Getbig Bodybuilding, Figure and Fitness Forums
Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Dos Equis on February 19, 2011, 07:29:59 AM
-
33 can you please kick this off? And no fat jokes. :D
-
33 can you please kick this off? And no fat jokes. :D
The asberyy press took down his best clip ever telling the cop off.
-
-
-
I'm sick of these leeches.
-
He shut his woman the hell up.
-
-
I love this clip.
Putting this progressive pussy right in his place.
-
And you asshole "progressives" wonder why the average taxpayer wants to hang you off a bridge?
-
excerpt from Open Letters to New Jersey Teachers during campaign
Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.
-
And guess what Straw - afterhe walked into office and reaized what a ponzi scheme Corzine was running making everything he aid not feasible.
The states re FUCKING BROKE, what part of that do you not understand?
-
And guess what Straw - afterhe walked into office and reaized what a ponzi scheme Corzine was running making everything he aid not feasible.
The states re FUCKING BROKE, what part of that do you not understand?
he needs it put in obama terms...think of gitmo and that promise straw...
you say shit until you get in and actually get a handle on the situation and then realize "fuck, thats not really plausible is it"
-
he needs it put in obama terms...think of gitmo and that promise straw...
you say shit until you get in and actually get a handle on the situation and then realize "fuck, thats not really plausible is it"
I have no issue with GITMO at all and always thought that was a ridiculous cause of the FAR left.
-
-
-
And guess what Straw - afterhe walked into office and reaized what a ponzi scheme Corzine was running making everything he aid not feasible.
The states re FUCKING BROKE, what part of that do you not understand?
He mentioned Corzine in the letter and seemed fully aware of the challenges but since these comments were in an open letter I assume you can show another letter or speech where he specifically retracted them.
-
He mentioned Corzine in the letter and seemed fully aware of the challenges but since these comments were in an open letter I assume you can show another letter or speech where he specifically retracted them.
hey straw first you didnt post a link and I for one would appreciate that link...its the rule these days you know?
2nd he does mention corzine many times...about his mismanagement of pension assets...his injecting a one time billion dollar stimulus meant to be destributed over years in his election year...
what part of this letter do you feel he is not living up to?
-
hey straw first you didnt post a link and I for one would appreciate that link...its the rule these days you know?
2nd he does mention corzine many times...about his mismanagement of pension assets...his injecting a one time billion dollar stimulus meant to be destributed over years in his election year...
what part of this letter do you feel he is not living up to?
Straw really must be joking that he is in finance. I wonder if he is connected to madoff in any way with these crazy ideas.
These states are all broke and can't afford it anymore. What part of BROKE do you not grasp Straw?
-
excerpt from Open Letters to New Jersey Teachers during campaign
Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.
I don't know enough about Christie to know if I fully support him, but some of these don't sit right. So at least let's discuss whether or not they're even factual.
As I understand it he increased school funding around 200 mil (or so)?
I don't think the federal stimulus dollars are there anymore for him to accept.
I don't think he's touched existing pensions. Only future pensions. Link?
I haven't heard anything about him ending collective bargaining. Gotta link?
-
hey straw first you didnt post a link and I for one would appreciate that link...its the rule these days you know?
2nd he does mention corzine many times...about his mismanagement of pension assets...his injecting a one time billion dollar stimulus meant to be destributed over years in his election year...
what part of this letter do you feel he is not living up to?
why would you assume any position on my part. I didn't say I agree with his statements (I have huge issues with defined benefit pensions for any government employee) and I didn't say or suggest he wasn't living up to anything in the letter either
The letter was on his campaign website which is currently not availaible: http://christiefornj.com/
here is a link to the letter which was widely reported on and you can find the text quite easily on the interweb:
http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/christies-letter-to-teachers-gone-but.html
-
why would you assume any position on my part. I didn't say I agree with his statements (I have huge issues with defined benefit pensions for any government employee) and I didn't say or suggest he wasn't living up to anything in the letter either
The letter was on his campaign website which is currently not availaible: http://christiefornj.com/
here is a link to the letter which was widely reported on and you can find the text quite easily on the interweb:
http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2010/08/christies-letter-to-teachers-gone-but.html
thanks
LMAO well when 333 gave reasons for his actions you said that he had mentioned corzine and had to have known about the situation before hand...
so what was the point of posting your post and bolding the sections you did then?
-
thanks
LMAO well when 333 gave reasons for his actions you said that he had mentioned corzine and had to have known about the situation before hand...
so what was the point of posting your post and bolding the sections you did then?
I'm just adding the "appreciation thread" by showing some of his public comments that I thought people would appreciate
-
I'm just adding the "appreciation thread" by showing some of his public comments that I thought people would appreciate
LMFAO and what do you believe you were adding by bolding the sections you did?
-
I'm just adding the "appreciation thread" by showing some of his public comments that I thought people would appreciate
From what I understand, Corzine also signed on to a few crazy contracts on the way out of office that were previously unknown to Christie that were a big surprise when he went into office.
NJ has been run by the govt unions for far too long and like Christie says "Don't blame the first guy who is telling you the truth for these problems"
-
LMFAO and what do you believe you were adding by bolding the sections you did?
I wasn't "adding" anything by using bold print
I also increased the font size of the entire text
what does that mean to you?
-
I wasn't "adding" anything by using bold print
I also increased the font size of the entire text
what does that mean to you?
hahahah You bolded certain parts of that letter did you not?
why? ;)
-
hahahah You bolded certain parts of that letter did you not?
why? ;)
why does anyone use bold?
what are you getting at?
-
why does anyone use bold?
what are you getting at?
hahahah well ppl usually use bold to bring attention to certain text...
im trying to get at why you wanted to bring attention to the text that you bolded?
which you predictably keep side stepping and running away from :D
-
hahahah well ppl usually use bold to bring attention to certain text...
im trying to get at why you wanted to bring attention to the text that you bolded?
which you predictably keep side stepping and running away from :D
what am I sidestepping
even the dumbest people on this board know what the use of bold is for
what point are you trying to make
-
what am I sidestepping
even the dumbest people on this board know what the use of bold is for
what point are you trying to make
hahahahhaha ok well then its established that you bolded the certain text to bring attention to it......
why did you want to bring attention to those specific bolded sections? what point where you trying to make straw man?
-
hahahahhaha ok well then its established that you bolded the certain text to bring attention to it......
why did you want to bring attention to those specific bolded sections? what point where you trying to make straw man?
the only reasion I bold text is so that people will be more likely to read it
that's it
-
the only reasion I bold text is so that people will be more likely to read it
that's it
Straw - letsget back to the subject - do you like Christie?
-
Straw - letsget back to the subject - do you like Christie?
so far from what I've seen I like though I don't know much about him and like any politician, I doubt I'd agree with him on everything
-
the only reasion I bold text is so that people will be more likely to read it
that's it
LOL exactly and why that specific text as opposed to the entire piece?
its obvious you got yourself into an "oops" moment spouting off on talking points from you blog source and now want to back off the position you were on ;)
but i agree back to the point, do you like christie straw?
-
LOL exactly and why that specific text as opposed to the entire piece?
its obvious you got yourself into an "oops" moment spouting off on talking points from you blog source and now want to back off the position you were on ;)
but i agree back to the point, do you like christie straw?
wft are you babbling about
what does the fact that I enlarged the font of the entire article "mean" to you
there must be some secret meaning to it all right??
-
Geez Straw. Im amazed at your endurance to post on this board. These idiots want to argue for a 2 pages on why you bolded something......Seriously ::)
If its true what christie said then one would believe he stands for Union workers in general and thereby doesnt want to bankrupt the middle class like most repubs want to do. Seems clear to me why youd bold that.. 8)
-
wft are you babbling about
what does the fact that I enlarged the font of the entire article "mean" to you
there must be some secret meaning to it all right??
dont worry about the bold i just wanted to bring attention to those words for no reason...
:D :D :D :D
-
Geez Straw. Im amazed at your endurance to post on this board. These idiots want to argue for a 2 pages on why you bolded something......Seriously ::)
If its true what christie said then one would believe he stands for Union workers in general and thereby doesnt want to bankrupt the middle class like most repubs want to do. Seems clear to me why youd bold that.. 8)
How do Repubs want to bankrupt the middle class?
-
dont worry about the bold i just wanted to bring attention to those words for no reason...
:D :D :D :D
you must think there is some reason other than to increase the odds it get's read (the obvious reason)
so tell us what you think my secret reason really is
-
you must think there is some reason other than to increase the odds it get's read (the obvious reason)
so tell us what you think my secret reason really is
LOL exactly and why that specific text as opposed to the entire piece?
its obvious you got yourself into an "oops" moment spouting off on talking points from you blog source and now want to back off the position you were on ;)
but i agree back to the point, do you like christie straw?
-
what am I sidestepping
The discussion as to whether or not what you posted was factual or has any merit.
I don't know enough about Christie to know if I fully support him, but some of these don't sit right. So at least let's discuss whether or not they're even factual.
As I understand it he increased school funding around 200 mil (or so)?
I don't think the federal stimulus dollars are there anymore for him to accept.
I don't think he's touched existing pensions. Only future pensions. Link?
I haven't heard anything about him ending collective bargaining. Gotta link?
{parts bolded so they can be read}
::)
-
again - what are you're talking about
I use bold for the very same reason that everyone else uses it
if you think I have some hidden or secret agenda with that post then just say it
-
How do Repubs want to bankrupt the middle class?
If you take away collective bargaining then a business becomes a dictatorship....."Im the boss and i now want you to work for minimum wage. If not get the hell out Ive got a pile of apps" "Now for the benefit of the company you will work saturdays or get the hell out" "You said you have a 10 yr old daughter, bring her in for data entry work tomorrow or else dont show up tomorrow"
BTW; "Im giving some billion dollar bonuses to management for all your hard work. Thanks."
-
again - what are you're talking about
I use bold for the very same reason that everyone else uses it
if you think I have some hidden or secret agenda with that post then just say it
why would you think i have a secret or hidden agenda straw?
-
If you take away collective bargaining then a business becomes a dictatorship....."Im the boss and i now want you to work for minimum wage. If not get the hell out Ive got a pile of apps" "Now for the benefit of the company you will work saturdays or get the hell out" "You said you have a 10 yr old daughter, bring her in for data entry work tomorrow or else dont show up tomorrow"
BTW; "Im giving some billion dollar bonuses to management for all your hard work. Thanks."
They are taking away collective barganing for GOVT WORKERS!
Who cares - the TAXPAYER can't afford this shit any longer.
-
The discussion as to whether or not what you posted was factual or has any merit.
{parts bolded so they can be read}
::)
i have no reason to believe it is not factual but if you have some evidence that it's not then post it
the Wall Street Journal refenced the letter in an online article today
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/02/19/christie-stays-out-of-wisconsin-union-battle/
If these are Christies words (and I presume they are) then you'll have to take up the question of "merit" with him and not me. I'm not even sure what you mean by "has any merit" in this context. If these are his words and they express his true beliefs then your question should be whether Christies beliefs have merit
-
why would you think i have a secret or hidden agenda straw?
probably because you're very stupid or at the least very confused
why would I need a secret agenda as an anonymous poster on an obscure message board
have I ever been shy about expressing my opinons or beliefs in this forum?
-
probably because you're very stupid or at the least very confused
why would I need a secret agenda as an anonymous poster on an obscure message board
have I ever been shy about expressing my opinons or beliefs in this forum?
I never accused you of having a secret agenda...you accused me of it...why?
all the time straw, you constatly side step and run away from questions...;)
-
They are taking away collective barganing for GOVT WORKERS!
Who cares - the TAXPAYER can't afford this shit any longer.
The reason the public sector has wage and benefits is because the union workers help to set it as reality. And its teachers, fireman, trash collectors and our neighbors for hells sake. We cant give any more!!! Its time to get the money by drawing back on wars and ending ridiculous subsidies for the ones that dont need it.
-
I never accused you of having a secret agenda...you accused me of it...why?
all the time straw, you constatly side step and run away from questions...;)
wow - you've twisted yourself up in confusion in record time
what question of yours did I side step?
-
The reason the public sector has wage and benefits is because the union workers help to set it as reality. And its teachers, fireman, trash collectors and our neighbors for hells sake. We cant give any more!!! Its time to get the money by drawing back on wars and ending ridiculous subsidies for the ones that dont need it.
Are you really that fucking moronic? What do wars have to do with state level financing for these madoffian scams?
And please cry me river about the cops, fireman, etc - I have no more sympathy for them han I do anyone else.
-
i have no reason to believe it is not factual but if you have some evidence that it's not then post it
the Wall Street Journal refenced the letter in an online article today
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/02/19/christie-stays-out-of-wisconsin-union-battle/
If these are Christies words (and I presume they are) then you'll have to take up the question of "merit" with him and not me. I'm not even sure what you mean by "has any merit" in this context. If these are his words and they express his true beliefs then your question should be whether Christies beliefs have merit
Not the letter. What I'm asking is do you have any knowledge of him not living up to these campaign promises. I don't, but was asking if you do.
-
wow - you've twisted yourself up in confusion in record time
what question of yours did I side step?
LOL have I? I feel right on the money, i think me and skip are on the same page...
hahahhahahahah
-
LOL have I? I feel right on the money, i think me and skip are on the same page...
hahahhahahahah
I know dude. Just trying to have an simple discussion with him about his post and he's got to revert to the level of a fucking 12 yr old. Unreal sometimes.
-
Not the letter. What I'm asking is do you have any knowledge of him not living up to these campaign promises. I don't, but was asking if you do.
no idea
I haven't followed much of anything he has done
I just found the reference to the letter in the WSJ and then found a copy of the letter
-
no idea
I haven't followed much of anything he has done
I just found the reference to the letter in the WSJ and then found a copy of the letter
can you link the referenced wsj article for us?
-
Are you really that fucking moronic? What do wars have to do with state level financing for these madoffian scams?
And please cry me river about the cops, fireman, etc - I have no more sympathy for them han I do anyone else.
Man you rstill too slow to keep up. This is all over budget shortfalls? Why do we have shortfalls dumbass? Because money is going to places it shouldnt be.
If it wasnt for unions then you be in the coalmine with loretta lynn workin 20hr days.
-
LOL have I? I feel right on the money, i think me and skip are on the same page...
hahahhahahahah
you have suggested that my using bold means "something" other than the obvious purpose for bold print
If you weren't suggesting that then what is the purpose of this post?
hahahah You bolded certain parts of that letter did you not?
why? ;)
-
can you link the referenced wsj article for us?
I'm starting to realize why you're so constantly confused all the time
it appears to be your default setting
-
I'm starting to realize why you're so constantly confused all the time
it appears to be your default setting
LMAO. Thats why i cant post here much!! ;D
-
you have suggested that my using bold means "something" other than the obvious purpose for bold print
If you weren't suggesting that then what is the purpose of this post?
LOL no brain child i was asking why you wanted to bring attention to the bolded text...
to bring attention was the reasoning to bold it, but what was the reasoning behind wanting to bring attention to it?
-
LMAO. Thats why i cant post here much!! ;D
that and being completely and totally uniformed and all talking points :):):)
-
Man you rstill too slow to keep up. This is all over budget shortfalls? Why do we have shortfalls dumbass? Because money is going to places it shouldnt be.
If it wasnt for unions then you be in the coalmine with loretta lynn workin 20hr days.
::) ::)
Private Unions are not the same as Pubic Unions. Additionally - we now have DOL, State levels of DOL, OSHA, EEOC, etc etc, so stop with all the union scare mongering that is completely divorced from all reality.
-
LOL no brain child i was asking why you wanted to bring attention to the bolded text...
to bring attention was the reasoning to bold it, but what was the reasoning behind wanting to bring attention to it?
and I told you
for the same reason everyone uses bold
but that answer wasn't good enough for you .....yet somehow you're not suggesting there is some ulterior motive on my part right?
you won't take the obvious for an answer yet you won't tell us what you think my other (as yet unmentioned) might be
btw - did you find the link to the WSJ artticle yet?
hint - it in the post where I first mentioned the Walls Street Journal Article. You would have had to have read the post to know about the article so how did you miss the link to the article
-
and I told you
for the same reason everyone uses bold
but that answer wasn't good enough for you .....yet somehow you're not suggesting there is some ulterior motive on my part right?
you won't take the obvious for an answer yet you won't tell us what you think my other (as yet unmentioned) might be
btw - did you find the link to the WSJ artticle yet?
hint - it in the post where I first mentioned the Walls Street Journal Article. You would have had to have read the post to know about the article so how did you miss the link to the article
yes ppl use bold to bring attention to things straw, but why did you want to bring attention to what you bolded is what i want to know?
that is the question youve side stepped and ran from ;)
-
yes ppl use bold to bring attention to things straw, but why did you want to bring attention to what you bolded is what i want to know?
that is the question youve side stepped and ran from ;)
BECAUSE ITS OPPOSITE OF THE LIMBAUGH.HANNITY VEIWS!!!! ;D
-
yes ppl use bold to bring attention to things straw, but why did you want to bring attention to what you bolded is what i want to know?
that is the question youve side stepped and ran from ;)
ran away?
I answered your question on page 2
here is my answer again
what part do you find confusing
the only reasion I bold text is so that people will be more likely to read it
that's it
-
ran away?
I answered your question on page 2
here is my answer again
what part do you find confusing
He means. "what was you secret internal thoughts of the heart behind your dreaded use of bold??? Im going nutz.
-
Christie will be prez one day.
-
ran away?
I answered your question on page 2
here is my answer again
what part do you find confusing
LOL yes straw man thats why you bold text but why specifically those portions of the letter?
you see you wanted ppl to read that specific part thats why you bolded them
but why did you want ppl to read those specific portions straw, why?
LMAO
-
Christie will be prez one day.
somebody like him is desperatly needed in the white house...
-
He means. "what was you secret internal thoughts of the heart behind your dreaded use of bold??? Im going nutz.
ran away?
I answered your question on page 2
here is my answer again
what part do you find confusing
so just to clarify straw man you basically just chose random portions of the letter and highlighted them?
-
Christie will be prez one day.
NEVER. HES PROBABLY A MUSLUM WHO FOLLOWS SHARIA LAW AND A CLOSET HOMO AS MOST REPUGS TURN OUT TO BE.
-
LOL yes straw man thats why you bold text but why specifically those portions of the letter?
you see you wanted ppl to read that specific part thats why you bolded them
but why did you want ppl to read those specific portions straw, why?
LMAO
so they could be read more easily
I would be LMAO but I kind of feel sorry for you that you're so fucking stupid that you're still trying to find the hidden meaning while simultanously denying you're doing that
pay attention
there is no other meaning than what I have told you
if you think there is some other meaning then feel free to share it
-
No that is obama.
-
so they could be read more easily
I would be LMAO but I kind of feel sorry for you that you're so fucking stupid that you're still trying to find the hidden meaning while simultanously denying you're doing that
pay attention
there is no other meaning than what I have told you
if you think there is some other meaning then feel free to share it
Thats a strawman argument ;D
-
so they could be read more easily
I would be LMAO but I kind of feel sorry for you that you're so fucking stupid that you're still trying to find the hidden meaning while simultanously denying you're doing that
pay attention
there is no other meaning than what I have told you
if you think there is some other meaning then feel free to share it
hahahhahaha so those bolded sections where choosen at random then?
-
Lol.
-
Thats a strawman argument ;D
I honestly can't believe I just wasted 90 minutes trying to sort out this confused idiot regarding the use of bold print
-
hahahhahaha so those bolded sections where choosen at random then?
-
Come on straw - you know you enjoy arguing with tony.
-
hahahhahaha so those bolded sections where choosen at random then?
what's the frequency, Kenneth ?
-
what's the frequency, Kenneth ?
side stepping and running away from a question? wuuuuaaahhhhhhh color me shocked ;)
-
Come on straw - you know you enjoy arguing with tony.
I'd prefer not arguing with anyone
Do you have any clue why he is so confused about the use of bold text?
-
side stepping and running away from a question? wuuuuaaahhhhhhh color me shocked ;)
how many times am I supposed to answer the same question
why don't you answer my question
-
hahah you didnt answer this question......
so please answer it
hahahhahaha so those bolded sections where choosen at random then?
-
hahah you didnt answer this question......
so please answer it
I don't know what else to tell you
maybe it will sink in the third time
the only reasion I bold text is so that people will be more likely to read it
that's it
-
For what purpose?
-
For what purpose?
you too?
did you read the bold text?
-
I don't know what else to tell you
maybe it will sink in the third time
but for no reason at all...i too often just highlight, underline and bold random sentences in quotes for no apparent reason at all ;):)
-
but for no reason at all...i too often just highlight, underline and bold random sentences in quotes for no apparent reason at all ;):)
you still haven't told us why you think I bolded the text
why do you keep "side-stepping" that question
-
you still haven't told us why you think I bolded the text
why do you keep "side-stepping" that question
obviously b/c you had some reasoning for wanting us to pay special attention to it...which is why i keep asking what it was...but thats ok if you want to become a troll thats all good and dandy I look foreward to the day you get banned for this type of ish ;)
-
Thanks 33. I love this guy.
-
Thanks 33. I love this guy.
He is a grown up - unlike 99% of the other pols.
-
He is a grown up - unlike 99% of the other pols.
Agree. Here is what Coulter says about him:
"Christie is very articulate," Coulter said. "He has taken brave positions that no other Republican was willing to take, taking on the teachers' union. Amazingly, every once and a while a politician comes along and tells the truth, and he's one of them."
Earlier this week, Christie told an audience in Washington, D.C., that he had no intention to run for the nomination. Coulter said if Christie were to stay out of the race, she may support Mitt Romney.
"He may well be the best candidate if it's not my love Christie."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/18/coulter-insanely-jealous-of-sarah-palin/
-
Christie is the one guy I think that would mop the floor with obama. The rest will have a tougher chance.
-
Christie is the one guy I think that would mop the floor with obama. The rest will have a tougher chance.
agree with that, it will be fun to watch obama "hmm" and "uhh" his way through a debate and christie answer off the cuff with ease
-
obviously b/c you had some reasoning for wanting us to pay special attention to it...which is why i keep asking what it was...but thats ok if you want to become a troll thats all good and dandy I look foreward to the day you get banned for this type of ish ;)
I have no idea wtf you are looking for here
people use bold text to increase likelihood of the text being read
the text speaks for itself
-
I have no idea wtf you are looking for here
people use bold text to increase likelihood of the text being read
the text speaks for itself
were you trying to make a point by bolding those specific parts?
BTW - TLC running a really good kennedy program.
-
were you trying to make a point by bolding those specific parts?
BTW - TLC running a really good kennedy program.
did you read the parts that were bold?
-
did you read the parts that were bold?
i read the entire post.
-
i read the entire post.
that was the point
-
that was the point
i thought you were highlighting the certain parts for a reason. Either way, christie walked into a worse situation than he realized.
-
i thought you were highlighting the certain parts for a reason. Either way, christie walked into a worse situation than he realized.
excerpt from Open Letters to New Jersey Teachers during campaign
Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.
-
yup i always high light, underline and bold text at random LMAO
-
yup i always high light, underline and bold text at random LMAO
just for you
Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.
-
^^^^
its not the same without the random bolding of text for no reason what so ever...
just for you
Here are the facts:
I will be a strong ally for teachers in the classroom. When elected, I will make education funding a top priority and I believe we must ensure those dollars reach our children and the classroom, not the educational bureaucracy. In these tough economic times, we must ensure that the proper resources get to you, the teachers in the classroom. Despite what is said by my opponents, I would accept federal education stimulus dollars to help fund our children's educations. Education is a priority and this money is critical to ensuring we are able to continue giving our children the education they deserve. We must also make sure that education dollars are always a priority and come from stable sources. Too often these grants or stimulus dollars are accepted for programs with no plan on how to pay for them after the money runs dry. It is time for a new era of responsibility in Trenton, and I will work to secure a steady source of funding for all education programs.
I will protect your pensions. Nothing about your pension is going to change when I am governor. In fact, in order to ensure your retirement savings are safe, I believe we must prioritize the protection of pension fund dollars and investigate the cause of Jon Corzine's large investment losses to our pension system. Currently there is a $34 billion deficit in the State's pension fund, which threatens the retirement and lifeline of so many teachers. We must do better for our teachers, future teachers and retirees. As Governor, I will work to close unfunded liabilities and make sure our state lives up to its promises, unlike Jon Corzine. I will not raid your pension fund to cover budgetary shortfalls like previous governors of both parties have done. One of the changes I will bring to Trenton is responsible management, investment, and oversight of state pension dollars.
I will not end collective bargaining and will safeguard protections for ALL public employees, including teachers. Collective bargaining is an important safeguard for public employees and is a part of a long American tradition of self government. We must make sure that the voice of every worker is represented in contract negotiations. I will demand open, honest, and fair deliberations.It’s true that times are tough. But the truth is that Jon Corzine has handed the NJEA and every student a ticking time bomb in this year's budget. He has funded the new school aid formula with $1 billion in one-shot revenue that will disappear next year. Every school budget and academic, athletic, and extra-curricular program for our kids is at risk because of the Governor’s reckless, short-sighted policy. Governor Corzine has refused to make the tough decisions required to make sure we make education funding a priority for recurring revenue and to avoid the ticking time bomb.
We may disagree on some issues, but I know we agree on what’s most important – delivering the best education we can for our kids. Giving New Jersey's children a quality education is critical to their future and I know we wouldn't be able to do that without the dedication and tireless commitment of teachers like you. I appreciate you allowing me to clear up some of the misinformation being circulated about my plans to support our state's teachers.
there you go straw much better... :D :D :D
-
^^^^
its not the same without the random bolding of text for no reason what so ever...
there you go straw much better... :D :D :D
all the words look the same to me
how about you?
-
all the words look the same to me
how about you?
LOL yup dont worry about the extra high lighting, underlining and bolding i just threw those in there for some extra color to make the reading more exciting ;)
-
LOL yup dont worry about the extra high lighting, underlining and bolding i just threw those in there for some extra color to make the reading more exciting ;)
right on man
I have no idea what your point is but keep up the good work
-
right on man
I have no idea what your point is but keep up the good work
point? why do i need a point?
i just like typing random comments as you like bolding random text...there doesnt need to be a point right?
-
point? why do i need a point?
i just like typing random comments as you like bolding random text...there doesnt need to be a point right?
apparently not
-
Christie adviser mulls PAC
By: Maggie Haberman
February 20, 2011 02:53 PM EST
www.politico.com
One of Chris Christie's top political advisers revealed that he is considering formation of a federal political action committee because of the extraordinary interest in the New Jersey governor.
Bill Palatucci, often described as Christie's "political godfather," said that not forming such a fundraising committee would be "leaving money on the table."
The comments came in an interview with the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill, N.J., published Sunday.
Palatucci, Christie's former law partner, made the remarks even as he tried throwing cold water on the notion that the governor — who's gotten acclaim from national Republicans — is taking steps designed toward a presidential run.
"If reporters would look for a second below the surface, they'd see I've never been to Iowa," Palatucci said, adding that another adviser, Mike DuHaime, "has not been to New Hampshire. There have been no lawyers hired to advise or investigate a presidential run."
But on the possibility of forming a federal committee, the newspaper quoted Palatucci as saying: 'I might frankly contemplate that. There's so much interest out there; it's leaving money on the table by not having one."
The newspaper reported that Palatucci was referring to a presidential exploratory committee, but in a statement to POLITICO shortly after publication of this article, Palatucci clarified that he was merely referring to a federal PAC — so-called leadership PACs that politicians use to raise money and contribute to other candidates.
"I never said nor did I intend to imply that I or anyone else was considering an exploratory committee," he said in the statement. "I was musing about creating a federal committee and this local reporter took it upon herself to think that meant an exploratory committee, not knowing the difference or what that would mean."
Late Sunday, reporter Jane Roh posted on her Courier-Post blog that it was a misunderstanding between her and Palatucci, and that while he told POLITICO he would seek a correction, "he agreed a clarification instead was appropriate."
Palatucci's comments came after Christie again spoke last week in terms of having to commit suicide to dispel questions about whether he'll run next year. (See also: 2012 Live)
Christie has repeatedly insisted he's not preparing to run, despite entreaties from national Republicans, pundits like Ann Coulter and plaudits from conservative editorial boards.
He's won acclaim from the right as a budget-cutter and for his battle with the teachers union in his state.
© 2011 Capitol News Company, LLC
-
One of Chris Christie's top political advisers revealed that he is considering formation of a federal political action committee because of the extraordinary interest in the New Jersey governor.
I think he might be a good contender, but we really need a lot more info on where he stands on issues. You know if he has any foreign policy experience?
-
i heard if he turns on his computer and goes on the internet he can see russia in his monitor, that should be good enough ;D
-
What foreign policy experience did bama have?
-
If Chris Christie tries to lose weight I wonder if the posters on this board who criticized Obama for smoking, and trying to quit, and then quiting will also criticize Christie for trying to lose weight.
I assume they will
-
Christie does not lecture people how to live like the two grifters in the white house do.
-
they would say he's not fat just pleasantly plump ;D
-
or maybe he's just big boned ;D, or he might just have a thyroid problem
-
Christie does not lecture people how to live like the two grifters in the white house do.
did Obama lecture anyone to quit smoking?
-
Look at the Lib defending Christie against right wing wack jobs
-
I can see why Repubs like this guy
-
holy shit they didn't know this now they are going to hate him :D his run is done
-
I entered "Chris Christ" into the search engine, and i found this pic..
-
Is he for or against Cap and Trade?
I can't tell
but he seems to like have the funds generated by RGGI to fill gaps in his budget
Gov. Chris Christie to use cap-and-trade funds to balance state budget
Gov. Chris Christie has said he is taking $65 million from the state’s model cap-and-trade program to balance the state’s $29.3 billion budget, but he is getting pushback from Democrats in the state Legislature.
The money comes from quarterly carbon permit auctions held by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an alliance of 10 Eastern states from Maine to Maryland. The governor said he also is planning on taking all of the proceeds from the next three quarterly auctions in 2010.
"Next year, we plan on getting back to RGGI," Christie said in a meeting at The Star-Ledger.
Bob Smith, chairman of the Legislature’s environment and energy committee, and a member of the appropriations committee, has vowed to fight the governor over the RGGI funds and the Clean Energy Fund, which the governor appropriated last month.
"The question that will come back to me and the other policymakers will be how can we justify raiding this fund when there are much better alternatives. We should continue for at least another year with higher income taxes on our wealthier residents," said Smith, who is a vocal advocate for economic stimulus through green jobs.
The RGGI funds, like the $158 million in the Clean Energy Fund, were earmarked for use in a variety of energy efficiency and renewable-energy programs. In 2009, New Jersey’s RGGI proceeds were $67 million; of that, $22 million has been spent or committed for consumer-oriented programs.
In the absence of federal regulation governing greenhouse gas emissions, and the anticipation that rules are likely to be developed, many utilities and corporations around the country have adopted voluntary carbon credit schemes.
RGGI is the first mandatory regulatory program that requires power plant operators to buy permits for the carbon dioxide they emit. Groups of states in the Midwest and West are using RGGI as a model for developing similar auction systems, according to the Climate Registry, a nonprofit trade group.
RGGI has raised $582 million since it was launched in 2008. Most of the RGGI states have invested the majority of their auction proceeds into energy efficiency programs, except for New York.
"We had a blip, and $90 million sitting in a bank account was borrowed by the state for the budget last year," Alexander Grannis, commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, said at a climate conference in New York City on Monday.
-
He has been taking a lot of flak for that in NJ, rightfully so. It was in place beforehand and christie needs all the money he can get.
-
He has been taking a lot of flak for that in NJ, rightfully so. It was in place beforehand and christie needs all the money he can get.
so you're in favor of cap and trade for the purpose of raising money?
-
Hell no! Just that the state legislature would never go along with the real cuts he wants.
I have made my feelings on cap and trade well known.
-
Hell no! Just that the state legislature would never go along with the real cuts he wants.
I have made my feelings on cap and trade well known.
it sounds like Christies only problem wtih RGGI is that Pennsylvania isn't in it
-
What foreign policy experience did bama have?
I thought he had spent 4 years on the foreign relations committee, meeting world leaders, being briefed on world affairs, touring dozens of countries, and making major decisions based upon highly classified information.
I mean... there were people on thse 2008 ballots with a bit less foreign experience, and you said she was ready to stare down Putin...
-
I think that Christie is very serious about budget cuts etc...However, the cutting of the Rail project was very bad decision..Especially, in the long run...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/27/914086/-A-monumental-failure-of-leadership
-
I entered "Chris Christ" into the search engine, and i found this pic..
He's a portly fellow! :D
Not sure what it is about fudge, but it's unappetizing. That pic is just like, eh.
-
I think he might be a good contender, but we really need a lot more info on where he stands on issues. You know if he has any foreign policy experience?
lol :D
-
Here is some interesting things on Christie - but I don't know how reliable the site is:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Chris_Christie.htm
-
I thought he had spent 4 years on the foreign relations committee, meeting world leaders, being briefed on world affairs, touring dozens of countries, and making major decisions based upon highly classified information.
::)
-
Here is some interesting things on Christie - but I don't know how reliable the site is:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Chris_Christie.htm
That's a good website.
-
That's a good website.
what's so good about this site
I don't see any info on many subjects, such as drugs or immigration, in spite of the fact that there is plenty of information about his views on these two topics (and I just picked those two as an example)
-
How Chris Christie Did His Homework
New York Times ^ | February 24, 2011 | MATT BAI
________________________ ________________________ _________
Like a stand-up comedian working out-of-the-way clubs, Chris Christie travels the townships and boroughs of New Jersey, places like Hackettstown and Raritan and Scotch Plains, sharpening his riffs about the state’s public employees, whom he largely blames for plunging New Jersey into a fiscal death spiral. In one well-worn routine, for instance, the governor reminds his audiences that, until he passed a recent law that changed the system, most teachers in the state didn’t pay a dime for their health care coverage, the cost of which was borne by taxpayers.
And so, Christie goes on, forced to cut more than $1 billion in local aid in order to balance the budget, he asked the teachers not only to accept a pay freeze for a year but also to begin contributing 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health care. The dominant teachers’ union in the state responded by spending millions of dollars in television and radio ads to attack him.
...
While Christie has flatly ruled out a presidential run in 2012, there is enough conjecture about the possibility that I felt moved to ask him a few weeks ago if he found it exhausting to have to constantly answer the same question. “Listen, if you’re going to say you’re exhausted by that, you’re really taking yourself too seriously,” Christie told me, then broke into his imitation of a politician who is taking himself too seriously. “ ‘Oh, Matt, please, stop asking me about whether I should be president of the United States! The leader of the free world! Please stop! I’m exhausted by the question!’ I mean, come on. If I get to that point, just slap me around, because that’s really presumptuous. What it is to me is astonishing, not exhausting.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
-
Christie: Expect states across the nation to follow Wisconsin on public-sector costs
February 23, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
Why? Not because it’s some sort of national Republican conspiracy, Chris Christie explained on the Today show this morning. Christie points out that newly-elected Democratic governors like Jerry Brown in California and Andrew Cuomo in New York are having to face the reality of enormous budget shortfalls created by ridiculous pension obligations and spineless politicians who couldn’t say no to unions when it counted. Christie misses an opportunity to explain why confronting public-sector costs has become mainly (but not exclusively) a GOP effort, however. The reason why Republicans have been more aggressive in dealing with the problem is because more Republicans got elected to lead the states in 2010, both as executives and in control of legislatures, by voters who finally realize that their states are teetering on the abyss of bankruptcy and failure:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The NBC interviewer tries to pass off the pension bomb as a problem created by Wall Street and the economic collapse, but Christie deflates that argument rather quickly. When state pensions start paying six figures to former workers, in many cases in systems completely financed by taxpayers rather than the workers themselves, the problem didn’t just start in 2008.
In one state where voters failed to put Republicans in charge, Democratic plans to pass off the problem to the federal government literally had House GOP leadership laughing (via Newsalert):
The No. 4 House Republican in Congress Tuesday shot down Gov. Quinn’s trial balloon of possibly seeking federal help to ease the state’s crushing $86 billion pension shortfall.
Quinn floated the idea in the fine print of his 2012 budget proposal last week, but U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) began laughing Tuesday when asked about the chances of a federal pension bailout for Illinois and other states with retirement systems that are financially underwater.
“There is no appetite in the House for a federal guarantee for a state pension obligation. None. It’s a non-starter,” said Roskam, the U.S. House’s chief deputy whip and highest-ranking Republican in Illinois’ congressional delegation.
“Given the types of choices Congress is under right now and the budget-cutting pressure that moved $100 billion in cuts, there’s no way this House will take on any more obligations, particularly bailing states out of decisions they’ve made,” the Wheaton Republican told the Sun-Times.
That’s one reason why voters entrusted a record number of state-legislature seats to the GOP in 2010. Republicans campaigned on the necessity of confronting these hard economic choices, while Democrats like Pat Quinn want nothing but more federal bailouts to avoid the responsibility of fiscal prioritization.
By the way, be sure to watch the Christie interview to its conclusion. After the obligatory discussion of presidential aspirations, in which Christie shoots down the rumor that he was forming a federal PAC to test the waters, the interviewer tries to get Christie to disclose how much weight he’s lost in his efforts to trim down. He refuses to give specifics, but says he’s a lot like … New Jersey. Stick around through the 4:30 mark to find out how.
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/02/23/christie-expect-states-across-the-nation-to-follow-wisconsin-on-public-sector-costs
-
news local Christie: I Could Win the W.H.
'You’re barking up the wrong tree. I already know I could win.' That's not the issue," Christie says
By MAGGIE HABERMAN
Updated 7:15 AM EST, Wed, Mar 2, 2011 | Print
Chris Christie said he knows he could win the White House if he ran for president next year.
The New Jersey governor and GOP rock star made the comments in an interview with the National Review last week while he was in Washington D.C., which was published Tuesday night.
"I have people calling me and saying to me, 'Let me explain to you how you could win.' And I’m like, 'You’re barking up the wrong tree. I already know I could win.' That's not the issue."
It's the furthest out there Christie has gone about his thinking about the 2012 race, which many conservative pundits have been pleading with him to join, citing the weakness of the field. In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, he acknowledged he sees the opportunity, but didn't say that he also clearly sees a road to the White House over a field of more than a dozen potential GOP rivals.
He added, "The issue is not me sitting here and saying, 'Geez, it might be too hard. I don’t think I can win.' I see the opportunity both at the primary level and at the general election level. I see the opportunity. But I’ve got to believe I’m ready to be president, and I don’t. And I think that that’s the basis you have to make that decision."
“I think when you have people who make the decision just based upon seeing the opportunity you have a much greater likelihood that you’re going to have a president who is not ready. And then we all suffer from that. Even if you’re a conservative, if your conservative president is not ready, you’re not going to be good anyway because you’re going to get rolled all over the place in that town.”
Christie also said that he sees "how much better I get at this job every day," adding he doesn't think he'd be a good candidate if he doesn't feel it from the heart.
"Like I said before, I am who I am and people have to trust, they don’t have to but they should trust, my instincts on this," he said. "I know me better than anyone else knows me. If I felt like I was ready, I’d go, but I’m not. But I’m also not going to go if I don’t think I’m ready.
As for being governor, "there has never been a day where I’ve felt like I’m over my head, I don’t know what to do, I’m lost," he said. "I don’t know whether I’d feel the same way if I walked into the Oval Office a year and a half from now. So, unless you get yourself to the point where you really believe you have a shot to be successful, then I don’t think you have any business running for it."
The National Review's Rich Lowry posted the full text of Christie's 2012 comments online on Tuesday night.
-
“I think when you have people who make the decision just based upon seeing the opportunity you have a much greater likelihood that you’re going to have a president who is not ready. And then we all suffer from that.
:-\
(http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/u25/ObamaSmoking.jpg)
-
-
He said he's not ready, but he might get drafted. Kinda of funny that "none of these" finished fourth.
Newsmax/IBOPE Zogby Poll: Christie Leads GOP Pack
Tuesday, 29 Mar 2011 07:47 PM
By David A. Patten
An exclusive Newsmax/IBOPE Zogby International poll shows New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie so dominates the GOP field for 2012 that he garners more than twice as many votes as his nearest Republican competitor.
The new poll reflects growing momentum for Christie, despite his repeated insistence that he’s not ready to be president and has no intention of running.
Christie’s strong showing is likely to further encourage those Republicans who are actively engaged in mustering support for a campaign to draft him to run. Supporters launched a DraftChristie2012 website last October.
The Newsmax/IBOPE Zogby survey shows Christie to be the choice of 23.6 percent of likely GOP primary voters. That dwarfs the 10.3 percent for second-place finisher Sarah Palin.
“Conservative voters like Chris Christie,” pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax, “because he offers an actual governing model that’s consistent with his and their philosophy.
“Essentially, he has been fearless in terms of tackling unions, tackling budget cuts, and so on,” Zogby says. “But they also know that he’s an affable personality, that he does not come off as this angry radical, but as a credible fellow.
“And at the same time,” says Zogby, “he’s portly, he’s real, he’s not out of central casting. And in many ways, for Republicans, he’s the un-Obama.”
Zogby says the results are consistent with other polls that show Christie dominating the field when he’s among the choices pollsters offer voters.
A Gallup poll released earlier this week, which did not include Christie as an option, showed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leading the GOP pack.
Others rounding out the field in the survey:
Newt Gingrich — 7.9 percent
Mitt Romney — 7 percent
Ron Paul — 7 percent
Michele Bachmann — 6.9 percent
Mike Huckabee — 6.8 percent
Tim Pawlenty — 5.9 percent
Donald Trump — 5.1 percent
Mitch Daniels — 2.6 percent
Haley Barbour — 1.5 percent
One of the survey’s most interesting findings: “None of these” placed fourth with 7.8 percent. And “not sure” placed fifth with 7.6 percent.
According to Zogby, that signals the 2012 GOP race is wide open.
“This is a year for Republicans when I think being a fresh face may count for more than anything else – much the same way as it happened for Democrats three years ago,” he tells Newsmax. “It’s fluid, very fluid.”
Zogby said Christie, who shocked pundits by defeating then-incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in November 2009, is actually benefiting from not being a candidate.
“He cannot be a candidate right now,” Zogby tells Newsmax. “It’s too soon. He has unfinished work. The voters in his constituency in New Jersey would be angry and horrified. So the scenario for him would be to respond to an irresistible draft.”
Without a draft movement, Zogby says, it is difficult to see how Christie could get into the race.
The Newsmax/IBOPE Zogby international poll was conducted March 25 through March 28. Data on the GOP field was based on 1,030 online surveys of likely GOP primary voters. It has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1 percent.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/chris-christie-zogby-poll/2011/03/29/id/391083
-
If Christie runs - Bama should not even bother showing up.
-
Chris Christie Faces Slim Support For Hypothetical Presidential Run Back Home: Poll
Posted: 04/14/11
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is often mentioned as a presidential contender, but fewer than one in four voters in his home state would back him as a candidate, a poll released on Thursday said.
Two-thirds of registered voters "oppose Chris Christie for president in 2012," according to the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.
Fewer than half of Republicans and a quarter of independents support Christie as a candidate, the poll found.
"This does not mean a future try would be opposed, just that New Jerseyans aren't joining the national media's storyline that Christie could take the nomination in 2012 if he wanted it," said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll and professor of political science at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Christie, a former prosecutor, has been seen as a rising Republican party star since taking office last year and pushing a lean-government, low-tax agenda. But he has said he did not think he was ready to be president and did not plan to run in 2012.
New Jersey voters are unconvinced the buzz surrounding the governor's political future is good for the state, the poll found.
Nearly two-thirds of those polled said having a governor on the national stage makes no difference or hurts the state's image, while a third of voters said it was a good thing for New Jersey.
The poll of 773 registered voters was conducted from March 28 to April 4 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/chris-christie-poll_n_849095.html
-
:o Christie would definitely shake up the race.
Zogby New Poll Stunner: Christie, Cain Lead GOP Pack
Friday, 20 May 2011
By David A. Patten and Ashley Martella
A new IBOPE Zogby poll shows Atlanta businessman Herman Cain vaulting into the No. 1 front-runner position among active candidates as the choice to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
Cain, a longtime Pillsbury executive who later became chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, was the preferred choice of 14 percent of the likely Republican primary voters polled.
His showing placed second only to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who got 17 percent. Christie, however, has insisted repeatedly that he will not be running for president in 2012. Ron Paul placed third with 10 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had 9 percent.
Pollster John Zogby sees unrest among Republican voters with the establishment candidates and, in this Newsmax.TV video, he discusses his latest GOP presidential poll showing the big-names trailing perceived long-shots and even someone who says he is not running.
Pollster John Zogby told Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview that the sudden rise of Cain shows the degree of restlessness among GOP faithful, given their current options.
“He’s not well known. He’s very plain speaking,” Zogby said. “But when someone enters the forum, as he did during that debate, and rises to the top, it’s kind of like Donald Trump, it’s kind of like Chris Christie: “We don’t like the field, this is a guy that we can believe in.’”
Cain was considered the winner of the recent Fox News debate held in South Carolina. His memorable applause line came when a panelist pointed out that he lacked experience holding public office. Cain pointed out that almost everyone elected to national office in Washington, D.C., had prior public service experience.
“How’s that working out for you?” he asked rhetorically.
Asked if he was surprised by Romney’s fourth place showing in the poll, Zogby said there are indications Romney may have “a troubled candidacy.”
“If you look at New Hampshire for example, which Romney did not win in 2008, which is his next door state, he lost that to [Arizona GOP Sen.] John McCain,” Zogby told Newsmax.
Romney’s biggest problem, said the pollster, was his support for a healthcare reform scheme in Massachusetts with significant similarities to the ObamaCare health plan.
Zogby’s other points in the exclusive Newsmax.TV interview:
* Ron Paul, he said, is “a 10 percenter,” solid and “very intense” support, that is limited. While it’s hard to see him winning the nomination, Zogby said, his supporters are very passionate about his candidacy.
* By confronting the unions in New Jersey, Christie is giving Republicans “to some degree is an alternative governing model, not just an alternative governing model.”
* He sees a scenario where Christie could still be convinced to enter the race. In this instance, this could be a case where no candidate seems to be breaking from the pack by the fall of this year, by 2011, and party establishment comes to visit Chris Christie and says, ‘You’re the guy who leads the polls, you’re the only guy who has a chance to beat Barack Obama.”
