto!
Semi-perpetual New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan, demonstrating the sort of rhetorical ruthlessness that proved so successful for him in recent Republican primaries, dismissed/dissed Whitman's effort with a single withering word.
"Crap."