NJ.com - Buono Urges Voters to Reject Christie's 'Backwards Agenda' on Women

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By Susan Livio

Embracing her underdog status in the governor's race, Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono today explained what she says when people ask why she is trying to unseat popular incumbent Chris Christie.

"When they say, 'This is such a hard race, you must have such courage,' I honestly didn't know what they were talking about," the Middlesex County legislator told an attentive group of about three dozen members of the Municipal Democratic Committee.

Buono said that with New Jersey's unemployment rate the highest in the region, 400,000 people out of work, and an economic strategy that overlooks small business owners, Christie has a lot of explaining to do.

"I said, how can I not run? Look at the shape this state is in," Buono said.

"I didn't see anybody else stepping up, did you?" she asked about three dozen local residents packed inside the Irvington campaign headquarters for a lunch time campaign stop. "We as women know how to figure out a plan, focus on it and fight."

This was the second women's-themed campaign event in as many days for Buono, who plans to use the unofficial last week of summer to contrast her vision with Christie's "backwards agenda" on issues she said matter most to families. They include, she said, raising the minimum wage, supporting legislation that would ensure women receive equal pay to men, and protecting abortion rights.

With Buono 20 points behind Christie in the most recent poll * her strongest showing to date -- she focused on energizing women and working families by telling her own story of putting herself through college and law school.

Buono said from her earliest days in Metuchen politics, she was always discouraged from seeking office. "This is a little higher mountain to climb," she said.

Buono said her campaign staff have heard from the press Christie isn't going to bother preparing for their two debates, which have yet to be scheduled. "If I were him, I would be practicing a response to look into the camera and tell people why there is still 400,000 people unemployed in the state of New Jersey," she said.

Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for the Christie campaign, disputed the claim about skipping debate prep, saying Buono should check her sources.

"It's sad Barbara Buono is misleading New Jersey voters about Gov. Christie's strong record on issues important to women," Roberts said.

"Governor Christie believes in equal pay for equal work, and supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," Roberts said.

"They say those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, and on Barbara Buono's watch as Corzine;s budget chair, unemployment among women more than doubled from 3.9 percent to 8.6 percent and the gap in pay between men and women drastically increased," he added.

Buono chaired the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee in 2008-09, during the prolonged recession.

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