* Although Republicans often follow a “gold-watch” pattern of awarding the nomination to the most established Republican leader, he believes that trend may not hold this cycle. That could work against Romney, he said.
* One interesting finding in the IBOPE Zogby Poll: Although only 9 percent of the 1,377 GOP primary voters favored Romney, by a wide margin he is considered the candidate most likely to get the nomination. Thirty-one percent think Romney will be the nominee. The next closest contender: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, at 8 percent.
The poll was conducted before former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and businessman Donald Trump, opted out of the race for the GOP nomination. It also occurred before former House Speaker Newt Gingrich described GOP Rep. Paul Ryan’s entitlement reform proposal as “right-wing social engineering.”
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/HermanCain-JohnZogby-ZogbyPoll/2011/05/20/id/397184
-
He's not running. Heard him on local news again.
-
He's not running. Heard him on local news again.
Yeah. Too bad he's not quite ready.
But you never know. If the party is floundering at the end of the year, he might get pushed into running.
-
Iowa Republicans Urge Christie to Run in 2012
Friday, 27 May 2011 07:02 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) - As Republicans seek the best candidate to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012, some Iowa Republican donors are wooing a reluctant Chris Christie, saying the New Jersey governor's blunt style makes him the man for the job.
Next Tuesday, about half a dozen businessmen from Iowa -- which holds the first nominating contest in the U.S. presidential race -- will make the case to Christie over dinner at the governor's mansion for his entering the contest.
"Christie appeals to a broad section of America who are really tired of elected officials not telling them the truth, not telling them in a blunt and direct way what's going on," said Iowa entrepreneur Bruce Rastetter, who will take part in the dinner.
Rastetter said he likes Christie's "blunt, direct, no-nonsense approach" and said he will urge the governor to "come to Iowa, spend some time, and see if Iowans don't embrace his style of leadership like we believe they would."
Rastetter and the others taking part in the dinner are important financial backers of Republican candidates in Iowa.
Christie has been a rising star in the Republican Party since taking office last year with a low-tax, lean-government agenda, and erasing a record $11 billion budget deficit while limiting annual increases in the state's high property taxes.
YouTube videos of his blunt, folksy, straight-talking interactions with voters in which he is often self-deprecating have helped spread his appeal beyond his own state.
But Christie has said repeatedly that he is not running.
"I'm not ready to be president," Christie said last week.
'REPUBLICAN ROCK STAR'
"He's a Republican rock star around the nation because he is articulate, tough on unions and talks about issues most Republicans agree on," Ben Dworkin, director of Rider University's Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics, said of Christie.
Local setbacks could impact his national standing. Polls show his popularity waning in New Jersey, ratings agencies have downgraded the state's credit rating, and the state's highest court just ordered Christie to spend more money on education.
"The blustering that comes across really well in the national media ... isn't playing as well here anymore," said David Redlawsk, director of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
"We're seeing more and more in our polling people using words like 'bully"' to describe Christie, said Redlawsk, whose poll last month found fewer than one in four New Jersey voters would back Christie as a presidential candidate.
His national profile has grown after a fight with teachers unions that he called enemies of change and his canceling a costly rail tunnel project despite the federal government's promised contribution.
The Christie speculation underscores the dissatisfaction among some Republicans with the nascent field of 2012 hopefuls including Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Herman Cain.
Texas Governor Rick Perry said Friday he will consider running for the Republican nomination.
Michele Bachmann, a U.S. congresswoman from Minnesota, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin also are eyeing the race.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Iowa-ChrisChristie-2012RepublicanElection/2011/05/27/id/398098
-
Doug Schoen: Democrats Fear Christie Entering Presidential Race
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
By Jim Meyers and Ashley Martella
Political analyst and Democratic pollster Doug Schoen tells Newsmax that while Mitt Romney is currently the strongest Republican challenger to President Obama, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the candidate the Democrats fear the most.
Schoen also asserts that Democrats are engaging in “scare tactics” in attacking Rep. Paul Ryan’s Medicare overhaul proposal while offering no plan of their own, and says Republicans should offer a “less draconian” alternative to the Ryan plan.
Schoen served as an adviser during President Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign. He is a Fox News analyst and co-author, along with pollster Scott Rasmussen, of the book “Mad As Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System.”
In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Schoen was asked which GOP candidate would have the best chance of defeating President Obama in 2012.
Mitt Romney is the Republican who is in the best position to challenge President Barack Obama, says Democratic strategist Doug Schoen. However, Schoen says, Democrats fear Chris Christie more. In this Newsmax.TV video, Schoen also says the poor economy ruins Obamas performance.
“Right now I think it’s Mitt Romney,” Schoen responds.
“He’s got name recognition, he’s got money, and he is a former businessman who has the ability to run on the economy. He does have the liability of having proposed a forerunner of Obamacare.
“But at this point I’d say Mitt Romney would be the toughest candidate for President Obama to beat.”
chris,christieAs for the potential candidate the Democrats fear the most, Schoen opines: “I think Democrats fear someone who’s not in the race, like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
“The American people are looking for fresh faces and if somebody like Chris Christie got into the race, I think there is a real chance that there could be a boomlet of excitement that could catapult him pretty quickly to the top of the polls.”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the top pick for president among Republicans and independents in a CNN poll released last week. Explaining the results, Schoen says: “That’s name recognition and dissatisfaction with the Republican field.
“I said Mitt Romney is the front-runner, but I didn’t say he’s enthusiastically embraced by the Republican base. He isn’t. Rudy Giuliani is remembered well for is work in New York City, fighting terrorism, helping the city recover after 9-11. There is a clear sense that he is somebody who could and should be heard from.
“The problem he has is he is perceived as too much of a centrist for an increasingly conservative Republican primary electorate.”
. . .
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/chris-christie-president-democrats/2011/05/31/id/398351
-
33 can you please kick this off? And no fat jokes. :D
Chris Christie is so fat that he needs to take a helicopter to attend his sons baseball game and then needs a limo to drive him the 100 yards from the helicopter to the baseball field
no joke
-
.
he's starting to look like a caricature
-
Christie to Caller: 'None of Your Business' Where My Kids Go to School
Print Email Share Comments Text Size
Call it another Chris Christie moment.
The confrontational New Jersey governor, appearing on a recent call-in show for a local public television channel, effectively shut down a caller who asked him why he sends his kids to private school.
"You know what? First off, it's none of your business," Christie snapped, after being asked to justify how he can impose cuts on the public school system while keeping his own children out of it.
"Secondly," he continued, "I pay $38,000 a year in property taxes for a public school system ... that my wife and I don't choose to utilize, because we believe we've decided as parents that we believe a religious education should be part of our children's everyday education. So we send our children to parochial school."
The Republican governor is well known for his often-public run-ins with teachers and critics of his administration over his cuts to the education system.
Christie was recently rebuked over those cuts by the New Jersey Supreme Court, which last month ruled that the state must restore $500 million in education funding for low-income districts.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/21/christie-to-caller-none-your-business-where-my-kids-go-to-school/?test=latestnews
-
New Jersey’s Christie Says He’s ‘Not a Fan’ of Gay Marriage
Sunday, 26 Jun 2011
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is “not a fan” of same-sex marriage and wouldn’t follow neighboring New York’s lead by legalizing it.
Although New Jersey allows gay couples to form civil unions, marriage should be between a man and a woman, Christie said today on NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.
On Friday, New York became the sixth U.S. state to give gay couples the right to wed. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law shortly after the New York’s Republican-controlled state Senate approved the measure in a 33-29 vote. New Jersey’s Senate rejected a gay marriage bill backed by then-Gov. Jon Corzine in January 2010.
“In our state, we’re going to continue to pursue civil unions,” said Christie, 48, a first-term Republican. “I am not a fan of same-sex marriage. It’s not something that I support.”
Proponents of New Jersey’s failed gay-marriage bill had said the state’s current civil union law doesn’t guarantee same- sex couples federal protection and equal treatment by insurance providers, hospitals and out-of-state firms that don’t recognize the arrangements.
“I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman,” Christie said. “I wouldn’t sign a bill like the one that was in New York.”
Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. and Connecticut issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, as does the District of Columbia, according to the Washington-based Human Rights Campaign, which advocates equal rights for gay, bisexual, and transgender people. New York and Maryland recognize such marriages from other jurisdictions.
New York’s new law, enabling same-sex couples to marry in the state, will take effect in 30 days. New York is the nation’s third most-populous state, with 19.4 million residents.
Christie, who has said he won’t seek the Republican presidential nomination for 2012, also demurred when asked whether he’d have any interest in running for vice president.
“The person who picks me as vice president would have to be sedated,” Christie said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/BNALL-BNSTAFF-BNTEAMS-BON/2011/06/26/id/401477
-
July 20, 2011 1:20 PM
Chris Christie maintains he's not running in 2012 after meeting with donors
By Lucy Madison
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie met with major GOP donors urging him to run for president on Tuesday night, but he says he remains steadfast that he will not enter the race in 2012.
The Republican has continuously brushed aside talk of a possible bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination - but that hasn't stopped some high-profile donors and rank-and-file Republicans from pushing him to enter the race. And a Tuesday meeting with donors led by billionaire venture capitalist and Republican donor Ken Langone fueled yet more talk.
At a statehouse press conference following the meeting, however, Christie said his plans hadn't changed.
"There are some people who believe I should leave this job and go to another one," Christie told reporters. "I said nothing different to [Langone] than I've said to other folks in the past."
"This is not a new acquaintance," Christie continued. "He wanted me to sit down and talk and listen to him. I'm always happy to sit and listen to people who are smarter than me, and I think Ken falls into that category. So I could listen to him but I said nothing different to him today than I've said to all of you and everybody else."
Langone, a co-founder of The Home Depot who backed former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his 2008 presidential bid, has in recent years made significant donations to the Republican party nationwide. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger, he donated $2,000 to Christie's 2008 gubernatorial campaign, and in 2010 contributed $25,000 to the New Jersey State Republican committee.
According to Politico, Christie told those in the meeting that while he would not run in 2012 because of the concerns about his family, a commitment to serving out his term as governor and questions about his ability to win. He reportedly left some room for speculation about openness to a 2016 bid.
Christie reportedly will travel to Iowa -- the key first-in-the-nation voting state -- next week to speak on behalf of Rep. Steve King.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20081102-503544.html
-
Christie Stays in National Spotlight With Iowa Visit
Published July 24, 2011
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he's not running for president, but he's still leaving an imprint on the 2012 Republican campaign as a potential kingmaker -- and distraction.
His visit to Iowa on Monday is evidence of both.
Christie is swooping in to speak at an education conference in Des Moines and headline a political fundraiser for a congressman.
Although Christie has batted away the possibility of a 2012 run at every turn, some of the GOP presidential contenders have sought his advice and support.
"If he feels compelled that he can make a difference, he may endorse a candidate," said Christie's senior political adviser, Mike DuHaime.
Christie is inviting national attention at a time when GOP voters have been slow to embrace the field of announced candidates. His visit comes on the same day when two hopefuls, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, were scheduled to campaign in the leadoff caucus state ahead of an August straw poll.
"Any time Christie comes out here, he's obviously going to take some air out of the room," said Doug Gross, an influential Iowa Republican who has not committed to a candidate in the 2012 campaign. "He again creates this sense that the current field isn't complete or isn't sufficient."
The attention on Christie may ebb if Texas Gov. Rick Perry enters the race next month.
But efforts to court Christie have continued this summer even though he has said that his four school-age children and further goals in his first term make a White House bid out of the question.
This past week, Christie met with Home Depot co-founder Kenneth Langone, among the influential economic conservatives who want Christie to run.
In May, a meeting with Christie in Princeton, N.J., that was arranged by a group of Iowa GOP business leaders and donors made headlines as a sign of discontent with the GOP field. Iowa activists are accustomed to being courted in their own state.
The group's leader, energy company executive Bruce Rastetter, had been impressed by Christie last fall when the New Jersey governor headlined a fundraiser for Terry Branstad's gubernatorial campaign. Rastetter was Branstad's top fundraiser in 2010.
Christie agreed during the May meeting to attend the education conference organized by Branstad and to stop in at the fundraiser in West Des Moines for U.S. Rep. Steve King.
It makes sense for Christie to stay in the good graces of Iowa Republicans, should he keep the door open for running for president in 2016, as he has.
The King event is in part out of gratitude for the congressman's support for Christie at a congressional hearing two years ago, King adviser Chuck Laudner said.
Christie, then the nominee for New Jersey governor, faced pointed questioning at a U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee hearing in the Democratic-controlled House about no-bid contracts he awarded as U.S. attorney in New Jersey. Christie's star has risen quickly after he defeated a Democratic governor in a Democratic state just a year after Democrat Barack Obama was elected president.
But Christie's national profile has continued to rise, in part for his frank and sometimes confrontational exchanges with media, captured on video and circulated on the internet by his staff.
He has drawn praise from fiscal hawks and loud complaints from public-sector unions for efforts to trim benefits for public employees as part of steep budget cuts in his first two years in office.
Christie is pursuing education measures aimed at abolishing indefinite tenure for teachers and establishing merit-based pay. Branstad said last week he will propose linking teacher pay raises to classroom performance.
Christie's approval has begun to slip in public opinion polls from a healthy rating of roughly half of New Jersey voters a year ago to below 50 percent in recent months, while his disapproval has also inched higher to near 50 percent at the same time.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/24/christie-stays-in-national-spotlight-with-iowa-visit/
-
Christie rises to number two spot at Republican Governors Association
By: CNN Political Reporter Peter Hamby
Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) – He's not running for president, but Chris Christie is stepping up his political activity on the national stage.
The New Jersey governor, one of the most popular elected officials within the GOP, has been tapped by his peers to serve as Vice Chairman of the Republican Governors Association, CNN has learned.
Christie now becomes one of the top two figures at the RGA, under Chairman Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia.
As one of the GOP's most in-demand speakers, Christie is set to travel the country raising money for the organization, helping him boost his profile among donors and activists nationwide as he and McDonnell seek to elect Republican governors during the 2011 and 2012 election cycles.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, another leading figure among conservatives thanks to his crusade against public sector unions in Madison earlier this year, has been elevated to the RGA's executive committee, the main decision-making body within the organization.
RGA Executive Director Phil Cox called both governors "effective reform-minded governors" and "strong voices for our party and for our principles."
With the promotions of Christie and Walker, the list of RGA chairmen and executive committee members now reads like a who's-who of possible vice presidential candidates and potential 2016 White House hopefuls.
McDonnell and Christie are both sure bets for vice presidential shortlists in 2012, as is Walker.
Also serving on the RGA executive committee are Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.
The Democratic Governors quickly criticized the Christie choice.
“The RGA’s decision to name Governor Christie as their Vice Chair shows that they care more about tough-guy rhetoric and YouTube hits than actual results. Let’s look at the facts. Since becoming governor, Christie has made devastating cuts to schools, raised property taxes, killed thousands of jobs with his opposition to the ARC tunnel, and even forced a downgrade of his state’s bond rating," DGA Spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith said in a statement. "His shtick may make for good copy, but it has had dire consequences for the people of New Jersey.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/07/christie-rises-to-number-two-spot-at-republican-governors-association/#more-174208
-
:o
Chris Christie Reconsidering 2012 Run, Will Decide in Days
Friday, 23 Sep 2011
By Jim Meyers
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision not to enter the 2012 presidential race — and he says he will let top Republican donors know within days about his plans, Newsmax has learned.
During the past few weeks, several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular Republican governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary.
These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including frontrunners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Newsmax has learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a hush-hush powwow held in the past week with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.
A source familiar with the meeting suggested that Christie seemed inclined to enter the race but said he needed more time.
Christie promised to make a final decision "within two weeks," the source said.
Another source involved in GOP fundraising tells Newsmax that that uncommitted fundraisers and donors have been receiving phone calls from top political aides to Christie, seeking their feedback about his possible entry into the race.
Earlier this week Christie hinted at the effort to draft him when he spoke at a special forum that included Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Christie suggested to an audience at New Jersey's Rider University that the current GOP candidates are not answering the public's appetite for real leadership.
"I think what the country is thirsting for, more than anything else right now, is someone of stature and credibility to tell them that and say, 'Here's where I want us to go to deal with this crisis,'" Christie said.
Christie continued: "The fact that nobody yet who's running for president, in my view, has done that effectively is why you continue to hear people ask Daniels if he'll reconsider and ask me if I'll reconsider."
Christie has consistently and categorically stated that he would not run for president in 2012, noting he had significant work still to accomplish in New Jersey.
But New Jersey and New York Republican donors and bundlers who have backed Christie also have been courted in the past several months by Texas Gov. Perry's campaign.
Senior aides to Christie have been quietly urging his supporters not to commit to Perry, indicating Christie was still mulling a bid and would make a final decision after New Jersey's legislative races are completed in November.
But the rapidly changing primary landscape may be changing that timetable.
Perry's quick rise in the polls and indications he may be fading — coupled with nagging questions about Romney's ability to lead the party after backing a Massachusetts healthcare law ominously similar to President Barack Obama's own Obamacare program — may have created a window of opportunity for Christie.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/Christie-president-Romney-Perry/2011/09/23/id/412133
-
NJ Gov. Chris Christie still might run for President
by Elias Isquith on September 24, 2011
Just when you think that you’re out, he pulls you back in:
In an about-face, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is considering running for the Republican nomination for president, according to the New York Post and NewsMax.com.
“Huge pressure from high-ranking Republicans and fund-raisers” is making Christie consider the possibility, however, a source told the Post. “He’ll decide this week.”
I really do try, in general, to get into the heads of those I disagree with and see things from their perspective. I don’t think I’m great at it—no one is, really—but I do think I’m better at it than many others, especially when it comes to politics.
But for the life of me I cannot figure out why Chris Christie is being regarded as some kind of savior for the GOP.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I understand that he appeals to the significant chunk of the GOP electorate that swoons for a swaggering, tough-talking, bruising white ethnic macho man. Christie speaks to those in the GOP who still see themselves as representatives of hardworking, middle class, no BS America. The party of Archie Bunker. These are the people who were never so happy with Bush as they were in the months following 9/11, when he seemingly was dying for someone—anyone—to give him an excuse to bomb half the world and bitch-slap a high-profle liberal to boot. It’s a very male appeal for an overwhelmingly male party.
But how do we get from “I think Chris Christie is a badass” to “I think Chris Christie has a better chance of winning the 2012 election that Mitt Romney”? He’s unpopular in his own state, which, by the way, he’s been Governor of for about as long as Sarah Palin in Alaska. He has a record of shaky ethics. There’s undoubtedly more than enough video online and elsewhere of him berating one working class woman, usually a teacher, after another to portray him as a mean-spirited, blustering bully. And, well, he’s obese—and let’s not kid ourselves, there’s a reason politics has been called showbiz for ugly people.
A lot of talk has circulated in the wake of Perry’s entering the race to the effect of GOP voters being too radical, too cloistered, to understand that their vision of paradise differs from the general electorate’s. Will Republicans blow it in 2012?, etc. And while I can see how this popped-up with Perry, considering his statements on Social Security and his Bush-y mannerisms, the groundswell around Christie seems to me to stand as even starker evidence that the party’s gone off-the-rails.
It’s as if the Republican powers-that-be can no longer distinguish between what’s best for Roger Ailes and what’s best for their party.
http://ordinary-gentlemen.com/eliasisquith/2011/09/24/nj-gov-chris-christie-still-might-run-for-president/
-
cause the current crop sucks. his weight will be awesome, to see if he gets a stomach staple and see him get leaner every month until election
-
The Koch brothers are dying to have this guy run
-
The Koch brothers are dying to have this guy run
If he runs anywhere, he will likely collapse and die.
Hopefully, the debates involving Christie will be televised.
-
Perry: Christie Will Be Formidable Rival in GOP Field
Sunday, 25 Sep 2011
By Newsmax Wires
ORLANDO, Fla. — Texas Gov. Rick Perry says that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be a formidable competitor who would strengthen the GOP presidential field aligning against President Barack Obama.
In an Associated Press interview, Perry responded to a Newsmax story published Friday that indicated Christie is strongly considering a presidential bid at the behest of major GOP donors.
"I see anybody that gets in the race that believes in America and is a small government but efficient government individual, I would welcome into the race. It just strengthens the point that the Republican Party's all about getting our country working again. Whoever that is," Perry said of Christie.
"And I'm also a big believer in these governors being freed up to be able to compete against each other. Chris Christie is a great competitor — and I'll be up there, you know, in Jersey, looking for some businesses to move to Texas."
On Friday, Newsmax broke the story that Christie, despite the protestations of some aides, is indicating that he might be inclined to run.
Editor's Note: See "Christie Reconsidering '12 Run, Will Decide Within Days"
Several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular Republican governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary, Newsmax reported.
These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including frontrunners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Newsmax also learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a hush-hush powwow held in the past week with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.
A source familiar with the meeting suggested that Christie seemed inclined to enter the race but said he needed more time.
Perry lost a key test vote in Florida to businessman Herman Cain on Saturday after making a strong effort to win. Perry's second-place finish in the straw poll came just days after he faltered in a debate in Orlando, Fla.
On Sunday, Perry came in second to former Masschusett Gov. Mitt Romney in the Michigan Straw Poll. Romney won the poll of GOP activists Sunday during the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. He won 51 percent of the 681 votes cast, while Texas Gov. Rick Perry earned 17 percent. Both candidates spoke at the conference Saturday.
Activists at the Florida test vote kept bringing Christie up as a possible contender. Merick Lewin, who owns a marketing company in Davie, Fla., said he believes it's a two-person race — unless Christie runs.
"He's tough. He's strong. He could really shake this up, especially if Rick Perry implodes," Lewin said.
Christie insisted just this Thursday that he does not plan to run for president in 2012. Bill Palatucci, Christie's longtime friend and political adviser, told the AP on Saturday night, "Nothing has changed."
But the more intense discussions of a Christie candidacy are further evidence that Perry's bid could be in trouble.
Perry’s defense of in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants put him on the wrong side of the GOP's conservative base. His rivals worked to exploit his opposition to a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and his support of a mandatory vaccine for girls against a sexually transmitted disease.
Cain captured 37.1 percent of the vote at Saturday's Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando, with Perry coming in second with 15.4 percent. Mitt Romney came in third with14 percent and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania followed with 10.88 percent.
Previous straw polls have predicted the GOP nominee.
Ronald Reagan won in 1979, George H.W. Bush in 1987 and Kansas Sen. Bob Dole in 1995. The Republican Party of Florida, however, has not organized the test vote in recent years.
After the vote, Perry released a statement congratulating Cain. His spokesman, Mark Miner, acknowledged his debate performance played a role in the straw poll vote, but insisted the campaign would not change strategy.
"He's the commander in chief, not the debater in chief," Miner said.
Cain's speech Saturday energized the attending activists. "Let's send Washington a message: We the people are still in charge of this country. Not we, the bureaucrats. Not we, the government," Cain told the conference.
Santorum said delegates should stand with "someone who can win the election, someone who is a consistent, authentic conservative ... who has proved they can win in states that we have to win."
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/perry-christie-gop-obama/2011/09/25/id/412173
-
New York Post Urges Christie to Run
Monday, 26 Sep 2011
By Jim Meyers
The New York Post on Monday urged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to enter the presidential race and fill a void in the current slate of GOP candidates.
“Some of the party’s top leaders and most influential figures — clearly troubled by the failure of anyone in the current field to stir broad, enthusiastic support — are pressing Christie, whom they believe can successfully lead the party against an increasingly vulnerable President Obama,” the Post stated in an editorial.
“We agree.”
The Post disclosed that talk of a Christie candidacy has been fueled by Thursday’s disappointing debate performance by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the presumed front-runner. Republicans now believe they “need someone strong on the ballot,” the Post observed, “and there’s no denying that Chris Christie has long been the hottest ticket in town, a genuine GOP political superstar.”
christie,gop,post,perryChristie has a “freshness” about him that’s lacking in Mitt Romney, according to the Post. The newspaper touted Christie’s success as a prosecutor in fighting his state’s “endemic corruption,” and pointed to his achievements as governor in bringing “fiscal responsibility” to New Jersey, enacting public pension reform despite an “intransigent Democratic legislature.”
“He’s focused and determined, but also flexible, and those are qualities sadly lacking in Washington these days,” the Post declared.
Political analyst Larry Sabato told Newsmax on Sunday that Christie could win the GOP nomination and go on to defeat President Obama in 2012.
The Republican Party is “disappointed with Perry and Romney and has an appetite for a new candidate,” said Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
“There’s no question that Christie could potentially win the nomination.”
On Friday, Newsmax broke the story that Christie is indicating he might be inclined to run.
Several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary, Newsmax reported.
These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including Perry and Romney.
Newsmax also learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a recent hush-hush powwow with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.
Christie promised to make a final decision “within two weeks,” a source familiar with the meeting told Newsmax.
Editor's Note: See "Christie Reconsidering '12 Run, Will Decide Within Days"
The Post editorial concluded: “Whether Christie is ready to make the run is open to question, but it’s crystal clear that if he does jump in he will instantly transform the Republican primary process.
“America right now is hungry for genuine leadership, someone who can take on the problems that have clearly proved too much for Barack Obama to handle.
“Chris Christie may just be the answer.”
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/christie-post-gop-perry/2011/09/26/id/412266
-
I guess people better start paying attention to Fat Albert. :)
Sabato: Christie Could Win It All In 2012
Sunday, 25 Sep 2011
By Gary Cohen
The Republican Party needs a new top candidate for president, and a newly stirring Gov. Chris Christie would fill that void, University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato reveals to Newsmax in an exclusive interview.
And beyond filling a void, Sabato says New Jersey’s Republican governor can win the GOP nomination and conceivably go on to defeat President Barack Obama in 2012.
Sabato explains that he thinks the Republican Party is "disappointed with Perry and Romney," and the party "has an appetite for a new candidate." In describing the Christie's ability to go up against the top-tier candidates, Sabato adds, "Christie is in a league with those two."
On Friday, Newsmax broke the story that Christie is indicating that he might be inclined to run — despite the protestations of some aides.
Editor's Note: See "Christie Reconsidering '12 Run, Will Decide Within Days"
Several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary, Newsmax reported.
These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including front-runners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.
Newsmax also learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a hush-hush powwow held in the past week with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.
A source familiar with the meeting suggested that Christie seemed inclined to enter the race but said he needed more time.
Christie’s dramatic about-face from strict denials of any intent to throw his hat in the presidential ring should come as welcome news to many rank-and-file Republicans, he says. Indeed, Sabato believes that Republicans are not universally pleased with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as a whole "and are disappointed with how Texas Gov. Rick Perry has performed in the debates."
For his part, Perry has been taken to task over healthcare and immigration issues and is viewed by political insiders as having been consistently on the defensive during the debates.
Just weeks ago, Sabato opined there was no chance that Christie would run — because he had not formed an exploratory committee. Sabato now says, "Christie would have a lot of questions to answer if he joins the race — because he has been heard and seen on tape saying he would not run. Christie would have to explain what has changed his mind."
"He has been clear that for him it is family first," Sabato says. "He has shown no prior interest, but what makes him an "attractive candidate" is that "he is a Republican governor in a predominantly Democratic state."
Sabato points out that, given New Jersey's Democratic Party dominance, "Christie knows he faces an uphill battle when he goes for reelection in 2013."
"Christie may be feeling that this may be his best chance to run for president," Sabato says.
Best chance or not, Newsmax asks the pivotal question: If Christie runs, can he win the GOP nod?
“There's no question that Christie could potentially win the nomination,” Sabato says. “It wouldn't be easy, getting in this late and starting from scratch. Rick Perry has just learned that. Romney is well prepared, and even Perry has a couple month start on Christie. But my suspicion is that the money would flow in for Christie. There are many GOP financiers who have held back up until now, being dissatisfied with the entire field. Many have been hoping Christie would decide to enter.”
Once nominated, can Christie take the White House from Obama?
“If the economy is anywhere near as bad as it is now, come November 2012, a respectable GOP nominee would have at minimum a 50-50 chance to defeat President Obama, Sabato opines.
“Christie would be among those considered respectable by any fair definition of the term. He wouldn't even have to win New Jersey to capture the White House. New Jersey isn't on the target list for any Republican nominee.”
Sabato, whose website features a "crystal-ball" look at all the races at the federal and local levels, concludes emphatically, “The Romney and Perry camps would have to be concerned if Christie gets into the picture."
When asked who would look best in terms of a Christie running mate, Sabato says you might want to imagine a Florida influence. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who already has surfaced as a potential vice-presidential candidate despite his insistence that he's not interested, could be the go-to guy for many, Sabato says.
"I keep hearing Rubio's name being raised down the road" as getting into the GOP ticket picture," he says, adding, "It is way too early, and as far as Christie running, I'll believe it when I see it."
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/christie-gop-romney-obama/2011/09/25/id/412191
-
Someone mentioned the campaign trail gastric bypass surgery....what's funny is that I would bet that is seriously being discussed by his advisors.
Advisor: "Okay, we get the surgery now and announce his bid for the GOP nomination. He starts dropping weight immediately, looking better and better at each debate. By the time he's head to head with Bammers, the pro-Christie sentiment will be at a fever pitch. I'm telling you right now, a skinny Chris Christie, even with the loose skin and turkey neck, carries 48 states in '12."
-
Chris Christie will die before 2012 if he doesn't lay off the candy bars. :(
-
Someone mentioned the campaign trail gastric bypass surgery....what's funny is that I would bet that is seriously being discussed by his advisors.
Advisor: "Okay, we get the surgery now and announce his bid for the GOP nomination. He starts dropping weight immediately, looking better and better at each debate. By the time he's head to head with Bammers, the pro-Christie sentiment will be at a fever pitch. I'm telling you right now, a skinny Chris Christie, even with the loose skin and turkey neck, carries 48 states in '12."
Bingo. I may have been the one that talked about the surgery lol
-
Christie's Brother Says He Won't Run
Tuesday, 27 Sep 2011
By Newsmax Wires
Chris Christie’s brother, Todd, and other members of the New Jersey governor’s inner circle insisted today that he won’t run for president, despite speculation that he is considering doing so, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
"I'm sure that he's not going to run," Todd Christie told the Star-Ledger.
"If he's lying to me, I'll be as stunned as I've ever been in my life," said Todd Christie, a well-connected Republican fundraiser.
Chris Christie, president, RepublicanThe Star-Ledger also reported that three Christie confidants expressed surprise at former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean’s statements Monday that Christie is considering jumping into the race. Those operatives insisted that Christie won’t run, the Star-Ledger reported.
Speculation that Christie might change his mind about running and run has escalated since Newsmax first broke the story on Friday that billionaire donors were pushing him to run, that he was considering the possibility, and that he might announce within days.
Christie would not answer questions this morning, the Star-Ledger reported.
As speculation continues, Christie is adding fuel to the fire, flying to California to deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library at 9 p.m. Eastern today. His speech, titled "Real American Exceptionalism," will show "how the United States' role and significance in the world is defined by who we are at home," a spokeswoman for the governor told the Star-Ledger.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Christie-president-Obama-2012/2011/09/27/id/412422
-
I give Christie credit.
He says he won't run and it's because he remembers all the skeletons ( public and private ) that are in his closet and he doesn't want to drag his family through all that.
-
Responded to a question at Reagan library speech indicating he will not run. Said to go to politico.com and watch the video of compilation of responses to that question And that is his answer. Apparently not running.
-
Great speech tonight by paisan Christie!
-
Responded to a question at Reagan library speech indicating he will not run. Said to go to politico.com and watch the video of compilation of responses to that question And that is his answer. Apparently not running.
very smart man.
-
Responded to a question at Reagan library speech indicating he will not run. Said to go to politico.com and watch the video of compilation of responses to that question And that is his answer. Apparently not running.
Bummer. He would have shaken things up.
(Perry breathing sigh of relief.)
-
I give Christie credit.
He says he won't run and it's because he remembers all the skeletons ( public and private ) that are in his closet and he doesn't want to drag his family through all that.
;D
-
Keep hope alive. Do it fat man! Do it! :)
Sources: Christie Reconsidering Decision to Stay Out of GOP Race
Published October 01, 2011
Associated Press
Trenton – After long saying he wouldn't run, sources close to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie say he is reconsidering his decision to stay out of the race for the White House in 2012 and is expected to make a decision soon.
Those close to the first-term governor, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the issue, say he is rethinking his hard stance.
A decision will have to come fast as the filing deadlines for primary states are weeks away and Christie would need to put together a campaign team in just a matter of weeks.
Calls have been intensifying from top GOP donors and party elders for Christie to jump into the race. President Barack Obama's weak approval ratings and a Republican field that has been struggling to put forward a clear front-runner are also creating an opening for Christie.
Christie may think twice about moving forward, however. GOP latecomers have jumped in to see a big initial splash, only to tread water.
Michele Bachmann leapfrogged ahead of Mitt Romney only to be pushed back when Texas Gov. Rick Perry joined the field in August after months of insisting he had no interest. But after two shaky performances at debates, Perry now, too, seems vulnerable to getting picked off.
Unlike Perry, Christie is most at home behind a podium and seems to relish debate -- most often with the press corps.
New Jersey's pugnacious governor has been asked about his presidential aspirations practically since taking the oath of office in January 2010. But until this week, he has swatted down the idea repeatedly, consistently and colorfully.
He said he wouldn't run because he wasn't ready, because his wife wouldn't let him and because "I'm not crazy, that's why." A more famous reply came about a year ago when he said that "short of suicide" he wasn't sure what he could say to convince people that he's not running.
But after a whirlwind week campaigning and fundraising in Missouri, Louisiana and California, which included a speech on Tuesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in which the characteristically blunt Christie repeatedly criticized Obama, he started to dial back his denials -- he stopped saying he wasn't ready to be president and started referring reporters to previous statements.
When asked about running, Christie urged a capacity audience gathered at the Reagan Library to look at the website Politico, which had pieced together a long string of video clips of him saying he's not a candidate for the White House.
"Those are the answers," he told the crowd.
Christie later said he was flattered by suggestions that he should run in 2012 but said the decision "has to reside inside me."
"And so, my answer to you is just this: I thank you for what you are saying, and I take it in and I'm listening to every word of it and feeling it to," he added.
Later in the week, he dialed up his criticism of the president.
"If you're looking for leadership in America, you're not going to find it in the Oval Office," Christie said at a rally in Louisiana before a fundraiser.
Before the speech at the Reagan library, Christie's brother, Todd, told The Star-Ledger of Newark that there was no change in Christie's decision to run.
"I'm sure that he's not going to run," Todd Christie said. "If he's lying to me, I'll be as stunned as I've ever been in my life."
But after the speech, Christie's inner circle clamped down and Christie didn't make any other public comments about it.
A short primary season could make it tough to organize a campaign in time, but Christie has been making inroads with big money donors and media moguls.
He was the keynote speaker this summer for a retreat held by the billionaire oil tycoon brothers David and Charles Koch. This week he held a fundraiser at the California home of Meg Whitman, the new CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., who lost last year to Democrat Jerry Brown in the governor's race. Last summer, Christie met with the head of Fox News, Roger Ailes at Ailes' home.
A large part of Christie's hesitation to run has been his family. He has four children, ages 18 to 8. At a Sept. 22 event with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who was also courted but said no to a 2012 bid, Christie said it just wasn't the right time for him.
"It got to be something that you and your family really believes is not only the right thing to do, but I think what you must do at that time in your life both for you and for your country," Christie, 49, said. "And for me, the answer to that is that it isn't."
But he and his wife have been reassured recently that White House life isn't that bad. Months ago, former first lady Barbara Bush made a call to Christie's wife, Mary Pat, to encourage her to think about a presidential campaign, and Nancy Reagan also encouraged Christie when they sat together at the library.
The weeklong trip was a clear success for him, advisers said. It was also long planned. Nancy Reagan sent out an invitation for him to speak at the library this winter, and Christie made a similar fundraising trip last year around election season.
Christie's longtime friend, former law partner and adviser Bill Palatucci traveled to California with the governor and said there was no doubt it was inspiring.
"Many, many well-wishers who know the governor's record and are congratulating him on his record in office," Palatucci said after their stops in St. Louis. "Everyone from hotel staff, airport workers and those who attend the events responding that they know him and like his message."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/01/sources-christie-reconsidering-white-house-bid/?test=latestnews
-
Nancy Reagan Urges Christie to Run
Friday, 30 Sep 2011
By Martin Gould
The pressure on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to enter the presidential race is growing rapidly with a quartet of the most influential names in the Republican pantheon urging him to throw his hat in the ring.
Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger and President George H.W. Bush all joined the clamor, believing that Christie is the man to beat President Barack Obama in next November’s election, the New York Post reported on Thursday.
Bush’s wife, Barbara had earlier called Christie’s wife Mary Pat urging her to try to persuade him.
Now those close to Christie believe even he will have difficulty resisting the overtures, with the Post saying a decision could come as early as Monday.
“It’s more than just flattering,” the paper quoted a source close to Christie as saying.
Christie, 49, has repeatedly denied that he is interested in running for the country’s top job but the drumbeats have been growing since Newsmax exclusively revealed last week that he was reconsidering his stance.
It was his enthusiastically received speech at the Ronald Reagan Library on Tuesday that was the tipping point, according to the Post. During the address Christie described Obama as a “bystander in the Oval Office” and described gridlock in Washington as embarrassing.
“Behind the scenes, sources said, the discussions about running took on a more serious and ‘surreal tenor,’ as the encouragement from Reagan, Kissinger, Bush and others began to sink in,” the Post reported.
“Even Christie’s wife, Mary Pat, has warmed to the idea of becoming First Lady after months of discouraging a run.”
According to the paper’s source Mary Pat is now “committed to supporting whatever her husband decides.”
During Tuesday’s speech Christie reiterated his denial that he would stand. He directed members of the audience to go to the Politico website which was running a montage of video clips of him saying “no.”
"It's extraordinarily flattering but by the same token, that heartfelt message you gave me is not a reason for me to do it," Christie told a questioner who pleaded with him to join the crowded GOP field.
"That reason has to reside inside me," he added.
In a separate editorial the Republican-leaning Post described Perry’s position a “flirtation with destiny,” as it urged him to run. “The GOP needs a strong candidate if it is to capitalize on its opportunities next year,” the editorial said.
“Chris Christie made a persuasive case for himself in California Tuesday night. It’s pretty clear that Republicans want to hear more – and we suspect strongly that America does as well.”
Earlier this week, Christie’s brother Todd just as his longtime friend former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean said he was “giving it a lot of thought.”
But while influential figures in the party believe Christie should run, voters are more lukewarm, according to a Poll Position survey released on Thursday.
That found that while 36 percent of Republicans want him to join the race, 34 percent did not. Among Independents 41 percent said he should not run with 39 percent said he should.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/nancy-reagan-christie-2012/2011/09/30/id/412841
-
The left and the state controlled media want John Cuntsman to win the nomination.
Nuff said.
-
Is there any media that is not left or "state controlled"?
Fox+ most internet blogs+ getbig.com
-
Fox+ most internet blogs+ getbig.com
Fox isn't state controlled? ???
-
Fox isn't state controlled? ???
I'm sure he felt the same way when Fox acted like a PR firm for the Bush admin lol...
OH shit, yea, forgot... I'm not allowed to say that, skip's rules and the wrath of BB ready to scold transgressors haha...
-
Bummer. He would have shaken things up.
Repubs don't want a sensible, responsible and consistent candidate. They just want to "shaek things up"
yes, trump shook things up. Stone cold idiot on anything non-birth cert related.
Palin? LMAO. Regarded as a moron by 71% of her own party.
Perry? Liberal in liberal's clothing.
Keep on 'shaking things up'. It got you obama in 2008 when you chose a 'maverick' and whatever the F palin was. lolzercopter.
-
Romney would probably quit. :)
Christie Candidacy Would Cripple Romney
By Chris Stirewalt
Published October 03, 2011
FoxNews.com
If Christie is Serious, Then Romney's Got Big Trouble; Obama Campaign Outlines Attack Strategy
Romney Needs Christie on the Sidelines
"He has been on a lot of sides of the same issue. So, Mitt needs to get a position and stick with it. He is flipping more than that great movie star Flipper.''
-- Texas Gov. Rick Perry talking to FOX News colleague Carl Cameron.
After weeks of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney hoping that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would keep the intrigue alive before re-finalizing his decision not to run for president, it's Texas Gov. Rick Perry's turn to do the hoping.
For Perry it's a wish that Christie re-opens the door to a White House run and gives moderate Massachuser Romney a taste of what the Texan has had to contend with for his two months in the race: a divided base. Christie is said to be preparing a mid-week announcement and Romney needs a definite "no."
The only threat to Romney's core support so far has been the candidacy of former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. But while Huntsman looked good on the pages of Politico, it turned out that there was little interest in the Republican electorate for a second moderate Mormon candidate. Romney has had to do little to respond to Huntsman, even as the Obama appointee increasingly focuses his dwindling resources on upsetting his rival in New Hampshire.
If Christie runs, though, it would be a calamity for Romney.
While it is fashionable to paint the Republicans as a party of extremists, the truth is that the GOP is variegated. Southern conservative evangelicals dominate the party, but Romney has proven that there is a considerable group that prefers a more moderate candidate, even one from the deep-blue confines of New England.
It wouldn't normally be enough to win the GOP nomination, but Romney has been advantaged by the ongoing divisions inside the Republican right. While Perry has emerged as a late contender, his weak performance in the FOX News/Google debate has left the door open to other conservative candidates, both cultural and fiscal. There's been Rep. Ron Paul, Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Sen. Rick Santorum, and now there's businessman Herman Cain and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
While Perry has been defending himself from a sustained attack from the right, Romney has mostly gone untouched as the GOP base settles scores. Both Santorum and Cain are 2008 Romney backers who are likely to eventually fall in behind the current frontrunner, and purists Bachmann and Paul are unlikely to line up with anyone. Only eternal optimist Gingrich seems prone to back whomever emerges as his party's nominee.
Northeastern moderate Christie, though, would be a tough dose for Romney to take. Christie has tremendous support inside the Republican establishment, which is more moderate than the rank and file to begin with. Christie's support of some gun control measures, embrace of civil unions for gay couples, decision to minimize abortion as an issue and appointing of a Muslim activist to New Jersey's Superior Court are all pluses for Republicans who believe the party has gone too far right and needs to moderate in order to defeat Obama next year.
While Perry has managed to hold on to top-tier status despite his poor debate showing, Romney has little room for error. Romney's strategy depends on winning early primaries in more moderate New Hampshire and Nevada to answer probable Perry wins in Iowa and South Carolina. Romney then needs to win in Florida before settling in for a long haul in a nomination process the Steele-era Republican National Committee decided to make as long as possible.
If Christie were to run, many moderate GOPers who have increasingly come to accept Romney as their standard bearer would jump ship. While Christie might not be able to upset Romney in New Hampshire, where Romney keeps a summer home, or in heavily Mormon Nevada, the New Jerseyian would cut into Romney's support in Florida and in the all-important stealth primary for establishment support. One can see how the David Frum set would leap for Christie, cutting into a core constituency for Romney.
Christie's presidential hand-wringing has been helpful to Romney since it has allowed his campaign to continue to argue that the GOP field is in flux. Christie's Hamlet play has kept some big-money donors on the sidelines and forestalled the moment at which Republicans come to accept their fate and choose between two imperfect frontrunners. Since Christie is mostly known for his tough talk and not his moderate politics, he's been a net negative to Perry as a quasi candidate.
But if Christie were to decide to run, it would be only bad news for Romney. Christie could actually deliver what Huntsman threatened: a centrist rivalry. Romney's greatest strength so far has been his implacable support in the center. He has not increased his share of the electorate, but has emerged as the frontrunner by holding fast to a quarter of the GOP. If Christie were to divide that base, it would mean big trouble.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/03/christie-candidacy-would-cripple-romney/
-
Repubs don't want a sensible, responsible and consistent candidate. They just want to "shaek things up"
yes, trump shook things up. Stone cold idiot on anything non-birth cert related.
Palin? LMAO. Regarded as a moron by 71% of her own party.
Perry? Liberal in liberal's clothing.
Keep on 'shaking things up'. It got you obama in 2008 when you chose a 'maverick' and whatever the F palin was. lolzercopter.
CC will be too liberal for the teabaggers
-
CC will be too liberal for the teabaggers
Not for me - with the disaster that the next potus will walk in to, they wont have time for goofy shit like globalist warming, etc.
Christie made a career putting away corrupt politicians and getting in the faces of the greedy disgusting public sector unions.
-
That's ok Fat Man. You will be on the VP short list. :)
Christie: 'Now is not my time'
By: CNN Political UnitOctober 4th, 2011
(CNN) – Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced Tuesday he will not run for president in 2012.
The first-term governor said the pressure he received over the past few months caused him to consider throwing his hat in the ring, after repeatedly shooting down rumors, but that ultimately he is committed to his position in the Garden State.
"Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon," Christie said at a press conference in Trenton. "That's the promise I made to the people of this state when I took office."
Christie spent time recently discussing the possibility of a White House bid with his family, friends and operatives. Ultimately, he said his family was behind him, whether he decided to run for president or not.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/christie-to-hold-press-conference/?hpt=hp_t1
-
:)
Romney: Christie on Everyone's Veep 'Short List'
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011
WASHINGTON— Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be on anybody's short list for a vice presidential running mate. Romney calls Christie an "extraordinary person" and "one of the leading figures in the Republican party."
The two appeared together on NBC's "Today" show — and pointedly didn't reject running mate rumors — the day after Christie handed Romney his endorsement. Asked if Christie would make a good match for a ticket with him, Romney said the two are great friends who agree on a host of issues.
Christie, who had considered running for president himself, says he hasn't been promised a spot on the ticket, or anything else, in return for his endorsement.
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Romney-Christie/2011/10/12/id/414102
-
Christie Is Open to Vice-Presidential Slot
Tuesday, 18 Oct 2011 09:47 AM
By Greg McDonald
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has left the door open to serve on a Republican ticket as vice president, while reiterating his decision not to make a presidential run was correct.
