Senate committee rejects Christie N.J. Supreme Court nominee Bruce Harris | NJ.com

Christopher Christie is reaping the whirlwind. The Governor who thrives on confrontation has met his match in willfulness on the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee.  The Democratic majority has rejected a second Supreme Court nominee.  Christie has vowed to remake the New Jersey high court.  He began by refusing to submit for tenure a highly experienced Supreme Court Justice - John Wallace on overtly ideological grounds.  A moderate Democrat and the Court's only African American, Wallace had tenure as a judge of the Superior Court but gave it up when he was confirmed for a seven year term on the Supreme Court.  A storm of bar criticism followed.  
Nominee Bruce Harris - a transactional lawyer, Yale Law grad, Black and gay,  announced that if confirmed he would recuse on the issue of gay marriage - which her personally supports.  That was a fatal error.  Democratic leader Ray Lesniak and others focused on that as marking Harris as a man who followed the orders of Christopher Christie - who had vetoed a gay marriage bill.
It is a whole new ball game as the New Jersey Supreme Court - which long functioned within a narrow range - RINOS and liberal Dems - is now the ground of overt ideological and partisan combat. - GWC
Senate committee rejects Christie N.J. Supreme Court nominee Bruce Harris | NJ.com:

 "Dealing Gov. Chris Christie his second bitter defeat over a high-ranking judicial appointment, the Senate Judiciary Committee today rejected the nomination of Mayor Bruce Harris of Chatham Borough to the state Supreme Court.
The Democrat-controlled committee voted 7 to 6 to turn away the 61-year-old Harris, the first openly gay and third African-American to be nominated to the state's highest court. State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson), an ally of the Republican governor, was the only Democrat to vote in support of the nomination.
Christie's office declined to issue an immediate comment.

While Democrats hammered away at Harris for his lack of courtroom experience and his stated intention to recuse himself on same-sex marriage issues, Republicans fiercely came to his aid. They said his work as a finance attorney was as complex as any cases Supreme Court justices handle, and they praised him as a man who understands the dignity and honor the position requires."

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