New Jersey's ex-governor seeks end to public feud with successo

TRENTON, N.J. -- Christie Whitman, frequently vilified by her successor, Gov. James E. McGreevey, is calling for an end to their public feud.

Whitman, a Republican who left the governorship to run the Environmental Protection Agency, conceded her Democratic successor inherited tough economic problems.

But she said he should stop complaining and start governing.

"He had a difficult time, no question about it," she told The Associated Press in an interview. "That's the hand you're dealt with, you just deal with it. You don't spend your time complaining about it and it is starting to affect him."

Whitman left office in January 2001 as a once-booming economy began to slide. Elected the following November, McGreevey started hammering at Whitman's administration for its budget practices, charging they intentionally inflated revenue estimates to cover spending increases.

The allegations continued even after McGreevey signed a balanced spending plan in July.

He also has claimed Whitman knowingly signed off on an electronic toll system and an auto inspection program that broke down -- each costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. They also clashed over Whitman's appointments to the state Supreme Court.

"A lot of this seems to be campaign mentality," Whitman said. "The state's too big, the challenges too important, the problems are too immediate and you can't waste your time doing that."

Getting personal

She also said the feud hurts on a personal level.

"Of course it does because it's my record and I care about the state deeply," she said. "My home is in New Jersey and always has been and always will be and I hope the kids find ways to remain in the state. The roots go deep."

Still, Whitman said McGreevey has never confronted her directly.

"On the surface we're very cordial," Whitman said. "Which is why I'm always shocked to read the next day that I'm the cause of all evil in the world."

McGreevey could not be immediately reached for comment. But his spokesman Paul Aronsohn on Saturday called the dispute a philosophical difference.

"Jim McGreevey firmly believes in fiscal responsibility, and he believes that government must, absolutely must, be accountable to the people it serves," Aronsohn said. "It has become clear to us that the previous administration didn't share that philosophy."

Few have come to Whitman's defense, with most GOP legislators who supported her gone and those remaining unlikely to rebut the attacks, fearing voters' reprisals.

Former Whitman campaign manager Tom Wilson wonders about the political cost of the feud.

"It has to have an effect," he said. "It's been virtually unabated since November of last year that all the evils of New Jersey have been because of Christie Whitman. It's been said and not challenged."

For now, public opinion seems to be tipped against Whitman. She registered her highest unfavorable rating in a recent poll, topping even Jim Florio, the former governor who became a political pariah by raising taxes 12 years ago.