The governor — who rejected a run for the 2012 Republican nomination because he felt bound to serve out his first term as Garden State chief executive — told Sean Hannity on his radio show Monday afternoon that he doesn’t expect to be asked, but is open to the idea of taking the vice-presidential slot.
“I think it will depend on, you know, on who that person is and what they say to me at the time about the need for me, and what I can offer them as a running mate,” Christie said. “Then, I think, you would owe it to folks to at least listen to somebody who is going to be the nominee of your party.”
He quickly added, however: “But, bottom line, I don’t expect that’s going to happen. I don’t think anybody wants my type of personality as a number two. I don’t think I comfortably fit in that role, so I think they’ll probably go in a different direction.”
Christie rejected appeals from wealthy GOP contributors and many of the party faithful to run for president. He told Hannity again that he believes it was the right decision because he “made a commitment to the people of New Jersey” to stay in the job until budget and other problems in the state “were fixed.”
“So I had no business getting up and leaving this thing 20 months in,” he said. “It’s not who I am; I don’t think it would have been a move filled with integrity.”
Still, Christie said: “If national office is somewhere out there in the future — so be it — and if it isn’t, I’m thrilled to be governor.”
Asked about his endorsement of Mitt Romney, Christie said his backing of the former Massachusetts governor was not an indictment of the other candidates, but simply believes Romney has the best chance of winning.
“We cannot have another four years of Barack Obama,” he said.
http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/Christie-vice-president/2011/10/18/id/414830
-
Is the Fat Man angling for a VP slot?
Christie to hit the trail for Romney
Posted by
CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser
(CNN) – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stumps for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on the campaign trail for the first time Wednesday.
Christie, arguably the former Massachusetts governor's most high profile surrogate, will make two stops in New Hampshire, visiting Romney's state campaign headquarters in Manchester and attending a Romney house party in Nashua. Later in the evening, Christie will go to the campaign's national headquarters in Boston to watch Romney face-off against the other major Republican White House hopefuls in a presidential debate in Michigan.
Christie, the tough talking first-term New Jersey governor, ended months of speculation over his presidential intentions when he announced in early October that he would not run for the GOP nomination. For months party insiders and financial backers urged Christie to launch a bid for the White House.
One week after his announcement, Christie appeared with Romney at a news conference in New Hampshire, just hours before a presidential debate, to endorse the former Massachusetts governor.
"Governor Christie is a national leader in the fight to reform government and cut spending. He has consistently stood up for the principles of limited taxation and fiscal responsibility that are important to Granite Staters," said Romney spokesman Ryan Williams, in a statement. "Our campaign is honored to have Governor Christie in New Hampshire to talk to voters about why Mitt Romney is the best candidate to fix our economy and defeat President Obama in 2012."
News of Christie's campaign swing for Romney was first reporter by the New Hampshire Union Leader.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/08/christie-to-hit-the-trail-for-romney/
-
Romney/Christie?
Sweet. Fuck Obama and every disgusting slimebag rat commie planning on voting for him again.
-
-
Do it Fat Man! Get with Jared from Subway, hire a trainer, and get on the ticket. :)
Christie: I'd Consider a VP Run With Romney
Friday, 02 Mar 2012
Chris Christie, New Jersey’s first-term Republican governor, said he’d consider a request from Mitt Romney to become his vice presidential running mate, if the former chief executive of Massachusetts were to ask.
Christie, 49, said voters in his party are “shopping around” for the best challenger to face President Barack Obama in the general election in November. His comments came in response to questions about the primary race between Romney, 64, and challengers including Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
“They’re going to come back to Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee and then he’s going to have a battle on his hands with the president this fall,” Christie told host Steve Adubato today during a “Christie on the Line” broadcast on public television and radio stations from Montclair State University.
Christie said he would consider being Romney’s running mate, if the former Bain Capital LLC chief executive asked him. The New Jerseyan has endorsed Romney and made campaign appearances on his behalf since ruling himself out of the race last year. Romney won primaries in Michigan and Arizona Feb. 28.
Christie said he doubted that running for vice president was “something I would want to do.” Still, he added, “I won’t rule it out.”
Editor’s Note: Do you support Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul or Newt Gingrich? Vote in Urgent Poll – Click Here
Owes Consideration
“I owe it to Governor Romney, if he were to ask me the question, to sit and listen to him as to why he thinks I would be the best person to be vice president,” Christie said. “From my perspective, if you’re a betting person, bet on me still being governor of New Jersey in January of 2013.”
Christie ended weeks of speculation by announcing that he wouldn’t run for his party’s presidential nomination Oct. 4, even after receiving offers of support from major Republican fund-raisers.
A Quinnipiac University survey of voters released Thursday found that putting Christie on the November ballot with Romney wouldn’t be enough to deliver the 11th-biggest state by population to the Republicans over Obama, a Democrat. A Romney-Christie matchup with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden gave the state to the president, 49 percent to 43 percent, according to the poll of 1,396 registered voters.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Christie-vp-romney-gop/2012/03/02/id/431184
-
Christie Gets Celebrity Welcome in Israel
Friday, 06 Apr 2012 03:23 PM
By Dan Weil
New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie made a strongly positive impression on his hosts in Israel this week, while at home there was talk that Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney might choose the feisty freshman as his running mate.
In Israel, Christie met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. Christie spoke to Netanyahu for more than an hour, longer than originally planned, a knowledgeable source told Politico. Later that night, Netanyahu and his wife invited Christie and his wife to their home, a rare step for the prime minister to take with foreign guests. Christie was treated like a star celebrity at the Western Wall and elsewhere in Jerusalem.
The trip boosts Christie’s credentials for the vice presidential slot – or the presidency should he decide to run in 2016, Politico says. But “that was not a consideration in any of the thought process” behind the trip, Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, which co-sponsored the trip, told Politico.
“What was important to him, and what I think is an important point, is he wanted his first international trip as governor to be to Israel. ... New Jersey has the second-largest Jewish population in the country, and [as] the governor of New Jersey, it’s perfectly understandable why he’d want to go to Israel.”
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Christie-Israel-Netanyahu-Peres/2012/04/06/id/435113
-
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/10/christie-government-telling-americans-to-stop-dreaming-and-wait-for-the-next-government-check
Good for him calling out the welfare mobs and parasites on society.
-
the fat man's got some splainin to do
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/10/chris-christie-tunnel-rep_n_1414490.html
Chris Christie Tunnel: Report Disputes Governor's Basis For Scrapping Hudson River Rail Project
TRENTON, N.J. -- Projected cost overruns for a massive rail tunnel project were below what Gov. Chris Christie used as justification for scrapping the project, according to an independent congressional report released Tuesday.
The Government Accountability Office report also differed with the governor on New Jersey's stake in financing the project – about 14 percent, compared to Christie's statements that New Jersey would be on the hook for 70 percent of the project.
Christie's office immediately denounced the report's conclusions, and the Republican governor had his own response Tuesday morning in New York, where he was addressing the George W. Bush Institute Conference on Taxes and Economic Growth.
"The federal government was wrong before, and they are wrong again," he said.
In 2009, under Christie's predecessor Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, construction began on the project, known as the ARC, or Access to the Region's Core. More than a half-billion dollars had been spent on it when Christie pulled the plug in October 2010, saying he didn't want New Jersey to be on the hook for cost overruns he estimated at $2 billion to $5 billion over the estimated $8.7 billion price tag.
About $3 billion was to be provided by the federal government, $3 billion was to come from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the state was committing about $2.7 billion, drawing from flexible federal highway funds and turnpike toll increases. New York City hadn't committed any money.
On the day he canceled the project, Christie said his advisers estimated the cost of the tunnel at $11 billion to $14 billion. But the GAO report concluded that the actual price tag was lower.
According to the report, the figure of $8.7 billion remained basically unchanged from mid-2008 to mid-2010. In August 2010, the Federal Transit Administration issued a risk assessment that put the project's cost at $10.8 billion to $13.7 billion. After input from NJ Transit, which was running the project in New Jersey, the FTA revised the cost range to $9.8 billion to $12.4 billion.
Cost increases are customary in large-scale projects and can happen for a variety of reasons, the report said. For example, the Port Authority discovered there were no existing surveys of Penn Station and had to perform one before designs could be developed.
Tuesday's report served as justification for the governor turning down "a very, very bad deal for New Jersey," according to Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak.
"The cost overruns, projected to be anywhere between $2 billion and $5 billion, were all to be borne by New Jersey, and those escalating cost estimates were affirmed by the FTA themselves in their own risk assessment documentation," he said.
Christie said one of the reasons for canceling the project was that New Jersey would be solely responsible for cost overruns. But the GAO report said additional options including a public-private partnership were being discussed, but the project was canceled before an agreement could be reached.
According to Drewniak, the public-private partnership would have taken "years to develop" and other options would have required the state to pay back loans.
The GAO report also concluded New Jersey would have been responsible for about 14 percent of the cost of the tunnel, far less than the 70 percent Christie had cited. But Drewniak said the 70 percent figure was more accurate because it included money committed by the bi-state Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that would have counted against New Jersey.
The government sought to force New Jersey to pay back about $271 million for work that had already been done on the tunnel. Under an agreement announced last fall, that amount was lowered to $95 million.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who worked for years to raise money for the project, said the report shows Christie deceived New Jersey residents.
"This was the most important transportation project of our time," he said. "ARC was critical to the future of New Jersey's economy and it took years to plan, but Gov. Christie wiped it out with a campaign of public deception."
The New York Times first reported on the GAO report Tuesday.
-
New Jersey voters say Christie a leader, not a bully
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Liptak
(CNN) – More New Jersey voters say the outspoken Republican governor of their state is a leader rather than a bully, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Fifty percent of voters surveyed in the Quinnipiac University poll described Gov. Chris Christie as a leader, compared to 45% who said he was a bully. The "leader" rating is down slightly from April, when 54% said Christie was a leader and 39% said he was a bully.
A few well-publicized outbursts from Christie since April may have contributed to the drop in the "leader" rating. At the end of June, Christie asked a reporter "Are you stupid" after being asked an off-topic question at a press conference, and he was caught on video yelling at a heckler in July.
"Gov. Christopher Christie's squabble on the Seaside boardwalk – shades of Snooki! – underlined his pugnacious 'Jersey Guy' image with some voters, who volunteered that he's a bully. But most of his fellow New Jerseyans call him a leader," Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, wrote in a release accompanying the poll's release.
Overall, a majority of voters in New Jersey – 65% - say the tone and level of civility in Garden State politics is negative, though 60% say the tone is the same as in Washington. Twelve percent say New Jersey politics are more negative than in the nation's capital, compared to 23% who say the situation in New Jersey is better.
Christie, who declined to make his own bid for the GOP presidential nomination, would be a bad choice for Mitt Romney's running mate, a majority of the New Jersey voters said. Fifty-three percent said he'd make a bad vice presidential choice, and 40% said he would make a good pick.
"Politicians still gossip about the idea, but New Jerseyans think Christie would be a bad choice for VP," Carroll said. "The Gov's job approval number holds comfortably above 50 percent and voters like him and his policies."
The Quinnipiac University poll was conduced by telephone from 1,623 registered voters between July 9-15. The sampling error was plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/17/new-jersey-voters-say-christie-a-leader-not-a-bully/
-
You go Fat Man. :)
Christie to keynote GOP convention, Rubio to introduce Romney
Published August 14, 2012
FoxNews.com
Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan for his running mate, but he's making sure to find major convention roles for the other short-listers.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, two of Romney's rumored top choices for the job, will have prominent speaking roles at this year's Republican National Convention. Christie has been awarded the coveted keynote address, while Rubio will introduce Romney on the closing night, sources told Fox News.
Republicans formally announced Tuesday morning that Christie, who considered a 2012 presidential bid of his own before endorsing Romney, would speak in the prime slot in Tampa later this month. Rubio has been tapped to introduce Romney on Thursday night of the convention. GOP officials tell Fox News Rubio is already on a third draft his remarks.
The Associated Press reports Christie has also begun working on his speech for Tuesday night of the convention. His record of cutting his state's budget, curtailing public sector unions and dealing with a Democratic legislature with disarming and combative confidence all were expected to be on display as he looked to fire up his party's base.
"I'll try to tell some very direct and hard truths to people in the country about the trouble that we're in and the fact that fixing those problems is not going to be easy for any of them," Christie told USA Today in an interview announcing his speech. He said he will describe his experiences in New Jersey as evidence that "the American people are ready to confront those problems head-on and endure some sacrifice."
The keynote speech is the highest profile spot for someone not accepting the party's presidential or vice presidential nominations. The slot has launched many political figures, most notably a little-known state senator from Illinois named Barack Obama in 2004. Four years later, he won the White House.
Christie, already a favorite among fiscal conservatives for his tough talk and take-no-prisoners persona, will find a national introduction of sorts in Tampa and, perhaps, offer the opening steps toward a presidential run in 2016 if Romney loses, or in 2020. The 49-year-old former prosecutor has shown little sign of his influence waning, and he has left the door open for a White House run of his own.
Responding to a question about a 2016 presidential bid, Christie told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he was "going to need a job" after 2013. He added, "So maybe it will be that. Who knows?"
Christie became the first Republican elected New Jersey governor in a dozen years when he defeated Democratic millionaire and ex-Wall Street executive Jon Corzine in 2009. Christie was among the most sought-after guest stars on the GOP speaking circuit and spent much of the recent years traipsing from Connecticut to Michigan and Illinois, appearing in Oregon and Minnesota to endorse fellow Republicans and elevating his own national profile.
Many in the party hoped he would mount a last-minute effort to get on the 2012 ballots. He weighed it and in October 2011 earned headlines when he declared with finality that "now is not my time" to run for president, dashing the hopes of Republicans still searching for someone other than then-front-runners Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Christie had insisted for months that he wouldn't run. But then came an intense weekend of reconsideration before he made a firm announcement at a news conference at the New Jersey Statehouse. His decision effectively made the campaign between Romney and the rotating cast of anti-Romneys who rose and fell as each primary came and went.
In leaving the 2012 melee, he said he wasn't seeking the job of vice president.
"I just don't think I have the personality to be asked," he said. "I'm not looking for that job."
But, apparently, he wasn't opposed to going to Tampa to deliver a speech that may rekindle buzz about his own presidential ambitions.
"It's what I accomplish or don't accomplish as governor that will be the springboard or not for me," he told USA Today. "It's not what you say but what you accomplish."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/14/new-jersey-gov-chris-christie-to-give-keynote-address-at-republican-national/
-
No more Fat Man?? :o
Chris Christie Had Weight Loss Surgery In February
By GEOFF MULVIHILL 05/07/13
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has both joked about his weight and said that it's a real concern, secretly underwent a weight-loss surgery in February that experts say could help him if he gets exercise and watches what he eats.
The father of four agreed to the surgery, in which a band was placed around his stomach to restrict the amount of food he can eat, after turning 50 in September, spokesman Michael Drewniak confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Christie told The New York Post, which first reported the surgery, that he said he wasn't motivated by thoughts of running for president.
"I've struggled with this issue for 20 years," he told the newspaper. "For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them."
Christie has never disclosed his weight, but it's been an issue throughout his political career. Christie said four years ago that then-Gov. Jon Corzine was bringing it up in a campaign commercial that accused Christie of "throwing his weight around" to get out of traffic tickets.
Comics including Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman also have made fun of it. In interviews with Letterman, Orpah Winfrey, Barbara Walters and others, Christie has both joked about the issue and said solemnly that he's trying to shed pounds.
During a February appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman," the governor pulled out a doughnut and said his girth was "fair game" for comedians.
Over his appearances the next few days, he was asked repeatedly about his weight. At one point, he said he had a plan for shedding some pounds: "Whether it's successful or not," he said. "You'll all be able to notice."
The next day he responded angrily to comments from a former White House physician who said she worried about him dying in office. The governor said Dr. Connie Mariano should "shut up."
Ten days after that, on Feb. 16, Christie had the surgery. He said the operation lasted 40 minutes and he was home the same afternoon.
Christie, who is in the midst of a re-election campaign, declined to say how much weight he has lost since the surgery.
"A week or two ago, I went to a steakhouse and ordered a steak and ate about a third of it and I was full," he told the Post.
The Republican governor is running for a second term in November, although his name is often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate.
"I know it sounds crazy to say that running for president is minor, but in the grand scheme of things, it was looking at Mary Pat and the kids and going, `I have to do this for them, even if I don't give a crap about myself,'" he said.
The revelation about Christie's surgery came the same day that MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski's book featuring comments from Christie hit bookstores.
In the book, "Obsessed: America's Food Addiction – And My Own," Christie describes working out four times a week but not seeing major weight drops and hearing critics say that his weight shows he's undisciplined. He also talks about what others have said on Twitter, such as: "HEY GOVERNOR, WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST TODAY, ONE STICK OF BUTTER OR TWO?"
"For somebody like me who's had so much success in my life, and really been successful at everything I've tried, to not be able to be successful at this is incredibly discouraging," he said.
Approximately 160,000 stomach-reducing procedures of various types are performed each year. Gastric bypass, sometimes called stomach stapling, is the most common, where surgeons shrink the stomach's size and reroute food to the small intestine.
Gastric band surgery, best known by the brand name Lap-Band, is a less invasive and reversible alternative, where an adjustable ring is placed over the top of the stomach and tightened to restrict how much food can enter.
Candidates for gastric banding must have a body mass index of between 30 and 40 – plus a weight-related medical condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure – or a BMI of 40 and higher. They also must have previously attempted to lose weight through diet and exercise.
Christie, who says he does not have any other significant health problems, has talked about working with a personal trainer since he first ran for governor four years ago.
"If you eat appropriately and chew your food, it works nicely," said Dr. Christina Li, a bariatric doctor at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
She said Christie has the resources to have people help him eat right and get exercise. While the band is removable, she said patients are told to adjust to having it for the rest of their lives.
Li said risks include infection, and that it does not work for all patients.
Dr. Jaime Ponce, who practices in Dalton, Ga., and is president of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, said that people who have the procedure Christie had often lose 1 to 2 pounds per week.
Christie's procedure was performed by Dr. George Fielding, head of NYU Medical Center's Weight Management Program, who did the same procedure for New York Jets coach Rex Ryan three years ago.
The adjustable Lap-Band has been available in the U.S. since 2001 for the most obese patients. In 2011, the Food and Drug Administration expanded approval to somewhat less obese patients.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/chris-christie-weight-loss_n_3228477.html
-
And in a year he might be doing commercials for Subway. :)
Christie: 'I'm a Damn Good Republican'
Friday, 10 May 2013
By Newsmax Wires
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defends his Republican credentials in an interview with NBC's Brian Williams scheduled to air Friday at 10 p.m.
In a preview of the interview, Williams questions how well Christie would fare in Republican primaries if he decided to run for president.
"Listen, I think very well. I’ll worry about the presidency if and when I ever decide to run for it," Christie responded.
"But if you’re saying to me, 'How do I feel as a Republican?' I’m a damn good Republican and a good conservative Republican who believes in the things that I believe in."
But Christie added, "that does not mean that I would ever put party before my state or party before my country.”
The governor took flak from many Republicans for what they claimed was an all too chummy relationship with President Barack Obama in the wake of Hurricane Sandy last October, just before the November presidential election. Christie at the time was a vocal and strong supporter of GOP nominee Mitt Romney, and Republicans charged that he should not have been so accommodating to the president.
Christie told Williams he has not a single regret about his dealings with Obama in the aftermath of the storm that devastated his state.
"I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, because in my heart I know what I did was right," he said. "All I did was compliment someone who was doing their job well. I can't imagine any governor doing anything different."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/christie-good-republican-nbc/2013/05/10/id/503894
-
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
he is right.
that's why he won't get nominated.
some crazy will.
-
Fat Man is serious about this weight loss thing. :o
Christie reveals anger at not fitting in clothes
Posted by
CNN Political Unit
(CNN) - Gov. Chris Christie, who disclosed last week he underwent weight loss surgery in a bid to prolong his life, is saying more about what prompted his decision to go under the knife.
Speaking at a book signing event in Princeton, Christie said he grew frustrated when his clothes no longer fit his growing frame, according to the Record Newspaper of New Jersey.
"The things that really got me down, the moments where I would say to myself, 'Why can't I beat this? Why can't I do better?', it would be when I'd be going out with Mary Pat on a Friday night or Saturday night," Christie said, according to the report. Mary Pat is Christie's wife.
"I'd be changing out of my professional clothes ... and would go to casual clothes that I didn't wear a lot, and then something wouldn't fit. That's when I'd really be angry with myself," he said.
Christie secretly underwent lap-band surgery in February, a few months after turning 50, though the procedure wasn't revealed until last week. Christie said then the decision instead was based on his commitment to his family.
"It's not a career issue for me. It is a long term health issue for me. And that is the basis upon which I made my decision," Christie said, saying that "the steps I've taken are for me, and Mary Pat, and the kids."
At Tuesday's book signing, Christie said he often gets comments from constituents who are concerned about his weight – and that he welcomes them.
"Especially older women will say things to me in a motherly way, like, 'You know, if you lost 30 pounds, you would be so handsome.' I don't mind those kinds of conversations where people say, 'I'm concerned about you; we need you to be governor, we need you to lose weight,'" Christie said.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/15/christie-reveals-anger-at-not-fitting-in-clothes/?hpt=hp_t2
-
Good job Fat Man. The fact he upset both Republicans and Democrats is a good thing. I agree with him that the people should decide (assuming state law gives him that discretion).
Christie opts for special election, says voters should decide
By Paul Steinhauser. Jim Acosta and Peter Hamby, CNN
updated 7:29 PM EDT, Tue June 4, 2013
Washington (CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie opted for a special election to fill a newly vacant Senate seat through 2014 instead of appointing a replacement through that time, saying the decision was about giving voters "a choice and a voice in the process" and was not driven by political self-interest.
Christie sets October special election to replace Lautenberg
While the Republican's decision for a special October ballot could help him avoid stronger Democratic turnout in his re-election bid a month later, it also opens him up to criticism from his own party that is on the short end of the balance of power in the Senate.
Christie explained his decision one day after the Garden State's senior senator, Frank Lautenberg, a liberal Democrat, died at 89 after an illness. Christie said he would name a placeholder as soon as possible to fill the seat until the October election.
Democrats immediately slammed the move, asserting that Christie is wasting taxpayer money to protect his ambitions. National Republicans weren't critical but they didn't praise the governor, either.
Christie announced that Democratic and Republican primary elections will be held on August 13 with the general election on October 16.
The winner of the special election will serve out the final year of Lautenberg's term, and an election for a full six-year term will occur the following November.
Voters should have say
While Christie said state law allowed him to name a replacement for the remaining year-and-a-half of Lautenberg's term, he believes an appointment over that period of time was not suitable or fair.
"The issues facing the United States Senate are too critically important and the decisions that need to be dealt with too vital not too have an elected representative making those decisions who was voted on and decided on by the people of this state. These decisions should be made by an elected official who represents the will of voters of New Jersey," Christie said.
The expense of an election is also an issue during an era of belt tightening.
The New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, an administrative wing of the Democrat-controlled state Legislature, estimates it will cost $12 million to state taxpayers to conduct a primary and another $12 million for a general election.
New Jersey is already voting in a general election on November 5, when Christie is bidding for a second term. So some ask why doesn't he save $12 million and schedule a special general election a few weeks later?
Christie said state law only permits the option of an October special election or an election in 2014.
Christie said "there's no political purpose" behind his decision on the election date.
But polls show that he has a 2-1 advantage over state Sen. Barbara Buono, his Democratic challenger. And putting a special Senate election on the same day in November would most likely increase Democratic turnout, especially if Newark Mayor Cory Booker is on the ballot. Booker was considering his own run for Senate in 2014.
By placing the special Senate election in October, Christie avoids Democratic turnout tied to this issue possibly becoming a problem for him.
Democrats unhappy
National Democrats quickly blasted the decision.
"Governor Christie might not know or care how many millions of taxpayer dollars his special election gambit will waste, but the people of New Jersey certainly do. Christie should do the right thing, protect New Jersey taxpayer dollars instead of his own political career, and hold the Senate election on the same day as his own," Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Colm O'Comartun, said in a statement.
Christie said that the costs associated with special primary and general elections "cannot be measured" against the value of an elected senator "when so many consequential issues are being debated and determined this year."
State Democrats had threatened legal action if Christie pushed the election back to November 2014, but Christie's not sure if his decision averts a legal challenge, adding, "In New Jersey, people sue over everything."
Christie said he has yet to decide on a placeholder. But he said he has a list in his head and that he'll make a determination relatively soon.
"I'm looking for a person who's going to be a good United States senator," he said.
The outspoken governor also said it wouldn't be fair to appoint a GOP placeholder to serve out the remainder of the late Democratic senator's term.
"I understand the political advantage that would come to me if I was the person, the sole person, to decide who would be in the Senate representing New Jersey for 18 months, but I just did not feel comfortable doing that," he said.
Christie didn't say at the news conference whether the placeholder will be allowed to run in the special election, but a source close to the governor told CNN, "Legally the appointee could run if he or she wanted to, but would have to go through the election process."
Republicans not praising Christie
National Republicans weren't criticizing Christie's decision, but they weren't praising it, either.
"I am sure the governor exercised whatever option he had in the best interest of his state and I won't question the path that he has chosen," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
Christie's decision could complicate his already-strained relationship with national conservatives, which could spell trouble if he decides to run for president in 2016.
"I was disappointed he didn't pick a Republican to fill out the rest of the term, but not surprised," said Katon Dawson, the former Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
"Chris Christie has always done what's best for Chris Christie in New Jersey," added Dawson, whose state is traditionally one of the first to cast ballots in the presidential primary process.
Many on the right are still upset with Christie's praise of President Barack Obama personally and the federal response in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, just days before last November's presidential election.
While Christie's approval rating in New Jersey soared after Sandy and has remained high, some commentators in his own party blasted him for his praise of Obama, saying it contributed to the defeat of GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
And Democrats were quick to point that out.
"Republicans have not won a Senate race in New Jersey in more than 40 years. Their only shot was an appointee who had a year and a half to establish themselves before an election in 2014," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Deputy Executive Director Matt Canter said. "With this news, I assume operatives at the NRSC are busy planning Christie's defeat in Iowa and New Hampshire right now."
Meanwhile, the rival National Republican Senatorial Committee pointed toward what could be a divisive Democratic primary.
"Democrats will now face an ugly primary sprint between Cory Booker, Rob Andrews and Frank Pallone -- all with substantial war chests and a healthy dislike for each other," NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said. "Corey Booker did not want to have to wrap this up in two months."
Democratic Congressman Rush Holt may also make a bid for the Senate seat.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/04/politics/christie-special-election/
-
Good job Fat Man. The fact he upset both Republicans and Democrats is a good thing. I agree with him that the people should decide (assuming state law gives him that discretion).
Christie opts for special election, says voters should decide
By Paul Steinhauser. Jim Acosta and Peter Hamby, CNN
updated 7:29 PM EDT, Tue June 4, 2013
Washington (CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie opted for a special election to fill a newly vacant Senate seat through 2014 instead of appointing a replacement through that time, saying the decision was about giving voters "a choice and a voice in the process" and was not driven by political self-interest.
Christie sets October special election to replace Lautenberg
While the Republican's decision for a special October ballot could help him avoid stronger Democratic turnout in his re-election bid a month later, it also opens him up to criticism from his own party that is on the short end of the balance of power in the Senate.
Christie explained his decision one day after the Garden State's senior senator, Frank Lautenberg, a liberal Democrat, died at 89 after an illness. Christie said he would name a placeholder as soon as possible to fill the seat until the October election.
Democrats immediately slammed the move, asserting that Christie is wasting taxpayer money to protect his ambitions. National Republicans weren't critical but they didn't praise the governor, either.
Christie announced that Democratic and Republican primary elections will be held on August 13 with the general election on October 16.
The winner of the special election will serve out the final year of Lautenberg's term, and an election for a full six-year term will occur the following November.
Voters should have say
While Christie said state law allowed him to name a replacement for the remaining year-and-a-half of Lautenberg's term, he believes an appointment over that period of time was not suitable or fair.
"The issues facing the United States Senate are too critically important and the decisions that need to be dealt with too vital not too have an elected representative making those decisions who was voted on and decided on by the people of this state. These decisions should be made by an elected official who represents the will of voters of New Jersey," Christie said.
The expense of an election is also an issue during an era of belt tightening.
The New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, an administrative wing of the Democrat-controlled state Legislature, estimates it will cost $12 million to state taxpayers to conduct a primary and another $12 million for a general election.
New Jersey is already voting in a general election on November 5, when Christie is bidding for a second term. So some ask why doesn't he save $12 million and schedule a special general election a few weeks later?
Christie said state law only permits the option of an October special election or an election in 2014.
Christie said "there's no political purpose" behind his decision on the election date.
But polls show that he has a 2-1 advantage over state Sen. Barbara Buono, his Democratic challenger. And putting a special Senate election on the same day in November would most likely increase Democratic turnout, especially if Newark Mayor Cory Booker is on the ballot. Booker was considering his own run for Senate in 2014.
By placing the special Senate election in October, Christie avoids Democratic turnout tied to this issue possibly becoming a problem for him.
Democrats unhappy
National Democrats quickly blasted the decision.
"Governor Christie might not know or care how many millions of taxpayer dollars his special election gambit will waste, but the people of New Jersey certainly do. Christie should do the right thing, protect New Jersey taxpayer dollars instead of his own political career, and hold the Senate election on the same day as his own," Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Colm O'Comartun, said in a statement.
Christie said that the costs associated with special primary and general elections "cannot be measured" against the value of an elected senator "when so many consequential issues are being debated and determined this year."
State Democrats had threatened legal action if Christie pushed the election back to November 2014, but Christie's not sure if his decision averts a legal challenge, adding, "In New Jersey, people sue over everything."
Christie said he has yet to decide on a placeholder. But he said he has a list in his head and that he'll make a determination relatively soon.
"I'm looking for a person who's going to be a good United States senator," he said.
The outspoken governor also said it wouldn't be fair to appoint a GOP placeholder to serve out the remainder of the late Democratic senator's term.
"I understand the political advantage that would come to me if I was the person, the sole person, to decide who would be in the Senate representing New Jersey for 18 months, but I just did not feel comfortable doing that," he said.
Christie didn't say at the news conference whether the placeholder will be allowed to run in the special election, but a source close to the governor told CNN, "Legally the appointee could run if he or she wanted to, but would have to go through the election process."
Republicans not praising Christie
National Republicans weren't criticizing Christie's decision, but they weren't praising it, either.
"I am sure the governor exercised whatever option he had in the best interest of his state and I won't question the path that he has chosen," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
Christie's decision could complicate his already-strained relationship with national conservatives, which could spell trouble if he decides to run for president in 2016.
"I was disappointed he didn't pick a Republican to fill out the rest of the term, but not surprised," said Katon Dawson, the former Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
"Chris Christie has always done what's best for Chris Christie in New Jersey," added Dawson, whose state is traditionally one of the first to cast ballots in the presidential primary process.
Many on the right are still upset with Christie's praise of President Barack Obama personally and the federal response in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, just days before last November's presidential election.
While Christie's approval rating in New Jersey soared after Sandy and has remained high, some commentators in his own party blasted him for his praise of Obama, saying it contributed to the defeat of GOP nominee Mitt Romney.
And Democrats were quick to point that out.
"Republicans have not won a Senate race in New Jersey in more than 40 years. Their only shot was an appointee who had a year and a half to establish themselves before an election in 2014," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Deputy Executive Director Matt Canter said. "With this news, I assume operatives at the NRSC are busy planning Christie's defeat in Iowa and New Hampshire right now."
Meanwhile, the rival National Republican Senatorial Committee pointed toward what could be a divisive Democratic primary.
"Democrats will now face an ugly primary sprint between Cory Booker, Rob Andrews and Frank Pallone -- all with substantial war chests and a healthy dislike for each other," NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said. "Corey Booker did not want to have to wrap this up in two months."
Democratic Congressman Rush Holt may also make a bid for the Senate seat.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/04/politics/christie-special-election/
?
the month after the special election?
-
I'm more interested in how much weight he has lost. :)
Aug 19, 2013
NJ governor signs ban on gay conversion therapy
By ANGELA DELLI SANTI
Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed a law on Monday barring licensed therapists from trying to turn gay teenagers straight, the latest example of the potential 2016 presidential candidate steering a moderate course.
The governor said the health risks of trying to change a child's sexual orientation, as identified by the American Psychological Association, trump concerns over the government setting limits on parental choice. "Government should tread carefully into this area," he said in the signing note, "and I do so here reluctantly."
The decision marked the third time this month that Christie has staked out a moderate position on a hot-button social issue as he seeks a second term in a Democratic-leaning state. It also offers more evidence that the popular governor is positioning himself as a pragmatist who shuns more conservative elements within his party.
Christie found middle ground on medical marijuana for children when he agreed Friday to allow growers to cultivate additional strains, and for marijuana to be made in an edible form for chronically ill children. But he would not lift an oversight provision that could require as many as three doctors to sign off on a prescription.
Last week, Christie vetoed a bill banning .50-caliber rifles that was vigorously opposed by firearms rights advocates and gutted a proposed overhaul of the state's gun permit law that relied on undeveloped technology. Recently, he signed 10 less-significant gun measures the Democrat-led Legislature passed after last year's deadly school shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn.
The decisions allow Christie to quiet some of the criticism he could face from conservatives by offering specific reasons why he was taking the steps, often citing compassion for the needs of children and families.
His approval of the conversion therapy ban could be met with criticism in Christian conservative circles with influence in early voting states like Iowa and South Carolina.
Conversion therapy gained attention two years ago when former GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was questioned over whether her husband's Christian counseling business provided services that attempted to change gays and lesbians. Bachmann's husband, Marcus, denied involvement in the therapy and the congresswoman dropped out of the presidential campaign in January 2012 after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses.
In signing the ban, Christie reiterated his belief that people are born gay and homosexuality is not a sin, a position he first stated in a 2011 interview with CNN's Piers Morgan. That view is inconsistent with his Catholic faith, which teaches that homosexual acts are sins.
Christie said on "issues of medical treatment for children we must look to experts in the field to determine the relative risks and rewards," citing a litany of potential ill effects of trying to change sexual orientation, including depression, drug abuse and suicide.
"I believe that exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate," he said.
Christie, however, has not moderated his position on gay marriage, which he vetoed and continues to oppose. As a result, gay rights activists applauded Monday's bill signing but pushed for more.
"It is our truest hope that the governor will realize, as the majority of the legislature and a super-majority of the public have realized, that the best way to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender youth are protected from the abuse of being ostracized is to provide them with equality," Troy Stevenson, executive director of the state's largest gay rights group, Garden State Equality, said in a statement.
Christie has said he supports the state's civil union law, which was enacted to give gay couples the benefits of marriage but not the title. Several couples have since sued, claiming the law provides them unequal treatment. A court decision is expected next month.
Gay rights groups say conversion therapy damages young people, because it tells them that it's not acceptable to be whoever they are.
Some social conservatives framed the debate as a parental rights issue, saying a ban on the counseling would limit the ability of parents to do what they think is best for their children.
Conversion therapy has increasingly drawn criticism for its methods. Last year, four gay men sued a Jersey City group for fraud, saying its program included making them strip naked and attack effigies of their mothers with baseball bats.
California has also banned it.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CONVERSION_THERAPY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-08-19-06-47-21
-
Bum - I like how you started this thread by saying no fat jokes and now you're starting posts by calling him Fat Man
-
Christie will be Obama - lite
-
Christie will be Obama - lite
No way the Fat Man would be anywhere near as bad as Obama.
-
http://nationalreview.com/corner/356140/over-100k-new-jersey-residents-lose-their-affordable-health-plans-under-obamacare
Until that Fat piece of shit starts acting like a real conservative - I wont vote for him.
-
I don't like everything he has been doing, but I still like him. I'll wait to see who is running in 2016. I'll vote for whomever I think is the best candidate, regardless of party.
-
Christie's Gay Bill Irks Christian Right
Tuesday, 27 Aug 2013
By Jennifer G. Hickey
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's signing of legislation last week banning the practice of gay conversion therapy on minors has opened a wound with Christian conservatives and will likely prove another stumbling block in any 2016 presidential bid.
Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at the Family Research Council, said the law "tramples on the rights of minors, parents, and therapists alike" and shows that Christie "has accepted a distorted view of what the research shows."
Connie Mackey, president of FRC Action PAC, predicted that Christie's "poorly informed decision" will "undermine any of his national political ambitions. Values voters are looking for candidates who will lead the way to preserve the right to live out one's faith."
In a video posted on the website of Citizenlink -- a Focus on the Family affiliate -- the group's Executive Director Tom Minnery said the ban was the "politically correct thing to do" and Christie was "bowing in the face of huge social pressure."
And Liberty Counsel, an international nonprofit organization that advocates for religious freedom, announced its plans to file suit to overturn the law.
The legislation -- Assembly Bill 3371 -- prohibits "counseling to change the sexual orientation of a minor" and passed both houses of the New Jersey legislature with bipartisan majorities.
Christian groups and other family advocates argue that the state should not be interfering in parental rights, and the types of counseling, especially religious-based, they may seek for their children.
Larry Tomczak, writing in CharismaNews, took issue with Christie for saying that people are born gay and that homosexuality is not a sin during the signing of the therapy ban bill.
"With all due respect, for Christian parents, counselors and parents to remain silent when you make these kinds of statements would be inexcusable," Tomczak wrote. "Millions of decent, concerned citizens view this as a further erosion of parental rights."
Even with criticism coming from the Christian right, Dan Judy, a Republican operative with North Star Opinion Research, said signing the gay conversion therapy ban shouldn't hurt Christie's chances if he decides to seek Republican presidential nomination.
"It is a very specific issue. In terms of gay rights, gay marriage is the issue that matters and on that [Christie] is on the side of conservatives in opposing it," Judy said in an interview with Newsmax.
Christie has been walking a fine line on social issues and his stand on gay rights is no different.
Responding to a question following the signing ceremony about whether his position on gay conversion therapy was in conflict with his stance on gay marriage -- which he opposes -- Christie countered that "both the veto message on the same-sex marriage bill and the signing statement on the gay conversion therapy bill -- anybody who reads those won't have any problem reconciling the two."
Judy notes that for all of the talk that Christie is too moderate, the governor actually holds conservative positions on right-to-life issues and gay marriage.
The Christie administration recently filed a legal brief defending the state's 2006 Civil Union Act, which grants gay couples all the benefits of marriage yet bars them from actually getting married.
On Second Amendment issues, Christie recently vetoed three gun-control measures, including a ban on .50 caliber long-range rifles that he actually proposed in 2012.
Christie has harshly criticized the NRA and has called for stronger gun control in cracking down on crime. Earlier this year Christie slammed the NRA for a running a TV ad noting President Barack Obama's daughters attended a private school that utilized armed guards.
On other key issues, Christie has embraced global warming as a real threat and said that illegal aliens committed no crime by entering the U.S.
Christie appears to be a collision course with key constituencies of the Republican Party, including Christian evangelicals, gun rights supporters and libertarians. Christie recently got into a public spat with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, characterizing his libertarian views as "dangerous."
Polls suggest Christie’s moderate image makes him popular among swing voters. But GOP strategists say winning Republican presidential candidates -- such as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush -- took the White House by having a highly motivated base turn out on Election Day, including religious voters and NRA supporters.
Conservative talk show host Mark Levin told Fox News last week, "As for Chris Christie, I will do everything I can in my little way to make sure he is not the nominee."
Urgent: Supreme Court Right on Gay Marriage? Vote Here Now
Levin said "if we keep nominating Republicans, moderates from the Northeast, we're going to keep getting our lunch handed to us."
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/christie-gay-conversion-therapy/2013/08/27/id/522372#ixzz2dDmPC1dM
-
on the other hand, people like CC are going to make me think twice about voting Demo....unless, of course, it's Mrs. Clinton.
-
Fat Man is losing weight. :o
Christie, Challenger Debate Gay Rights, the Economy
(http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=d5f4287c-68a8-4a83-acf8-a384a9c9c7ea&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600)
Tuesday, 08 Oct 2013
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Democratic challenger Barbara Buono debated same-sex marriage, taxes and the economy on Oct. 8 in a debate that also touched on the Republican’s presidential prospects in 2016.
The Republican brushed off a question about his presidential aspirations while Buono, a state senator from Metuchen who has struggled against the popular incumbent, said he should say whether he’ll finish another term if re-elected, in their first head-to-head meeting of the 2013 campaign.
“People have been talking about me running for president since 2010,” Christie said, adding that he wouldn’t predict what he might decide in three years. If re-elected, he said, he would do the best job he could and that making his future plans wouldn’t interfere with his performance in the office.
Christie, 51, the only U.S. governor seeking re-election this year, has a wide lead over Buono, 60, in fundraising and in voter polls. He has brought in $6 for every $1 the senator has, while the most recent survey had him leading by 34 percentage points. A landslide win in a Democratic stronghold may provide him with a launching pad for a 2016 presidential run.
Buono charged Christie with mishandling the state economy, urging him to acknowledge that he hasn’t sufficiently increased jobs or economic growth. The governor said his administration had cut taxes and curbed rising property levies while taking steps to undo budget damage left by a decade of largesse under Democrats, including Buono.
Truth Teller
“What the people of New Jersey want is someone who’s real and tells them the truth as he sees it,” Christie said during the hour-long forum at William Paterson University in Wayne.
“That’s what I’ve done for four years: I’ve looked them in the eye and told them the truth,” the governor said. “Sometimes they were truths they were uncomfortable with. Sometimes they were truths they didn’t want to hear. But that’s what leadership is about.”
Buono, a lawyer, took up her party’s standard this year after more-popular Democrats, including Newark Mayor Cory Booker, chose not to challenge Christie. Booker instead is running for an open U.S. Senate in an Oct. 16 special election.
During several heated exchanges, the Democrat knocked Christie for suspending property-tax rebates, vetoing same-sex marriage legalization and failing to lower college costs. She said his economic policies haven’t worked, with hundreds of thousands of residents still jobless.
“Four years ago we had the highest uneployment in the region,” Buono said. “Today, with 400,000 out of work, we still do.”
“It’s time to put New Jersey first and bring jobs back,” she said. “I’m going to be the kind of governor to do that. I will lift up the middle class.”
‘Man Up’
“You have to man up,” Buono told Christie. “You’ve been in office four years and it’s time to own your record and defend your record.”
Christie responded that he is proud of his accomplishments, saying he had cut property taxes. On same-sex marriage, he reiterated his position that voters should decide such a weighty issue, not politicians or the courts.
The debates -- another is set for Oct. 15 -- hold little in the way of risk for Christie, according to Julian Zelizer, who teaches history and public affairs at Princeton University.
The Republican has two prime objectives, Zelizer said by telephone from the school in Princeton, New Jersey. By expanding his victory margin compared with 2009, Christie will increase his sway with the Democrats who control the legislature. At the same time, a knockout win also makes him appear stronger as a contender for the White House, Zelizer said.
‘Dual Strategy’
“The debate plays into this dual strategy,” Zelizer said. “It’s not about who wins or loses at this point. It’s about how much he can increase the margin of victory and the implications it will have for him as governor and if he runs for president.”
Christie, a former federal prosecutor, in 2009 became the first in his party to win a statewide election since 1997 when he ousted then-Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat and former U.S. senator, 48 percent to 45 percent.
The Republican has ridden high voter-approval numbers since gaining plaudits for his handling of Hurricane Sandy last year. Christie faulted his party’s congressional leaders over delays in storm-related aid and embraced President Barack Obama when he toured damaged areas.
Buono was elected to the Senate in 2001 after serving three terms in the state Assembly and the Metuchen town council. She rose to Senate majority leader before losing the post two years ago amid Democratic party infighting.
Wide Lead
Christie led Buono 64 percent to 30 percent among 1,249 likely voters in a Sept. 19-22 Quinnipiac University survey, which showed the senator making no progress in denting his lead. A third of Democrats backed the governor and 61 percent of women said they would cast ballots to re-elect him, according to the poll, which had a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
The governor has brought in $12.6 million for his campaign, including almost $8.1 million in public matching funds, according to state Election Law Enforcement Commission records. His fundraising stops have included an event at the Palo Alto, California, home of Facebook Inc. co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Buono has collected $2.1 million, including almost $1.1 million in state funds, since the race started, according to commission figures.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/christie-gay-rights-white/2013/10/08/id/530005#ixzz2hFexvsZM
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
-
Noooo Fat Man. What is happening to him? :'(
October 16, 2013
Christie Flips on an Immigration Bill
By LAWRENCE DOWNES
Immigrant advocates heard correctly over the weekend: Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey really does support allowing unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state tuition at his state’s colleges and universities.
That’s what he said in a speech on Saturday night to a Latino group in New Brunswick: “We need to get to work in the state Legislature on things like making sure that there’s tuition equality for everybody in New Jersey.”
He then confirmed his stance in a debate Tuesday night with his Democratic opponent in his race for re-election, State Senator Barbara Buono. He said he supported the Tuition Equality Act, a stalled bill in Trenton that would help make higher education affordable to students living here illegally.
This is a big reversal for Mr. Christie, who used to take the standard Republican line opposing such benefits, even for the young “Dreamers” who were brought here illegally as children. The shift is so striking that The Star-Ledger of Newark used the words “major” and “drastically” to describe it.
Mr. Christie insists that this was a practical decision that has nothing to do with wooing the Hispanic vote. He says an improving economy means that colleges can now afford to be more generous.
Whatever. Mr. Christie isn’t stupid, and surely knows the benefits of distancing himself from his party’s extremism on immigration and other issues. It may well have dawned on him that hostility to immigrants is a millstone around his party’s grand old neck. And that he is well-positioned to be a prominent member of a pretty small group: Republican non-zealots who are willing to govern and to find practical solutions to problems, even supposedly toxic ones like immigration.
Now, if only he could realize that the powerful arguments for tuition equality apply to marriage equality as well. But Mr. Christie’s evolution hasn’t reached that point yet.
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/christie-flips-on-an-immigration-bill/?_r=0
-
Obviously the fat tub of lard is eyeing a presidential run. As if he even has a chance.
The flip flopper has officially evolved into a RINO.
-
I don't like everything he has been doing, but I still like him. I'll wait to see who is running in 2016. I'll vote for whomever I think is the best candidate, regardless of party.
