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Christie Tells it Like It Is

Ruben Navarrett Jr. on

SAN DIEGO -- What if Chris Christie gave an important and impassioned speech on U.S. foreign policy, domestic surveillance, the Patriot Act, military readiness, prosecuting terrorists, keeping the United States safe, and America's place in the world -- and almost no one paid attention?

That's what happened last week when the New Jersey governor, a likely entrant into the 2016 presidential race, shared his thoughts on all these subjects and more to an audience in Portsmouth, N.H.

The speech received scant attention from the media, which has shown a reluctance to engage in long discussions about foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the public is increasingly concerned with what's happening in the world. In January, the Pew Research Center released a survey that found, for the first time in five years, Americans listed the need to defend the United States against terrorism as the top policy priority -- ahead of strengthening the economy.

Christie vigorously defended the domestic surveillance tactics that have, since the Sept. 11 attacks, been utilized by both George W. Bush and Barack Obama to keep the country safe. He did so with the extra credibility of having served as U.S. attorney for New Jersey for seven years where, he said, he was "focused on fighting terrorism every day" and prosecuted terrorists with the aid of tools like the Patriot Act.

"I've seen what happens when our intelligence community, legal system and law enforcement work together," Christie said. "We can use information to save lives."

 

The governor also mocked the claim by left-leaning civil liberties groups -- who were more eager to criticize the Bush administration than they have been the Obama administration for the same policies -- that surveillance is out of control.

"They want you to think that there's a government agent listening in every time you pick up the phone or Skype with your grandkids," he said of the critics. "They want you to think our intelligence community are the bad guys -- straight out of 'The Bourne Identity' or some other Hollywood thriller."

Christie doesn't buy it, and he doesn't think other Americans should either.

"Let's be clear, all these fears are exaggerated and ridiculous," he said. "When it comes to fighting terrorism, our government is not the enemy."

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Copyright 2015 Washington Post Writers Group

 

 

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