The Official Chris Christie Appreciation Thread

[loco]

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.

 

[Dos Equis]

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

[Dos Equis]

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

[George Whorewell]

The left and the state controlled media want John Cuntsman to win the nomination.

Nuff said.

[George Whorewell]

Is there any media that is not left or "state controlled"?

Fox+ most internet blogs+ getbig.com

[Deicide]

Fox+ most internet blogs+ getbig.com

Fox isn't state controlled?

[Hugo Chavez]

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...

[240 is Back]

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.

[Dos Equis]

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/

[chadstallion]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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. 

[Dos Equis]

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

[Dos Equis]

 

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

[Dos Equis]

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

[Dos Equis]

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/

[Dos Equis]

Romney/Christie? 

Sweet.   Fuck Obama and every disgusting slimebag rat commie planning on voting for him again.   

[Soul Crusher]

[Dos Equis]

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

[Dos Equis]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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. 

[Straw Man]

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.

[Dos Equis]

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/

[Dos Equis]

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/

[Dos Equis]

No more Fat Man??   

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

[Dos Equis]

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