True, no perfect candidates, but we've learned a lot about him now and I'm really thinking he's not someone we want on the national stage.
I generally like middle of the road candidates, but he seems more like a wolf in sheeps clothing.
-
True, no perfect candidates, but we've learned a lot about him now and I'm really thinking he's not someone we want on the national stage.
I generally like middle of the road candidates, but he seems more like a wolf in sheeps clothing.
I'm really put off by his new stance on giving tuition breaks for illegal aliens.
-
I'm really put off by his new stance on giving tuition breaks for illegal aliens.
More evidence that he is going to run. He wants the Hispanic vote.
-
33 can you please kick this off? And no fat jokes. :D
Chris Christie is Fat
Fattie Fat Man
no joke
-
More evidence that he is going to run. He wants the Hispanic vote.
Supporting things like tuition breaks for illegals isn't going to help him. He has to get the nomination first. Fat Man will never make it through the primary if he starts morphing into a liberal.
-
Supporting things like tuition breaks for illegals isn't going to help him. He has to get the nomination first. Fat Man will never make it through the primary if he starts morphing into a liberal.
And if he morphs into a GOP lap dog like Romney did he will lose the bid for president.
Its a tough one.
-
Christie: 'I'm a Damn Good Republican'
LOL...
if it were true, he woudln't have to make such a statement. We don't see Cruz or Rand trying to convince people they're good republicans.
He morphed into a liberal long ago. If he runs against Hilary, it's going go be hard to tell their policies apart.
-
Chris Christie’s yield to same-sex marriage in N.J. seen as a shrewd political ploy
By Cheryl Wetzstein-The Washington Times
Monday, October 21, 2013
In a decision with direct implications for the 2016 Republican presidential race, Gov. Chris Christie ordered his attorney general Monday not to fight a court decision legalizing gay marriage, making New Jersey the nation’s 14th state to recognize same-sex unions.
The capitulation on the hot-button social issue is an about-face for Mr. Christie and may cement his reputation as a pragmatist who fights to win — but shrewdly folds when he sees he has a losing hand, said some political observers. It also may boost the governor’s vote total in his re-election race next month, further burnishing his status as a rare Republican politician who can thrive in a blue state.
SEE ALSO: Eye on re-election or 2016? Chris Christie withdraws appeal of gay marriage ruling
But that same pragmatism may hurt his standing with the GOP political base as Mr. Christie faces a field of more conservative rivals in the 2016 presidential primaries. Social conservatives Monday were condemning Mr. Christie’s decision to call off the fight, allowing the court to essentially overturn the state law against gay marriage.
“Ahead of us is a constitutional crisis,” said Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council.
The New Jersey Supreme Court “allowed a single judge to decide for the entire state what marriage is, treading on both the governor and the legislature in doing so,” said Mr. Deo. There are no provisions for religious exemptions, “meaning we will soon see people threatened with intolerable choices between their consciences and their authorization to minister to the needy or conduct business with the public,” he said.
The state allows same-sex civil unions, but Mr. Christie himself vetoed a gay-marriage bill in February 2012 while calling on the Legislature to let state voters weigh in on the issue through a referendum.
Mr. Christie, heavily favored to win a second term Nov. 5 against his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono, may have expanded his appeal to some blocs in New Jersey with the gay-marriage decision, political observers said. It follows a surprise move by the governor in a debate with Ms. Buono on Wednesday opening the door to offering immigrants living in the country illegally to pay in-state tuition rates at the state’s colleges.
Seeking big win
SEE ALSO: N.J.’s Cory Booker on gay weddings: ‘This is very beautiful’
“I think the governor wants to win with a very big margin,” said Ben Dworkin, political science professor at Rider University and director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.
He said the immigration comments marked a “180-degree turn” from the governor’s previous stance.
The tuition decision may play well in New Jersey, but may “not be the best thing for a Republican running for president,” Mr. Dworkin said.
However, the marriage decision “can still help him” in a presidential run: He can claim that he opposed it until blocked by the courts — and get credit from some gay-marriage supporters because he dropped the appeal, he added.
“It’s a very neat way of threading the needle” on the gay-marriage issue, he said, adding that “in a crowded Republican primary,” Mr. Christie is likely to offer himself as a winner at the polls and an alternative “to the ‘no-compromise’ element of the Republican Party.”
Mr. Christie’s decision is unlikely to win active support within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) lobby.
“I don’t think we’re about to see the LGBT community organize to raise funds and advance his political ambitions because I think he’s going to continue to say that he doesn’t believe in gay marriage,” said Ruth Mandel, director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
. . .
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/21/chris-christies-yield-to-same-sex-marriage-in-nj-s/#ixzz2iTEoam1r
-
Doctor: Chris Christie ‘fit to serve’
By KATIE GLUECK | 10/25/13
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is medically “fit to serve” and is working to get his weight in check, his doctor said in a medical report released on Friday.
“He has no medical limitations and is fit to serve as the Governor of the state of New Jersey,” wrote Dr. Rachana Kulkarni, a cardiologist who has taken care of Christie since January 2012.
The Republican, a likely candidate for president in 2016, underwent lap band surgery in February in an attempt to tackle his weight and “has been losing weight steadily since then,” the doctor said.
“After he turned 50, Governor Christie has taken a very proactive role in his health,” Kulkarni wrote. “He is aware of being overweight and has taken several measures to address this issue.”
In addition to the surgery, Kulkarni noted that Christie has “adopted a healthy lifestyle including a healthy diet and regular cardiovascular exercise regimen.”
That program includes working out an hour a day, four days a week, doing both aerobic activity and resistance training. He does that routine without limitations, Kulkarni said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/doctor-chris-christie-fit-to-serve-98866.html#ixzz2j2uNjy4e
-
“It’s a very neat way of threading the needle” on the gay-marriage issue, he said, adding that “in a crowded Republican primary,” Mr. Christie is likely to offer himself as a winner at the polls and an alternative “to the ‘no-compromise’ element of the Republican Party.”
Yeah, that whole compromise/RINO/flipping positions/moderate thing worked really well for McCain and Romney when it came to getting the base to show up and vote.
I dont think they should repeat that mistake in 2016. Give em Rand/Cruz and let's make this a REAL contest for once! Nobody wants to see Hilary win 40 states over Christie!
-
Yeah, that whole compromise/RINO/flipping positions/moderate thing worked really well for McCain and Romney when it came to getting the base to show up and vote.
I dont think they should repeat that mistake in 2016. Give em Rand/Cruz and let's make this a REAL contest for once! Nobody wants to see Hilary win 40 states over Christie!
why do you think that a country who put Obama in the White House twice is going to be receptive to a far right wing ideologue ?
-
why do you think that a country who put Obama in the White House twice is going to be receptive to a far right wing ideologue ?
it's all in the numbers. Rand will attract the base, the dutiful rinos that hate hilary, and the YOUTH vote.
A lot of those ron paul hipsters will line up to get their "love" revolution posters out, etc. That CAN win. I'm not sure Cruz can, he's a little hard on the eyes and extreme on some things, but I think he'd have a better chance that CHristie, who just looks terrible and has most of the same positions as hilary.
Rand will win. Cruz can win. CHristie probably won't win.
-
it's all in the numbers. Rand will attract the base, the dutiful rinos that hate hilary, and the YOUTH vote.
A lot of those ron paul hipsters will line up to get their "love" revolution posters out, etc. That CAN win. I'm not sure Cruz can, he's a little hard on the eyes and extreme on some things, but I think he'd have a better chance that CHristie, who just looks terrible and has most of the same positions as hilary.
Rand will win. Cruz can win. CHristie probably won't win.
Why would Rand attract "the base" when his father couldn't make a dent in it and Cruz is basically a cult leader with no ability to attract anyone except a handful of nuts
No one who is radical (left or right) is going to become POTUS
-
All I want to know is how much weight has Fat Man lost? :D
Christie win could send strong message to GOP about 2016 presidential bid
By Barnini Chakraborty
Published November 04, 201
WASHINGTON – Even in a deep blue state, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to coast into a second term Tuesday in his reelection race against Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono.
If he wins big – as is expected – it will send a strong message to members of his own party about his popularity with voters and could set him up for a 2016 presidential run.
That’s a 180 degree turn from what Mitt Romney's political advisers thought of him as a potential 2012 running mate, according to a new book.
The book “Double Down: Game Change 2012,” by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, chronicles the political flirtation with and eventual dismissal of Christie by Romney and his political team.
According to the book, Romney’s advisers codenamed Christie “Pufferfish,” and their patience with him wore thin over chronic tardiness to joint political fundraisers and alleged diva demands of star treatment, including lavish travel arrangements.
Ultimately, Christie was dropped as a candidate and Sen. Paul Ryan was chosen as Romney’s running mate.
Still, Christie was able to strike a chord with Republicans and moderates and his continued popularity was among the few bright spots for the GOP during the 2012 election cycle.
For Christie, winning in a landslide Tuesday would be sweet revenge and a reminder to the GOP that its base should think about him to lead the party.
While campaigning Sunday night at a rally held by the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, Christie told the crowd, “We need to show the Republican Party in America that we can win again. And guess where they’re going to be watching on Tuesday night to see if we can win: right here in New Jersey.”
On Monday, he was a little more scaled back, warning supporters not to take anything for granted.
"We are Republicans in New Jersey," the GOP governor said inside his packed Monmouth County headquarters. "You have to work and earn every vote you get in this state as a Republican. We're a minority party in this state."
Christie’s handling of Superstorm Sandy – which caused billions in damage – endeared him to many in his state.
Rutgers public policy professor Cliff Zukin says Christie’s Sandy efforts reinforced his standing among rank-and-file Republicans through “visibility in a crisis setting,” but will probably hurt him among conservative Republican Party leaders.
“Many … were very upset he ‘helped’ Obama given the proximity of Sandy to the national election,” Zukin told FoxNews.com.
Some social conservatives also seem on the fence about Christie.
On Friday, a southern New Jersey couple sued the governor over his signing of a bill banning so-called gay conversion therapy.
The couple claims that the bill Christie signed into law in August violates their constitutional rights. Specifically, they argue that the law violates their rights to free speech and freedom of religion because it prevents them from seeking treatment for their 15-year-old son.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/11/04/christie-win-could-send-strong-message-to-gop-about-2016-presidential-bid/
-
Chris Christie: I’m a conservative, not a moderate
Mendham, New Jersey (CNN) - It's Election Day 2013, and polls indicate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is easily going to win re-election. Still, Christie is hitting the pavement, glad handing, and popping into the ballot booth to cast his vote.
CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper caught up with Christie outside a New Jersey polling place, and asked the GOP governor, who's seriously considering a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, if he thought of himself as a moderate.
"I’m a conservative," Christie said. "I’ve governed as a conservative in this state, and I think that’s led to some people disagreeing with me in our state, because it’s generally a left-of-center, blue state."
"The difference has been is I haven’t tried to hide it, or mask it as something different," said Christie, who recalled meeting a woman on the campaign trail and arguing with her about a particular issue.
"Finally I just turned to her and said, ‘Listen if this is your most important issue, and the issue you’ve decided on, vote for Barbara Buono. 'Cause I’m not changing, and it doesn’t sound like you are,’" Christie told Tapper, anchor of CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper."
The final three polls in New Jersey indicate Christie way ahead of state Sen. Barbara Buono, the little-known Democratic challenger.
"Most folks, they’re willing to let you disagree with them a little bit, as long as they think you’re being straight with them," added Christie. "That’s the difference. And so I’ve governed as a conservative, and most people who look at my record objectively, will come to that conclusion."
http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/05/chris-christie-conservative-moderate-new-jersey_race/
-
I guess anyone who runs is a "top contender" at this point.
Newt Gingrich: Christie 'one of the top contenders' in 2016
Posted by
CNN Political Unit
(CNN) - Former House Speaker and CNN host Newt Gingrich says he sees New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as a major candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Gingrich was on CNN's "New Day" Tuesday morning talking about the prospects and implications of the day's elections that include governors races in New Jersey and Virginia.
In New Jersey, the "Crossfire" host expected what polls have said for months, a landslide victory for Christie against his Democratic challenger, little known state Sen. Barbara Buono.
"He'll probably set the record for at least the last 30 years," Gingrich said of Christie. "The question will be how many Republicans does he bring into the legislature, which will be a big way of measuring his impact institutionally," he told CNN's Chris Cuomo.
In 2016, Gingrich said he expects Christie to be one of the top four or five contenders for the Republican nomination, alongside Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John Kasich of Ohio and Rick Perry of Texas.
"I think governors will play a big role in '16," said Gingrich, who served 11 terms in the House of Representatives. Gingrich did not mention any of the legislators thought to be candidates for the 2016 nomination like Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Marco Rubio of Florida.
The Virginia race has been in part a matter of messaging, Gingrich said Tuesday, with businessman and former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe leading in the polls largely because he managed to paint his opponent in a negative light early on. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the state Attorney General, is a tea party favorite whose conservative views have become fodder for McAuliffe in the increasingly purple state.
"The guy who gets defined as an extremist is going to be on defense all the time," Gingrich said.
The messaging and idea of pervasive negativity served as a segue for Gingrich to talk about his new book, "Breakout." According to Gingrich, the book looks at some of the major technological advances and bold ideas in the United States amid what is in large part a complete inability for the political elite to move forward with ideas just as bold.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/05/newt-gingrich-christie-one-of-the-top-contenders-in-2016/
-
Christie was just elected governor for the second time. He is unbeatable. He should run for president. :)
-
Rand Paul: Moderate Like Christie Has Little Chance in 2016
Thursday, 07 Nov 2013
By Bill Hoffmann
The sweeping re-election of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie proves moderates are an integral part of the Republican Party, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky says.
"There's room in the Republican Party for moderates, like Chris Christie. They seem to be the only ones that are winning in the Northeast," Paul told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
"The other thing that might happen in the Northeast, if we had a little more libertarian-leaning Republicans, they would have a chance in the Northeast," Paul said Wednesday.
"But there's room for moderates, like Chris Christie, and he's got a place in the party."
But conservatives are still the driving force of the GOP, Paul says.
"Conservatives are a much bigger force than the moderates, but it doesn't mean that we want to exclude moderates from our party," he said.
Still, with a nod to Christie, Paul said moderate Republicans will have a tougher time getting the Republican nomination for president.
"The road to the nomination for a moderate is actually pretty difficult because a lot of the Republican primaries are very conservative," he said.
"And so, someone who's most well-known for grabbing up federal money as much as they can get, probably that kind of attitude may or may not go off so well in a Republican primary."
Paul says the Republican Party let down Ken Cuccinelli, the GOP candidate for governor of Virginia, who narrowly lost to Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
"Some of the establishment let us down in that race. If you look back to the race when [Bob] McDonnell won four years ago, the establishment put a lot more money in for McDonnell than they did for Cuccinelli," he said.
"Cuccinelli could have won if everybody had stuck with him . . . He got very darn close, people were coming his way. He just didn't have any money in the end.
"This came from pressure from some establishment Republicans who don't like conservatives, and that's a disappointment because he really could have won . . . He was right there on the edge."
Paul said the Republican lack of muscle and outspending by Democrats doomed Cuccinelli.
"[The Democrats were] outspending two or three to one, and they were able to attack and attack and attack and define who he was. And so, he didn't have much of a chance without the money."
Paul says Americans are now aware of the multitude of problems the Affordable Care Act is causing.
"[It] may well be that everyone with an individual policy is ultimately canceled. A huge percentage are being canceled because anybody whose insurance policy has changed since 2009 is canceled, but eventually everybody's policy will change," he said.
"So really, it eventually means that nobody has an individual policy, nobody gets to choose their doctor, everybody in the individual market will be under an Obamacare plan and those are their only choices."
Paul, who is one of the nation's most vocal opponents of the Affordable Care Act, said virtually everybody in the country is going to be limited to four dependent insurance plans.
"[President Barack Obama] should have said, instead of you get to keep your doctor, it should have been you get to keep your doctor if I like your doctor or you get to keep your plan if I like your plan," Paul said.
"He didn't really put it that way, but that's the truth of the matter. You only get to keep your insurance plan or your doctor if he approves of them.
"The important thing to know is that we're not just talking about healthcare here. We're talking about the freedom of choice."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rand-paul-chris-christie-gop-moderates/2013/11/06/id/535253#ixzz2jyqOwKGq
-
Chris Christie: I’m a conservative, not a moderate
LOL! Christie should just own that RINO role already. I'm so sick of repubs doing this. Act like a moderate for years, then suddenly "I'm a conservative!" when it's time for primaries.
I am offering to personally shit i the mouth of any getbigger that says, with a straight face, "Actually man, I think Christie is a conservative, and always has been...."
The left is SCARED of Rand. They'd much rather have Obese, rude, sweaty, obnoxious RINO Christie up against Hilary.
-
Is Chris Christie the GOP's Bill Clinton?
Friday, 08 Nov 2013
By Rich Lowry
Chris Christie couldn't have been any more obvious about his 2016 intentions if he had begun his victory speech Tuesday with the words "My fellow Americans" and ended it with a balloon drop.
He offered New Jersey as an example for national healing. "Tonight," he said, "a dispirited America, angry with their dysfunctional government in Washington, looks to New Jersey to say, Is what I think's happening really happening? Are people really coming together?"
Trenton, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
None of this was subtle, but Christie had certainly earned it. Almost every decision he's made — sometimes shamelessly so — has been geared to making the rubble bounce in his re-election and then using his crushing victory as a credential in an incipient national campaign. He succeeded brilliantly on his own terms.
In a state President Barack Obama won by 17 points in 2012, Christie won 60 percent overall. He won Latinos outright and took 21 percent of the black vote. He won women and men. He won high-school graduates and people with advanced degrees. He won people making more than $200,000 and people making less than $50,000.
These numbers are eye-popping. If they were automatically transferable to the national stage, Hillary Clinton would have to give it up and content herself with giving $200,000 speeches for Goldman Sachs forevermore. But they aren't.
As Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center points out, essentially uncontested races against badly overmatched opponents aren't a predictor of anything. William Weld won 70 percent of the vote and every county in Massachusetts in his 1994 re-election as governor, then lost by 7 points to John Kerry in a 1996 Senate race in which the map of Massachusetts snapped back to its natural state.
Granted, getting into a position where you can run essentially uncontested against a badly overmatched opponent in a major race is an achievement in itself.
Christie's implicit pitch to the national GOP will probably be that he's to Republicans in the 2010s what Bill Clinton was to the Democrats in the 1990s. In other words, he offers a different kind of politics that can potentially unlock the presidency after a period of national futility for his party.
Like Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas in the 1980s, Christie is operating on hostile partisan and cultural territory, and managing to thrive by co-opting or neutralizing natural enemies.
Like the "explainer in chief," Christie has a knack for public persuasion. The New Jersey governor's relentless town halls during the fight for his public-sector reforms were model examples of making an argument fearlessly and effectively.
Like Clinton, who so famously felt people's pain, Christie connects. He has a reputation for confrontation, rightly, but Christie's emotional range is much broader. His response to Hurricane Sandy was, in part, a great act of empathy.
What Clinton had that Christie evidently lacks is a well-thought-out approach to his party's predicament. As a "New Democrat," Clinton had a different governing philosophy, expressed in a raft of new policy proposals. Chris Christie has an affect and a style of governance.
If Christie's message to the GOP is merely that it should look to what he did in the Garden State and be as wonderfully unifying as he is, it deserves to flop.
It could come off as boastful and hectoring, and about as original as the average political discussion on NPR. Coupled with his various departures from conservative orthodoxy, it could be toxic.
For Christie truly to capitalize on his opportunity, he will need a conservative reform agenda, geared to the bread-and-butter concerns of ordinary voters.
In his victory speech, Christie spoke of being "one of you." As Henry Olsen writes, Christie's potential is in matching that Everyman appeal with substance. He could set out to make himself a Republican by and for the middle class in a departure for the contemporary party.
Congratulations on the big win, governor. Now show us what's next.
http://www.newsmax.com/RichLowry/clinton-christie-gop-president/2013/11/08/id/535619#ixzz2k4iZQRBh
-
The left is SCARED of Rand. They'd much rather have Obese, rude, sweaty, obnoxious RINO Christie up against Hilary.
You are spot on. This is the only comment that you have posted on this board in the past year that you have shown some kind of lucid thinking. Congrats.
Hopefully this time you will vote Rand and not stay home. :-\
-
Of course the left is scared of Rand... They were scared of his dad too, and how did that work out for them?
There is no way... and I'm saying this for truth here... No WAY a Rand Paul wins the nomination for Republican President in 2016... Because the powers that be DO NOT WANT IT.
this. George carlins comment about political change seem to fit here.
The pauls represent real change. They will never have a shot.
-
Fat Man sounds like he is testing the waters.
Packaging a President: Christie's Rollout Models Clinton, Bush, and Obama
New Jersey's governor vows bipartisanship, big fixes, courage, and authenticity. Sound familiar?
Ron Fournier By Ron Fournier
November 11, 2013
In an era of wrenching economic and social change, voters bet their hopes on a little-tested leader who a) echoed their disillusionment, b) pledged to end polarization, c) defied his party's extremists, d) embraced the task of tackling big problems, and e) seemed authentic.
And so it happened in 1992, 2000, and 2008 that Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama became president. Judging by his rhetoric after a landslide reelection Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hopes to package himself as the "Perfect Candidate for Troubled Times," version 4.0.
Voters crave—and the nation needs—a transformational president to lead America into the post-industrial era, just as Theodore Roosevelt reset U.S. political and social institutions for the post-agricultural era. But after three less-than-promised presidencies, voters may not be inclined to buy the hype.
And yet, it begins. Interviewed on four Sunday news shows, Christie pushed all the familiar buttons.
"There are obvious problems that need to be fixed, and the people in Washington, both parties, are not fixing these problems, nor is the president." Christe's pox-on-both-houses broadsides are sure to anger partisans while resonating with moderate voters who are sick of the status quo. Moderates also elect presidents. As sitting governors, Bush and Clinton spoke as outsiders against "politics as usual" in Washington. In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama vowed to "change the culture of Washington," and voters had the audacity to hope he could.
"On governing, it's about doing things, accomplishing things, reaching across the aisle and crafting accomplishments." Clinton and Bush came to Washington with records of bipartisanship accomplishment. Through fault of their own and of their enemies, both presidents left the office more polarized than they found it. Part of the problem is something Christie would never admit: It's easier to be bipartisan on the state level, where structural issues that gridlock Washington—redistricting, special-interest money, a lack of familiarity among leaders etc.—don't exist or are less of a problem. Clinton, a Democrat, worked with a largely Democratic state Legislature in Arkansas. As governor of Texas, Bush had little constitutional authority; the Republican Bush would have accomplished little without the help of the powerful lieutenant governor, a Democrat. Obama had barely made a mark in the Illinois Legislature or the U.S. Senate when he famously denounced polarization in his 2004 Democratic National Convention address for nominee John Kerry. "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States," Obama said. "We coach Little League in the Blue States, and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the Red States." As president, Obama is more of a captive of polarization in Washington than an enemy of it.
"We need to not pander on these issues. We need to have adults in the room who make decisions based upon controlling violence in our society." Christie defending his support of limited gun control, anathema to Second Amendment purists who dominate the GOP nomination process, reminds me of a campaign trip in 1999 when I asked the Texas governor about efforts by Republicans in Washington to delay payments to the working poor to save money in the 2000 budget. "I don't think they ought to balance their budget on the backs of the poor," Bush replied. The remark angered GOP lawmakers and worried conservative activists, but it helped brand the Texan as a "compassionate conservative." As a candidate in 1992, Clinton criticized a black rapper, and as president, enacted welfare reform, both signals to white middle-class voters that he would not be anchored to liberal ideology. Obama has offered to cut entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, a nod to the middle that enrages liberals.
"What our election was about was a record that showed that we can get the job done: 143,000 new private-sector jobs, reformed pension and benefits, slowed the growth of property taxes, cut business taxes $2.3 billion. You know, reform teacher tenure." Christie wants voters to know he tackled important and complicated issues in New Jersey, because he surely has outsized aspirations for the nation. Clinton ambitiously tried to overhaul the nation's health care system, but failed. Obama succeeded. Bush promised in 2000 to change the way students and schools are measured, and did so as president, with the help of Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Bush later set his sights on war in Iraq and Social Security reform, both flawed policies.
"I tell folks in New Jersey the hard truths they need to hear." Christie blasted Obama for deceiving the public about health insurance reform as a way to underscore his reputation for candor. This is the age of authenticity: There is so little of it in popular culture today that product brands stand to gain by just being real. Domino's Pizza, for example, remade its pizza recipe after acknowledging in commercials that the old one tasted horrible. In business, that's called a "credibility investment." Clinton invested in his credibility from the moment he became a candidate in 1992, promising Americans that he would work tirelessly to put them back to work. When he got caught lying about an extramarital affair in 1998, his political authenticity saved him from ruin over his personal credibility. Two years later, Bush packaged himself as the antidote to the disgust people felt about Clinton's personal behavior, promising at every campaign stop "to restore honor and dignity to the White House."
I wrote last week that there are many hurdles between Christie and the GOP nomination. Staunch conservatives will try to stop him, his shadowy background may not stand the glare of a national campaign, and his blunt style may not wear well on voters. In many ways, the New Jersey governor is the closest thing we've got to Clinton, Bush and Obama—a packaged-for-the-times candidate, Version 4.0, glitches included.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/packaging-a-president-christie-s-rollout-models-clinton-bush-and-obama-20131111
-
I would vote for anyone to defeat that communist worthless carpet bagging pos hitlery. She lied over the 4 bodies just to protect that terrorist loving slug Obama
-
it was mean of Rand Paul to call Chris Christie "The King of Bacon" like he did last week
-
You go Fat Man. He will be the new Jared from Subway.
Christie Half-Way To Weight Goal
Posted: Nov 14, 2013 4:25 AM HST
Updated: Nov 14, 2013 7:50 PM HST
By Ronica Cleary, @ChasingRonica
Since Governor Christie won the gubernatorial election last week, many have been speculating about him making a potential run for president in 2016. Many have questioned if he can win the presidential election at his current weight.
Christie has noted that since his secret lap band surgery, he is more than halfway to his goal weight. He said that he is eating differently and even sleeping better.
To learn more about how weight might impact a political candidate, image expert Sylvie di Giusto chimed in. She noted that Governor Christie's face is thinner and more powerful since he lost weight. “You will see a huge difference in his face actually and the face is always important for politicians you cannot hide anything in the face,” she said.
Sylvie also noted that Mary Pat, Governor Christie's wife, might need to improve her image as Governor Christie enters the national spotlight. “Right now she doesn’t show that professional appearance and attitude, he has to make sure that if he runs for president in a few years that he will start preparing the team right now," she said.
For more information about Sylvie di Giusto's work, visit her website: http://executive-image-consulting.com/
As far as another New Jersey politician goes Cory Booker seems to be sticking to social media these days, especially Twitter. His latest tweet about a crush on Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura and how the actress who played her is a true “role model” has many people buzzing that the mayor turned senator is a secret “trekkie”.
http://www.my9nj.com/story/23967736/christie-half-way-to-weight-goal
-
Is Chris Christie the GOP's Bill Clinton?
Friday, 08 Nov 2013
By Rich Lowry
Women LOVED Bill Clinton.
There is ZERO chance Bill Clinton would have screamed at females, teachers, etc like Christie does. And he does these things during normal business... Imagine the pressure of a presidential race. We always see the TRUE colors of candidates during these races. Rick Perry looked like the next president... give him a few debates and we discover he doesn't know his own platform. Fred Thompson REALLY looked like a President... two debates in, we realized he really was dumb as a bag of hair. On the other hand, Santorum was always a fringe candidate... then people realized "Wow, he really is way smarter and more conservative than Romney, isn't he?"
You give Christie 18 months of intensive public spotlight... pressure of hecklers, questions... hot weather campaigning in FL in August... the pile-on from 4-6 conservatives in debates that mock him for, well, being a RINO..... christie will drop the F-bomb or slam something on his podium or tell someone they're acting like a moron. Watch. And. See. You don't get to be 350+ pounds of fire by being calm, logical and consistent. EXTREMES get you that fat - he's as furious at the dinner table as he is at the podium. Dude WILL crack under pressure of a run.
Please - Rand or Cruz. Please!
-
Of course the left is scared of Rand... They were scared of his dad too, and how did that work out for them?
There is no way... and I'm saying this for truth here... No WAY a Rand Paul wins the nomination for Republican President in 2016... Because the powers that be DO NOT WANT IT.
I would love it if Rand was the nominee as would many if not most Dems
It's not the "powers that be" that don't want Rand
It's the vast majority of the voters who don't want him (or Cruz or any of a number of batshit crazy teabaggers)
-
I would love it if Rand was the nominee as would many if not most Dems
It's not the "powers that be" that don't want Rand
It's the vast majority of the voters who don't want him (or Cruz or any of a number of batshit crazy teabaggers)
one must keep in mind you think pelosi is not bat shit crazy when reading comments like this
-
one must keep in mind you think pelosi is not bat shit crazy when reading comments like this
Do you even have that much room in your mind?
-
Do you even have that much room in your mind?
barely but yes ;)
-
I would love it if Rand was the nominee as would many if not most Dems
It's not the "powers that be" that don't want Rand
It's the vast majority of the voters who don't want him (or Cruz or any of a number of batshit crazy teabaggers)
Very well said. The Republicans are back to the Romney dilemma, given that the GOP is still fractured, with infighting between the more moderate factions and the teabaggers. Christie is their new Romney. If they want to win this time, they need Democrats and Independents. That means Christie runs as the rational, "get it done" moderate and the tea party gets pushed aside.
On the other hand, if Christie tries to tilt right a la Romney, he's toast and Hillary is in. Seems obvious to everyone but tea party rubes and nutcases.
None of the other Republican chumps like Cruz, Rubio, Santorum, or Paul stand a chance against Hillary. Bush might, but that could be a third Romney-like path, since Bush comes across as more conservative than he really is. Just look at his record in Florida.
Either Christie or Bush. Not a chance for anyone else against Hillary.
-
33 can you please kick this off? And no fat jokes. :D
Chris Christie is a Fat Man
-
On the other hand, if Christie tries to tilt right a la Romney, he's toast and Hillary is in. Seems obvious to everyone but tea party rubes and nutcases.
I think there is a 100% chance that Christie will spend a year trying to convince the base that he's far right. Just like mccain and romney before him... to win the nomination, he'll abandon his RINO record and agree to pledges, promises, denials, explanations, etc... As a result, the base will see him as inauthentic, just as they did with Romney and Mccain.
He may win the nomination, and MSNBC/CNN will LOVE him all the way, propping him up and making him the expected nominee. But anyone who argues "the ase will come out and support him!" has to ignore 2008 and 2012, along with the fact obama was VERY FAR LEFT, which should have motivated them like crazy in 2008, and had just done obamacare, which should have activated them in 2012... and both times, the base just stayed home AND didn't donate as much as the libs did either.
Until repubs can realize the folly of their ways in 08 and 2012, things won't change. Stop with the RINOS, their "mainstream appeal" means the base stays home. Christie is Romney II, Mccain III.
-
I think there is a 100% chance that Christie will spend a year trying to convince the base that he's far right. Just like mccain and romney before him... to win the nomination, he'll abandon his RINO record and agree to pledges, promises, denials, explanations, etc... As a result, the base will see him as inauthentic, just as they did with Romney and Mccain.
He may win the nomination, and MSNBC/CNN will LOVE him all the way, propping him up and making him the expected nominee. But anyone who argues "the ase will come out and support him!" has to ignore 2008 and 2012, along with the fact obama was VERY FAR LEFT, which should have motivated them like crazy in 2008, and had just done obamacare, which should have activated them in 2012... and both times, the base just stayed home AND didn't donate as much as the libs did either.
Until repubs can realize the folly of their ways in 08 and 2012, things won't change. Stop with the RINOS, their "mainstream appeal" means the base stays home. Christie is Romney II, Mccain III.
he would be stupid to do that
it's a proven LOSING strategy and everyone knows he's not FAR right
The country (and the Republican party) is not looking for a far right candidate
McCain lost because of his disastrous pick for VP and also because of a few other bad choices (the economy is strong comment, shutting down his campaign, etc..)
Romney lost because he was unlikable, dishonest and fake and, like McCain also because he picked a bad VP
Romney and McCain both picked FAR RIGHT VP's and the voters couldn't get away fast enough
-
he would be stupid to do that
He's already doing EXACTLY that.
Chris Christie: I'm a Conservative, Not a Moderate
Nov 5th, 2013
New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Republican, is on his way to winning big in his bid for reelection Tuesday, and there's already talk he may be on his way to running for president in three years. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Christie argued he's not a moderate as he's sometimes portrayed.
"I'm a conservative," Christie told Tapper. "I've governed as a conservative in this state, and I think that's led to some people disagreeing with me in our state, because it's generally a left-of-center, blue state."
""Most folks, they’re willing to let you disagree with them a little bit, as long as they think you’re being straight with them," added Christie. "That’s the difference. And so I’ve governed as a conservative, and most people who look at my record objectively, will come to that conclusion."
The governor added, "The difference has been is I haven't tried to hide it, or mask it as something different." Watch video of Tapper's interview below:
https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/chris-christie-im-conservative-not-moderate_766321.html
-
He's already doing EXACTLY that.
Chris Christie: I'm a Conservative, Not a Moderate
Nov 5th, 2013
New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Republican, is on his way to winning big in his bid for reelection Tuesday, and there's already talk he may be on his way to running for president in three years. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Christie argued he's not a moderate as he's sometimes portrayed.
"I'm a conservative," Christie told Tapper. "I've governed as a conservative in this state, and I think that's led to some people disagreeing with me in our state, because it's generally a left-of-center, blue state."
""Most folks, they’re willing to let you disagree with them a little bit, as long as they think you’re being straight with them," added Christie. "That’s the difference. And so I’ve governed as a conservative, and most people who look at my record objectively, will come to that conclusion."
The governor added, "The difference has been is I haven't tried to hide it, or mask it as something different." Watch video of Tapper's interview below:
https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/chris-christie-im-conservative-not-moderate_766321.html
conservative does not equal teabagger
If you recall, Romney referred to himself as severely conservative
If Christie wants to tack right then more power to him
-
conservative does not equal teabagge
If you recall, Romney referred to himself as severely conservative
If Christie wants to tack right then more power to him
I'm pretty confident that rejecting being a moderate = complete sucking up to the tea party.
Dude IS a moderate. Everyone in his party is calling him a moderate. That's what he is. he's NOT a conservative. And for all practical purposes, tea party = conservatives now. If you are a conserrvative candidate, you are supported by the tea party. If you're a moderate, you are not.
Rand, Cruz, Perry, Santorum = they are all conservatives.
Mccain, romney, christie = they are moderates.
And, all those moderates DID try to sell themselves as moderates, abandoning all of their moderate positions that made some dem swing voters like that. They promise absolutes on the social tea party issues, and that scares off some moderate voters. But the base, pretty doggone smart, usually doesn't buy into it.
I mean, even on getbig, there weren't any members telling us "yeah brah, Romney is totally a conservative!" They agreed he was bullshitting about that... but that obama sucked worse.
-
I'm pretty confident that rejecting being a moderate = complete sucking up to the tea party.
Dude IS a moderate. Everyone in his party is calling him a moderate. That's what he is. he's NOT a conservative. And for all practical purposes, tea party = conservatives now. If you are a conserrvative candidate, you are supported by the tea party. If you're a moderate, you are not.
Rand, Cruz, Perry, Santorum = they are all conservatives.
Mccain, romney, christie = they are moderates.
And, all those moderates DID try to sell themselves as moderates, abandoning all of their moderate positions that made some dem swing voters like that. They promise absolutes on the social tea party issues, and that scares off some moderate voters. But the base, pretty doggone smart, usually doesn't buy into it.
I mean, even on getbig, there weren't any members telling us "yeah brah, Romney is totally a conservative!" They agreed he was bullshitting about that... but that obama sucked worse.
I'd call Rand, Cruz, Perry, Santorum extreme right wing ideologues ( or frankly even just bat shit crazy)
there is really no such thing anymore as a moderate conservative
the whole spectrum has shifted to the right
-
Let's settle this once and for all. Christie says he's not a moderate. He says he is a conservative.
Look at these examples... is he a conservative?
Christie is on record as believing in global warming and, more specifically, that it is man made. He can NEVER escape this position with base voters. Ever.
Christie clearly opposes offshore drilling off the coast on New Jersey. Repubs want to drill, baby, drill!
Christie has stood with Obama’s EPA- arguably one of the most liberally radical federal agencies- in opposing construction of a new power plant in eastern Pennsylvania. He hates coal. HATES COAL!!!!
Abortion issue? Christie has donated $ to Planned Parenthood.
Foreign intervention? lol, obama all the way: We ARE the leader in Libya; we MUST be the world's police.
Guns? No right-to-carry cross-state reciprocity. (Jun 2012) - Favors gun control measures from law-enforcement perspective
Christie was notoriously soft on illegal immigrants, and called it a federal problem. That's right, he wants the govt to handle it. Sure lines up with obama, doesn't it?
NJ Govt has ballooned under Christie - He's not a small govt guy.
Christie has completely capitulated to a federal, Obama-supported educational policy... NCLB all the way, baby!
-
New York Poll: Christie beats Cuomo but trails Clinton
Posted by
CNN Political Unit
(CNN) – Chris Christie would top Andrew Cuomo but lose to Hillary Clinton in hypothetical 2016 presidential matchups for New York State's 29 electoral votes, according to a new survey of Empire State voters.
And the Siena College Poll, released Monday, also indicates a drop in the approval rating for Cuomo as New York governor, but more than half of the state's registered voters say they would re-elect him next year.
In possible 2016 showdowns, 56% of those questioned say they'd support Clinton, the former secretary of state and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate who also served from 2001 to early 2009 as a senator from New York. Four in 10 say they'd back Christie, who was just re-elected two weeks ago to a second term as governor of neighboring New Jersey. But the GOP governor edges out Cuomo 47%-42%.
Clinton, if she decides to make another bid for the White House, would be the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic nomination. Cuomo is also considered a possible 2016 Democratic contender for president. After passing on a run in 2012, Christie is seriously mulling a bid for the Republican nomination.
"Cuomo has a strong favorability rating. Christie's is a little better. And Clinton's favorability rating, 67-31 percent, is best of all," says Siena Pollster Steven Greenberg.
In a Christie-Clinton showdown, "Christie splits the suburban and upstate vote with Clinton, who dominates in New York City," adds Greenberg.
And in a Christie-Cuomo faceoff, "Cuomo's New York City lead is not enough to offset Christie's comparable upstate and suburban leads, not to mention Christie's 21-point lead among independent voters," says Greenberg.
New York state is reliably blue in presidential elections. The last Republican to capture the state in a presidential contest was President Ronald Reagan in his 1984 re-election landslide.
According to the poll, 44% of Empire State voters say Cuomo's doing an excellent or good job as governor, down from 52% in October. Fifty-six percent say Cuomo's doing a fair or poor job, up from 47% last month.
But Cuomo's 61% favorable rating is basically unchanged from October, and 51% say they would vote to re-elect him in 2014, also virtually unchanged from last month.
The Siena College Poll was conducted November 11-14, with 806 registered voters in New York state questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/18/new-york-poll-christie-beats-cuomo-but-trails-clinton/
-
Let's settle this once and for all. Christie says he's not a moderate. He says he is a conservative.
Look at these examples... is he a conservative?
Christie is on record as believing in global warming and, more specifically, that it is man made. He can NEVER escape this position with base voters. Ever.
Christie clearly opposes offshore drilling off the coast on New Jersey. Repubs want to drill, baby, drill!
Christie has stood with Obama’s EPA- arguably one of the most liberally radical federal agencies- in opposing construction of a new power plant in eastern Pennsylvania. He hates coal. HATES COAL!!!!
Abortion issue? Christie has donated $ to Planned Parenthood.
Foreign intervention? lol, obama all the way: We ARE the leader in Libya; we MUST be the world's police.
Guns? No right-to-carry cross-state reciprocity. (Jun 2012) - Favors gun control measures from law-enforcement perspective
Christie was notoriously soft on illegal immigrants, and called it a federal problem. That's right, he wants the govt to handle it. Sure lines up with obama, doesn't it?
NJ Govt has ballooned under Christie - He's not a small govt guy.
Christie has completely capitulated to a federal, Obama-supported educational policy... NCLB all the way, baby!
you don't have to be a moderate to believe in global warming/climate change
I believe he is still opposed to gay marriage (in spite of Repubs starting to break ranks on this)
He did lie to the teachers when he ran the first time and then pull the rug out from under them (this should appeal to the far right who seem to hate education)
He had massive tax cut for businesses
there are probably a few more things that I'm forgetting
I concede that Christie is NOT batshit crazy so the far right of the party is never going to like him but the country is not going to put a far right wingnut in as POTUS.
-
Wrong Straw according to our resident republicans the country is waiting for an Uber-crazy-rightwinger to vote for :)
-
Wrong Straw according to our resident republicans the country is waiting for an Uber-crazy-rightwinger to vote for :)
I know
they also spend their weekends looking for unicorns and leprechauns
-
They found a pretty unflattering picture of Fat Man for this one.
Ohio poll: Clinton, Christie tied; Obama approval rating at lowest point
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130308090533-clinton-christie-matchup-story-top.jpg)
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough
(CNN) - In the crucial swing state of Ohio, voters are practically split between Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie in a hypothetical 2016 presidential matchup, according to a new survey.
And in a potentially bad sign for 2014 Democrats, the new Quinnipiac University poll indicates the President's approval rating is at its lowest point in Quinnipiac polling history–nationally or in any state–at 34%.
Clinton v. Christie
The survey, which was released Wednesday, shows 42% of registered voters back the former Secretary of State while 41% support the recently re-elected Republican governor from New Jersey.
"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are the 2016 leaders to Ohio voters, locked in a statistical tie," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling institute, said in a release.
The Ohio poll is the latest survey to show Christie gaining ground against Clinton in a swing state. A Quinnipiac poll in Colorado last week indicated Christie ahead of Clinton by eight percentage points.
Three recent surveys in the reliably blue state of New York, however, show Christie trailing behind Clinton, who served eight years as Senator from the Empire State.
In the new Quinnipiac poll, Clinton topples Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, 49%-38%. The governor, who's considered a possible 2016 White House contender, faces re-election next year, and a Quinnipiac survey released Tuesday showed him ahead of his likely Democratic opponent by only seven percentage points.
Ohio voters also support Clinton over other potential Republican contenders, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
None of the mentioned potential candidates have announced bids for the White House, but many of them have made high-profile trips to swing states or have said they're considering a run.
"Ms. Clinton easily defeats a bevy of other potential GOP aspirants," Brown said. "Interestingly, when voters are asked whether she would make a good president, more say yes, than say they would vote for her."
Also of note, voters are divided, 44%-45%, on whether Washington experience or experience outside the nation's capital would help someone be a good President, Brown added.
Another potential candidate, Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, sparked a debate when he argued last week in an interview that the next presidential and vice presidential nominees should be a current or former governor–though he noted his friend from Wisconsin, Rep. Paul Ryan, would be an exception.
. . .
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/27/ohio-poll-clinton-christie-tied-obama-approval-rating-at-lowest-point/
-
They found a pretty unflattering picture of Fat Man for this one.
Ohio poll: Clinton, Christie tied; Obama approval rating at lowest point
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130308090533-clinton-christie-matchup-story-top.jpg)
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough
(CNN) - In the crucial swing state of Ohio, voters are practically split between Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie in a hypothetical 2016 presidential matchup, according to a new survey.
And in a potentially bad sign for 2014 Democrats, the new Quinnipiac University poll indicates the President's approval rating is at its lowest point in Quinnipiac polling history–nationally or in any state–at 34%.
Clinton v. Christie
The survey, which was released Wednesday, shows 42% of registered voters back the former Secretary of State while 41% support the recently re-elected Republican governor from New Jersey.
"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are the 2016 leaders to Ohio voters, locked in a statistical tie," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling institute, said in a release.
The Ohio poll is the latest survey to show Christie gaining ground against Clinton in a swing state. A Quinnipiac poll in Colorado last week indicated Christie ahead of Clinton by eight percentage points.
Three recent surveys in the reliably blue state of New York, however, show Christie trailing behind Clinton, who served eight years as Senator from the Empire State.
In the new Quinnipiac poll, Clinton topples Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, 49%-38%. The governor, who's considered a possible 2016 White House contender, faces re-election next year, and a Quinnipiac survey released Tuesday showed him ahead of his likely Democratic opponent by only seven percentage points.
Ohio voters also support Clinton over other potential Republican contenders, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
None of the mentioned potential candidates have announced bids for the White House, but many of them have made high-profile trips to swing states or have said they're considering a run.
"Ms. Clinton easily defeats a bevy of other potential GOP aspirants," Brown said. "Interestingly, when voters are asked whether she would make a good president, more say yes, than say they would vote for her."
Also of note, voters are divided, 44%-45%, on whether Washington experience or experience outside the nation's capital would help someone be a good President, Brown added.
Another potential candidate, Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, sparked a debate when he argued last week in an interview that the next presidential and vice presidential nominees should be a current or former governor–though he noted his friend from Wisconsin, Rep. Paul Ryan, would be an exception.
. . .
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/27/ohio-poll-clinton-christie-tied-obama-approval-rating-at-lowest-point/
how many times have you referred to Christie as "Fat Man" in this thread ?
-
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/chris-christie-obamacare-100425.html?hp=l7
Christie - ObamaCare is a train wreck
-
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/chris-christie-obamacare-100425.html?hp=l7
Christie - ObamaCare is a train wreck
Truth. From the link:
“This entire Obamacare program is a failure. It’s a failure and people are seeing it starkly and clearly right now and the president is scrambling. He should’ve just told people the truth from the beginning, but you know what if he had, they wouldn’t have passed it. Not even Democrats would’ve passed this,” Christie said.
Christie, who recently began his role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, also took time to address the ever-present questions on 2016.
“I’ll make that decision when I think I need to, and not a minute before,” Christie said.
-
Fat Man is the leader in the clubhouse. Still a loooong way to go.
