New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will take his oath of office midday Tuesday for a second term, amid a scandal over traffic jams on a busy bridge and controversies over Superstorm Sandy aid.
In excerpts of Christie’s inaugural address provided by his office, the Republican who is considered a potential 2016 presidential candidate makes no mention of the allegations of abuse of power that are challenging his administration.
Instead, Christie touches on themes of income inequality, the role of limited government and divisions that threaten progress in the Garden State.
“One of the lessons that I have learned most acutely over the last four years is that New Jersey can really be one state. This election has taught us that the ways we divide each other — by race, by class, by ethnicity, by wealth, by political party is neither permanent nor necessary,” Christie will say. “We have to be willing to play outside the red and blue boxes the media and pundits put us in. We have to be willing to reach out to others who look or speak differently than us.”