Christie Leads Potential GOP Presidential Contenders: Poll
Friday, 29 Nov 2013
A new national poll indicates New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be an early frontrunner if he decides to jump into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
The CNN/ORC International survey, released Friday, indicates Christie, who won re-election in a landslide victory, leads the pack of potential contenders for the GOP nomination.
The poll also found that Democrats would favor Vice President Joe Biden, if Hillary Clinton decides against making another bid for the White House, .
Twenty-four percent of Republicans and independents questioned in the survey polled said they'd support Christie, up seven percentage points from a CNN poll in eptember. Back then, Christie and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget chairman and the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, were virtually tied, with Christie at 17 percent and Ryan at 16 percent.
But Ryan has dropped to 11 percent, behind Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, at 13 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas garnered 10 percent in the survey, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 9 percent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 7 percent, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, each at 6 percent.
"Among Republicans making more than $50,000, Christie wins 32 percent support, 20 points higher than Cruz, Ryan, or Marco Rubio, all of whom get 12% among higher-income GOPers, and 23 points higher than Paul," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But among Republicans who make less than $50,000 a year, Christie's support drops 19 points, only good enough for second place behind Paul."
The CNN poll indicates that Clinton would be the overwhelming frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination, with 63 percent of Democrats and independents who lean towards the Democratic Party saying she would be their choice. Biden was a distant second at 12 percent, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (7 percent), New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo (5 percent), and two-term Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (2 percent).
But if Clinton forgoes another run for the White House, the poll found 43 percent of Democrats would support the Vice President.
The poll was conducted November 18-20 for CNN by ORC International, with 843 adult Americans, including 418 Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP, and 374 Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, with a sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points for questions just of Democrats or Republicans.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-gop-presidential/2013/11/29/id/539171#ixzz2m4oFPpvM
-
Fat Man is the leader in the clubhouse. Still a loooong way to go.
Christie Leads Potential GOP Presidential Contenders: Poll
Friday, 29 Nov 2013
A new national poll indicates New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would be an early frontrunner if he decides to jump into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
The CNN/ORC International survey, released Friday, indicates Christie, who won re-election in a landslide victory, leads the pack of potential contenders for the GOP nomination.
The poll also found that Democrats would favor Vice President Joe Biden, if Hillary Clinton decides against making another bid for the White House, .
Twenty-four percent of Republicans and independents questioned in the survey polled said they'd support Christie, up seven percentage points from a CNN poll in eptember. Back then, Christie and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget chairman and the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, were virtually tied, with Christie at 17 percent and Ryan at 16 percent.
But Ryan has dropped to 11 percent, behind Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, at 13 percent. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas garnered 10 percent in the survey, followed by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 9 percent, Texas Gov. Rick Perry at 7 percent, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, each at 6 percent.
"Among Republicans making more than $50,000, Christie wins 32 percent support, 20 points higher than Cruz, Ryan, or Marco Rubio, all of whom get 12% among higher-income GOPers, and 23 points higher than Paul," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "But among Republicans who make less than $50,000 a year, Christie's support drops 19 points, only good enough for second place behind Paul."
The CNN poll indicates that Clinton would be the overwhelming frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination, with 63 percent of Democrats and independents who lean towards the Democratic Party saying she would be their choice. Biden was a distant second at 12 percent, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (7 percent), New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo (5 percent), and two-term Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (2 percent).
But if Clinton forgoes another run for the White House, the poll found 43 percent of Democrats would support the Vice President.
The poll was conducted November 18-20 for CNN by ORC International, with 843 adult Americans, including 418 Republicans and independents who lean towards the GOP, and 374 Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, with a sampling error of plus or minus five percentage points for questions just of Democrats or Republicans.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-gop-presidential/2013/11/29/id/539171#ixzz2m4oFPpvM
THERE is the rub. You see, independents and repubs DO NOT choose the candidate in many states. It's only the registered republicans. I can bet in just about EVERY poll done with STRICTLY REGISTERED REPUBS, christie will lose to a cruz or rand.
-
Never Dull: How Chris Christie carefully cultivates the media
By Howard KurtzPublished December 02, 2013
FoxNews.com
You don’t have to charm the press to win the presidency.
But it doesn’t hurt.
And that’s why Chris Christie is such a fascinating case study in massaging the media.
Mounting a White House campaign can be overwhelming, and pols who are accustomed only to the modest scrutiny visited on governors and senators are often blinded by the searing spotlight.
Bill Clinton got gentle treatment from the Little Rock press corps, but in 1992 was hit by the national media over Whitewater, Gennifer Flowers and avoiding the draft. But he didn’t hide from the press—I remember being on a late-night campaign flight where he talked and talked to a group of reporters, some of whom just wanted to catch some shut-eye but were afraid of missing something.
John McCain spent eight or nine hours a day fielding questions from journalists on his bus in 2000, to the point where we sometimes ran out of material and wound up talking about movies and sports.
That same year, George W. Bush, in his compassionate conservative phase, enjoyed chatting with his media regulars and bestowed nicknames on many of them.
Mitt Romney, by contrast, avoided his press corps, seemed uncomfortable around reporters, and ran a campaign that often ignored journalistic questions. That was a missed opportunity for a challenger.
Look for Christie, assuming he runs in 2016, to passionately engage with the media (as you might have guessed when he did four Sunday shows after winning reelection). That engagement will sometimes be contentious, but chances are it will never be dull.
The best way to get a sense of how Christie’s approach to the media is to examine how he deals with New Jersey reporters. Matt Katz, who now covers the governor for WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio, lifts the curtain for Politico:
“The local reporters get our own unique treatment—revealing, off-the-record, end-of-summer beers at Jersey Shore bars and profanity-infused Christmas party conversations at the governor’s mansion. But we also get our own unique abuse: We know what it’s like to be put in the ‘penalty box,’ as Christie calls it, briefly shut out from the inner circle for writing something Team Christie hates. And we’ve all been dressed down in State House hallways by Christie’s chief spokesman, Michael Drewniak, an expert at channeling his boss’s fury.
“Christie likes to tell crowds at press conferences that I must have pissed someone off at the Philadelphia Inquirer to get the Christie beat, but he’s lying. He knows he fulfilled his promise from that first day we met: ‘We’re going to do our best to keep you entertained.’”
In diary form, Katz recalls what Christie said at the 2011 presser when he announced he wouldn’t be running for president:
“The only regret I have is that I’ve given such great TV exposure to some of the local reporters. I mean, who’s gonna have Katz on TV now that I’m out of this race? Nobody is gonna have Katz on TV. He won’t be able to get on News 12 for God’s sake.”
A savvy pol plays off his press corps, and Christie is no exception:
“Christie uses reporters the same way comedians use those in the front rows at stand-up shows. The back-and-forth amuses him, amuses his staff, amuses us (sometimes). We also act as his foil, tossing the alley-oops for the sound bites that land on the gubernatorial YouTube channel. The clips are emailed to every political reporter in America and likely a few county Republican chairs in Iowa…
“My biggest competition is not other reporters; it is the man himself. He is his own news outlet.”
There is a downside to this approach, of course. A man who is his own news outlet risks overexposure. The more he’s sparring with reporters, the greater the chance that he will say something dumb, creating a YouTube moment that he wouldn’t want on his channel. And there’s a chance his argumentative style may not wear well.
On the other hand, we’re guaranteed to be entertained.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/02/never-dull-how-chris-christie-carefully-cultivates-media/?intcmp=latestnews
-
And that’s why Chris Christie is such a fascinating case study in massaging the media.
Romney & McCain both "won over the media" and got Rush, Hannity and levin on their nuts in a major way. The way we heard FOX news mock the actual conservatives was sickening.
So yeah, I'm okay if a RINO moderate liberal like Christie is loved by the media - cause I know from recent history that voters don't buy into it.
Christie has the planned parenthood vote, that's for sure. They appreciate his donations.
Repubs, you don't need to make 2016 harder than it has to be, by nominating an angry fat dude that doesn't really even stand for what you believe in. Cruz. Rand. You can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
How rude!
Fat Chance
Groan: Not another story about Chris Christie’s weight?
But this one is different. Rather than chastising the New Jersey governor, who has undergone lap-band surgery, Politico says he has a pound-for-pound advantage:
“A fat nominee could be exactly what a Republican Party needs to shed its image as out of touch with ordinary Americans.
“Think about it—Romney lost in 2012 in large part because he was perceived as lacking empathy. Exit polls showed that Barack Obama beat Romney by 10 percentage points on the crucial question of which candidate ‘is more in touch with people like you.’…
“Christie’s size would allow him to do something similar with overweight voters.
And let’s face it: America definitely has a plus-size electorate. Almost 70 percent of us are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including more than a third who, like Christie, are obese.”
I don’t think the notion that waistline-challenged voters can relate to Christie is crazy. But this feels like a lightweight piece designed to get attention. Which we just provided.
. . .
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/04/exclusive-martin-bashir-out-at-msnbc-over-palin-slur-was-previously-suspended/
-
“A fat nominee could be exactly what a Republican Party needs to shed its image as out of touch with ordinary Americans.
“Think about it—Romney lost in 2012 in large part because he was perceived as lacking empathy. Exit polls showed that Barack Obama beat Romney by 10 percentage points on the crucial question of which candidate ‘is more in touch with people like you.’…
LOL!
talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. It's like republicans want the biggest possible challenge in 2016. It's not bad enough that Christie has so many lib positions, donated to planned parenthood, etc...
The fact he's morbidly obese doesn't help him. He looks terrible now, and it's in the comfort of being governor. Imagine him on the campaign trail, 16 or 18 straight months of living in hotels, spending 14 hours a day shaking hands and giving stump speeches... yeah, it's gonna be ugly lol.
Repubs, Perry looks the part. Rand or Cruz act the part. Why settle for a RINO lib that doesn't have the discipline to put down the fork and spend 90 minutes a day on the treadmill?
-
Poll: New Jerseyans unfazed by possible Christie 2016 bid
Posted by
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser
(CNN) - If you think that Garden Staters are concerned that their governor, Chris Christie, will run for president in 2016, think again.
A new poll indicates that most New Jersey residents expect Christie to launch a bid for the White House, and few are bothered by that, even if Christie steps down as governor. And the Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll, released Wednesday, also suggests that the Republican governor could turn New Jersey red in a presidential election for the first time in more than a quarter century.
Sixty-nine percent of those questioned in the poll say that they believe Christie is already planning to run for president in 2016. Amid mounting speculation that he'll launch a campaign for the GOP nomination, the tough-talking governor, who won a landslide re-election last month over a little known Democratic challenger, has not committed to serving out his second term in Trenton.
According to the poll, two-thirds say they wouldn't be particularly bothered if Christie ran for president, even though that would pull him out of New Jersey quite often. And 69% say they wouldn't be upset if Christie stepped down as governor in order to run for the White House.
The poll indicated little partisan divide between Democrats, Republicans and independents on any of these questions.
"New Jersey is fairly united on this one: Run, Christie, run!" said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Then Vice President George H.W. Bush, who carried New Jersey in his 1988 election as president, was the last Republican to win the state in a presidential contest. But the poll suggests Christie could grab New Jersey's 14 electoral votes.
According to the poll, Christie holds a 46%-43% margin over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who would be the overwhelming frontrunner for the Democratic nomination if she runs again for the White House, in a hypothetical 2016 general election matchup.
The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll was conducted Dec. 4-8, with 802 New Jersey adults questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/11/poll-new-jerseyans-unfazed-by-possible-christie-2016-bid/
-
Fat Man getting some traction?
Iowa survey: N.J. Gov. Chris Christie holds sway in general contest against Hillary Clinton
By Tom Howell Jr.
The Washington Times
December 17, 2013
A new survey of Iowa voters says Hillary Clinton would trump Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul — but not New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — in a potential 2016 presidential matchup, a sign that Mr. Christie carries some sway in a general election contest despite a separate poll that says he trails the likes of a Rep. Paul Ryan and Texas Gov. Rick Perry among Iowa Republicans.
Mr. Christie leads Mrs. Clinton, the former secretary of state, by 45 percent to 40 percent in the early look at the 2016 contest by Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The institute says women overwhelmingly back Mrs. Clinton, while men favor Mr. Christie by an 11-percent margin.
“New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie pulls ahead of Secretary Hillary Clinton among Iowa voters. The change from the last time Quinnipiac University polled Iowa, July 22 when they were tied 41-41 percent, reflects a general improvement for Republicans, almost certainly related to the controversy over ‘Obamacare,’” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Mrs. Clinton tops Mr. Paul of Kentucky by 1 percentage point and leads Mr. Cruz of Texas, 48 percent to 41 percent.
Iowa is a crucial political bellwether, since its voters formally kick off each presidential-primary season with their party caucuses.
State voters also told Quinnipiac they think Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, should be re-elected.
“Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad enters his re-election year in better shape than when we looked five months ago. He defeats his three potential Democratic opponents by 16 points or more and has the kind of job approval that usually goes along with comfortable re-elections,” Mr. Brown said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/dec/17/iowa-survey-nj-gov-chris-christie-holds-sway-gener/#ixzz2nkinQTQt
-
Christie Grants In-state Tuition to Illegal Aliens
Friday, 20 Dec 2013
By Melissa Clyne
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to sign legislation Friday that would make his state the 18th to allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition.
But according to The New York Times, a provision was removed from the Dream Act approved by the legislature Thursday that would have also made financial aid available.
The Republican governor, the Times reported, had insisted that the aid be denied, fearing that making it available would turn New Jersey into "a magnet state" for undocumented out-of-state students.
Only California, New Mexico and Texas allow illegal immigrants to receive financial aid, the Times noted.
Under the terms of the bill, only illegal immigrants who have graduated from a New Jersey high school after at least three years of attendance will be able to qualify for in-state tuition.
In his re-election campaign, Christie had campaigned heavily on the in-state tuition issue, easily coasting to a landslide victory with a strong 51 percent showing of support from Hispanics, according to USA Today.
Christie also supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, a prickly issue within the GOP. A likely presidential candidate in 2016, Christie has built a reputation as an outspoken but compromising Republican who successfully governs as a red politician in a blue state.
At a press conference Thursday, Christie said he was owed apologies from critics who accused him during the campaign of using the tuition issue as a political ploy to attract Hispanic votes.
“This is what compromise looks like and I’ll be waiting for all the apology letters that come in from all the people, some in this room, who said I was not serious about tuition equality, and somehow this was an election prank,” Christie told reporters, according to ABC News.
“This will once again be an example of New Jersey showing how you can come to a bipartisan agreement, not that we agree on everything, but that we find a way to bring people together and come to a position and benefit all the people of this state and shame on all the people, shame on all of you who accused me and others of playing politics with this issue, you were wrong.”
The legislation will take effect immediately, in time for the spring semester.
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Christie-tuition-undocumented-immigrants/2013/12/20/id/542991#ixzz2o2Gat2Y8
-
Ted Cruz
Rand Paul
Scott Walker
These 3 will be good winners in 2016.
Christie shoulda ran 2012, now with taking huge governemtn $$ for hurricane hes lost all credability he built putting smakdown on unions and greedy enviro-wako-lawyers who wanted tunnel to NY.
-
Christie Grants In-state Tuition to Illegal Aliens
Friday, 20 Dec 2013
By Melissa Clyne
I believe 333386/soulcrusher calls this "hispandering".
-
Christie Leads 7 GOP Contenders in Mississippi Presidential Poll
Friday, 20 Dec 2013
By Cathy Burke
Gov. Chris Christie leads seven other potential GOP contenders for the 2016 presidential race in a survey of Mississippi voters, a new poll shows.
The Conservative Intel/Harper Poll, taken Tuesday and Wednesday, shows the New Jersey executive, with 15.72 percent, slightly ahead of second-place Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who polled 15.58 percent.
Third was Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, with 14.45 percent, followed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, with 11.61 percent; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, with 10.34 percent; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, with 9.49 percent; Rick Santorum, with 3.97 percent; and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, with 1.7 percent.
Just over 17 percent of those polled weren't sure of who they'd vote for. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.68 percent.
The survey is the latest in a series by Conservative Intel/Harper polls finding Christie at the head of the pack of possible White House contenders in various states.
An October poll showed Christie at the top, with 19 percent, in South Carolina and a November poll had Christie, at 17 percent, leading contenders in Iowa.
In both polls, Cruz was within the margin of error of Christie’s lead, noted the Daily Caller, which reported the latest poll findings Friday.
In the latest polling, incumbent veteran Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran easily leads his GOP primary challenger, Chris McDaniel, 54.37 percent to 31.41 percent.
The good news for Christie follows by two days his showing in a Public Policy Polling survey that had him leading former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a hypothetical presidential matchup, beating her by 3 points, 45 percent to 42 percent.
But the Daily Caller pointed out the standings may mean little long before any primary election will actually be held, noting former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani led national GOP primary polls in 2007, but failed to win a single primary a year later.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/christie-mississippi-poll/2013/12/20/id/543127#ixzz2oKdnpBtJ
-
he leads 7 because most of the other 7 are actual conservatives.
It'd be a shame if, like 2008 and 2012, we saw a moderate squeak in, even if he doesn't represent what the majority of repub base voters want.
but it'll probably happen.
-
Christie, Clinton tied in new presidential poll
By Peter Sullivan
A new CNN poll finds that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are essentially tied in a potential 2016 presidential matchup.
Christie gets the support of 48 percent of registered voters, a 2-point lead over Clinton's 46 percent, but one that is within the poll's 3-point margin of error.
The CNN poll is the third national poll this month to show the two current leading presidential prospects in a tie. A Public Policy Polling survey gave Christie 45 percent to Clinton's 42, and a Quinnipiac poll gave Christie 42 to Clinton's 41.
The close numbers at this early stage indicate that Christie could prove much more competitive against Clinton than other potential 2016 Republican contenders.
The next-closest Republican is Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the former vice presidential nominee whose star may have risen from his role in the recent bipartisan budget deal. Clinton leads him by 8 points in the poll.
She beats Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) by 13 points, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by 15, Texas Gov. Rick Perry by 17, and freshman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) by 18. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former Sen. Rick Santorum are both down 19. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is down the most of the listed options, at 21 points.
Christie is the only Republican who wins suburbanites and older voters against Clinton, according to the poll. Christie also wins six in 10 independents. Not surprisingly, there is a stark difference in support between genders, with men backing Christie by 14 points and women going for Clinton by 10 points.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/194044-christie-clinton-tied-again-in-new-presidential-poll
-
the base won't come out to vote/donate for Christie.
Ask presidents Romney & Mccain.
-
Fat Man has a target on his back.
Christie's Star Dims as Stories of Bullying, Double Dealing Emerge
Monday, 30 Dec 2013
By Sandy Fitzgerald
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is still a favorite in presidential polls, but the popular politician is already being singled out by Democrats and in the national media before he has announced his future intentions.
"It's all a setup," Michael Steele, who chaired the Republican National Committee in 2009, when Christie first ran for governor, told The Daily Beast. "It's unbelievable. It says to me that there are interests in the media and in politics who don’t want the status quo to change, and who actually like this red/blue politics crisis-management model."
Just two months ago, Christie beat Democratic opponent Barbara Buono by a 21-point margin. Since then, polls have shown him in a virtual tied race with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the presidency, with a CNN survey showing him as being slightly ahead.
The media attacks did not come far behind his second-term win. Last week, a front page article in The New York Times painted Christie as a bully who uses his political power to get revenge against his enemies.
Among several complaints, The Times article included the "Bridgegate" scandal, which targets Christie as being behind closing access lanes from Fort Lee, N.J. on to the George Washington Bridge. The lanes were shut down for four days after the city's Democratic mayor refused to back Christie's re-election campaign, and two Port Authority officials have resigned their posts over the issue.
In addition, the book "Double Down" was released just before the November election, using details from former presidential candidate Mitt Romney's vice presidential vetting team. The book painted Christie as being a politician who did favors for his allies and lobbied for business interests of people like Bernie Madoff.
Christie loyalists say that the governor is used to media scrutiny. One aide said that he's also not surprised when "media outlets and Democratic organizations make him a target."
Steele said such negative coverage plays itself out in many ways, "sometimes aided by the main target, sometimes by subordinates or opposition camps. There’s a tendency to reach that turning point so that the knives come out and the new narrative begins."
However, it's not just the liberal media that has turned against Christie. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck recently blasted Christie during an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, calling the New Jersey Republican "a fat nightmare" and labeling him as a "progressive."
Some of the scrutiny also started in November 2012, when Christie hugged President Barack Obama after Superstorm Sandy, which experts say will likely haunt him if he runs for the presidency.
But even with the negative coverage, Steele said, Christie "is the same guy today as he was when he sat in my office when I was national chairman during his first bid for the governorship of New Jersey . . . He’s still the same breath of fresh air, the same guy who can create a new narrative for the Republican Party and the country, which is longing and starving for it."
Steele says Christie needs to be sure he doesn't become his "own worst enemy" and fuel
new headlines.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-bullying-deals-double-down/2013/12/30/id/544373#ixzz2oz8AZZLv
-
So a scandal breaks, and the guy who is ultimately responsible, because the buck stops with him, takes immediate action by firing those involved. Obama should take notes from Fat Man. That's what a leader does.
Christie apologizes over lane closures, fires top aide
Published January 09, 2014
FoxNews.com
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie publicly apologized Thursday for controversial lane closures last year that were arranged by his associates as an apparent act of political revenge, and fired a top aide who was at the center of the scandal.
"I come out here to apologize to the people of New Jersey," he said. "I am embarrassed and humiliated."
The governor added: "I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here."
The governor is trying to get a handle on the scandal, which could threaten the potential 2016 presidential candidate's political aspirations. He's also facing various legal inquiries. The U.S. attorney's office in New Jersey confirmed Thursday that it is now "reviewing" the matter to "determine whether a federal law was implicated."
Christie stressed Thursday that he was not involved and that while his political style is tough, "I am not a bully." He said repeatedly that he was betrayed by his staff.
Christie maintained that, until this week, he did not know his staff was involved in the incident last September, when lanes at the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, N.J., were closed for four days. For months, Christie faced accusations the lanes were blocked in retaliation over Mayor Mark Sokolich's refusal to endorse him for re-election last November.
Christie repeatedly denied the charges, until emails surfaced Wednesday showing the governor's deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, played a role.
"I was blind-sided," Christie said Thursday, claiming Kelly "lied" to him when he asked senior staffers weeks ago about the lane closures.
He said he has fired Kelly, "effective immediately." He also cracked down on his former campaign manager, Bill Stepien, for his involvement in the incident.
Christie said Stepien will no longer be considered for state GOP chairman, and he will have to end a consulting contract with the Republican Governor's Association, which Christie leads.
Christie plans to travel to Fort Lee later Thursday to apologize to the mayor, and the town's residents.
Meanwhile, Christie confidant and ex-Port Authority official David Wildstein, who was deeply involved in the closures, had been set to testify Thursday at a state legislative hearing. But he told a state assembly panel he was asserting his right not to speak.
"On the advice of counsel, I assert my right to remain silent," Wildstein said in response to several questions, shortly after Christie ended his press conference on the controversy.
Wednesday's report fueled Democratic complaints that the closures were political retribution against the local mayor. The local scandal threatens to become a national headache for Christie as he weighs a possible presidential run in 2016.
Before Christie's press conference, the Democratic National Committee called on Christie to give the public more than "his customary bluster and deflection."
"It's time that the so-called 'straight talking' governor takes some of his own advice - and he can do that by cooperating with all investigations surrounding the politically-motivated lane closures and ensuring his staff and associates do the same," a DNC spokesman said.
The New York Times and Bergen County Record reported that emails show his deputy chief of staff suggested closures to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey two weeks before the incident.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," she wrote to Wildstein, according to the Times. At the time, Wildstein was on the Port Authority; he has since resigned.
The George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York City, is one of the most heavily traveled commuter routes in the country, handling nearly 300,000 vehicles a day. The closures in September caused massive gridlock, leaving commuters stuck in traffic for hours.
It was the Port Authority that ordered the closures, claiming they were part of a traffic study.
The email messages also reportedly showed New Jersey officials reacting after the closings were reversed.
"The New York side gave Fort Lee back all three lanes this morning. We are appropriately going nuts," Wildstein reportedly wrote to Kelly. "[Port Authority Chairman David] Samson helping us to retaliate."
Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., said Wednesday that his constituents "were put in jeopardy because of some jerk who made a decision."
Though Christie denies involvement, Democrats have tried to use the incident to undercut his image as a bipartisan problem-solver -- amid expectations that he may run for president in 2016.
Republican operative Hogan Gidley told The Associated Press that even if Christie navigates the current controversy well, the issue would likely come back to haunt him during a presidential run.
"I don't necessarily think it's Christie's policy that's going to ultimately catapult or sink his campaign; I think it's his personality," said Gidley, a senior adviser to 2012 presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/09/christie-faces-political-traffic-jam-as-confidant-set-to-testify-on-lane/
-
Glenn Beck dissed him this morning.
-
Well whatever you think...he came out took blame..fired who he had to and smoked that news conference. Unlike the douche in the Whitehouse who would have humed and hawed and blamed everybody else. The media is funny....covering this shit while ignoring all the crap Obama and his band of criminals has done. Gotta save Hil's ass early...
-
That fat bastard is TOAST.
Of course, he had little chance to become president anyway. On the oft chance that he did make it to the White House, we would just end up with an expensive funeral when the guy keels over at his desk ala former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. Or...Gandolfini. :-X
(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1552901/original.jpg)
(http://www.quickmeme.com/img/8f/8f38297ef0a58bc4df5ee3ca7e09f220e3fc0858be36c562f465378fb97617ca.jpg)
(http://nataliegtherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/L-fear-of-red-fat-word.jpg)
-
What if it turns out there was a legitimate reason for the traffic study but the folks in his office thought it was kinda funny that the study would fuck with the guy across the bridge...not really his fault is it. The hysteria is all about knocking down another of Hil's rivals. CNN is all in a tizzy about this....
-
Still nothing compared to obamacare, Benghazi, irs, solyndra, NSA, etc
-
They're frothing on CNN...its ridiculous. I was paying zero attention to this until they started their hysterical nonsense.
-
They're frothing on CNN...its ridiculous. I was paying zero attention to this until they started their hysterical nonsense.
Of course. Anything to kill the chances of a potential GOP presidential nominee.
But, I don't remember such ruckus from the libtards when Benghazi occurred and in the center of it all was Hillary Clinton. The most overrated Secretary of State ever.
-
Well whatever you think...he came out took blame..fired who he had to and smoked that news conference. Unlike the douche in the Whitehouse who would have humed and hawed and blamed everybody else. The media is funny....covering this shit while ignoring all the crap Obama and his band of criminals has done. Gotta save Hil's ass early...
Exactly.
-
I think he did a good job...but hell after 2 hours what didn't he cover. I guess he could have lit himself on fire..maybe the self righteous media idiots would have excepted that. Now will get 2 weeks of this crap with who covered what, how much etc. Fox said this or that, MSNBC will have fat Al Sharpton in an orange safety vest report from the bridge.
-
Still nothing compared to obamacare, Benghazi, irs, solyndra, NSA, etc
hahaha
Boy are you STUPID. ;D
-
I think he did a good job...but hell after 2 hours what didn't he cover. I guess he could have lit himself on fire..maybe the self righteous media idiots would have excepted that. Now will get 2 weeks of this crap with who covered what, how much etc. Fox said this or that, MSNBC will have fat Al Sharpton in an orange safety vest report from the bridge.
:D :D :D :D :D
-
He was in a white lab coat talking about global warming....come on that dude is a disgrace.
-
He was in a white lab coat talking about global warming....come on that dude is a disgrace.
hahaha tooo much, don't watch him
-
Well...
He DIDNT take blame. Well, he first denied it even happened. Then, I believe there was something about it being part of a traffic experiment/study?
THEN, reporters dug up the emails, and THAT is when they discovered it was intentional, and only THEN did Christie "take credit" by blaming that employee and firing her.
I guess NEXT, when the employee says she was ordered to write that email by Christie or his top circle, we'll hear another version of the story, right?
See, I'm cool if he owned that shit the minute it happened. That is acceptable. but continuing to change the story each time he is caught further, well, that's pretty hermann cain-esque.
For me, the kicker is that my sister-in-law came over today asking about the story - she is now interested in it, which means the average american is interested in it. She doesn't watch any cable news. When she asks about a story, I know the busy moms that watch american idol and Dexter are suddenly aware of it.
-
So did Limbaugh...
If they are willing to crucify him, then they must have someone else they want to step up.
IMO, they know more about the story than is being reported in the media.
Beck was all over benghazi and scott brown 41 long before everyone else. They hear things they can't report.
For BOTH of these top repub voices to attack Christie, IMO, it means there's more to the story than we are hearing today. Already, the story has evolved.
-
"What did I do to deserve to be treated like this, where people think it's okay to lie to me?" - Chris Christie.
He's no longer the tough MFer that people loved. He's playing the victim now. Perhaps it is his effort to distance himself from the drama, but it's impossible to believe he had such little control, oversight, or understanding of what his staff was doing in midst of a state crisis. Newpapers have been asking for weeks "Who is to blame" and he never once asked his staff what happened.
Either he's lying, or he was employing the "see no evil" strategy of situational mgmt. You don't see this kind of drama out of the Rand Paul camp. He has his shit together. Look, we can all try to justify Christie's lack of institutional control (at best) if he wins the nomination. But at this point, he's just another potential repub candidate... and looking pretty shitty a one at this point.
The NJ State Atty is starting an investigation. Such a weird and minor yet damaging story. Weird all around. He just keeps saying he believed it was a traffic study. It never existed. Three or four people resign from your close circle... and you never even ask "what exactly was this traffic study?" Not believable.
-
"What did I do to deserve to be treated like this, where people think it's okay to lie to me?" - Chris Christie.
He's no longer the tough MFer that people loved. He's playing the victim now. Perhaps it is his effort to distance himself from the drama, but it's impossible to believe he had such little control, oversight, or understanding of what his staff was doing in midst of a state crisis. Newpapers have been asking for weeks "Who is to blame" and he never once asked his staff what happened.
Either he's lying, or he was employing the "see no evil" strategy of situational mgmt. You don't see this kind of drama out of the Rand Paul camp. He has his shit together. Look, we can all try to justify Christie's lack of institutional control (at best) if he wins the nomination. But at this point, he's just another potential repub candidate... and looking pretty shitty a one at this point.
The NJ State Atty is starting an investigation. Such a weird and minor yet damaging story. Weird all around. He just keeps saying he believed it was a traffic study. It never existed. Three or four people resign from your close circle... and you never even ask "what exactly was this traffic study?" Not believable.
Notice how the left wing media he sucked up to now are killing him as are the leftists? Yeah - he brought that on himself and no gop people are going to defend him. That is what he gets for sucking up to O-Terrorist
-
Notice how the left wing media he sucked up to now are killing him as are the leftists? Yeah - he brought that on himself and no gop people are going to defend him. That is what he gets for sucking up to O-Terrorist
agreed. He was all over obama's jock during Hurricane Sandy and has gone out of his way to put his thumb in the eye of repubs Now, I think only 1 or 2 Repubs governors have stood up to support him? Out of 30?
They know there is more to come. He's like political poison right now. And it's nice to see the repubs letting the RINO sink. He's been stealing airwaves from Rand and Cruz.
-
Still nothing compared to obamacare, Benghazi, irs, solyndra, NSA, etc
people are tired of hearing about obamacare; Benghazi is old news [ until the CIA fesses up to its actions ] and the IRS is boring. Now, little kids stuff on school buses wetting their pants cause their late for school, old ladies dying in ambulances { quick, you're a lawyer, chase that case down! } that is much more interesting.
-
Still nothing compared to obamacare, Benghazi, irs, solyndra, NSA, etc
I think we can agree that both Christie & Obama are not worthy of the White House.
-
Holy smokes. Fat Man went from the VP short list, to prime time convention speech, to early GOP frontrunner, to persona non grata in a heartbeat.
But 2016 is still a lifetime away. He's either going down in flames or will come out stronger because all this stuff will have played out long before the election (that's if he did nothing wrong).
Christie Facing Multiple State, Federal Probes for Misuse of Funds, Bridge-gate
Monday, 13 Jan 2014
By Melanie Batley
Federal investigators have launched an inquiry into whether New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie improperly used Superstorm Sandy relief funds to produce tourism ads that featured him and his family during his re-election campaign.
According to CNN, federal auditors will examine the use of $25 million in public funds for a marketing campaign aimed at reviving tourism on the Jersey Shore after major parts of the coastline had been decimated in the 2012 storm.
Also on Monday, Democrats in the New Jersey state Assembly revealed that they are launching a special investigative committee to question more members of the Christie administration about the bridge closures in Fort Lee, N.J., according to two Democratic aides, The Washington Post reported.
"It will look into a wide variety of issues related to the closures and Gov. Chris Christie's staff," an state legislative aide told the Post. "There is a need to focus on a broad array of issues and the Assembly is going to dedicate itself to finding the truth beyond the usual committee process."
The committee will be chaired by Assemblyman John Wisniewski, chairman of the transportation committee, the Post reported. He will make an announcement sometime later Monday on the full scope of his probe, but it was clear that he planned to renew and expand the state Legislature's subpoena powers.
"The evidence that has come out in recent weeks makes clear that this now goes above and beyond a transportation issue and goes into the highest ranks of the executive branch," Wisniewski said in a statement. "A concerted and focused investigation with increased resources is now needed."
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone prompted the Superstorm Sandy inquiry after asking the inspector general of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in August to examine how Christie spent the marketing money approved by the department.
"This was money that could have directly been used for Sandy recovery. And, as you know, many of my constituents still haven't gotten the money that is owed them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help," Pallone told CNN.
Pallone cited concerns about the bidding process for the firm that was awarded the marketing plan after it charged the state roughly $4.7 million, about $2 million more than the next lowest bidder, according to CNN. The winning bid featured Christie and his family in advertisements while the losing proposal did not.
Pallone told CNN that a preliminary review of the spending has already been concluded and that there was enough evidence to launch a full-scale investigation into the use of the funds. The probe will take several months to complete, with findings to be issued in an official report.
Any wrongdoing unearthed from the probe would likely further dim the presidential chances of Christie, who shot to national prominence on the basis of his performance during and after the superstorm.
News of the inquiry could also deepen the controversy surrounding the embattled governor who last week fired top aides and gave a lengthy public apology over revelations that they had ordered lanes to be closed to the George Washington Bridge in September as a possible act of political retribution.
Subpoenas could be issued as soon as Monday for Christie’s former deputy chief of staff and campaign manager, The New York Post reported. And New Jersey state Senate Democrats also have delayed the confirmation hearing for Kevin O’Dowd, Christie’s nominee for attorney general, who is his current chief of staff.
Meanwhile, in a sign that Christie's troubles are further deepening, his earliest political mentor, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, has also distanced himself from the governor, suggesting Christie's aggressive character marks a sometimes "dangerous" approach to governing, and one that may be undesirable in a presidential candidate, The Washington Post reports.
"On the one hand, I think he's got a lot to offer. I think he's the most able politician since Bill Clinton," Kean said. "On the other hand, you look at these other qualities and ask, do you really want that in your president?"
He also hinted at Christie's hardball politics, citing tactics by Christie last year when he unsuccessfully tried to oust his son, Thomas Kean Jr., from his position as the state Senate Republican minority leader as part of a deal with South Jersey Democrats, who were helping the governor with bipartisan legislation.
"If you come at him, he's going to come back at you harder," Kean said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-sandy-funds-federal/2014/01/13/id/546701#ixzz2qK7AHx5Z
-
I expected many conservative getbiggers to be calling this a liberal witch hunt, nothing but a concoction of lies from an angry leftist media. But these charges have some teeth. To believe Christie at his word - You have to accept a LOT of unlikely things. At some point, "I didn't know" goes from just being out of the loop, to having no control/knowledge as his staff broke laws and risked American lives.
OR - More likely IMO - Christie was very much true to his reputation as a tough dude, takes no shit, don't cross him or he'll hurt you. And the bridge closings were punishment for his political enemies. Being that tough guy bully used to be something he was proud of.
-
Palin: Christie Will Survive; 'Not Surprised' Couric Lost TV Jobs
Monday, 13 Jan 2014
By Greg Richter
Sarah Palin says she isn't sure whether she'll run for president in 2016, but that current Republican front-runner Chris Christie will survive the controversy now haunting his office.
She also said the loss of television jobs by Katie Couric, whose interview with Palin is thought to have damaged the election hopes of Palin and presidential running mate John McCain in 2008, wasn't surprising.
Appearing on the syndicated entertainment show "Extra," Palin was asked by host Mario Lopez if she believes in karma.
I certainly believe that what goes around comes around," Palin responded.
Lopez then asked her whether she knew where she was when she heard that Couric had lost her daytime talk show "Katie." Palin said she didn't remember, but received several messages from friends about it after it happened in December.
"I remember getting a couple of texts that said things like, 'Oh, sorry that it didn’t work out there at CBS or ABC,'" Palin said.
She also said she wasn't surprised when Couric stepped down as anchor of "The CBS Evening News."
"The ratings were going in the tank with her as one of the head honchos there in the newsroom at CBS, and then it didn't surprise me, her other move," Palin said. "Things weren't going real well there, either."
Couric appeared to stump Palin in a CBS News interview when the former Alaska governor was seeking the vice presidency, when Couric asked what newspapers and magazines Palin read.
It was the same interview in which Palin noted, on a question about foreign policy, that her state's neighbors were foreign countries: Canada and Russia. That answer led to comedian Tina Fey's impression of Palin in which she said, "I can see Russia from my house!"
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Sarah-Palin-Katie-Couric-Chris-Christie-2016/2014/01/13/id/546886#ixzz2qOhFQ2Et
-
Christie pushes back amid probes into bridge scandal
Published January 14, 2014
FoxNews.com
Gov. Chris Christie pushed back Tuesday against critics who have been hammering him over a political revenge scandal, using his annual State of the State address to say he would not let the political firestorm distract from the business of New Jersey.
"What has occurred does not define us or our state," Christie said in Trenton.
The address comes just days after the governor apologized to residents over emails showing top associates were involved in closing lanes on the Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge last year. The emails, published last week, indicated the closures were executed as an act of political payback against the local mayor for not endorsing Christie for reelection.
Christie, as he did last week, acknowledged "mistakes" were made.
"As a result, we let down the people we are entrusted to serve," he said. "I know our citizens deserve better -- much better."
As state lawmakers announce plans to ramp up their investigations, Christie pledged to "cooperate with all appropriate inquiries." But he also warned he would not let the controversy bog down his administration.
"This administration and this Legislature will not allow the work that needs to be done to improve the people's lives of New Jersey to be delayed for any reason," he said.
Afterward, Democratic leaders voiced skepticism at Christie's remarks. Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski said the investigative committee he chairs will press forward. He said "no amount of words" from Christie will "make this better or fix it," and that lawmakers need to understand why his associates took the actions they did.
"There are so many other questions," he said.
In rest of the speech, Christie was proposing extending the public school calendar and lengthening the school day.
Christie's proposal to lengthen school could antagonize an old adversary, the powerful public teachers union, which he has clashed with over pension and tenure changes. An overhaul of public employee retirement benefits by Christie and the Legislature in 2011 was bitterly opposed by the union, which spent millions in anti-Christie ads during his gubernatorial campaigns.
The education plan is the latest from a governor who has sought to retool schooling in grades kindergarten through 12 with mixed success so far.
Christie successfully overhauled century-old teacher tenure rules, essentially eliminating lifetime job protections. But the Democrat-led Legislature has not gone along with his voucher plan, which would allow children in failing schools to attend classes elsewhere, including at private or parochial schools.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/14/christie-pushes-back-amid-probes-into-bridge-scandal/?intcmp=latestnews
-
January 15, 2014
- New Jersey Gov's Bully-Meter Is Down, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Believe He Wasn't Involved In Bridgegate
New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie is more of a leader than a bully, voters say 54 - 40 percent today, one of his lowest "bully" scores since the Quinnipiac University poll first asked the question June 17, 2010.
Gov. Christie gets positive marks on key characteristics: Voters say 51 - 41 percent that he is honest and trustworthy; 74 - 23 percent that he is a strong leader and 55 - 41 percent that he cares about their needs and problems.
Today's results show more leader and less bully than the 50 - 45 percent results in a July 17, 2012, survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University.
Today, men say 53 - 42 percent that Christie is more of a leader than a bully and women agree 55 - 39 percent. Opting for "leader" are Republicans 78 - 17 percent and independent voters 55 - 40 percent. Democrats say 56 - 37 percent that the governor is more of a bully.
New Jersey voters approve 55 - 38 percent of the job Gov. Christie is doing, down from his all-time high 74 - 22 percent February 20, 2013. Women approve 55 - 37 percent while men approve 54 - 39 percent. Approval among Democrats drops from 56 - 38 percent last February to a negative 36 - 55 percent today.
"New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie is doing better with the public than with the news media. His job approval has dropped from the stratosphere, but it's still double-digit positive, pretty much where he was before his Superstorm Sandy hug with President Barack Obama," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"We stopped asking that 'bully' question 18 months ago. But we tried it again and, even with all the 'Bridgegate' stories, he still scores higher as a leader than as a bully. Except with Democrats. More than half of them still say 'bully' - and not in a good way."
Some 93 percent of all New Jersey voters have read or heard something about the controversy surrounding the September traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge.
Voters in that group say 66 - 22 that the governor did not personally order the traffic jam. Even Democrats say 53 - 32 percent that Christie was not involved.
Among voters who know of Bridgegate, 41 percent say Christie knew what his aides were doing while 50 percent say these aides acted without the governor's knowledge.
If Christie did order the traffic jam, or knew what his aides were doing, 33 percent of voters who know the issue say he should be removed from office and prosecuted on criminal charges, while 32 percent say he should just be removed from office and 27 percent say an apology is enough.
Aides accused of involvement should be prosecuted, 43 percent of voters say, while 45 percent say removal from office is sufficient punishment and 6 percent say a reprimand is punishment enough.
The George Washington Bridge scandal "damages" Christie's chances as a 2016 presidential contender, 49 percent of voters who know the issue say. Another 7 percent say the scandal ends those chances, while 2 percent say it helps his chances and 38 percent say the scandal will have no impact.
"If Gov. Christie ordered or knew about the deliberate mess at the bridge, 24 percent of Republicans think he should be fired and another 26 percent say he should be fired and prosecuted," Carroll said.
"But most New Jerseyans - even most Democrats - doubt that the Governor was personally involved.
"Christie for President? This scandal hurts his chances, both Democrats and Republicans think. But - maybe it's pride in having their governor tops on the list - many New Jerseyans think he's still up there."
From January 10 - 13, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,207 New Jersey voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research.
http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-and-centers/polling-institute/new-jersey/release-detail?ReleaseID=1995
-
Republican governors offer support for Christie
Posted by
CNN White House Producer Rachel Streitfeld
Washington (CNN) - As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looked to move on Tuesday from a political scandal plaguing his administration, two Republican governors said they still back his leadership of the Republican Governors Association.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert told reporters outside the White House they had confidence in Christie's leadership after documents came to light suggesting his staffers had shut down access lanes to a busy bridge last year in an alleged act of political retribution.
Last week, Christie dismissed a senior aide as well a longtime political adviser following the revelations, and then held a nearly two-hour press conference to answer questions about the scandal. The governor said he had not been aware of the apparent reason behind the lane closures.
"He was completely transparent and gave the public a chance to hear what he understood and what he knew. Took action on it, decisive action, in terms of removing the people who were not forthright with him," said Walker, who, like Christie, is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2016. "And assuming everything stays as he's announced, I don't see that being a problem going forward."
Herbert, too, expressed faith in Christie's leadership of the RGA, a highly visible post that past governors have used as a launching pad for higher office.
"I think Chris has been a great leader for New Jersey," Herbert told reporters, adding that it was possible more details could emerge in the bridge scandal. "I think we need to let that play out, but this is one Republican governor that supports Chris Christie as chairman of our RGA."
The two governors had joined four other members of the executive committee of the National Governors Association on Tuesday for a roughly 90-minute White House meeting with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Christie is set to travel to Florida this weekend to headline a fundraiser for the RGA as well as private fundraisers for Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election bid. CNN confirmed Christie still plans to attend the events.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/14/republican-governors-offer-support-for-christie/
-
Giuliani: Christie Victim of 'Partisan Witch Hunt'
Sunday, 19 Jan 2014
By Sandy Fitzgerald
A New Jersey assemblyman leading the investigation behind the growing bridge-gate scandal should step down because he's already made up his mind on Gov. Chris Christie, former New York Gov. Rudy Giuliani said.
"It seems to me [Democratic Assemblyman Wisniewski] has an ethical obligation to step down," Giuliani, a long-time friend of Christie's, told NBC "Meet the Press" host David Gregory Sunday. "It is clearly a partisan witch hunt."
Wisniewski, also on the Sunday show, was careful to say that there have "absolutely" been no documents that show Christie himself, and not his senior aides, were involved with September closures on the George Washington Bridge. The closures were allegedly in retribution for the Fort Lee mayor's refusal to support Christie's re-election.
However, Wisniewski said he still finds it hard to believe Christie's claims that he knew nothing of the plan.
Those statements, Giuliani said, show that Wisniewski, who is leading state lawmakers' probe into the bridge closures, has already made up his mind.
"There are no facts on the table to contradict Gov. Christie," said Giuliani. "The person conducting the investigation has already announced the conclusion of the investigation."
Further, Giuliani said that he believes the claims being made against the governor are part of a "very well-orchestrated effort" against the only Republican who is coming out ahead of potential Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in polls about the 2016 race.
Meanwhile, Christie has handled the blossoming scandal well, said Giuliani, including holding his lengthy press conference and firing the people behind the closing.
Giuliani also said Sunday he has some doubts about claims made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer over the weekend that Christie's administration withheld Superstorm Sandy relief money from her city after she refused to approve a redevelopment project he favored.
"Mayor Zimmer said before that she didn't believe any hold-ups had anything to with her not endorsing [the project]," said Giuliani. "You have to look at her current statement in light of her former statements."
Wisniewski, though, said Zimmer is a "well-respected mayor" and investigators need to give her allegations serious thought.
"She is one of the first mayors to come forward and say this specific thing happened," said Wisniewski.
Meanwhile, Giuliani said that every public official has to worry about his or her staff going too far when trying to please their boss.
"The president says he didn't know what happened with the IRS [targeting of conservative groups] and I believe that's true," said Giuliani, noting that when he was in office, "people would do the things they thought I wanted, and I'd have to straighten it out."
But Wisniewski said that "abusing power should not be condoned. We're going to look and see who else in his office knew."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, appearing on the show's round table segment, said that if Christie is going to run for office, he's "got to understand that this is a marathon. This could go on for six to nine months."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-guiliani-bridgegate-witch/2014/01/19/id/547889#ixzz2qxxiTdbM
-
Facing scandal at home, Christie set to launch national tour
BY GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI
WASHINGTON Tue Feb 4, 2014
(Reuters) - Battling investigations over the "Bridgegate" scandal in his home state, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie plans to embark on a national tour that will give him a chance to raise money for fellow Republicans, woo conservatives and show party leaders that he is not politically toxic.
Christie - widely viewed as the leading contender for the 2016 Republican nomination for president before the scandal over traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge exploded a month ago - plans to spend the next month crisscrossing the nation as chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA).
In a tour that will test whether his power as a party fundraiser has diminished, Christie is scheduled to appear at fundraisers for Republican candidates, party strategy sessions and other meetings in Illinois, Texas, New York, Maryland, Georgia and Washington, D.C.
One of Christie's stops will be at a meeting of the influential Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The group snubbed Christie last year, in a move that many saw as retribution for the governor's kind words for Democratic President Barack Obama in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which struck New Jersey just before the 2012 presidential election.
CPAC officials did not respond to Reuters' questions about their decision to invite Christie. Their invitation to him comes as many Republican leaders appear to be keeping an arm's length from Christie without disavowing him, hoping that the New Jersey scandal subsides.
Christie has denied knowing in advance about his aides' orders to close lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey in September. His aides were alleged to have carried out the closures as political retribution against a local official who declined to endorse Christie for re-election.
At least three Christie aides have left his camp amid federal and state investigations into the lane closures, which created traffic jams over four days. Christie's popularity in state and national polls has dropped dramatically, raising doubts about his viability as a potential contender for the White House.
But "unless the facts change, I don't see major Republican party officials or major donors treating Governor Christie differently from how they have been" since the initial news broke, said Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak, noting that the upcoming trip will give Christie a chance to boost their confidence.
"Could he use an existing travel plan to try to relaunch himself and highlight his own record and fix areas he wants to? Sure. CPAC is probably part of that," Mackowiak said.
SUPPORT FOR CHRISTIE
Christie's office referred questions to the RGA, which emphasized that the fundraisers he will attend in Illinois and Texas have been planned since December - and so are not part of any plan to give Christie what amounts to a comeback tour.
The RGA, which is made up of the country's 29 Republican state governors, has affirmed its confidence in Christie since the scandal began last month.
But in light of the scandal, some supporters and Republican Party contributors privately have expressed concerns about Christie's ability to raise money for Republican candidates for state governorships, even with his longtime close ties to Wall Street donors.
Christie's first stops on his tour will be in conservative Texas, where he will attend RGA events in Dallas and Fort Worth on Thursday. On February 11, Christie will speak at the Economic Club of Chicago and attend RGA events that include a fundraiser.
The following week he will speak at the National Republican Senatorial Committee retreat in New York City - home to more of his biggest donors - before heading to the National Governors Association meeting in Washington three days later.
During the first week of March he will court the Republican Party's conservative wing at CPAC's meeting just outside of Washington. He then will speak at the American Enterprise Institute's World Forum in Georgia on March 8.
"CPAC is helpful for him now. He needs conservatives to help him in his current crisis, and he's likely running for president and doesn't want to earn the ire of conservatives more than he already has," Mackowiak said.
The CPAC meeting also will feature other potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/05/us-usa-politics-christie-idUSBREA1401A20140205
-
I bet he uses that CPAC stage to melt down and apologize and shed tears because, well, in this 4th wave of lies, he is absolutely caught and only the rare idiot believes him at this point. He's just changed the story so many times, and had so many people contradict him.
Sadly, I think many repubs will say "He's learned his lesson" and "He's a better man for it". he's nothing more than a guy that kept changing the story as the news revealed more and more. We could POSSIBLY forgive if, on day 1, he said "Yeah, ya know what, I shut down those lanes to get that guy back... I give a shit about our state, I misused my power, and I'm sorry for it. I'll forfeit a month of salary to charity and I'll pick up garbage on the side of the road for a weekend, and I'll apologize face-to-face to anyone who wants it".
WIN. That's how he could have won on this issue. Instead, he's just kept the lie up. Changing the lie every time he gets caught. Now, he's reduced to attacking the messenger and the media... he can't even deny the charges anymore.
yet some will totally accept his eventual apology and support him for POTUS.
-
And you asshole "progressives" wonder why the average taxpayer wants to hang you off a bridge?
lol
-
Yup - Christie turned out to be no different than the rest of the them. Just like O-Twink
-
GOP Donors Gloomy on Christie's 2016 Prospects
Tuesday, 11 Feb 2014
Where just months ago Republicans brimmed with pride over Chris Christie's landslide re-election, doubts about his prospects as a potential presidential candidate have begun creeping into the minds of some donors in key states, according to some GOP fundraisers.
The celebrity New Jersey governor is in Chicago Tuesday to raise money for the Republican Governors Association that he chairs. While Christie gets credit for helping raise millions of dollars to help hold the GOP's edge in governorships this fall, what was supposed to be a re-election victory tour featuring him as a rising national leader has sparked a different conversation.
Ann Herberger, a national Republican fundraiser based in Florida, said Christie's robust persona and blunt style can pack a room. Some donors, however, have expressed reservations about his future because of the flap over the closure of two access lanes to the heavily traveled George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and Manhattan for four days last September.
Emails from a top political adviser and between a top Christie aide and a Port Authority official he appointed cast the traffic-snarling lane closures as retaliation for a local mayor's decision not to endorse Christie's re-election. Christie fired the aide and his political adviser but has denied authorizing or knowing about the scheme until the emails became public last month.
"There are influential donors who are giving him a second and third look," Herberger said of Christie. "Where they would have been 'this is the guy' two months ago, I think a lot of people are giving him a second look and keeping their powder dry."
"But that could change, too," said Herberger. "There's so much time between now and the primaries."
Herberger is a longtime fundraiser for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, another 2016 GOP presidential prospect. While her comments echoed those of some fundraisers in a handful of battleground states, far more Republican donors and officials are publicly withholding judgment on Christie until it's clear whether his adamant denial of involvement in the lane closures withstands scrutiny.
If it does, he survives as a 2016 prospect. If it doesn't, he's finished, his most vocal advocates agree. Christie has said he won't decide for another year whether to run for president.
"I'm just not seeing" donor apprehension, said Phil Cox, executive director of the Republican Governors Association. "We're off to a historically strong start."
Christie's political future aside, the RGA has raised $15 million since December, when Christie became its chairman, said Gail Gitcho, the association's communication director. That includes $6 million in January, when internal state email about the traffic scandal was becoming public.
Still, there was no escaping the questions hanging over the 2016 presidential prospect Tuesday. In New Jersey, Christie representatives were scheduled to ask state officials if his political fundraisers can raise extra money to pay for the requirements of complying with subpoenas related to the allegations that the George Washington Bridge traffic snarl was politically motivated.
Christie planned to attend a private Tuesday morning fundraiser for Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. He also scheduled an hourlong public appearance Tuesday before roughly 1,600 Chicago business elites and a full contingent of national press at the Economic Club of Chicago.
He planned to take prepared questions in a session moderated by Motorola Solutions CEO Greg Brown — his first public appearance since his two-hour news conference Jan. 9 on the traffic scandal. Private meetings in the afternoon with high-dollar donors were to be capped with a dinner at the home of billionaire couple Ken and Anne Griffin.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been busily trying to fan the flames of Christie's problems. They have dispatched former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to hold a press conference Tuesday in Chicago and were quick to point out that Texas gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott and GOP Gov. Rick Perry were absent from Christie's events in the state last week. Christie got commitments of $1.5 million from donors in Texas, said Gitcho.
Christie remains a popular figure in segments of the national Republican donor base and among other GOP governors.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott joined Christie in Florida last week and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is welcoming his help. Both face tough fights this year for re-election. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, viewed as a safe bet for re-election for now, also is standing by him.
"I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt, just like anyone else. Innocent until proven guilty," Branstad said last week.
John Rood, a top Florida GOP fundraiser, also defended Christie, saying hardball politics is a valued trait.
"You want a president who is strong, who will stand up to world leaders. Does that make him a bully? I don't know," said Rood. "There's a fine line in that range of personality."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-Christie-GOP-Worries/2014/02/11/id/552060#ixzz2t2kdmpCX
-
Christie Kept at Distance by Republicans He's Charged to Assist
Tuesday, 11 Feb 2014
Four Republicans running for Illinois governor face a primary election in five weeks, and just one planned to appear publicly with Chris Christie during his fundraising and speaking stops in Chicago today.
The embattled New Jersey governor should be getting used to his party colleagues shunning photo opportunities with him following the furor raised by politically motivated lane closures and traffic jams on the George Washington Bridge created by his administration.
During stops in Texas and Florida in recent weeks, office holders and candidates in his party also skipped public appearances with Christie, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Democrats have pounced on the bridge story, seeking to tarnish a potential presidential contender as well as other Republicans who appear with him.
“With every state he visits, Republicans are running for the hills,” said former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who headlined a Democratic National Committee news conference in Chicago today. “It’s time for Governor Christie to stop the condescension, the attacks and the bluster and to answer the questions.”
Illinois state Senator Bill Brady, one of the Republicans running for governor, opted to weather such criticism and appear with Christie today while fellow state Senator Kirk Dillard, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford and venture capitalist Bruce Rauner didn’t. They are competing in a March 18 primary to win the right to challenge Democratic Governor Pat Quinn.
National Tour
Christie is traveling nationwide to raise millions for the RGA, an assignment that was supposed to help boost his national standing ahead of a potential 2016 White House bid. His stops today include a fundraising dinner at the home of Ken Griffin, founder of Chicago-based hedge-fund firm Citadel LLC, and an address before the Economic Club of Chicago with Greg Brown, chief executive officer of Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola Solutions Inc.
The RGA downplayed the fact that Christie wasn’t expected to stand with candidates for governor in Illinois today.
“The events Governor Christie are attending are on behalf of the RGA to raise funds for the RGA,” said the group’s spokesman, Jon Thompson. “The RGA usually doesn’t get involved in primaries, which is why the events were not originally designed to feature any candidates.”
That will change once a Republican nominee is selected in Illinois, Thompson said.
“We have no doubt the RGA will be highly involved in the Illinois governor’s race in the nine months to come, and will work closely with the eventual GOP nominee,” he said.
RGA Fundraising
Ahead of the Chicago visit, the RGA sought to rebuff the notion that Christie is a wounded warrior for the party, releasing what it said were robust fundraising figures.
The association raised $6 million in January, Thompson said. That was more than twice as much as has been raised during that month in RGA history and twice as much as collections in January 2010, the month the group said was most comparable to this year’s election-year fundraising.
Last week, Christie raised $1.5 million during a swing through Texas, Thompson said. The governor is scheduled to attend fundraising events in the coming weeks and months in Massachusetts, Utah, Georgia, Connecticut and Michigan.
The bridge scandal has provided fodder for opponents portraying Christie as a bully and undermined his claim to bipartisan leadership. He had been the one prospective Republican candidate to run most competitively in polls against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is considering a Democratic bid for president in 2016.
Poll Slide
After it was learned that Christie allies were responsible for the lane closures, Clinton moved ahead of him, 46 percent to 38 percent among voters, in a Jan. 21 survey by Hamden, Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University. That compares with a December poll by the university that showed the two essentially tied, with about 40 percent support for each.
The governor’s dominance among the prospective Republican candidates also has declined. A Jan. 23 Washington Post poll showed Christie with 14 percent support, compared with 18 percent for both House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. That represented a 10-percentage-point slide from the 24 percent support Christie garnered in a CNN/ORC poll taken after his November re-election.
The RGA, an organization free of contribution limits, raised $27 million in the last six months of 2013 with a total of $50 million for the year, according to its latest Internal Revenue Service filing.
Big Donors
Among the group’s biggest donors were Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chief Executive Officer Sheldon Adelson and Limited Brands Inc. CEO Leslie Wexner; each gave $1 million. Koch Industries Inc., the company whose founders Charles and David Koch have helped finance Tea Party groups, gave $525,000, and David Koch chipped in another $1.25 million. Rex Sinquefield, a Missouri entrepreneur who has also backed the limited-government movement, contributed $250,000.
The Democratic Governors Association reported raising $28 million for the full year.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/chris-christie-campaigns-republicans/2014/02/11/id/552191#ixzz2t3gFg7Av
-
David Axelrod: Don't Count Out Chris Christie
Wednesday, 12 Feb 2014
By Wanda Carruthers
Following an appearance in Chicago by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former White House political adviser David Axelrod said that, despite the bridge-gate scandal, not to count the embattled Republican out as a contender for president in 2016.
"I think what you saw yesterday was the two sides of the Chris Christie story here. He was very, very good out here," Axelrod told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Wednesday.
During a trip to raise money for the Republican Governors Association, Christie on Tuesday addressed the Economic Club of Chicago. He spoke about income inequality, a topic that Democrats have been promoting. Christie described the debate as a choice between mediocrity and greatness.
"You want income inequality? That's mediocrity. Everybody can have an equal mediocre salary," Christie said Tuesday. "I grew up in an America that said, 'Life isn't fair. But, opportunity is.'"
Axelrod said Christie was "presenting himself with great confidence," despite unanswered questions about his involvement in the closing of lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge last September. He said Christie clearly considered himself "a presidential candidate until further notice."
Until the bridge-gate scandal is resolved, Axelrod said Christie remains "in great peril," and that his fate is "not in his own performance, but with the evidence that is collected by the folks in New Jersey."
Axelrod said Christie articulated the "big debate" about inequality and opportunity. He said Democrats "should be about what he said" on the subject.
"The real debate is, where do you stand on investing in education? Where do you stand on investing in research and development? Where do you stand on doing the things that are necessary to create those conditions for opportunity? That's the big debate we should have in 2016," Axelrod said.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Chris-Christie-David-Axelrod-MSNBC/2014/02/12/id/552364#ixzz2t8HZJthW
-
David Axelrod: Don't Count Out Chris Christie
If there's one person I trust regarding what's best for republicans, it's the man who got Obama elected twice.
-
If there's one person I trust regarding what's best for republicans, it's the man who got Obama elected twice.
If there's one person I repeatedly ignore when they talk about . . . anything (but especially politics), it's the man who is a self-professed Republican who voted for Obama.
-
Scott Walker: I believe Chris Christie
By RACHAEL BADE | 2/12/14
MADISON, Wis.— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Wednesday that Chris Christie should remain chairman of the Republican Governors Association, despite calls from some quarters for the New Jersey governor to step aside in light of the traffic scandal dogging him back home.
Walker said he and Christie spoke the same day last month that Christie held his marathon press conference declaring his innocence in the scheme to slow traffic on the George Washington Bridge in an apparent act of political retribution. Walker said he believed Christie’s explanation then – that wayward aides executed the traffic jam without his knowledge – and has had no reason to doubt the New Jersey governor since.
“He told me the same thing in private that he did to the press in New Jersey, and I have every reason to believe that the information he said is consistent with the truth, and so I still support him in his role as governor and his role in the RGA,” Walker said at an economic conference here.
An editorial in the Newark Star-Ledger this week called on Christie to step aside as RGA chairman, calling his duties for the group “a major distriction.” With much of his top staff “ensnared in the Bridgegate scandals,” the newspaper wrote, “who is minding the store?” Failed GOP Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli earlier called on Christie to step aside as RGA chairman.
Walker said his support for Christie is steadfast, but he added that if something came out linking Christie to the scandal personally, “I’d have to reassess that.”
POLITICO reported last week that some Republicans believe Christie’s troubles could be a boon to Walker’s national prospects. Both are viewed as likely candidates for the White House.
Walker, however, said Wednesday he’s not looking that far ahead at this point.
“I even say to fellow Republicans: Any Republican who’s focused on anything other than 2014 is doing a disservice to themselves, to their party and to their country,” Walker said. “There’s a lot at stake in the 2014 election, not only in my case as governor but in the U.S. Senate is very much in play and the question of holding the House or not.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/scott-walker-chris-christie-rga-103455.html#ixzz2tE3UCsZI
-
Scott Walker: I believe Chris Christie
WTF is Walker thinking?
-
Before he became Fat Man. :o
(http://images.politico.com/global/2014/02/13/140213_nuzzi_christie_ap.jpg)
Portrait of the Governor as a Young Man
Chris Christie's forgotten early years of scandal and failure.
By OLIVIA NUZZI February 13, 2014
Earlier this week, when the Star-Ledger declared “we blew this one,” calling its endorsement of Chris Christie during last fall’s New Jersey gubernatorial race “regrettable,” it seemed like any remaining faith in Christie had evaporated.
Christie has not yet fallen, but the look in his eyes suggests he knows his fingers are slipping off the ledge, one at a time. Even if no documents emerge that put Christie’s fingerprints on the George Washington Bridge, he’s already in such trouble that to let even something as inconsequential as a months-old endorsement rest unrevoked would be an embarrassment.
Amid all the hand-wringing by the press over Christie warning signs they might have missed, it’s instructive to take a close look at the governor’s earliest, mostly forgotten, political adventures. Bridgegate wasn’t a sudden fall from grace—it was just the first time anyone was paying attention.
***
As a young lawyer in the 1990s, the rules and customs of small time campaigns were not of particular interest to Chris Christie. Local New Jersey pols—no strangers to bare-knuckle tactics—had never seen anything like him. Picture Christie, as he is today: overreaching, overbearing, over-everything. A personality so big it threatens to subsume the state he rules. Now take that image and superimpose it on the quaint landscape of the local Jersey politics of 20 years ago, with minuscule campaign war chests and candidates hammering in their own lawn signs.
Christie in Lilliput. There was a lot of breakage.
His early political career saw him kicked off a ballot, successfully sued for libel and all but chased out of local Republican politics by a pitchfork-wielding mob.
In April 1993, the 31-year-old future governor—then just an attorney from Mendham, the type of place a family in a Norman Rockwell painting might live—hit the ground running for his first political campaign… And came to a dead stop.
Christie had entered the Republican primary to unseat a 15-year veteran of the New Jersey State Senate, a man for whom he had previously been an aide, Majority Leader John Dorsey. In his formal announcement, Christie explained, “The issue which has energized me to get into this race is the recent attempt by certain Republican legislators to repeal New Jersey’s ban on assault weapons.”
A few days into his first political campaign, Christie was keeping pace. He publicly challenged Dorsey to limit the amount of campaign funds he would collect from PACs and he had already gotten the required 100 signatures needed to get his name on the ballot—in fact, he’d obtained 111.
But then somebody read the names.
Dorsey charged that 40 of the 111 signatures were from people in the wrong legislative district, and another 27 were not even those of registered Republicans. Dorsey had also trapped Christie, waiting until the very last minute to challenge the petitions, leaving Christie no time to correct his rookie mistake.
In a tactic he would repeat with Bridgegate, Christie went on offense. “I’m confident I’m going to be upheld,” he told the Star-Ledger. “This is just a perfect example of John Dorsey. He thinks that he has a birthright to this seat and he doesn’t want anybody to run against him.”
Christie and his attorneys met Dorsey in court. They asked to bend the rules by using new signatures they had just obtained, and they argued that because many of the signers believed they lived within the district, the signatures were valid. The judge didn’t buy it, and rejected Christie’s petition to appear on the ballot. Christie appealed, saying “those signatures were valid because they were taken in good faith.” No dice: A state Appellate Division panel ruled 3-0 in favor of Dorsey. “He may be an aggressive candidate,” Dorsey said at the time. “But he doesn’t seem to understand the rules of the law.”
Christie’s first try at a political career had lasted about a week.
. . . . [more at the link]
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/02/portrait-of-the-governor-as-a-young-man-chris-christie-103502.html#ixzz2tK05PX6k
-
Christie always loved being the bully. Prided himself on it. Take no shit, mess with me and I'll bloody you.
-
Christie always loved being the bully. Prided himself on it. Take no shit, mess with me and I'll bloody you.
I guess calling someone out for their stupidity is now bullying...
-
Fuck Crispy Cream Christie
Hope this shit happens to all the RINOs.
-
MSNBC’s Hayes Promotes Petition Drive for Chris Christie Resignation
By Paul Bremmer | February 20, 2014
If there was any doubt that MSNBC is a mouthpiece for liberal activism, Chris Hayes should have erased it on Wednesday’s edition of his program All In. Hayes was discussing MSNBC’s favorite current topic – the Chris Christie “Bridgegate” saga – with Dan Cantor, national director of the ultra-liberal Working Families Party. [Video below. MP3 audio here.]
Near the end of the discussion, Cantor optimistically declared his belief that Christie will be defeated in the end, thanks in part to Cantor’s own organization:
I think it’s pretty likely Governor Christie will end up having to resign, because he clearly either knew about it – I mean, we called for his resignation, tens of thousands of people have already signed that petition, and we think there will be more.
Cantor forgot to plug the website for that petition, but not to worry – Hayes jumped in, noting for his audience, “That’s at ChristieJam.org.”
Way to help the cause, Chris.
Cantor said he expected more signatures, and with Hayes’ help, he almost certainly will get more (maybe a few hundred more if all of Hayes’ viewers sign the petition).
Forcing Chris Christie to resign over a traffic jam is apparently a cause for which Hayes can be "all in." But can you imagine him inviting on a guest who started a petition to impeach President Obama, let alone telling viewers where to find the petition? Our current president can get away with almost anything as far as Hayes and his MSNBC primetime colleagues are concerned. Benghazi, the IRS targeting scandal, the arbitrary and arguably illegal changes-by-fiat to the ObamaCare legislation – they don’t matter as much as a traffic jam that only impacted a sliver of the country’s population for a few days last summer.
Destroying any serious Republican presidential challengers to Hillary Clinton in 2016 seems to be a goal at MSNBC. In addition to the Christie coverage, Hayes led off Wednesday’s broadcast with 14 minutes devoted to the emerging controversy surrounding Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) and his aides. You could see the joy on the host’s face as he declared, “It turns out that Scott Walker has more or less the exact same baggage that none other than Chris Christie has.”
That “baggage” for both governors includes plenty of unproven allegations at this point. It also includes one cable network that is obsessively hyping the stories in order to destroy both men before they ever have a chance to run for president. After all, obliterating Republicans and electing Democrats is what it means to “lean forward.”
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the discussion:
CHRIS HAYES: Do you suspect that we will see a ratcheting up of the legal battle here, that basically the first wave of stuff that was turned over happened kind of without a fight, partly because of the people at issue, but what we're going to see now is just sort of all out –
DAN CANTOR, National Director, Working Families: Yeah, this is war. You know, obviously the legislature has its own attorneys trying to get information. Presumably the press is going to try to get some. And Maestro, in theory doing the independent investigation, is going to be trying to prevent it all from happening, going on the offense in this kind of mind-boggling way you described at the outset. Pretty optimistic that at the end the truth will come out. I think it’s pretty likely Governor Christie will end up having to resign, because he clearly either knew about it – I mean, we called for his resignation, tens of thousands of people have already signed that petition, and we think there will be more.
HAYES: That’s at ChristieJam.org. Dan Cantor from the Working Families, thank you so much.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/paul-bremmer/2014/02/20/msnbc-s-hayes-promotes-petition-drive-chris-christie-resignation#ixzz2tyt3M9eI
-
Adorable kid.
-
Christiegate: Christie Refuses to Release Sandy Fund Integrity Reports
Late yesterday afternoon, Fair Share Housing Center (FSHC) was denied access to integrity monitor reports that are in the possession of the NJ Department of Community Affairs. The reports are required by a state law passed by the Legislature in March 2013 for all Sandy contracts above $5 million. That law, which went into effect immediately upon signing by Governor Christie, was not implemented until February 2014. FSHC requested the integrity monitor reports under the state's public records law. The request was denied because "these reports are draft reports and as such are being exempted in their entirety as advisory and consultative documents." There was no further information given - such as how many reports exist, which contracts they are on, and who had drafted the reports.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/27/1280897/-Christiegate-Christie-Refuses-to-Release-Sandy-Fund-Integrity-Reports?detail=facebook
-
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/03/port_authority_officials_battle_over_toll_hikes_was_all_for_show.html
F christie
-
Inquiry Is Said to Clear Christie, but That’s His Lawyers’ Verdict
By MICHAEL BARBARO
MARCH 23, 2014
With his office suddenly engulfed in scandal over lane closings at the George Washington Bridge, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey two months ago summoned a pair of top defense lawyers from an elite law firm to the State House and asked them to undertake an extensive review of what had gone wrong.
Now, after 70 interviews and at least $1 million in legal fees to be paid by state taxpayers, that review is set to be released, and according to people with firsthand knowledge of the inquiry, it has uncovered no evidence that the governor was involved in the plotting or directing of the lane closings.
The review is the first of multiple inquiries into a scandal that has jeopardized Mr. Christie’s political future. It will be viewed with intense skepticism, not only because it was commissioned by the governor but also because the firm conducting it, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, has close ties to the Christie administration and the firm’s lawyers were unable to interview three principal players in the shutdowns, including Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor’s former deputy chief of staff.
But lawyers from the team who led the inquiry are prepared to vigorously defend their work, which they described as an unfettered look into the inner workings of an administration known to prize loyalty and privacy.
Randy M. Mastro, the lawyer leading the internal investigation, said that the level of cooperation from Mr. Christie’s office and the volume of records reviewed had allowed investigators to resolve the most pressing questions to arise from the scandal. The governor himself handed over his iPhone and telephone records and allowed the lawyers to search his government and private email accounts.
Questioned about the credibility of an internal inquiry, Mr. Mastro said there was no incentive to sugarcoat the findings. Any shortcomings of the investigation are likely to be exposed by parallel investigations now underway, by the State Legislature and the United States attorney in New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman.
“At the end of the day, we will be judged by whether we got this right,” said Mr. Mastro, who called the review “comprehensive and exhaustive.”
Much about the review remains secret, and Mr. Mastro declined to describe any specific content before its release. But it is expected to lay out a detailed narrative of the events, motivations and communications leading up to the closing of the lanes, which snarled traffic in Fort Lee, N.J., for thousands of commuters last September.
According to those familiar with the report, it will also address what and when Mr. Christie and his aides knew about the lane closings; analyze the structure, practices and culture of the Christie administration that contributed to the scandal; and issue pointed recommendations to prevent such conduct.
It is not known whether the investigation resolved the crucial issue of whether Mr. Christie created or condoned a culture that fostered political intimidation.
Among the issues covered, according to people familiar with the report, is the widespread use by Mr. Christie’s aides of private email accounts to conduct government business. The report is also expected to offer a tough assessment of the intergovernmental affairs unit inside the governor’s office, where Ms. Kelly worked.
Over the past two months, a dozen lawyers from Gibson Dunn questioned more than 70 people, including the governor and the lieutenant governor, every current member of Mr. Christie’s senior staff and top New Jersey officials at the Port Authority. The lawyers also gained access to government and private email accounts of key current and former administration officials and obtained records of their incoming and outgoing phone calls and text messages.
The investigation’s most significant obstacle was the lack of access to the three figures at the center of the lane closings — Ms. Kelly, the author of the infamous “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email; Bill Stepien, the governor’s former aide and campaign manager; and David Wildstein, a Christie ally at the Port Authority — who all declined to be interviewed.
But the lawyers had access to a wide range of documents, including thousands of emails left on government servers by current and former employees like Ms. Kelly, whom Mr. Christie fired in January, and Mr. Stepien, who left the administration in 2013.
They drew on records from the Port Authority, which runs the bridge; reviewed documents subpoenaed from Mr. Wildstein and Bill Baroni, a Christie appointee to the Port Authority who was involved in the lane closings; and interviewed independent witnesses and associates of Mr. Christie outside of government.
And because of frequent interactions between administration and Port Authority officials, the lawyers were able to piece together communications leading up to, during and after the lane shutdowns, despite the lack of cooperation from Ms. Kelly, Mr. Stepien and Mr. Wildstein.
Their internal inquiry examined not only the administration’s conduct in the lane closings, but also the claim by the mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer, that Mr. Christie’s staff threatened to withhold Hurricane Sandy recovery money from Hoboken unless the mayor supported a real estate development that the governor wanted built there. Neither Ms. Zimmer nor Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, agreed to be interviewed, but Gibson Dunn lawyers received thousands of internal documents from the towns.
The review will be delivered to Mr. Christie, who has promised to make it public quickly without alterations. The work by Mr. Mastro’s firm is being paid for by state taxpayers, at a rate of $650 an hour. That has led to criticism from some Democrats who say the public should not be asked to underwrite what they view as the governor’s damage-control efforts.
Gibson Dunn has worked for the administration in the past, and Mr. Christie is friendly with a top partner there, Debra Wong Yang, who like him was appointed United States attorney by President George W. Bush in the early 2000s.
In mid-January, after emails emerged showing that Mr. Christie’s aides had carried out the lane closings, the governor requested a meeting with Ms. Yang, and Mr. Mastro, a high-profile litigator who had served as a deputy mayor in the administration of Rudolph W. Giuliani and had never before met Mr. Christie.
At the meeting, on the afternoon of Jan. 14, after delivering his State of the State speech, Mr. Christie told the corporate lawyers that he wanted a full airing of what had happened.
Five seasoned former federal prosecutors were involved in the law firm’s inquiry, including Reed Brodsky, a former assistant United States attorney who helped lead the successful prosecution of Raj Rajaratnam, who headed one of the world’s largest hedge funds, on insider trading charges; and Avi Weitzman, who oversaw major organized-crime investigations for the United States attorney’s office in New York’s Southern District.
Besides the 12 lawyers who worked on the internal investigation, a group of Gibson Dunn lawyers is assigned to respond to the broad subpoenas issued by the Legislature and the United States attorney’s office for records from Mr. Christie’s office.
Since January, lawyers from the firm have become a regular presence inside the office of the governor, turning a second-floor conference room in the State House into an interrogation room. In New York, they set up camp in a 47th-floor conference room at Gibson Dunn, using organizational charts drawn on erasable boards to keep track of key figures in Mr. Christie’s world.
Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for Mr. Christie, said the lawyers faced “no restrictions on their access to governor’s office staff, documents or any other forms of communications.”
Friendly exchanges with Christie aides turned a bit frosty as the lawyers’ requests multiplied, according to interviews. A less-than-popular move: collecting iPhones and BlackBerrys from the governor’s top aides for inspection.
No matter the conclusions of the internal review, suspicious Democrats are prepared to pounce on it. They said Mr. Christie would not have needed to hire expensive lawyers if he had promptly questioned his aides when the bridge controversy arose last fall.
Senator Loretta Weinberg, a Democrat who is involved the Legislature’s investigation, deemed it “too little, too late.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/nyregion/inquiry-is-said-to-clear-christie-but-thats-his-lawyers-verdict.html?ref=us&_r=0
-
He was caught in several big lies. But yes, he managed to insulate himself so far. He busted himself with the lies about what he knew and when... but he was smart enough not to write it down himself.
Will he go to jail for bridgegate? Of course not.
Does he have the credibility or integrity to be president? Of course not. (Assuming he had any after the way he played footsie with obama and dissed Romney a week before the 2012 election)
-
Chris Christie investigated himself and declared that he did nothing wrong
-
Chris Christie investigated himself and declared that he did nothing wrong
Taking a play right out of Obama/holder playbook right?
-
Taking a play right out of Obama/holder playbook right?
Wrong.... as usual
-
Wrong.... as usual
LOL - IRS / Fast n Furious / NSA / Benghazi / and all the other Obama scandals?
-
LOL - IRS / Fast n Furious / NSA / Benghazi / and all the other Obama scandals?
so you missed the congressional hearings on all of those things?
-
Lawyer in Christie 'Whitewash' Probe: I'm a Democrat
Friday, 28 Mar 2014
By Greg Richter
Former federal prosecutor Randy Mastro defended a probe he led that cleared Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of wrongdoing in the Bridge-gate scandal.
Mastro said he is a registered Democrat and has represented high-profile clients from both parties.
Appearing on Fox News Channel's "The Kelly File" on Thursday, Mastro said he first met Christie on the day the governor hired his firm to lead the probe in mid-January.
Mastro said he did once work for former GOP New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is friends with Christie, but said he has never had any "extended conversations" with him about the Bridge-gate affair.
"I was honored to serve in his administration," Mastro said of Giuliani. "But as Rudy knows, I'm an independent and a registered Democrat."
Mastro's report was slammed as a "whitewash" by Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer, who was portrayed as delusional for claiming that Christie's lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno, had tried to strong-arm her to support a real-estate development in her city in return for state aid to help Hurricane Sandy recovery, one of several conflict-of-interest allegations that were thrown up in light of the Bridge-gate inquiry.
Mastro said his clients have included the current Democratic mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, and Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.
Mastro said he went into the investigation with a "completely" open mind.
"We did an exhaustive and thorough investigation," he said. "We believe we got it right."
Federal investigators and a state legislative committee also are looking into the scandal, in which Christie aides are said to have closed down lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge, snarling traffic in political retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee, N.J. Mastro said he believes those investigations will show his investigation reached the right conclusion.
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Chris-Christie-Bridge-gate-Randy-Mastro-investigation/2014/03/28/id/562252#ixzz2xHKvMXuF
-
(http://www.creators.com/editorial_cartoons/1/28932_thumb.jpg)
-
Christie stabilizing in new poll, but few believe he's clear from scandal
Posted by
CNN's Ashley Killough
(CNN) – Gov. Chris Christie's approval ratings appear to be stabilizing in New Jersey after they dropped significantly following the George Washington Bridge controversy, according to a new survey.
The Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll was conducted after a review commissioned by Christie's administration cleared the New Jersey governor of any wrongdoing in the bridge controversy.
Fifty-four percent of New Jersey adult residents have heard about the report, which was released last week and led by Randy Mastro of the Gibson Dunn & Crutcher law firm.
But of those who are aware of the report's findings, a little less than a third (30%) consider the investigation to be fair and unbiased.
According to the survey, 52% say the report was simply done to improve Christie's reputation.
The internal probe found that two top Christie appointees orchestrated traffic jams near the bridge in Fort Lee last year. A state legislative committee and the U.S. Attorney's Office are also looking into the incident and whether it was political retribution against the town's Democratic mayor for not endorsing Christie for re-election.
The recently released report cleared Christie of having any knowledge of the matter until after it all occurred, a point the governor has made previously.
But the saga has called into question his sometimes brash leadership style and the potential 2016 presidential contender saw his poll numbers dramatically fall both at home and nationwide.
"The bleeding has stopped for now. The poll was conducted after the Mastro report was released, but this does not seem to be the reason why Christie's ratings have stabilized. In fact, few New Jerseyans agree with the report's conclusions," Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a news release.
Thirty-two percent say the governor has been completely honest about his knowledge of the lane closures, while 61% say he has not been honest. Those numbers were relatively the same in February.
Public opinion also barely moved from February on the question of whether Christie is more concerned about his day job or his political future. Thirty-five percent say he's more concerned with governing, unchanged from February, while 54% say he's thinking more about his future, down slightly from 56% two months ago.
The poll was conducted from March 30 to April 1 by telephone with 803 New Jersey adults. The sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/02/christie-stabilizing-in-new-poll-but-few-believe-hes-clear-from-scandal/
-
But of those who are aware of the report's findings, a little less than a third (30%) consider the investigation to be fair and unbiased.
According to the survey, 52% say the report was simply done to improve Christie's reputation.
Imagine the stupidity of the 1/3 of the state that really thinks the investigation was fair and unbiased lol.
The internal inquiry’s authors didn’t speak to anyone at the Port Authority during their investigation.
Think about that one lol.
-
Chris Christie: The $33 million man
Posted by
CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser
Washington (CNN) – It appears the George Washington Bridge controversy that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's been dealing with back home in the Garden State hasn't affected his standing nationally as one of the Republican Party's most potent fundraising rainmakers.
The Republican Governors Association announced Thursday that the group has raised a record $23.5 million the first three months of this year, and $33 million since Christie took over as RGA chairman in late November. That's a new fundraising record for the first four and a half months of a new RGA chairman's tenure.
The $23.5 million raised in this year's first quarter shatters the previous RGA record of $9.1 million brought in during the first three months of 2010 under the chairmanship of then-Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi.
"While Washington is broken, Republican governors are getting results, making government work and putting policies in place to put their states on the right track," said Christie in a statement. "Republican governors have done more than just talk about reforming government, they have made the tough decisions and gotten results. Thanks to the hard work and success of every Republican governor, we have the resources we need to win these critical elections."
Christie's chairmanship of the RGA was seen as a possible stepping stone to a potential 2016 bid for the GOP presidential nomination. But six weeks into his tenure as RGA chairman, the bridge controversy went viral. State lawmakers and the U.S. Attorney's Office are looking into allegations that top Christie appointees orchestrated traffic jams last September by closing access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee to politically punish that town's mayor for not endorsing the governor's re-election.
Christie has denied knowing anything about the gridlock until after it occurred, and has said he knew nothing about any political mischief by members of his administration.
Last week a review commissioned by Christie's administration cleared the New Jersey governor of any wrongdoing in the bridge controversy, which has put a cloud over his political future.
But the scandal and the intense scrutiny by the national media that Christie's come under may be helping him with some in his party, especially from the conservative base, that have long been suspicious about politically pragmatic governor from a blue state.
"Christie remains popular among Republicans, many of whom see the attacks on him as partisan efforts to destroy a popular GOPer. That's why he remains a formidable fundraiser for the RGA and an asset to his party," Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, told CNN.
Republicans are defending 22 of the 36 gubernatorial seats up for grabs this November. The party could face challenging re-election bids in Pennsylvania, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin, states all won by President Barack Obama in 2012.
The RGA will also report Thursday that it has just shy of $60 million cash on hand, nearly double what it had in the bank at this point in the 2010 midterm cycle.
RGA Executive Director Phil Cox said that the "RGA's strong financial position will give us the resources to push back against the public sector unions and the White House, who have targeted Republican governors and candidates for defeat."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/04/03/chris-christie-the-33-million-man/?hpt=po_c1
-
-
Christie Campaign Piles Up Debt Over Bridge-gate
Tuesday, 22 Apr 2014
By Drew MacKenzie
The bridge-gate scandal is costing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s re-election campaign a bundle of money, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Chris Christie for Governor has forked out $314,000 to date to pay for legal fees for the federal and state investigations into the closure of lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge last year.
According to recent finance figures, the campaign has $156,587 in the bank, but listed $264,000 of legal fees as debt.
The campaign commissioned the legal firm Patton Boggs LLP to help investigate the shutdown last September after a federal probe was launched into the legality of the closures, as well as an inquiry by a state legislative committee.
The firm has billed $160,000 in fees so far, while Stroz Friedberg, an investigations and intelligence firm, charged the campaign $154,000 for fees pertaining to its review of the traffic ban on access lanes to the bridge from Fort Lee, N.J., that caused four days of bumper-to-bumper chaos.
The Christie administration hired the Manhattan law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP to examine whether the governor knew about the closures beforehand. The firm, which exonerated Christie, has yet to submit its bill, although it will be paid by the state.
The legislative committee, which hired a special counsel for its investigation, has shelled out $488,400 spent in legal fees, the firm’s invoice reveals, according to the Journal.
Two months ago, the state Election Law Enforcement Commission agreed to allow Christie’s campaign to cover the legal expenses on the condition that it did not become the target of a grand jury investigation.
The Christie campaign only received $3,800 in donations in the first quarter of the year, the report added, meaning that it will have to raise money get itself out of debt.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Chris-Christie-campaign-campaign-debt-Bridge-gate/2014/04/22/id/566916#ixzz2zeFkgDAE
-
Spokesman: Christie Was Unaware of Traffic Scheme
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's longtime press secretary says he's confident his boss of 14 years had no knowledge or involvement in the scheme that shut traffic near the George Washington Bridge in a political payback plot.
The spokesman, Michael Drewniak, called the plot reckless and perplexing in an opening statement Tuesday before a New Jersey legislative committee that's investigating last September's lane closings.
The scheme carried out by Christie loyalists has become a major distraction as the Republican contemplates a 2016 presidential run. Christie has denied knowing about the plot.
Drewniak has also testified before a federal grand jury that's separately investigating the lane closings.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
Gov. Chris Christie's longtime press secretary is to testify before a New Jersey legislative committee on what he knew about the political retribution plot carried out by former aides to the governor.
Michael Drewniak is the only witness scheduled to testify Tuesday. Two others are to appear next month as the panel attempts to determine who ordered the approach lanes of the George Washington Bridge to be blocked without notice last September, and why the Democratic mayor whose town is at the base of the heavily traveled span was targeted for payback.
"The hearing is going to be an effort to continue to fill in the blanks on the record that we have so far," said Assemblyman John Wisniewski, co-chairman of the legislative panel. "The picture that has been provided to us by emails and other documents leaves lots of questions unanswered as to why certain actions were taken and, just as importantly, why certain actions weren't taken."
The plot carried out while Christie was running for re-election has become a major distraction as the Republican contemplates a 2016 presidential run. A federal criminal investigation is underway in addition to the legislative inquiry.
Drewniak has worked for Christie for 14 years, starting when Christie was New Jersey's top federal prosecutor. Christie recruited Drewniak and many assistant prosecutors after winning the 2009 gubernatorial election.
Drewniak had a professional and social relationship with David Wildstein, a key figure in the case. The Christie administration approved the creation of a $150,000 job for Wildstein at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operates the bridge. Wildstein was forced to resign from the post in January, after his involvement in the lane closings was revealed.
It was Wildstein who replied, "got it," after Christie aide Bridget Kelly sent him an email saying, "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Drewniak had dinner with Wildstein the evening before he resigned and helped draft the administration's response to the resignation. Afterward, Wildstein thanked Drewniak for his advice.
Drewniak was interviewed three times by lawyers hired by Christie to review the lane closings. Their report found that Kelly and Wildstein acted alone in ordering the lanes closed for an unknown political vendetta.
Drewniak also was grilled for two hours by the Christie administration in January, after which the governor decided not to fire him.
The legislative panel heard from Christina Renna last week. Renna, who worked for Kelly while the lanes were blocked, described her former boss as erratic and overwhelmed but said she would not have decided to cause traffic jams without orders to do so.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-Christie-Traffic-Jams/2014/05/13/id/571033#ixzz31capK9jF
-
Christie calls for more aggressive foreign policy after stumble on Israel
Published May 19, 2014
FoxNews.com
Courting powerful Jewish donors for the second time in two months, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Sunday for a more aggressive foreign policy that defends American values abroad, but he also said he is concerned about the direction America is heading in.
"The rest of the world watches in desperation and hope that America will realize and act upon once again its indispensable place in the world," Christie, a prospective Republican presidential contender, said in a keynote address Sunday at the Champions of Jewish Values International awards gala in New York. "We must lead."
He charged that America must represent the strongest military and economic power, but also "the strongest moral power for what is good and what is right in the world."
“We see Russian activism once again rearing its head in the world, we see an America that backed away from a commitment made by the president of the United States in Syria, we see a country, our country, permitting even a thought of a terrorist state like Iran having nuclear capability,” Christie said. “It's unthinkable that the America that has led in the way that it has always led this world would permit that to happen. Yet we are sitting in a world, we are watching the vacuum that the lack of American leadership has created being filled and it is almost never filled by virtue, it is almost always filled by evil.”
The appearance offered Christie a second chance to impress deep-pocketed Jewish donors after stumbling in a recent speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition. Sunday's event also featured Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and major political donor Sheldon Adelson.
The gathering comes as donors — none bigger than Adelson — begin to size up the crowded field of potential Republican presidential candidates ahead of the 2016 contest. While billed as a nonpartisan affair, there were political references throughout the evening.
Asked if he was running for president, Perry told reporters: "I'm being governor for the next nine months. To be real honest with you I don't know what I'm gonna do after that."
Christie did not talk about his own presidential prospects in a speech that offered aggressive rhetoric but few specifics. He didn't mention Israel, but insisted that America's leaders must send "clear and consistent signals" to those nations it supports and those it doesn't while promoting America's values.
"We need to stand once again loudly for these values," he said. "And sometimes that's going to mean standing in some very messy, difficult places. Standing long and hard for those things that we believe in."
He added: "We will either lead or disappoint. Those are the only two choices. Unfortunately, today, in my opinion, America is disappointing. But it's not too late."
Christie was seated at the same table as Adelson, who figures to play a prominent role in the selection of the next Republican presidential nominee. It was their second meeting over the last two months.
At a Las Vegas gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition in late March, Adelson met with Christie and several other possible Republican contenders: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
At the time, Christie, a Catholic, said he was overwhelmed by displays of religious tolerance during a recent trip to Jerusalem.
"I took a helicopter ride from occupied territories across ... and just felt, personally, how extraordinary that was to understand the military risk that Israel faces every day," Christie said.
The comment about "occupied territories" drew sharp criticism from some in the audience. The Israeli government and by extension most of Israel's supporters in the U.S. don't consider the West Bank and East Jerusalem to be occupied territory.
After the speech, Christie met privately with Adelson to explain that he misspoke.
With a net worth estimated at nearly $40 billion, Adelson may be the Republican Party's most influential donor. He is known for his devotion to Israel, in addition to an aggressive American foreign policy.
Adelson donated more than $90 million to Republican candidates and their allies in the 2012 election.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/05/19/christie-do-over-after-stumble-on-israel/
-
Christie Breaks RGA Fundraising Record by $25 Million
Thursday, 05 Jun 2014
By Cathy Burke
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on the stump for fellow GOP executives as head of the Republican Governors Association, has reportedly raised $50 million since taking over as chairman, breaking a previous six-month record by $25 million.
Christie took over the RGA following the 2013 election, and the political organization now has "nearly $70 million cash on hand… nearly double the cash on hand figure the RGA had at this point in 2010," an RGA official told CNN.
Christie has returned to making public appearances during RGA trips after taking part in mostly private events in the aftermath of his Bridge-gate scandal, in which aides allegedly orchestrated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that gridlocked a small New Jersey town. Christie has denied any role in the shutdowns; a federal investigation is continuing.
Last week, Christie was in Tennessee delivering a keynote address at a GOP fundraising dinner and in the next few days will be stumping for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett in his re-election bid, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Republicans are defending 22 governorships in November, eight more than Democrats, and have a 29-21 advantage over Democrats in terms of governorships held, CNN reported.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/fundraising-record-republican-governors/2014/06/05/id/575491#ixzz33sQXSyqb
-
4 reasons Christie keeps moving forward
By Julian Zelizer, CNN Contributor
updated 7:14 AM EDT, Mon June 30, 2014
(CNN) -- After months of being beat up by the media about his "Bridgegate" scandal in New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie is still standing. And there is even some evidence that he might finally be regaining ground.
A new poll from Quinnipiac shows that the governor has narrowed the lead that Hillary Clinton, another possible presidential candidate, has over him in Iowa. His appearance on "The Tonight Show" and at a charity softball game in Yankee Stadium generated some media buzz about the more likeable parts of his personality.
Although his political reputation is a long way from repaired, the idea that the governor might still run in 2016 is back on the table.
How can this be?
A number of factors have helped him absorb the continued blows that he has received from the constant news coverage and ongoing investigations into the events that transpired in the Garden State. The dynamics of the scandal have followed a few principles about surviving scandal politics that have worked in his favor.
1. Avoid the smoking gun: This is the biggest one.
Until investigators have clear-cut evidence that a politician is responsible for the scandal at hand, there is always room for a person to maneuver. In certain cases, American voters are willing to give the benefit of doubt to the person accused -- especially in a heated partisan environment where investigations and accusations often turn out to be unfounded -- until there is evidence in hand that the politician is guilty beyond any doubt.
Whether the evidence is a recording of White House conversations (Watergate) or pictures on Twitter (Weinergate), it's not usually over before this information actually emerges.
The absence of a smoking gun of illegal activity has been very important in this case since, to many Americans, so much of the story -- leaning on politicians, favoring friends and intimidating enemies, making politics a top concern among the staff -- all seem like politics as usual in New Jersey.
2. Time your scandal well: As with everything else in politics, timing is everything when it comes to scandal.
It matters very much when a story breaks. With Christie, the timing was good and bad. The revelations about the bridge began at a real high point for the governor when the media was virtually nominating him to be the Republican nominee on their own. So the impact of negative information was dramatic.
But the story also broke a long time before any presidential primaries started. There is a huge amount of time still remaining until the political season really begins. This means that Christie has had some time for the noise to die down and the worst of the coverage, thus far, has taken place when nationally many people are not paying attention.
The virtues of the scandal happening early are amplified in a rapid-fire media age where reporters turn their attention to the next big story quickly and the readers and viewers are quick to move on.
3. Keep governing: Christie has followed the Bill Clinton playbook.
When faced with bad press and damaging allegations, keep doing the job that you were elected to do. During the past months, Christie has continued to focus on his work in New Jersey. He has been steadfast in his effort to convey the image of a politician most concerned about the challenges facing the electorate rather than the challenges he faces as a result of the scandal. He has also used his fundraising and appearances with the Republican Governors Association to continue to remind voters and member of the party of the assets that he can bring to the table as a party leader.
By doing so, he continues to give the public opportunity to evaluate him a leader in action, rather than just the subject of investigation, and to charge that the accusers are more concerned in scandal than solving problems.
4. Remind your party that they need you: One of Christie's greatest virtues is his party. Even with all the problems that President Barack Obama has faced, the GOP remains greatly damaged. The party has suffered in the polls as a result the way in which Republicans have governed in Congress, as well as continued disapproval of President George W. Bush.
Many of the possible candidates, such as Rand Paul or Marco Rubio, are untested or have serious potential weaknesses, such as Paul's noninterventionism at a moment that things are heating up overseas. Christie receives considerable protection just from the fact that Republicans don't have so many alternatives. Desperate to regain the White House, Republicans have been willing to give him some slack as the story unfolds.
To be sure, it is far from clear whether Christie will ever regain the strength he once had. The recent news about a second scandal involving alleged securities laws violations connected to a major road repair might rekindle public interest in his wrongdoing and potentially produce the smoking gun that has not yet emerged.
But at this point, Christie is still showing some signs of life and remains a player on the political field. He still has the potential to join the list of politicians who have stared scandal in the face and survived politically.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/30/opinion/zelizer-christie-survival/index.html
-
Dudes,
There are WAY better options that christie. He's bad on the eyes - doesn't look like president. He's been a MAJOR liberal in the past, we all know that. He's barely dodging scandal, barely dodging smoking guns. He has these mis-steps all the time. ANd he's just a stubbed toe away from calling a teacher a C-word, let's be honest lol.
Why gamble with a change to really defeat the dems in 2016 by choosing a candidate with so much baggage? Why not choose someone like Cruz, respectable and calm and scandal-free?
-
Dudes,
There are WAY better options that christie. He's bad on the eyes - doesn't look like president. He's been a MAJOR liberal in the past, we all know that. He's barely dodging scandal, barely dodging smoking guns. He has these mis-steps all the time. ANd he's just a stubbed toe away from calling a teacher a C-word, let's be honest lol.
Why gamble with a change to really defeat the dems in 2016 by choosing a candidate with so much baggage? Why not choose someone like Cruz, respectable and calm and scandal-free?
Says the person who voted for Obama.
-
Says the person who voted for Obama.
How does that help your point at all?
Seems to me that 240 is talking about electability.
And Obama, whatever his faults serving as president, is/was roughly 2 zillion times more electable than Christie.
So, while Christie might make a good president, he's a bad bet to ever be voted in as one, given the reasons that 240 has cited.
C'mon, BB. This makes sense to you, doesn't it?
-
so you missed the congressional hearings on all of those things?
amazing
-
How does that help your point at all?
Seems to me that 240 is talking about electability.
And Obama, whatever his faults serving as president, is/was roughly 2 zillion times more electable than Christie.
So, while Christie might make a good president, he's a bad bet to ever be voted in as one, given the reasons that 240 has cited.
C'mon, BB. This makes sense to you, doesn't it?
I don't read a lot of his posts, but the ones I do read rarely make sense.
Whatever Obama's faults? lol You are quite the partisan hack. Obama has been a disaster. Anyone being objective sees it. Honest liberals like Turley are jumping all over him.
Trying to compare the electability of Obama in 2008 or 2012 to Christi in 2016 is meaningless at this point. We don't know who the Democrat nominee will be. We don't know the state of the economy. We don't know which part of the world Obama will have further destabilized by 2016. Too many variables.
No candidate is either a lock or unelectable at this point. Too much can happen. But you sort of have to not have your head up the Democrat Party's rear end to understand that.
-
I don't read a lot of his posts, but the ones I do read rarely make sense.
Whatever Obama's faults? lol You are quite the partisan hack. Obama has been a disaster. Anyone being objective sees it. Honest liberals like Turley are jumping all over him.
Trying to compare the electability of Obama in 2008 or 2012 to Christi in 2016 is meaningless at this point. We don't know who the Democrat nominee will be. We don't know the state of the economy. We don't know which part of the world Obama will have further destabilized by 2016. Too many variables.
No candidate is either a lock or unelectable at this point. Too much can happen. But you sort of have to not have your head up the Democrat Party's rear end to understand that.
Wait, you're not saying that when you quoted 240's post where he gave reasons why Christie would be a poor choice to represent Repubs because of his lack of electability and wrote, "Says the person who voted for Obama.", you were just responding to a post that you couldn't make sense of, are you?
Because I follow what you're saying about there being too many variables at this time to reasonably compare the electability of Obama in 2008 & 2012 to Christie in 2016 (though you're using the word "meaningless' too casually) but do you get that when you posed your one sentence quip in response to his thoughtful post that YOU were the one doing the comparing of the electability?
BTW, I'm no partisan hack. I voted for Obama in 2008 but not in 2012, you'll likely be surprised to learn.
-
Wait, you're not saying that when you quoted 240's post where he gave reasons why Christie would be a poor choice to represent Repubs because of his lack of electability and wrote, "Says the person who voted for Obama.", you were just responding to a post that you couldn't make sense of, are you?
Because I follow what you're saying about there being too many variables at this time to reasonably compare the electability of Obama in 2008 & 2012 to Christie in 2016 (though you're using the word "meaningless' too casually) but do you get that when you posed your one sentence quip in response to his thoughtful post that YOU were the one doing the comparing of the electability?
BTW, I'm no partisan hack. I voted for Obama in 2008 but not in 2012, you'll likely be surprised to learn.
What I was doing was highlighting his abject dishonesty and disingenuousness when it comes to claiming to be a Republican. It's quite the pastime.
Yes, you are a partisan hack. Partisan hacks often have trouble realizing they are partisan hacks, so I don't expect you to own it.
You voted for Romney in 2012? That would absolutely surprise me.
-
How does that help your point at all?
Seems to me that 240 is talking about electability.
And Obama, whatever his faults serving as president, is/was roughly 2 zillion times more electable than Christie.
So, while Christie might make a good president, he's a bad bet to ever be voted in as one, given the reasons that 240 has cited.
C'mon, BB. This makes sense to you, doesn't it?
Attacking me is easier than admitting Christie is a hugely flawed RINO that had MANY liberal positions/votes in the past.
It'll make supporting him in primaries because "he's so electable" easier. So I can understand that.
-
No candidate is either a lock or unelectable at this point. Too much can happen.
I don't know what could happen to make tea partiers wish for a dude with as much liberal baggage as Christie.
And the base doesn't want RINOs these days. They don't show up to vote for romneys or mccains anymore.
-
What I was doing was highlighting his abject dishonesty and disingenuousness when it comes to claiming to be a Republican. It's quite the pastime.
Yes, you are a partisan hack. Partisan hacks often have trouble realizing they are partisan hacks, so I don't expect you to own it.
You voted for Romney in 2012? That would absolutely surprise me.
Well, if not thinking I'm a partisan hack is evidence of my partisan hackery, I guess ya got me! LOL!!
I don't think you can conclusively say that 240 isn't a Republican.
You can say that he likes to point out inconsistencies with what others believe, I think. (Sheesh, many here like to do this, including me -- Personally, I've always been a contrarian.)
Not sure why you think a Republican can't criticize the positions of other Republicans. That, after all, fairly screams partisan hackery.
-
I don't know what could happen to make tea partiers wish for a dude with as much liberal baggage as Christie.
And the base doesn't want RINOs these days. They don't show up to vote for romneys or mccains anymore.
Oh stop it already. You don't care which Republican becomes the nominee. You know you're voting for Hillary anyway (or whichever other Democrat wins the nomination).
-
Well, if not thinking I'm a partisan hack is evidence of my partisan hackery, I guess ya got me! LOL!!
I don't think you can conclusively say that 240 isn't a Republican.
You can say that he likes to point out inconsistencies with what others believe, I think. (Sheesh, many here like to do this, including me -- Personally, I've always been a contrarian.)
Not sure why you think a Republican can't criticize the positions of other Republicans. That, after all, fairly screams partisan hackery.
I cannot conclusively say anything about anyone posting on this board, because I don't know anyone on this board in real life.
What I can say, based on reading and posting for years, is certain people appear to be liberal, conservative, independent, smart, dumb, etc. That doesn't mean they act that way in real life. This board is not real life. It is entertainment.
I did not say Republicans cannot criticize the positions of other Republicans, but you have a habit of making stuff up. There is nothing wrong with Republicans criticizing other Republicans, although that does violate the Eleventh Commandment.
-
None of this matters as Chris Christie's candidacy is dead and buried,...virtually still born. The people who were interested in backing him with $$$ have moved on in favor of Jeb Bush. Jeb Bush is an interesting guy...popular former swing state governor...great on environmental issues...strong track record in school reform..hell, if his name was Smith, he'd probably been elected in 2008 or certainly 2012. He's the reverse image of Hillary!!!. The only reason she has a snowball's chance in hell of being elected (and that literally is her only chance) is her last name...well her married name. The only thing holding Bush back is his last name.
-
I cannot conclusively say anything about anyone posting on this board, because I don't know anyone on this board in real life.
What I can say, based on reading and posting for years, is certain people appear to be liberal, conservative, independent, smart, dumb, etc. That doesn't mean they act that way in real life. This board is not real life. It is entertainment.
I did not say Republicans cannot criticize the positions of other Republicans, but you have a habit of making stuff up. There is nothing wrong with Republicans criticizing other Republicans, although that does violate the Eleventh Commandment.
A "habit" of making stuff up? THAT sounds made up to me.
OK, if that's true, then name 3 things you think I've made up.
If it's a habit of mine, as you're alleging, then you shouldn't even have to do any searching of my past posts but I say go ahead and search 'em, open-book style.
Hey, don't put yourself out too much trying to back up what you say, just name 2 instances where I've "made stuff up". Pretty please?
Seriously, BB, I think you often don't read what's written closely enough. By me or by anybody.
-
There is nothing wrong with Republicans criticizing other Republicans, although that does violate the Eleventh Commandment.
thanks to the internet, repubs cannot play the middle ground to a national audience, after playing extremist for base donor dollars. YouTube shows him/her taking position A on this date, and position B on this date... zero wiggle room, zero deniability, zero credibility with serious swing voters.
Dems, libs, they're all the same... they unite quickly because their positions on issues don't vary much. Hilary and Obama took it to the wire, and they were nearly identical on positions. It was just about who is better suited, etc. They start lib, lean a little centrist, but are very solid with the liberal wedge issues.
For repubs, the voters have a HUGE gap on positions with candidates. I mean, look at Romney... a candidate that can support manmade climate change, sign anti-gun legislation, allow amnesty cities, tax like crazy, etc - Then with a straight face, call himself "severely conservative" and repubs agreed with him.
With the dems, obama was a lib - voted MOST liberal, right? and he rode the lib positions right to the white house.
-
A "habit" of making stuff up? THAT sounds made up to me.
OK, if that's true, then name 3 things you think I've made up.
If it's a habit of mine, as you're alleging, then you shouldn't even have to do any searching of my past posts but I say go ahead and search 'em, open-book style.
Hey, don't put yourself out too much trying to back up what you say, just name 2 instances where I've "made stuff up". Pretty please?
Seriously, BB, I think you often don't read what's written closely enough. By me or by anybody.
::) You want two? Here you go:
1. Falsely claiming I said Elizabeth Warren was unelectable.
Because leftwing liberals do not make good presidents.
Even if that were true, didn't you say "unelectable"?
No.
I'd like to think she is unelectable, but after we put Obama in the White House twice, anything is possible.
2. Falsely claiming you read the Hobby Lobby decision, making a complete fool of yourself.
Read the opinion and get back to me Simpleton Simon.
I've read Kennedy's and the dissent by Ginsburg.
How about you? Have you read any of it, LayZ-B?
I only mentioned it because BB told me to read the opinion and get back to him (as if that old coot has read anything more substantial than a Fox News article...)
So, Simpleton Simon, you read a concurring opinion and dissenting opinion, but not the majority opinion? About what I expected.
If you had read the majority opinion, a few paragraphs in you would have read this: "Since RFRA applies in these cases, we must decide whether the challenged HHS regulations substantially burden the exercise of religion, and we hold that they do."
The "exercise of religion" is the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. So yes, the First Amendment Free Exercise Clause is alive and well for a day.
Now, I want that five minutes of my life back. I'm not doing that again. Just know that when I say something, there is usually some substance behind it.
-
::) You want two? Here you go:
1. Falsely claiming I said Elizabeth Warren was unelectable.
..
Whoa, BB, I didn't claim you said she was unelectable. Even from your quotes one can see that. I asked you if you said she was unelectable (because you'd said something similar to that).
Are you a child rapist? (Answer is "No", I'm 99% sure.) That's not the same thing as claiming that you are.
(Although asking an outrageous question like that WOULD be out of line, sure, but it's not the same as claiming that you are a child rapist. lol)
-
Whoa, BB, I didn't claim you said she was unelectable. Even from your quotes one can see that. I asked you if you said she was unelectable (because you'd said something similar to that).
Are you a child rapist? (Answer is "No", I'm 99% sure.) That's not the same thing as claiming that you are.
(Although asking an outrageous question like that WOULD be out of line, sure, but it's not the same as claiming that you are a child rapist. lol)
So you're going to double down on stupid? I never said she was unelectable, as my quote clearly shows. You tried to attribute that word to me, completely out of context. That's what some dishonest liberals do. But whatever. You're starting to bore me.
-
So you're going to double down on stupid? I never said she was unelectable, as my quote clearly shows. You tried to attribute that word to me, completely out of context. That's what some dishonest liberals do. But whatever. You're starting to bore me.
Attiribute my ass. You USED the word unelectable in regard to Elizabeth Warren ("I'd like to think she's unelectable...").
And I ASKED you if that's what you said. I did not go around saying, "Oh, BB is claiming that...blah, blah, blah.."
That's not making shit up. Not sure what else to tell ya.
Man, why so pissy lately?
-
Chris Christie feels the love in Iowa
The Washington Examiner
Published July 18, 2014
MARION, Iowa -- At 3 p.m. on a Thursday, well after any lunch rush had come and gone, MJ's Restaurant in Marion was teeming with activity.
Local Republicans filled seats at nearly bare tables -- a coffee mug here, an iced tea there -- and dozens of reporters loitered, all waiting to see Gov. Terry Branstad and his potential-future-presidential-candidate guest, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, making his first trip to Iowa since 2012.
The whole scene initially felt like an awkward first date: Iowa Republicans, still puzzling over what went wrong in their last presidential election, being wooed by an attractive new suitor and urged to move on.
Vic Klopfenstein had ended up at this particular lunch joint by coincidence and decided to stay for the spectacle, but he was still hung up on a former flame.
“Is there a rumor mill out east about Mitt Romney running?” Klopfenstein, a former Marion mayor, asked. “Or the two of them together…” He trailed off wistfully, considering a Romney-Christie ticket. “They'd be unstoppable.”
A large share of Iowa Republicans still have reservations about Christie, and one-third have already decided they dislike him, an NBC News/Marist poll released Thursday showed.
“That's not bad,” Christie said when confronted with those numbers. “I'll take it.”
Click for more from The Washington Examiner
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/18/chris-christie-feels-love-in-iowa/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Astorino Suggests Christie Should Step Down as Chair of RGA
By Ross Barkan | 07/22/14
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino suggested today that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie should stop campaigning for governors nationwide if he can’t back New York’s GOP contender.
Mr. Astorino said that Mr. Christie, a fellow Republican, should consider stepping down as chairman of the Republican Governors Association if he doesn’t actively support, as Mr. Christie suggested yesterday, Mr. Astorino’s long-shot bid against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“I think Chris Christie forgot where he came from. In 2009 when nobody thought he’d beat Gov. Corzine. He worked hard, he got through the summer, things changed dramatically in the fall and he won an upset just like I did in Westchester,” Mr. Astorino told the Observer at a campaign event in Manhattan today.
“If Chris Christie is unable to support Republican candidates for governor like me in a neighboring state for whatever reason–because a lot has changed since Bridgegate, I don’t know if there’s a connection with he and Andrew Cuomo on Bridgegate or if Cuomo has something that he’s holding back, information that could be damaging to the governor–if Gov. Christie is unable to help a Republican candidate for governor, maybe he should consider stepping down as chairman of the RGA,” Mr. Astorino continued. “That’s his job, to go around the country … I would welcome the governor to come here to New York to assist us.”
Mr. Christie, who has seen his own presidential ambitions take a hit after the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal, told reporters yesterday that the RGA wouldn’t invest in “landslides” and “lost causes” when he was questioned about Mr. Astorino’s campaign. Polls show the Westchester County executive consistently trailing Mr. Cuomo by nearly 40 points.
With little name recognition statewide and a war chest that pales in comparison to Mr. Cuomo’s–the governor has $35 million cash on hand compared to Mr. Astorino’s $2.4 million–Mr. Astorino is seen as unlikely to topple Mr. Cuomo. But the Republican has been running an aggressive race against Mr. Cuomo, accusing him of corrupting the state and driving residents away with poor economic policies.
Mr. Astorino did insist that he and Mr. Christie have a “good relationship,” but said it was not Mr. Christie’s “role” to dismiss Mr. Astorino’s chances.
“Maybe it’s inconvenient to come over the bridge to New York to help the Republican candidate for governor here,” he said. “But you know what? That’s his call whether he wants to or not … it’s incumbent upon him to help all of us.”
Mr. Christie declined to comment. The RGA did not immediately return requests for comment.
http://observer.com/2014/07/astorino-suggests-christie-should-step-down-as-chair-of-rga/#ixzz38JA4Bfob
-
:o Fat Man has a lot of work to do.
Poll: Christie trails Clinton in New Jersey
Posted: Aug 06, 2014 2:40 AM HST
Updated: Aug 06, 2014 2:41 AM HST
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Chris Christie trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among New Jersey voters surveyed in a poll about the 2016 presidential race.
The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows Clinton leading the Republican governor 50 to 42 percent. Both are considering 2016 runs but haven't committed.
The poll also shows Clinton with strong support among women New Jersey voters surveyed. Men are divided. Clinton has a slight edge among independent voters.
New Jersey voters give the Democrat a 60-38 percent favorability rating while they're evenly split at 47 percent for Christie.
Forty-nine percent say Christie should stay home compared to 46 percent who say he should run for president.
The poll of 1,148 voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
http://www.my9nj.com/story/26210577/poll-christie-trails-clinton-in-new-jersey
-
:o Fat Man has a lot of work to do.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Gov. Chris Christie trails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among New Jersey voters surveyed in a poll about the 2016 presidential race.
The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows Clinton leading the Republican governor 50 to 42 percent. Both are considering 2016 runs but haven't committed.
The poll also shows Clinton with strong support among women New Jersey voters surveyed. Men are divided. Clinton has a slight edge among independent voters.
I think nationwide, women voters are going to dislike Christie. He's had quite a few really rude comments. Repub men may view it as tough and hilarious and fitting... but moderate women voters? No way.
The repub base rejects him. Moderate women reject him. IMO, if repubs choose him, they're making the nomination harder than it has to be. It's like in 2012... why choose the Repub candidate with a history of supporting lib positions? Dude signed one of the strictest gun bills in US history... and you use HIM to ride the tea party momentum of 18 months earlier? LOL What the F?
Repubs, don't overthink this. Choose a good candidate and defeat hilary. now, all the morons, roll your eyes on 3, 2, 1...
-
Looks like Fat Man is losing weight. :o
(http://thehill.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_full/public/blogs/christiechris_032514getty_0.jpg?itok=AZ2Ja6WS)
Christie 'thinking about' 2016 bid
By Jesse Byrnes
August 15, 2014, 01:26 pm
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told an Ocean City, Md., town hall Thursday that he was considering running for president in 2016.
"I'm thinking about it," Christie said in response to a question from a local supporter, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.
“It is an enormous decision to make not only for me, but my family,” Christie said, according to the newspaper, saying he would make his decision "probably by the end of this year or the beginning of next."
Christie, who has traveled nationally as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has long been considered a likely candidate for president in 2016 and is among the top contenders, according to polls. He's had to deal this year with the fallout from his administration's role in lane closures on the George Washington Bridge.
He joked about why he wasn't asked about 2016 sooner at the event.
“Third question in, you people are slow,” he reportedly said.
Christie also criticized President Obama's handling of the border crisis and healthcare reform, The Star-Ledger reported.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/215262-christie-thinking-about-2016-bid
-
some people just look better fat. he's not aging well. looks like 2012 may have really been his window.
-
Chris Christie accuses 'Bridgegate' panel of playing politics
Posted by
CNN's Steve Kastenbaum
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had harsh words Thursday for the committee investigating allegations of abuse of power and the orchestrated lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, known to many as the "Bridgegate" scandal.
"It's absolutely not true and it is a completely, a completely partisan act to be doing the leaking that they are doing," he said in response to a reporter's question about claims that his lawyers would not hand over certain documents, citing executive privilege.
The governor lambasted Democratic New Jersey Assemblyman John Wisniewski, co-chairman of the Select Committee on Investigation, saying he wanted to keep his name in the newspapers and his face on TV.
"We have fully cooperated, absolutely fully cooperated with them, and I am really growing tired of him," Christie said at a news conference in Trenton, New Jersey.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/09/18/chris-christie-accuses-bridgegate-panel-of-playing-politics/
-
Good job Fat Man.
Chris Christie's RGA scores wins in Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois
By Matt Arco and Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on November 05, 2014 at 12:30 AM, updated November 05, 2014 at 7:30 AM
WOODBRIDGE — It was expensive, nasty, and exceptionally close — but a win is a win: Florida Incumbent Gov. Rick Scott defeated his Democratic challenger in a race Gov. Chris Christie kept a close eye on.
Scott won another term against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, thanks in no small measure to enormous funding from the Republican Governors Association, which Christie chairs.
The $19 million spent in Florida by the RGA marked not only the single-largest expenditure ever made by the group, but also helped make the contest the most costly midterm election race in the nation. Some $100 million flowed into dueling TV commercials between Scott and his challenger. In all, Christie visited the state eight times in the last year and attending about 20 campaign events. The win in Florida is part of a trifecta of hotly contested governorships, including Wisconsin and Illinois, identified by Christie as crucial to any Republican candidate winning the presidency in 2016. “Would you rather have Rick Scott in Florida overseeing the voting mechanism, or Charlie Crist? Would you rather have Scott Walker in Wisconsin overseeing the voting mechanism, or would you rather have Mary Burke? Who would you rather have in Ohio, John Kasich or Ed FitzGerald?” he asked. In the end, all three of those Republican gubernatorial candidates — Scott in Florida, Walker in Wisconsin, and Bruce Rauner in Illinois — prevailed. Walker, who benefited from more than $8 million from the GOP, could also be a potential future rival. Like Christie, Walker is expected to be mulling a 2016 White House bid. Christie congratulated Walker, who he campaigned for during his first gubernatorial and again when Walker faced a recall election, for winning “for the third time in four years.”
“Wisconsin rewarded bold leadership and the real results it yield,” Christie said in a statement, adding the Republican will “will continue to take Wisconsin in the right direction in his second term.”
Christie appeared on the campaign trail in Wisconsin twice in recent months. During a September visit, Christie took aim at public worker unions, saying they wanted to make an example of Walker by outsing him on Election Day because he did “tough things to put taxpayers first.”
It was a mixed bag for Christie shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
Christie, who campaigned coast-to-coast to elect Republican governors for the past ten months as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, scored some big victories and was dealt a few setbacks as votes continued to be tallied in some of the 36 states where people went to the polls to elect governors.
Republicans controlled 20 states and Democrats were elected in seven states – 9 states were still undecided.
The GOP won in South Carolina, Ohio, Arkansas, South Dakota, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois, Arizona, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, Maryland and Michigan.
Christie spent a lot of time and the RGA invested a record-breaking amount in Florida’s gubernatorial contest. Meanwhile, candidates in South Carolina and Iowa sailed to victory as expected.
Christie touched down in Iowa four times in recent months and twice in South Carolina. Iowa is home to the nation’s first presidential caucus and South Carolina holds the first presidential primary in the South.
Democrats controlled Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, New York, California, Minnesota, Oregon and Rhode Island.
Christie hoped to deliver a win for Republican gubernatorial hopeful Walt Havenstein in New Hampshire, where he visited the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state four times in recent months. However, the state’s incumbent Democratic governor fended off the challenge.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania flipped control after voters elected a Democratic challenger to the state’s Republican incumbent Christie campaigned with and the RGA funded.
Races were still not called in Vermont, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Kansas, Maine, Idaho, Hawaii and Alaska.
Before going into Election Day, Republicans held governor mansions in 22 states and Democratic governors controlled 14 states.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/11/christie_election_recap.html
-
Good job Fat Man.
You shouldn't pick on Christie because of his weight.
Pick on him because he's a liberal.
-
You shouldn't pick on Christie because of his weight.
Pick on him because he's a liberal.
Nah. I pick on the board's biggest liberal (you) enough already.
-
Nah. I pick on the board's biggest liberal (you) enough already.
if there was a button to "Impeach Obama", I'd push it a thousand times.
You'd give us a thousand reasons why we shouldn't push the impeach button.
-
if there was a button to "Impeach Obama", I'd push it a thousand times.
You'd give us a thousand reasons why we shouldn't push the impeach button.
Yawn. You liberals can be so disingenuous. You are nothing more than a dishonest Obama cheerleader.
The good news for you is you have two more years to worship the nan.
-
Yawn. You liberals can be so disingenuous. You are nothing more than a dishonest Obama cheerleader.
The good news for you is you have two more years to worship the nan.
-
(http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/3/0/9/1/1/9/1/Obama-cheerleader-77993068767.jpeg)
-
Fat Man is speaking the truth. :)
Gov. Chris Christie: Voters Have Had Enough of Big Spending, Taxes
Wednesday, 05 Nov 2014
By Wanda Carruthers
Voters were sending the message that they'd had enough of big spending and big taxes when they voted out Democratic Govs. Martin O'Malley in Maryland and Deval Patrick in Massachusetts in Tuesday's elections, New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie told "Fox & Friends."
"I think it's a repudiation of big spending, big taxing policies by Gov. Marty O'Malley in Maryland and Gov. Duval Patrick in Massachusetts. People don't want it," Christie said Wednesday.
As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie traveled across the country during the 2014 election season, campaigning and raising money for GOP gubernatorial candidates. He said a map that showed there were now Republican governors in 32 states "looks absolutely fabulous."
Christie maintained Republicans won overwhelmingly in governors' races on Tuesday because voters saw they delivered results, something he said "people want more than anything else."
"We make sure we get the job done. We don't have a lot of bickering and arguing and rancor. We get our job done. And, I think that's what you're going to see from governors over the next two years," he said.
Though Christie explained the unpopularity of President Barack Obama didn't have a great deal to do with this year's gubernatorial elections, he said it did play a factor in why people were unhappy with the direction of the country.
"It's a reflection of the president's lack of leadership — his lack of leadership abroad, his lack of leadership at home. That's what it's a reflection of more than anything," he said.
With the 2014 elections over, Christie said people needed to "take a deep breath" before making predictions about who might run for president in 2016.
"It's a very serious decision for anybody to make to run for president of the United States. People should do that deliberately. And, then make whatever decision they think is best for themselves, their family, and our country," he said.
Christie, who has voiced interest in running for president, said he didn't worry about "punditry analysis" about his sometime brash demeanor, and explained he was "going to be direct and honest and blunt about how I feel about things."
"I think people will judge me up or down based on that," he said. "That's who I am."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/Chris-Christie-Elections-Voters-message/2014/11/05/id/605464/#ixzz3IE4xqccC
-
Christie Won't Resign as Gov. in Run for Presidency
Friday, 07 Nov 2014
By John Blosser
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to keep one foot firmly in Trenton if and when he makes a run for Washington, D.C.
If he decides to seek the Republican nomination for the White House in 2016, which pundits view as highly likely given Christie's stellar performance as a fundraiser and stumper for Republican candidates in the midterms, he plans to remain as governor while running his presidential campaign.
New Jersey State Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, told NJ.com, "He told me directly that he had no intention of giving up his job. I got the distinct impression that he has no intention of leaving the governorship unless he’s resigning for another job or it’s the end of his term."
Christie's current, and second, term as New Jersey's leader will not expire until 2017 and, while he has not formally announced, he has made no secret of his presidential aspirations.
"A lot of people are salivating over it, but he has no intention of doing it (resigning)," O'Scanlon told The Star Ledger.
Nor does Christie have his eye on any post lower than that of president.
He told the Reuters, "I'm never running for office in New Jersey again. The only job left for me to run for is United States Senate and let me just say this: I would rather die than be in the United States Senate. I would be bored to death."
Christie, supporters believe, could handle both tasks, running New Jersey and running for president.
As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie raised a record-breaking $106 million and boosted the GOP to victory in 31 gubernatorial races. It was a performance which,
Phil Cox, RGA executive director, told NJ.com, showed Christie to be "an absolutely tireless and determined" chairman who brought "an incredible amount of energy to the job."
He spent over a third of his second term out of New Jersey, traveling to stump for Republican candidates around the country, NJ.com reports.
RealClearPolitics' average shows Christie running fourth for the Republican 2016 nomination, behind Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But the poll is very close, with Paul only 0.2 percentage points ahead of Bush and 1.2 points ahead of Christie.
"He has dramatically demonstrated his political bona fides through his stint at the Republican Governors Association," O'Scanlon told the Star Ledger. "No one can argue he's not one of the most important people on the political scene right now."
The day after the elections, Christie lunched with billionaires Steve Wynn, the casino mogul, and real estate tycoon Richard LeFrak at Manhattan's Four Seasons Grill Room, leading to speculation that he was seeking backing for a 2016 run.
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/Christie-New-Jersey-governor-president/2014/11/07/id/606000/#ixzz3IPT2OWsT
-
Go Fat Man . . . Go Fat Man . . . :D
No evidence linking lane closures to Christie, report says
Published December 05, 2014
FoxNews.com
No evidence was found by New Jersey lawmakers to show New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was involved in a plot to close lanes near the George Washington Bridge last year.
Investigators found no conclusive evidence of whether or not Christie was aware of the closures. However, the investigation did find that two former aides of Christie acted with little regard for public safety when they closed lanes near the bridge, a 136-page interim report reveals.
A report commissioned by Christie previously cleared him of any wrongdoing and a lawyer for the governor said in a statement Thursday that the report corroborates that investigation.
"The Committee has finally acknowledged what we reported nine months ago — namely, that there is not a shred of evidence Governor Christie knew anything about the GWB lane realignment beforehand or that any current member of his staff was involved in that decision," Christie attorney Randy Mastro said in a statement.
The report will be supplemented if needed because several critical witnesses did not testify and some important questions remain unanswered.
Christie aides Bridget Anne Kelly and David Wildstein acted with “perceived impunity” by closing the lanes, the report says. It also said the Christie administration did not act quick enough to resolve the closures.
Documents released earlier this year showed that Wildstein, then an official at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Kelly, then an aide to Christie, orchestrated the shutdown, apparently as retribution toward Fort Lee's Democratic mayor. In one email, Kelly told Wildstein, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
Wildstein later contended that Christie knew about the lane closures as they happened. Christie, a possible 2016 Republican presidential contender, denies that he had any role in or knowledge of a plot to shut down the lanes.
An investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office is continuing. No one has been charged.
The legislative panel is scheduled to meet on Monday to formally release the report to the public.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/05/no-evidence-linking-lane-closures-to-christie-report-says/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Christie Preps for 2016, Has Late Nights on Foreign Policy
Monday, 22 Dec 2014
It's after 9 p.m. on a Sunday night in late November and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is deep into a conference call, talking about nuclear weapons and Iran.
One voice is advocating a hard line, arguing against allowing Iran any capability to enrich uranium. Another summarizes the status of current negotiations and argues that forcing Iran to give up enrichment entirely isn't realistic.
This is how Christie has spent many of his nights during a year in which he raised record-setting amounts of campaign cash for his fellow Republican governors and methodically tried to recover from a political scandal involving traffic jams near a New York City bridge. Late at night, away from the spotlight of the midterm elections and 2016 speculation, he's been on the phone with some of the brightest foreign policy minds in the Republican Party, getting ready to run for president.
"They've been much more quiet in general in their outreach and their approach than, say, (Texas Gov.) Rick Perry, who's been very public and active," said Lanhee Chen, who served as 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney's chief policy adviser and is among those that Christie's aides have sought out for guidance.
"And I think that reflects a difference in terms of what they perceive that they need to accomplish here very early on to be viable as presidential candidates," Chen said.
Such preparation is expected from prospective White House candidates, especially those such as Christie, a long-time politician in New Jersey and former U.S. attorney who lacks the foreign policy experience of the favorite for the Democratic nomination, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But the previously undisclosed prep sessions are another indication that Christie's political ambitions are undeterred by the George Washington Bridge scandal and the all-but-formal entry into the 2016 campaign of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a competitor for support among donors eager to back an establishment nominee.
The briefing efforts are led by Bob Grady, a longtime adviser to Christie and a former White House official who has become the point-man on policy in the tight-knit Christie circle. Assisting is Bob Zoellick, the former president of the World Bank and U.S. Trade Representative, and Brian Hook, a former assistant secretary of state who was the Romney campaign's senior adviser on foreign policy.
Zoellick and Grady said some of the sessions have covered Christie's recent trips to Mexico and Canada. Other topics have included Ukraine and Russia, the Islamic State, Syria and Iraq, Iran, and the U.S. defense budget.
The calls, which generally last about 90 minutes, typically begin with several experts discussing a region's history, recent developments and the views of foreign leaders of the countries involved, followed by a detailed question and answer session. The format is designed, they said, to expose Christie to multiple points of view and help him build a deeper understanding of history and world affairs.
"The idea is, the governor will form his own views, and this is the stage where he can get some sort of range of perspectives, some sense of questions that he should be thinking about," Zoellick said. "I personally think, having been through these since the '88 campaign in one form or another, is that it's the best way for him to actually think through and develop a foundation."
Christie has also met one-on-one or on the phone with officials, business leaders and academics, including former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Henry Kissinger, and Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass.
While selling himself as a brash straight-talker, Christie has been notably reluctant to share his views about policy issues that fall outside his wheelhouse as governor. That includes immigration, which Christie has repeatedly said he won't discuss unless he chooses to run.
That has triggered criticism, with a Washington Post columnist suggesting Christie was at risk of becoming the "Rick Perry of 2016" — a reference to the Texas governor's dismal performance in 2012 and his inability to recall in one debate the details of his own plan to eliminate three federal departments.
While Christie and his aides have also been reluctant to share other details about their preparations, members of his team, led by his chief political adviser Mike DuHaime and money man Bill Palatucci, have begun a quiet outreach effort to potential donors as well as conservative activists, people familiar with the efforts said.
One of Christie's most loyal cheerleaders, Ken Langone, the billionaire founder of Home Depot, told The Associated Press that he's been chatting up friends and associates who may also be interested in backing a Christie campaign.
"As I talk, I'm keeping a list of people that, if the governor decides to run, these are the people I'm going to go to and say, 'Would you like to help?' " he said.
There is more to be done, and soon, should Christie want to stay competitive in a race defined by Bush's announcement last week that he plans to "actively explore" a campaign.
Christie's people have been less aggressive in feeling out potential staffers in early voting states, and he does not have any kind of political action committee to allow him to raise money to pay for his travel and other campaign preparation.
With nearly a dozen potential candidates raring to go, there is little time left for the behind-the-scenes approach. Florida's Mel Sembler, a former finance chair of the Republican National Committee, said he received a flurry of calls from donors last week telling him, "We're ready," following Bush's announcement.
"Sides," Sembler said, "are beginning to be drawn."
http://www.Newsmax.com/Politics/christie-foreign-policy-2016/2014/12/22/id/614428/#ixzz3Mg7NyyaP
-
Christie says Jeb Bush's 2016 ambitions are not a factor
By Maeve Reston
Mon December 22, 2014
(CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Monday night that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's steps toward a run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination would have no bearing on his own decision about whether to jump into the race, a decision he will make later this year.
Bush's announcement last week that he was "actively exploring" a run was a blow to Christie's ambitions because the two men will be competing for many of the same donors as they test their viability as candidates. But Bush will be leaning on a far deeper network of financial supporters that came together to back the winning presidential campaigns of his father, George H.W. Bush, and his brother, George W. Bush. Many of those donors were intrigued by Christie before the George Washington Bridge scandal broke earlier this year.
During an hour-long interview with Steve Adubato on NJTV, Christie said his decision would be based solely on three factors.
"Is it right for me? Is it right for my family? Is it right for the country ... If I answer 'yes' to all three of those things then I will run. If I don't answer 'yes' to all three then I won't," he said.
Adubato pressed him on how much a run by Bush would affect his plans.
"It's not one of the three questions," Christie said with a faint smile. He did not elaborate on his thoughts or make any comments sizing up Bush as competition.
Christie, who has faced many questions about his temperament as he has moved on to the national stage, also waved off questions about whether his brusque and sometimes confrontational manner would wear well over time.
Adubato noted that Christie's demeanor has in many ways been "his calling card" and how he gets "stuff done," but asked whether he would modulate his behavior to appear more "presidential. "
"No," Christie responded with characteristic bluntness. "Why would I? It's who I am."
"If people want somebody different, then if I ever ran for president, they'd vote for somebody different," he said. "I don't intend to become a phony to win an election."
Christie added that members of the public rarely ask him about those traits, and argued that the subject is an obsession of reporters. In a recent incident where he told a heckler to "sit down and shut up," he noted that many news outlets only ran that sentence without showing him let the man "yell, go on, block the cameras with his signs, speak over me, get booed by the crowd."
The governor said he told the man that he would talk to him later -- a part, he said, that often gets edited out of the footage -- but that he stood by his direction to the heckler to sit down and shut up.
"I don't regret that for one second and I wouldn't change that part of myself," he said.
"What you all do," he said, referring to the media, "is to take that small part and say 'Look at him, all someone had to do was stand up and something, and bang, he says sit down and shut up.'"
"People like to watch that," he said. He joked that his sometime unpredictable demeanor was one reason why people were tuning in to Monday night's hour-long interview.
"I don't think they've seen me punch you yet," he said to Adubato. "But they live in hope."
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/22/politics/chris-christie-punch/index.html
-
:)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B7GSV4vIAAId1Lh.jpg:large)
Paul Ryan ✔ @PRyan
Follow
.@GovChristie, do you need a hug now? #GoPackGo #WinninginWisco
11:11 AM - 11 Jan 2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/11/paul-ryan-chris-christie-cowboys-hug_n_6452608.html
-
t
-
Let that be a lesson to you Fat Man: bad things happen when you become a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Poll: Christie sinks to lowest net approval in 4 years
By KENDALL BREITMAN 1/21/15
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is experiencing his lowest overall ratings in four years, according to a new poll.
In a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, 46 percent of New Jersey voters said they approved of Christie and 48 percent said they disapproved.
Christie’s approval ratings have not recovered since news broke that members of his office were involved in lane closures in Fort Lee in 2013 — now referred to as “Bridgegate” by some.
In January 2014, his approval rating in the same poll was 55 percent, and his disapproval rating was 38 percent. Since news broke of the scandal, his approval ratings have not risen above 50 percent.
“It’s the traffic nightmare that never ends for New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie,” said Quinnipiac University Poll Assistant Director Maurice Carroll. “He was doing fine until one year ago and then, Wham! Bridgegate hit like a 10-car pileup on the George Washington Bridge and the governor has yet to recover.”
An overall rating takes into account both the approval and disapproval ratings of a politician. This poll marks Christie’s lowest rating since June 2011, when approval for him stood at 44 percent and disapproval was 47 percent.
This poll, which was taken Jan. 15-19 among 1,211 New Jersey voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/chris-christie-approval-rating-114444.html#ixzz3PTXSzdwO
-
Let that be a lesson to you Fat Man: bad things happen when you become a Dallas Cowboys fan.
Bad things happen when he's a liberal dressing as a repub that closes bridge lanes and throws his staff under the bus for it.
Christie is SHIT as a republican. Anyone supporting him for prez as a repub is also SHIT as a republican.
-
Bad things happen when he's a liberal dressing as a repub that closes bridge lanes and throws his staff under the bus for it.
Christie is SHIT as a republican. Anyone supporting him for prez as a repub is also SHIT as a republican.
Shut up troll.
-
Fat Man is running.
Christie launches PAC in significant step toward White House run
Published January 26, 2015
FoxNews.com
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/876/493/GOP%202016%20Iowa_Cham640360012615.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Jan. 24, 2015: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has taken a major step toward a run for president in 2016, forming a political action committee that will allow him to raise money for a possible White House bid.
The creation of the committee, called Leadership Matters for America, was confirmed to Fox News by a Christie adviser. The paperwork was filed Friday before his address over the weekend to the Iowa Freedom Summit, a conservative gathering in Des Moines.
The committee, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, also allows Christie to begin to hire staffers, build the foundations of a campaign operation and travel across the country as he weighs a final decision on a run. He plans to make such trips starting in February, Fox News has learned.
The move comes one month after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he was launching a similar organization, which kicked off an aggressive race to lock down donors and may have drawn 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney into the race.
The PAC's staffers will include Matt Mowers, a former Christie aide, who is stepping down from his job as executive director of the New Hampshire Republican Party at the end of the month. Christie is named as its honorary chairman.
"We believe there's a void right now in leadership throughout the country," Christie's chief political adviser Mike DuHaime told The Journal. "We aim to support candidates who are willing to take on tough problems and make tough decisions."
A mission statement on the organization's website echoes themes that Christie has focused in recent speeches, including remarks on Saturday in Iowa in front of conservative activists.
"America has been a nation that has always controlled events and yet today events control us. Why? Because leadership matters," the mission statement reads. "It matters if we want to restore America's role in the world, find the political will to take on the entrenched special interests that continually stand in the way of fundamental change, reform entitlement spending at every level of government, and ensure that every child, no matter their zip code, has access to a quality education."
Christie, a former federal prosecutor who passed up the opportunity to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012, turned quickly toward laying the groundwork for a 2016 campaign after winning a second gubernatorial term in the heavily Democratic Garden State in 2013.
In the past several months, he has held meetings to court donors, convened late-night briefing sessions on foreign policy and made repeated visits to early-voting states, including in Iowa over the weekend, where he vaguely referred to himself as "a candidate."
He takes his next step into the race with several advantages, among them having recently completed a banner year of fundraising as chair of the Republican Governors Association. The group raised more than $100 million on Christie's watch and helped Republican candidates win a series of unexpected races, including the nominally Democratic states of Maryland and Illinois.
Serving as RGA chief also gave Christie the opportunity to travel across the country and build relationships with donors and activists. He is also one of his party's most talented retail politicians, reveling in the kind of one-on-one interaction that voters in the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire demand.
But Christie also has challenges to overcome, including the still-pending federal investigation into accusations that former staff members and appointees created traffic jams as political payback against the Democratic mayor of a New York suburb by blocking access lanes to the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan.
He's also dogged by questions about the economy of New Jersey, including several recent downgrades of the state's credit rating and sluggish job growth. Christie is also viewed with distrust in certain conservative circles, while other question whether his brash persona and habit of confrontation will play well outside his home state.
While Christie has told supporters to "relax" about the timing of his entry into the race, he has faced mounting pressure to get started after Bush -- whose support and donor base significantly overlaps with Christie's -- said he would "actively explore" a run.
Christie's campaign is likely to focus on many of the themes he's spent years developing in New Jersey, including a pitch that he can expand the Republican Party's tent by appealing to independent, women and minority voters.
Fox News' Serafin Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/26/christie-launches-pac-in-significant-step-toward-white-house-run/?intcmp=latestnews
-
You disappoint me Fat Man.
Chris Christie defends Tom Brady
By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
Tue May 12, 2015
Washington (CNN)New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie thinks the New York Jets should return any money they were paid to salute members of the military, he said during a Tuesday interview on CNN.
"If the money was paid to the Jets just for saluting the troops, they should give the money back, because we should be saluting the troops because of what they do for our country," he told CNN's Jake Tapper in an exclusive interview for "The Lead."
The Star-Ledger reported, and the Pentagon has confirmed, that the Defense Department and the New Jersey Guard paid the Jets $377,000 over three years for players to salute members of the military and for other advertising. Overall, the Defense Department paid 14 NFL teams $5.4 million in similar programs.
Christie hedged, saying that if the teams were paid "for some other advertisement or something else that I don't know about, then that's a decision for the government to make."
"But If we're actually paying the New York Jets franchise for saluting the troops, then that would be very disappointing," he said.
He had somewhat more sympathy for New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady, who was suspended for four games without pay by the NFL this week for his team's alleged use of underinflated footballs during the playoffs. He said the four-game penalty was an "overreaction" in response to criticism that the NFL had been too soft on players in the past, and suggested that the punishment was so severe in part because of Brady's accomplishments.
"I think it has to do with the fact that (Brady's) wealthy and handsome and famous and successful, and I think people like to take shots at people like that," he said. And so ... from my view, I think the punishment is too harsh."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/12/politics/chris-christie-tom-brady-deflategate/index.html
-
You disappoint me Fat Man.
Chris Christie defends Tom Brady
If he doesn't win New Hampshire in 2016, he doesn't win the nomination. He's just pandering to NH GOP voters.
-
Fat Man ain't lyin.
Chris Christie Says Bridge Scandal Was Covered More Harshly Than Clinton E-Mails
May 21, 2015
The Republican speculates about what the media reaction would have been if he had acknowledged deleting e-mails in the so-called Bridgegate flap.
Likely Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Thursday that he has been scrutinized far more heavily by the media than Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton when it comes to their respective controversies.
“If I had come out the day after the Bridgegate thing was announced and said, 'By the way, um, all my e-mails are on a private server and I deleted a whole bunch of them and I destroyed the server, but you need to take my word for it, the e-mails had nothing to do with the bridge stuff,' can you only imagine what the reaction would have been?” Christie said on CNBC's Squawk Box.
The bridge controversy stems from 2013 lane closures near the George Washington Bridge that snarled traffic in a town whose Democratic mayor hadn't endorsed Christie for reelection. The story blew up in January 2014, rocking Christie's presidential ambitions. After a months-long federal probe, two of his ex-allies this month pleaded not guilty to criminal charges related to the lane closures.
Christie said media coverage of Clinton's e-mail practices has paled in comparison. In March, before she launched her campaign, Clinton defended herself against the revelation that she had used private, nongovernmental e-mail as secretary of state in the Obama administration and deleted thousands of messages she deemed personal. A Republican-led House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks is seeking e-mail messages and testimony from Clinton. Christie maintained that the "intensity of the coverage and the relentlessness of the coverage is different" between his scandal and Clinton's.
"I do believe that there is an absolute bias and a rush to judgement," Christie said. "You all know this. You saw the coverage of me 15 months ago. I was guilty. Guilty. I had done it. Now we're 15 months later. Where are the apologies pouring in? Not one thing I said on the day after the bridge situation has been proven to be wrong."
In a wide-ranging interview, Christie addressed foreign policy, attacking President Barack Obama and saying he created the power vacuum in Iraq that led to the rise of the Islamic State. He also said the world is more dangerous now than it was before his presidency. Christie also talked about how his experience as the Republican governor of a heavily Democratic state has led him to a different philosophy on arguing social issues like abortion than those of his potential competitors. Christie said it is counterproductive to alienate people who might have otherwise embraced conservative economic policies, but are turned off by a the Republican party orthodoxy on social issues.
"It's your tone and how you talk about it," Christie said. "If you talk about these issues in a way that you are absolutely critical of a person who has a different view than you, and dismissive of them, well then they're going to be dismissive of you as a candidate. If you are talking to a person who is pro-choice on abortion and you're pro-life, and you say to them 'I'm pro-life and that means I'm going to heaven and you're pro-choice and you're going to hell,' well, you know, if that's your tone, they don't care what you have to say about pro-growth policies."
Christie also said his decision about whether or not to run for the White House will rest on how he thinks the campaign will affect his family. He said his wife, Mary Pat Christie, recently left her job at investment firm Angelo Gordon to be home to help their kids adjust.
"It's a lot of time away and you don't want to mess up your kids and that's the hardest part of it," he said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-05-21/chris-christie-says-bridge-scandal-was-covered-more-harshly-than-clinton-e-mails
-
Fat Man ain't lyin.
Chris Christie Says Bridge Scandal Was Covered More Harshly Than Clinton E-Mails
May 21, 2015
Christie also said the reason 65% of NJ residents said he'd make a lousy president is because secretly, they're sabotaging him so he doesn't leave jersey, since they love him so much.
http://wonkette.com/586010/new-jersey-loves-chris-christie-too-much-to-share-him-with-america
So ya gotta giggle when he talks.
-
Shut up troll.
says the troll pretending to be a moderator
-
Good work Fat Man.
Christie pardons NJ man whose legally owned gun made him convicted felon
By Cristina Corbin
Published June 09, 2015
FoxNews.com
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday he pardoned a 24-year-old security guard of all criminal charges, after the man's arrest two years ago for carrying a legally-owned firearm made him a convicted felon.
"I feel so blessed," Steffon Josey-Davis told FoxNews.com Monday. "Gov. Christie knew in his heart this was the right thing to do."
When Josey-Davis was pulled over by police along a New Jersey road, the young security guard never imagined his legally owned gun would be confiscated.
"I feel so blessed. Gov. Christie knew in his heart this was the right thing to do."
- Steffon Josey-Davis
Josey-Davis' nightmare began on the morning of Sept. 20, 2013, when he was preparing to leave his North Brunswick, N.J., home for a job as an armed security guard with Loomis Armored, a company responsible for transporting money to banks.
While unloading his 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun inside his car, his 6-year-old sister wandered into the family's garage, startling Josey-Davis. He quickly tucked the firearm inside the glove compartment and out of the child's view, according to his account.
Hours later, while driving at night with his girlfriend in Highland Park, he was pulled over. Josey-Davis says he was going below the speed limit.
Because he did not yet have a permit to carry the gun -- which was stored, still loaded, in the glove compartment -- he was arrested.
As a result, Josey-Davis had a criminal record and was unable to secure a job -- and his dreams of becoming a police officer are dashed. Josey-Davis sought a pardon from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie after mounting a robust social media campaign, including a Change.org petition that has attracted more than 85,000 signatures to date.
He also hired Evan Nappen, a prominent gun rights attorney, to appeal his conviction.
"This is a case of a law-abiding citizen being turned into a criminal by New Jersey gun laws," Nappen told FoxNews.com in an interview last March.
Steffon Josey-Davis' dream of becoming a police officer could be back on, after NJ Gov. Chris Christie pardoned him for a gun charge.
Josey-Davis described the night of his arrest to FoxNews.com in detail.
He said that after he was pulled over, he reached into the glove compartment for the car's registration. He saw the gun, which he had forgotten about, and turned it over to the officers. They took it, issued him a citation for his registration -- which had expired that morning -- and let him go. They told him to return to the Highland Park Police Department the following Monday to retrieve his firearm, he claims.
Josey-Davis said he did as he was told, bringing with him his work credentials and receipts for the firearm. What happened next stunned him.
"They handcuffed me and charged me with unlawful possession of a firearm -- a second-degree felony," he said.
"I almost fainted. My life was ruined -- all my hard work went down the drain," said Josey-Davis, who had no criminal background and had passed rigorous security background checks for his job.
Josey-Davis had purchased the gun a month prior to his arrest at Meltzer's Sporting Goods in Garfield, N.J. While he legally owned the firearm, he had not yet secured a permit to carry it -- giving authorities just cause under state law to arrest him. Josey-Davis claims the pending permit was due to be approved the week he was arrested.
In February, Josey-Davis ended up taking a deal for a year of probation from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to avoid a sentence that could have carried up to 10 years in state prison. He pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. As part of the deal, the prosecutor waived New Jersey's "Graves Act" and Josey-Davis is serving the probation.
But Nappen then challenged that criminal record.
Nappen claimed that between August 2013 and February 2014, the state had a firearm amnesty in effect, meaning individuals in similar situations were exempt from such charges.
"During that time there was amnesty and he should not have even been charged," claimed Nappen, who said the law during those months allowed for people to retain possession of a firearm "legally or illegally acquired."
"For whatever reason, this law didn't seem to be well known. The state police did a poor job at publicizing it," he said. "I think it's particularly striking that that wasn't raised."
Nappen roundly criticized New Jersey gun laws for being "badly written."
"New Jersey's gun control laws are out of control," he said. "It's clearly evident they need serious reform. The legislature is really ultimately to blame."
In March, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office vehemently refuted Nappen's claim, saying, "There was no gun amnesty program that would apply under these circumstances."
In a statement to FoxNews.com at the time, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said Josey-Davis was stopped by police for driving a vehicle with an expired registration. He said that during the stop, Josey-Davis "gave four significantly different versions of the circumstances surrounding his illegal possession of the handgun.
"Additionally, he said he worked for an armored car company, but he did not possess a license to carry the weapon, which was seized as evidence," Carey said.
Carey said he was charged with "having a handgun in the glove compartment of his vehicle" – and that the law stipulates drivers can only transport a gun, unloaded, in the trunk. (Josey-Davis' attorney, though, clarified that his client was specifically charged over the permit issue.)
"Describing his conduct as a simple mistake does not negate the seriousness of this law, which was created to protect police officers and the public," Carey continued. "Illegal gun possession is a second-degree offense, punishable by a prison term of multiple years. This defendant agreed to plead guilty and was placed on probation for one year."
New Jersey gun control advocates claim the law is well-intended and should not be changed in response to exceptional cases such as that of Josey-Davis.
"We think the law needs to take into consideration individual circumstances, but it's still a law that's for the well being of the people of New Jersey," said Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Princeton-based group, Coalition for Peace Action, which oversees the gun control project known as "Ceasefire NJ."
"It sounds like these officers were doing their job," Moore told FoxNews.com. "It's up to the courts to decide some kind of leniency given the circumstances."
He added: "We would be against changing the law because of these exceptional circumstances. ... That’s one reason you go before a judge. The law itself should not be changed."
Josey-Davis said Monday he plans to help others who find themselves in similar situations.
"I’m going to encourage other people in the same situation and tell them there’s always hope and never to give up," he said. "I am so thankful I can move on with my life."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/09/christie-pardons-nj-man-whose-legally-owned-gun-made-him-convicted-felon/
-
I think every state shouild have concealed carry, but I have to laugh at this line:
"This is a case of a law-abiding citizen being turned into a criminal by New Jersey gun laws,"
No, a law-abiding citizen is one that abides by the law lol. He carried a gun in his car without a permit. That's illegal in NJ. By definition, the man was no longer law-abiding when he "forgot" the gun was in there.
Do I think the law is crap? Yes. Do I think Christie should pardon ALL people that forget and carry illegally in their cars? Yes. But to just let one dude off the hook? that's crap.
I love how gun laws are so flippant to some people. 333386 carries a gun, he's going to jail, even if he "forgets". But this dude carries one, and Christie is cool with it. Selective enforcement. If some dude named "hussein" forgets he has an AR-15 in his bag and boards a plane, will you be equally forgiving as if some TX coach named Barry does it? lol
I dont like this law, but it's what the people of NJ decided on, so it should be followed. Once it's "okay" to throw out laws we don't like, look for the libs to do it too
-
Good work Fat Man.
Christie pardons NJ man whose legally owned gun made him convicted felon
By Cristina Corbin
Published June 09, 2015
FoxNews.com
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced Monday he pardoned a 24-year-old security guard of all criminal charges, after the man's arrest two years ago for carrying a legally-owned firearm made him a convicted felon.
"I feel so blessed," Steffon Josey-Davis told FoxNews.com Monday. "Gov. Christie knew in his heart this was the right thing to do."
When Josey-Davis was pulled over by police along a New Jersey road, the young security guard never imagined his legally owned gun would be confiscated.
"I feel so blessed. Gov. Christie knew in his heart this was the right thing to do."
- Steffon Josey-Davis
Josey-Davis' nightmare began on the morning of Sept. 20, 2013, when he was preparing to leave his North Brunswick, N.J., home for a job as an armed security guard with Loomis Armored, a company responsible for transporting money to banks.
While unloading his 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun inside his car, his 6-year-old sister wandered into the family's garage, startling Josey-Davis. He quickly tucked the firearm inside the glove compartment and out of the child's view, according to his account.
Hours later, while driving at night with his girlfriend in Highland Park, he was pulled over. Josey-Davis says he was going below the speed limit.
Because he did not yet have a permit to carry the gun -- which was stored, still loaded, in the glove compartment -- he was arrested.
As a result, Josey-Davis had a criminal record and was unable to secure a job -- and his dreams of becoming a police officer are dashed. Josey-Davis sought a pardon from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie after mounting a robust social media campaign, including a Change.org petition that has attracted more than 85,000 signatures to date.
He also hired Evan Nappen, a prominent gun rights attorney, to appeal his conviction.
"This is a case of a law-abiding citizen being turned into a criminal by New Jersey gun laws," Nappen told FoxNews.com in an interview last March.
Steffon Josey-Davis' dream of becoming a police officer could be back on, after NJ Gov. Chris Christie pardoned him for a gun charge.
Josey-Davis described the night of his arrest to FoxNews.com in detail.
He said that after he was pulled over, he reached into the glove compartment for the car's registration. He saw the gun, which he had forgotten about, and turned it over to the officers. They took it, issued him a citation for his registration -- which had expired that morning -- and let him go. They told him to return to the Highland Park Police Department the following Monday to retrieve his firearm, he claims.
Josey-Davis said he did as he was told, bringing with him his work credentials and receipts for the firearm. What happened next stunned him.
"They handcuffed me and charged me with unlawful possession of a firearm -- a second-degree felony," he said.
"I almost fainted. My life was ruined -- all my hard work went down the drain," said Josey-Davis, who had no criminal background and had passed rigorous security background checks for his job.
Josey-Davis had purchased the gun a month prior to his arrest at Meltzer's Sporting Goods in Garfield, N.J. While he legally owned the firearm, he had not yet secured a permit to carry it -- giving authorities just cause under state law to arrest him. Josey-Davis claims the pending permit was due to be approved the week he was arrested.
In February, Josey-Davis ended up taking a deal for a year of probation from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office to avoid a sentence that could have carried up to 10 years in state prison. He pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. As part of the deal, the prosecutor waived New Jersey's "Graves Act" and Josey-Davis is serving the probation.
But Nappen then challenged that criminal record.
Nappen claimed that between August 2013 and February 2014, the state had a firearm amnesty in effect, meaning individuals in similar situations were exempt from such charges.
"During that time there was amnesty and he should not have even been charged," claimed Nappen, who said the law during those months allowed for people to retain possession of a firearm "legally or illegally acquired."
"For whatever reason, this law didn't seem to be well known. The state police did a poor job at publicizing it," he said. "I think it's particularly striking that that wasn't raised."
Nappen roundly criticized New Jersey gun laws for being "badly written."
"New Jersey's gun control laws are out of control," he said. "It's clearly evident they need serious reform. The legislature is really ultimately to blame."
In March, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office vehemently refuted Nappen's claim, saying, "There was no gun amnesty program that would apply under these circumstances."
In a statement to FoxNews.com at the time, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said Josey-Davis was stopped by police for driving a vehicle with an expired registration. He said that during the stop, Josey-Davis "gave four significantly different versions of the circumstances surrounding his illegal possession of the handgun.
"Additionally, he said he worked for an armored car company, but he did not possess a license to carry the weapon, which was seized as evidence," Carey said.
Carey said he was charged with "having a handgun in the glove compartment of his vehicle" – and that the law stipulates drivers can only transport a gun, unloaded, in the trunk. (Josey-Davis' attorney, though, clarified that his client was specifically charged over the permit issue.)
"Describing his conduct as a simple mistake does not negate the seriousness of this law, which was created to protect police officers and the public," Carey continued. "Illegal gun possession is a second-degree offense, punishable by a prison term of multiple years. This defendant agreed to plead guilty and was placed on probation for one year."
New Jersey gun control advocates claim the law is well-intended and should not be changed in response to exceptional cases such as that of Josey-Davis.
"We think the law needs to take into consideration individual circumstances, but it's still a law that's for the well being of the people of New Jersey," said Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Princeton-based group, Coalition for Peace Action, which oversees the gun control project known as "Ceasefire NJ."
"It sounds like these officers were doing their job," Moore told FoxNews.com. "It's up to the courts to decide some kind of leniency given the circumstances."
He added: "We would be against changing the law because of these exceptional circumstances. ... That’s one reason you go before a judge. The law itself should not be changed."
Josey-Davis said Monday he plans to help others who find themselves in similar situations.
"I’m going to encourage other people in the same situation and tell them there’s always hope and never to give up," he said. "I am so thankful I can move on with my life."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/09/christie-pardons-nj-man-whose-legally-owned-gun-made-him-convicted-felon/
Glad Fat Man did the right thing.
Wanted man: Police job offers pour in for NJ man pardoned by Gov. Christie
By Cristina Corbin
Published June 15, 2015
FoxNews.com
His dreams of becoming a police officer were dashed when an arrest two years ago for carrying a legally-owned firearm made him a convicted felon, but now that he's been pardoned, Steffon Josey-Davis is fielding job offers from around the country.
Just one week after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pardoned him of all criminal charges, the 24-year-old told FoxNews.com he's received encouraging emails and even job offers from police departments as far away as Colorado. Many became aware of Josey-Davis' plight after several stories by FoxNews.com described how an honest mistake with a legally owned gun nearly made him ineligible to wear a badge. After having his record wiped clean,the North Brunswick man finds himself a wanted man - by police departments.
"They saw that I was innocent and they saw my dedication to become something," Josey-Davis said of the offers. "I feel so blessed."
"I just feel he deserves a chance."
- Chief Michael Mier, Copley Police Department
When Josey-Davis was pulled over by police along a New Jersey road in September 2013, the young security guard never imagined his legally owned gun would be confiscated.
Josey-Davis' nightmare began on the morning of Sept. 20, 2013, when he was preparing to leave his North Brunswick, N.J., home for a job as an armed security guard with Loomis Armored, a company responsible for transporting money to banks.
While unloading his 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun inside his car, his 6-year-old sister wandered into the family's garage, startling Josey-Davis. He quickly tucked the firearm inside the glove compartment and out of the child's view, according to his account.
Hours later, while driving at night with his girlfriend in Highland Park, he was pulled over. Josey-Davis says he was going below the speed limit.
Because he did not yet have a permit to carry the gun -- which was stored, still loaded, in the glove compartment -- he was arrested.
"They handcuffed me and charged me with unlawful possession of a firearm -- a second-degree felony," he said.
As a result, Josey-Davis had a criminal record and was unable to secure a job -- and his dreams of becoming a police officer were crushed. Josey-Davis sought a pardon from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie after mounting a robust social media campaign, including a Change.org petition that has attracted more than 85,000 signatures to date.
He also hired Evan Nappen, a prominent gun rights attorney, to appeal his conviction.
"This is a case of a law-abiding citizen being turned into a criminal by New Jersey gun laws," Nappen told FoxNews.com in an interview last March.
After a careful review of the case, Christie announced last week he pardoned Josey-Davis of all criminal charges.
Over the next few days, Josey-Davis said he received messages from police departments touched by his story -- some offering him a job as a police officer.
One e-mail came the Aurora Police Department in Colorado, he said, and another from Chief Michael Mier of the Copley Police in Copley, Ohio.
"My message to him was very simple -- should you decide to relocate out of New Jersey and come to Ohio, feel free to apply for a position here," Mier told FoxNews.com.
"I would be more than happy to give him the opportunity to go through the application process," said Mier. "He handled himself very well. He's a nice young man and I just felt bad for him."
"I just feel he deserves a chance," he said.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/06/15/wanted-man-police-job-offers-pour-in-for-nj-man-pardoned-by-gov-christie/?intcmp=latestnews
-
Witness: Noisy Christie exits Amtrak 'quiet car' after complaints
By Eric Bradner, CNN
October 25, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)Chris Christie was asked to leave Amtrak's quiet car Sunday morning after passengers complained to a conductor about the New Jersey governor yelling at his security detail and into his cell phone, according to a rider.
Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, was on the 9:55 a.m. train back to New Jersey from Washington, D.C., after an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."
He walked onto the train with a McDonald's strawberry smoothie, already chewing out someone who was with him, possibly a security officer, about a mix-up in seating arrangements, according to Alexander Mann, a passenger on the same train who detailed the Christie incident to CNN in an email and in photos.
Mann wrote that just before the train departed, Christie boarded behind "two men who appeared to be Secret Service agents" -- though that's unlikely, since Christie doesn't yet have Secret Service detail; his staff said he traveled Sunday with one New Jersey state trooper -- and was "yelling at them about some sort of mixup with the seating arrangements and how they had let it happen."
Christie took a seat and began making cell phone calls, despite the "quiet car" markings instructing passengers to refrain from loud conversations or phone use in that portion of the train.
Mann wrote: "The details of the conversation were unclear but it was definitely some sort of work phone call. This went on for 5-10 minutes until the conductor, prompted by passenger complaints, asked him to stop using his cell phone or leave the car. He again started yelling at his security detail and huffed off to another train car. He kept repeating 'frickin' ridiculous' and 'Seriously?! Seriously?!'"
Christie spokeswoman Sam Smith said it was a mistake: The governor hadn't meant to board the quiet car.
"On a very full train this morning, the Governor accidentally took a seat in Amtrak's notorious quiet car," she said in an emailed statement. "After breaking the cardinal rule of the quiet car, the Governor promptly left once he realized the serious nature of his mistake and enjoyed the rest of his time on the train from the cafe car. Sincere apologies to all the patrons of the quiet car that were offended."
Gawker first reported Christie's exit from the car.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/25/politics/chris-christie-amtrak-quiet-car/
-
Witness: Noisy Christie exits Amtrak 'quiet car' after complaints
By Eric Bradner, CNN
October 25, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
of course christie is angry. he looks like shit naked, and he's getting destroyed by a liberal named trump.
-
Terrific speech Fat Man.
-
Hope he decides to run for president!
-
yeah this was a good speech.
He should run in 2020. Hilary will be very old and the GOP loves rinos.
-
Fat Man lives.
Chris Christie Gets Coveted NH Union-Leader Endorsement
by KAILANI KOENIG
NOV 29 2015
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie won the coveted endorsement from the New Hampshire Union-Leader, the state's biggest newspaper and an important voice in the state's primary.
It's a boost in a critical state for Christie where he is spending a considerable amount of time and resources.
"Chris Christie is a solid, pro-life conservative who has managed to govern in liberal New Jersey, face down the big public unions, and win a second term," wrote Joseph McQuaid, the newspaper's publisher. "Gov. Christie can work across the aisle, but he won't get rolled by the bureaucrats."
McQuaid will be on NBC's "Meet The Press" Sunday morning to talk about their decision.
In the endorsement, there were obvious jabs at Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have captured much of the national spotlight in recent weeks.
Related: Christie's Record on Guns Is Problematic in New Hampshire
"We don't need another fast-talking, well-meaning freshman U.S. senator trying to run the government. We are still seeing the disastrous effects of the last such choice."
They also clearly dismissed Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina for their lack of time in elected office, writing, "We don't need as president some well-meaning person from the private sector who has no public experience."
The Union-Leader endorsement is one of the most coveted publication endorsements of the election, and the paper's editorial page remains a powerful voice among many conservatives in the state.
The news serves as a jolt into a campaign that has experienced ups and downs in the last few weeks. Christie gained widespread acclaim when a viral video surfaced of him in New Hampshire telling a story about losing a friend to drug addiction, but soon after he was relegated to an earlier debate due to low national poll numbers.
Christie is currently polling at 7th place in New Hampshire with 5.3 percent, according to the latest Real Clear Politics average.
The New Jersey governor has spent a considerable amount of time in New Hampshire, almost more than any other candidate running for president, according to the NECN candidate tracker.
He is known in the state for his in-depth answers at his numerous "Tell It Like It Is" town halls at restaurants, bars, and community halls around the state.
Christie has done 35 of these town halls in New Hampshire, most lasting well over two hours.
Just last Saturday in Stratham, several people were brought to tears at a few different moments during one of those town halls, when Christie was telling a story about his family's experience on 9/11, and again when he told a familiar trail story about what he learned from the death of his mother.
The Union-Leader endorsement doesn't always signal a strong finish in the state or in the quest for the nomination.
After the paper endorsed Newt Gingrich in the 2012 primary, Gingrich saw a boost in the polls, but ultimately finished 4th in the primary. The paper endorsed John McCain in 2008, adding some life to his campaign that was deemed dead months earlier.
The paper supported Pete Dupont in 1988, Pat Buchanan in 1992 and 1996, and Steve Forbes in 2000 — none of whom went on to win the GOP nomination. But they picked a winner when they chose Ronald Reagan in 1980.
The endorsement comes at around the same time of their announcement in 2011 for the 2012 primary, but it's relatively earlier this year since the 2016 primary is not expected to be until February.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/chris-christie-gets-coveted-nh-union-leader-endorsement-n470756
-
Well done Fat Man.
Christie pardons Marine over gun charge
By Eli Watkins, CNN
Wed December 23, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday pardoned a Marine sergeant with New Hampshire ties over a gun charge.
Sgt. Joshua Velez, a Massachusetts resident who works as recruiter in New England -- including in the first-in-the-nation primary state -- was arrested over Labor Day weekend after a traffic stop in the Garden State turned up an unloaded handgun in his vehicle's glove compartment.
Nicole Sizemore, Christie's deputy press secretary, said Velez is licensed to carry the handgun in Massachusetts, but was charged in New Jersey with unlawful possession of a handgun and hollow point bullets.
Following a written application from Velez for a pardon over the criminal charges, Christie -- a Republican presidential candidate -- granted it. Christie this year has granted several pardons to non-New Jersey residents caught with weapons in violations of the Garden State's strict gun laws.
The case has potential political overtones. Christie has faced criticism from gun rights groups -- an important Republican primary constituency -- for his support more than 20 years ago of a federal assault weapons ban. That's a position Christie says he no longer holds.
Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union" in August, Christie pointed to his vetoes of several proposed firearms regulations in New Jersey, including an I.D. card for gun owners.
On Monday, the governor's office announced Christie's support of a set of recommendations it said would "protect lawful individuals' right to firearms for self-defense and protection."
New Hampshire is a make-or-break state for Christie. He's camped out there for months, ahead of the Feb. 9 primary. A recent CNN/WMUR poll showed Christie in third place in the Granite State among likely primary voters.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/23/politics/chris-christie-marine-pardon-gun/index.html
-
Nicole Sizemore, Christie's deputy press secretary, said Velez is licensed to carry the handgun in Massachusetts, but was charged in New Jersey with unlawful possession of a handgun and hollow point bullets.
christie only lets certain people carry. Shall-issue. he's a dick. if you're not friends with the local sheriff, you don't get to carry.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/12/dems_gun_activists_blast_christies_concealed_carry.html
Christie doesn't extend this courtesy to NJ taxpayers.
-
You disappoint me Fat Man.
Chris Christie endorses Donald Trump
By Jeremy Diamond and Tom LoBianco, CNN
Fri February 26, 2016 | Video Source: CNN
(CNN)New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie offered a surprise endorsement to Donald Trump on Friday, saying there is no one better prepared to lead the country in the Republican 2016 race.
"I am proud to be here to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States," the New Jersey Republican told reporters at a press conference in Texas.
"The best person to beat Hillary Clinton on that stage last night is undoubtedly Donald Trump," Christie, who plans to appear at Trump's Oklahoma event Friday night, added.
Trump and Christie appeared on stage together the day after a rough debate performance where the real estate mogul faced off against Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. Christie and Trump took turns unloading on the freshman Florida senator, who spent the morning insulting the billionaire businessman.
"Desperate people do desperate things," Christie said, when asked about Rubio's comments, adding that his remarks were the "flailing punches in the final days of the campaign."
Trump chose to go after Rubio for wearing too much makeup during Thursday's debate.
"I saw him backstage and he was putting it on with a trowel," Trump said, before repeating his attack that the Florida senator chokes under pressure.
Christie, in the waning days of his own presidential campaign, had specifically targeted Rubio as not qualified for the office.
"Generally speaking I'm not big on endorsements," Trump said, adding, "This was an endorsement that really meant a lot."
When asked about the endorsement, Cruz dodged on weighing in.
"This decision is going to be made by the voters on Super Tuesday," Cruz told Fox News' Sean Hannity in Nashville.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/26/politics/chris-christie-endorses-donald-trump/index.html
-
Not good Fat Man. Not good.
Chris Christie Aides Guilty in Bridge-gate Scandal
Friday, 04 Nov 2016
Two former allies of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were convicted on Friday for their roles in the Bridge-gate lane closure scandal, following a six-week trial that served to further tarnish the Republican's damaged reputation.
Bridget Kelly, the governor's former deputy chief of staff, and Bill Baroni, former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty in Newark federal court on all counts, the U.S. Attorney's office in New Jersey said on Twitter.
Kelly and Baroni were convicted of fraud, conspiracy and depriving the residents of Fort Lee, New Jersey, of their civil rights.
The two officials were accused of shutting down access lanes at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, creating a massive days-long traffic jam to punish a local mayor for declining to endorse Christie's reelection campaign.
Fort Lee lies at the New Jersey end of the bridge, which carries traffic across the Hudson river to northern Manhattan.
Their co-conspirator, a former Port Authority official and confessed mastermind David Wildstein, pleaded guilty and appeared as the government's star witness, detailing how the three schemed to pay back Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat.
But Wildstein also implicated Christie, saying he and Baroni discussed the lane closures with the governor while they were ongoing. Christie, Wildstein testified, laughed at the notion that Sokolich was frustrated by the traffic.
At the time, Christie was eyeing a presidential run, and his aides believed that securing the backing of Democratic officials would burnish his national reputation, according to trial testimony.
Christie, who has not been charged, has steadfastly denied any knowledge of the scheme, either before or during the closures. Legal experts have said it is unlikely he would face any criminal consequences based on the trial testimony.
But the fallout from the scandal has dogged Christie for three years, helping to scuttle his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Christie is serving as a key adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Testimony at the trial, including from Kelly and Baroni, both of whom took the stand in their defense, laid bare how the Christie administration used the Port Authority to help officials who backed the governor and to hurt those who did not.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-Christie-Traffic-Jams/2016/11/04/id/757058/#ixzz4P45fFEYc
-
Trump Dumps Christie as Head of Transition Team
By Newsmax Wires | Friday, 11 Nov 2016
President-Elect Donald Trump has demoted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as head of his transition team, replacing him with Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, his team confirmed Friday afternoon.
Trump, in making his biggest staffing move since the election, wanted Pence in the role because of his extensive experience in Washington, The New York Times reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Christie, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former presidential candidate Ben Carson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn will be vice chairmen of the transition, Trump's staff said in a statement.
Trump will tap more than a dozen other people for advice on transition. His statement names his eldest children, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, campaign CEO and former Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus, Trump's team said.
Christie's demotion comes one week after two of his former associates were found guilty in the New Jersey Bridge-gate scandal.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christie-trump-transition-team/2016/11/11/id/758444/
-
Trump Dumps Christie as Head of Transition Team
By Newsmax Wires | Friday, 11 Nov 2016
President-Elect Donald Trump has demoted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as head of his transition team, replacing him with Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, his team confirmed Friday afternoon.
Trump, in making his biggest staffing move since the election, wanted Pence in the role because of his extensive experience in Washington, The New York Times reports, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
Christie, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former presidential candidate Ben Carson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn will be vice chairmen of the transition, Trump's staff said in a statement.
Trump will tap more than a dozen other people for advice on transition. His statement names his eldest children, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, campaign CEO and former Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus, Trump's team said.
Christie's demotion comes one week after two of his former associates were found guilty in the New Jersey Bridge-gate scandal.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/christie-trump-transition-team/2016/11/11/id/758444/
Just heard this. Makes me have much more confidence.
-
Quite the spectacular fall for Fat Man.
Gov. Christie: Trump Offers Not 'Exciting Enough' to Move to DC
By Cathy Burke | Wednesday, 18 Jan 2017
Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he has rejected several jobs with the incoming Trump administration – partly because his wife will not move to Washington, D.C.
In an interview on the "Boomer and Carton" show on CBS radio's WFAN, the New Jersey Republican said President-elect Donald Trump did not dangle anything "exciting enough for me to leave the governorship."
"And [it also is] my family," he added. "Mary Pat made really clear she wasn't coming to D.C. if I went. The fact is, I was really honest with [Trump]. I just said, 'I don't want to leave the governorship and leave my family for that.'"
Trump did not give him grief about it, he said.
"He was like, 'I get it,'" Christie said. "The truth of the matter is, the president-elect and I have been friends for 15 years. We'll be friends long after he leaves the White House.
"I wanted to be president. I ran for president, and I lost. And I think it's very hard to leave after that unless it's something you feel really called to do, and I didn’t.
Christie did not reveal what job other than the commander-in-chief would have lured him to the nation's capital, but said there were several jobs pitched to him.
"He's the kind of guy, when you're his friend, he'll say to you, 'Come on, we'll have fun,'" Christie said. "My experience with him has been he tries to make it sound so great, [and] it is like, 'How can I say no to that?'"
Trump might not give up so easy, however; he told The Wall Street Journal "at some point we're going to do something with Chris" in his administration.
http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Chris-Christie-D-Ctransition-cabinet/2017/01/18/id/769240/
-
You really disappoint me Fat Man. :-\
Gov. Chris Christie Berates Listener Who Called Him ‘Fat Ass’ During Radio Audition: ‘You’re a Bum!’
by Joe DePaolo | 3:56 pm, July 10th, 2017
He’s a natural.
That is the only conclusion which can be drawn from this exchange between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and a sports radio caller Monday.
In a heated exchange on WFAN, Christie mixed it up with “Mike from Montclair,” a frequent caller to the station. Mike brought the heat right out of the box, and it resulted in 90 seconds of sports radio gold.
“Governor, next time you want to sit on a beach that is closed to the entire world except you, you put your fat ass in a car and go to one that’s open to all your constituents,” Mike said.
“Interesting, Mike,” Christie said.
“What’s that, Gov?!” Mike fired back.
“You know, Mike,” Christie said. “I love getting calls from communists in Montclair.”
“You’re a bully, Governor!” Mike said. “And I don’t like bullies!”
“You’re swearing on the air, Mike. You’re a bum!” Christie said to his constituent.
Christie is auditioning for the afternoon drive time slot on WFAN, a spot held down for nearly the past three decades by sports radio icon Mike Francesa. A few more exchanges like this — and make no mistake, exchanges like this are the essence of sports talk radio — and he figures to be a shoo-in.
Listen above, via Sports Funhouse and WFAN.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/chris-christie-berates-caller-who-called-him-fat-ass-during-radio-audition-youre-a-bum/
-
Sad Fat Man. Very sad.
Chris Christie Has Another Bad Day At The Ballpark After Yelling At Cubs Fan
“I called him a hypocrite because I thought it needed to be said.”
By Nick Visser
07/30/2017
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got into a spat with a baseball fan at a game in Milwaukee on Sunday, his latest public relations snafu to cap a month of snafus.
In a video posted to Twitter, Christie is seen leaning over a fan who heckled him, angrily calling the man a “big shot” before storming away with a bowl of nachos.
The governor was at the stadium to watch the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. Christie’s son works for the Brewers.
Ben Hutchison @BennyHutch
At #Cubs #Brewers game. #ChrisChristie was getting razzed by fans, so he got in the face of one of them. 5:30 on @WISN12News
10:36 AM - Jul 30, 2017
1,665 1,665 Replies 4,419 4,419 Retweets 7,357 7,357 likes
A local news reporter for the station WISN12, Ben Hutchison, said he was a relative of the man Christie confronted, Brad Joseph. Joseph told the outlet he yelled the governor’s name “and told him that he sucked,” which sparked the encounter.
“I called him a hypocrite because I thought it needed to be said. He turned around back towards me and got in my face for what seemed like a long time, but was probably only about 30 seconds or a minute. (He) was yelling at me. First he told me, ‘Why don’t you have another beer?’ which I thought was a decent come back, and I thought that was kind of funny. Then he started calling me a tough guy.”
It’s the second ballpark blunder for Christie this month. He was roundly booed by fans at a New York Mets game after catching a foul ball and giving it to a kid nearby, just weeks after he was lambasted in the media for closing some public beaches in New Jersey over the July 4 holiday weekend, and then vacationing on one himself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chris-christie-yells-cubs-fan_us_597e88f4e4b02a4ebb763924?7q&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
-
MLB Fan Confronted By Christie Challenges Gov to 'Combat-Style' Fight
Aug 01, 2017 // 3:21pm
Huckabee Sanders Rips Into Media: 'You Want to Create a Narrative That Doesn't Exist'
Lewandowski: Priebus Was 'Ultimately Responsible' for Leaks
A Chicago Cubs fan who was caught on tape being confronted by a nacho-clutching New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) challenged him to a "combat-style fight."
According to KYW, a mixed-martial-arts organization has agreed to set up a fight between Brad Joseph and Christie.
Christie defended the confrontation, saying that he considered his actions "very mellow" after Joseph allegedly swore at him and "said some really awful things with lots of children sitting around."
"I've always said this, whether its been at my town meetings or any place else, if you give it, you're going to get it back," he said.
In video of the interaction, Christie can be seen holding his nachos close to his chest, and leaning in to call Joseph "a real big shot."
Ben Hutchison @BennyHutch
At #Cubs #Brewers game. #ChrisChristie was getting razzed by fans, so he got in the face of one of them. 5:30 on @WISN12News
10:36 AM - Jul 30, 2017
Joseph said "Tuff N Uff," an MMA group, can hold an event sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission, using any fight "rules" the governor wants- may they be wrestling, boxing, freestyle or otherwise.
"I regret shouting "you suck" at Christie. So, Chris, if you're reading this, I'm sorry. I didn't have much time to think of anything to say and I wanted to express my displeasure with you," he said, adding that he is a supporter of President Trump.
The governor was in Milwaukee for the Brewers-Cubs game to visit his son, Andrew Christie, who works for the team.
Joseph added that he doesn't regret calling Christie a hypocrite, saying the governor has a penchant for confrontational behavior.
Memorably, before Hurricane Irene hit the Jersey Shore, Christie held a press conference to tell Asbury Park, N.J. sunbathers to "get the hell off the beach."
He also labeled a radio show caller from a liberal township a "Communist from Montclair" for razzing him about his own sunbathing during a state government shutdown.
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/08/01/chris-christie-baseball-fight-challenge-fan-big-shot-brewers-cubs
-
Wrong Fat Man. If Trump didn't run, I think Rubio would have been the nominee.
Christie Says He Would Have Been President if Trump Had Not Run
By Brian Freeman | Sunday, 07 Jan 2018
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he would have definitely won the 2016 presidential election if Donald Trump had not decided to run.
"I absolutely believe if Trump had not gotten into the race I think we would have won," Christie told NJ.com in an interview published on Sunday.
Reflecting on the chaotic beginning of the Trump presidency, Christie also said it was a mistake for the administration to dismiss him as the transition chairman.
"I can only tell you who ultimately executed on it and that was (Steve) Bannon, (Reince) Priebus and (Jared) Kushner," Christie said. "They were the three guys in charge and they were the ones who ultimately made that recommendation to the president. And I think they ill-served him by doing it."
Christie, who has just over a week remaining before he ends his eight years as governor, said, "They're gonna miss me when I'm gone. I think when people look back at it and when they compare what other governors have done before me, let's say in the last 40 years. I don't think that there's anybody who's done more of consequence over the last 40 years."
He emphasized that "I had no interest in being a small-bore governor with tiny accomplishments that wouldn't offend, but probably wouldn't impress either. I wanted to be a governor of consequence and do big things."
Christie added that "I don't have any major regrets. I did it the way I wanted to do it and I was myself the whole time."
Reflecting on how the Bridgegate scandal derailed his popularity after his first term and victory for a second, Christie said, "They blamed me for it even though everyone has proven I had nothing to do with it. The part that I think is grossly unfair, that there was a rush to judgment and that rush to judgment turned out not to be borne out by the facts."
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/n-j-gov-chris-christie-president-donald-trump-bridgegate/2018/01/07/id/835665/
-
Fat POS - go hug obama again you lard as s
Wrong Fat Man. If Trump didn't run, I think Rubio would have been the nominee.
Christie Says He Would Have Been President if Trump Had Not Run
By Brian Freeman | Sunday, 07 Jan 2018
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he would have definitely won the 2016 presidential election if Donald Trump had not decided to run.
"I absolutely believe if Trump had not gotten into the race I think we would have won," Christie told NJ.com in an interview published on Sunday.
Reflecting on the chaotic beginning of the Trump presidency, Christie also said it was a mistake for the administration to dismiss him as the transition chairman.
"I can only tell you who ultimately executed on it and that was (Steve) Bannon, (Reince) Priebus and (Jared) Kushner," Christie said. "They were the three guys in charge and they were the ones who ultimately made that recommendation to the president. And I think they ill-served him by doing it."
Christie, who has just over a week remaining before he ends his eight years as governor, said, "They're gonna miss me when I'm gone. I think when people look back at it and when they compare what other governors have done before me, let's say in the last 40 years. I don't think that there's anybody who's done more of consequence over the last 40 years."
He emphasized that "I had no interest in being a small-bore governor with tiny accomplishments that wouldn't offend, but probably wouldn't impress either. I wanted to be a governor of consequence and do big things."
Christie added that "I don't have any major regrets. I did it the way I wanted to do it and I was myself the whole time."
Reflecting on how the Bridgegate scandal derailed his popularity after his first term and victory for a second, Christie said, "They blamed me for it even though everyone has proven I had nothing to do with it. The part that I think is grossly unfair, that there was a rush to judgment and that rush to judgment turned out not to be borne out by the facts."
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/n-j-gov-chris-christie-president-donald-trump-bridgegate/2018/01/07/id/835665/
-
Fat POS - go hug obama again you lard as s
what a joke.. he stood zero chance. Delusional
-
Now why they gotta dis Fat Man like that?
Chris Christie Is Liz Cheney In A Plus-Sized Suit
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 By Eddie Scarry
https://thefederalist.com/2021/09/13/chris-christie-is-liz-cheney-in-a-plus-sized-suit/
-
Is Christie still fat?
-
Now why they gotta dis Fat Man like that?
Chris Christie Is Liz Cheney In A Plus-Sized Suit
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 By Eddie Scarry
https://thefederalist.com/2021/09/13/chris-christie-is-liz-cheney-in-a-plus-sized-suit/
Not a Christie fan overall, but he's had his moments.
Liz Cheney couldn't do the job that guy has done, and couldn't get elected dog catcher in NJ.
She's barely hanging onto her seat in the USA's version of Siberia. FFS
-
Is Christie still fat?
Still momona (mo-MO-na).
-
Not a Christie fan overall, but he's had his moments.
Liz Cheney couldn't do the job that guy has done, and couldn't get elected dog catcher in NJ.
She's barely hanging onto her seat in the USA's version of Siberia. FFS
I was a huge fan early on. He was awesome. Today, not so much.
-
Christie sucked as governor.
Ate more ice cream than Joe Biden.
-
Christie sucked as governor.
Ate more ice cream than Joe Biden.
I don't live in New Jersey so I don't have an informed opinion about how he performed and what the people thought of his performance, but I will say that early on he was a beast. At least from a distance.
-
I don't live in New Jersey so I don't have an informed opinion about how he performed and what the people thought of his performance, but I will say that early on he was a beast. At least from a distance.
Every NJ governor is just another corrupt pol.
NJ is at the top for corruption in gov't.
Murphy is a hack. Ciatterelli who is running against him is another hack.
-
Every NJ governor is just another corrupt pol.
NJ is at the top for corruption in gov't.
Murphy is a hack. Ciatterelli who is running against him is another hack.
Higher than Chicago and Illinois?
-
Higher than Chicago and Illinois?
Boardwalk Empire.
Same crooks running all likely.
-
Give it up Fat Man.
Chris Christie aims to shape future for GOP and for himself
JILL COLVIN
November 27, 2021
https://sports.yahoo.com/chris-christie-aims-shape-future-132114498.html
-
How many phone calls to Jeb and George do you think he's had this year?
-
No Fat Man. Your window is closed.
Chris Christie says he’ll decide 2024 run in next 60 days
BY STEPHEN NEUKAM - 03/26/23
https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3918751-chris-christie-says-hell-decide-2024-run-in-next-60-days/
-
Silence Fat Man.
Chris Christie: ‘I Don’t Think Ron DeSantis Is A Conservative’
The Republican said the Florida governor's spat with Disney is government overreach.
By Kelby Vera
Apr 18, 2023
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-christie-ron-desantis-not-conservative_n_643ee371e4b0482824b83ce5
-
Is Christie still fat?
Well, it is clear Christie has not discovered the weight loss product 'Golo' yet, if that's what you mean.
-
Wrong Fat Man.
Chris Christie Says He ‘Intends To Be The Nominee’ In 2024
MARY LOU MASTERS
CONTRIBUTOR
April 24, 2023
https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/24/chris-christie-intends-nominee-2024-trump/
-
Not looking good for Fat Man.
The Poll Results Are In: Everyone Hates Chris Christie
BY: JORDAN BOYD
AUGUST 17, 2023
https://thefederalist.com/2023/08/17/the-poll-results-are-in-everyone-hates-chris-christie/