Christie for President

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the latest Republican to announce he is running for president.  He joins an already overcrowded field of candidates seeking their party's nomination.  But Christie stands out because an overwhelming majority of his own state's registered voters disapproves of his performance in office. 

His announcement speech, which will take place Tuesday at his former high school, will be given without the aid of a teleprompter.  It will reflect his campaign theme, "Telling it like it is," and be targeted to Republican voters in New Hampshire, where he will go next to begin campaigning.  He will highlight his middle-class upbringing, his family values, and his willingness to make tough decisions on entitlements and government spending.

But many Republicans have not forgotten Christie's post Hurricane Sandy walking tour in 2012 with then candidate President Barack Obama, which came in his closely contested state at the expense of GOP candidate Mitt Romney.  Teachers in the state have not forgotten his harsh attacks on educators and college administrators in his effort to reform the education system.  Public sector unions have not forgotten that the governor has run roughshod over their pensions.  And commuters have not forgotten that it was Christie's appointees who shut down lanes of the George Washington Bridge, aka Bridgegate, as political retribution against those who did not support the governor's reelection.

In his announcement Christie is expected to point to his governance of a blue state as an example of how he can work with both sides of the political aisle.  But state Democrats would argue differently.  Christie will say he can make the tough decisions, but many of his opponents will criticize his tough tactics.

Christie's brash and in-your-face style will win him supporters among Republican voters seeking a candidate who seemingly has strong leadership skills.  He will stand out among the field of announced Republican candidates, and will likely do well in the upcoming party debates.  

But this self-described pragmatic conservative Republican is thought by many in the party to be too moderate to win the nomination.  While he has raised a lot of money as the Chairman of the Republican Governor's Association, more than $100 million, some of his political positions are not in sync with the Republican base, including immigration and gun control.  

Governor Christie was reelected to a second term in 2013 with 60.3 percent of the vote, which was driven largely by his leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.  Because he is term limited he will not be able to run for governor again in 2017.  But even if he were eligible then it is unlikely that New Jersey voters, who have soured on his act, would reelect him.  So for him a run for the presidency is his next best option to be elected to public office.  

The fact is Christie has nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing the White House.   He has said, "I think what the American people want more than anything else right now is someone who's just going to look them in the eye and tell them the truth, even some truths that they don't like."  But the reality is do enough Republicans trust Christie enough to nominate him as their standard bearer in 2016?

Christie's Self-Vindication

"Vindicated" is the headline.  It is exactly what Governor Chris Christie had hoped for when he decided to use $1 million New Jersey taxpayer dollars to hire a friendly law firm to investigate his own governor's office.  The investigation focused on last September's lane closures at the Fort Lee, New Jersey, entrance of the George Washington Bridge.

The investigation was headed by New York attorney Randy Mastro, who is close to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, himself a big Christie defender.  Mastro announced the findings of the lengthy report, which he described as "comprehensive and exhaustive," to reporters on Thursday.  The report states that Governor Christie, "did not know of the lane realignment beforehand and had no involvement in the decision to realign lanes."  It laid the blame for the incident on former Christie aide Bridget Anne Kelly, and former New Jersey/New York Port Authority official, and Christie childhood friend, David Wildstein.  While Mastro said that the idea originated with Wildstein, his investigation did not uncover any motive for the shutdown. 

Mastro, and a team of about twelve lawyers, reviewed e-mails, text messages and interviewed about seventy officials, including Governor Christie.  The internal investigation was not limited to just the bridge lane closures.  Mastro described as "demonstrably false" accusations by Hoboken New Jersey Mayor Dawn Zimmer of a pay to play scandal.  Mayor Zimmer alleged that her city's access to Hurricane Sandy relief funds was contingent upon approval of a real estate project that some Christie supporters strongly supported.  The multi-million dollar project had been stalled, and close Christie friend, and port authority appointee, David Samson had an interest in the outcome. 

Mastro defended the impartiality of  his Christie investigation, saying, “This is a search for the truth, and we believe we have gotten the truth.”  But Mastro did not interview the key players in the bridge closure, Bridget Anne Kelly, David Wildstein and Bill Stepien, Christie's former campaign manager.  All of them were cut loose by Christie, and all of them are angling for immunity from federal and state legislative investigators.

And many questions remain--perhaps for federal investigators to answer.  Why would David Wildstein concoct a plan to close bridge lanes, as Mastro stated?  Why would Bridget Anne Kelly send Wildstein an email calling for traffic problems in Ft. Lee?  What is the relationship between Stepien and Kelly?  At a minimum, Governor Christie has been exposed as a poor judge of character when it comes to staff, and a very poor manager. 

Even worse for Christie, the ongoing coverage of both scandals has revealed Christie as highly political and a big bully.  So even if federal and state legislative investigators are unable to prove that Christie gave the order for the bridge closures, or had advanced knowledge,  he has no chance of becoming the Republican Party's nominee for president in 2016.  That would be a bridge too far.

Trusting Christie

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could never get elected United States President because it is simply a bridge too far for him.  There was never a way he could outflank conservative Republicans to secure the nomination.  They don't trust him, and now it appears he has given most Americans a good reason not to trust him as well.

Governor Christie and his administration are now under investigation by state and federal officials for possible abuses of power.  The probes were triggered by lane closures on the Ft. Lee, New Jersey, side of the George Washington Bridge, which leads to New York.  The lanes were closed for four days last September and caused major disruptions for commuters, school transportation and emergency vehicles.  Initially officials at the Port Authority, which oversees the bridge, said it was part of a traffic study.  But accusations that it was a retaliatory move against the Democratic mayor of Ft. Lee, who had failed to endorse the governor's November reelection bid, surfaced at the time of the incident.

Earlier this month, the governor claimed no knowledge or involvement in the closures in a news conference.  The governor spoke following disclosures of incriminating email and text messages involving several of his key aides.  On August 13, Christie's Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, sent an email that read, "Time for some traffic problems in Ft. Lee."  The email went to one of Christie's Port Authority appointees, David Wildstein, who was also his childhood friend.  Wildstein responded, "Got it."

At his lengthy news conference, Governor Christie said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the poor judgment of his staff.  He announced that Kelly had been fired.  He also said Bill Stepien, a top Christie aide, would step down as a consultant for the Republican Governor's Association, which Christie headed, and would withdraw his bid to become the state's party chairman.   Wildstein and another Christie Port Authority appointee, Bill Baroni, both resigned their positions last December.  Wildstein, who exercised his right not to answer questions before a hearing earlier this month, is reportedly seeking immunity.

At the very minimum, the disclosures surrounding the lane closures at Ft. Lee call into question Governor Christie's personnel judgment.  That's if you believe he didn't know anything despite the fact that so many close to him were involved.  But now fresh disclosures of the governor's apparent abuse of power have raised additional questions about whether there is a pattern.

One Democratic mayor stepped forward to say he was the victim of Governor Christie's strong-arm politics.  He complained that the governor's staff had cancelled a series of important meetings between him and state cabinet officials after he said he would not endorse Governor Christie's reelection.   This weekend the mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, accused the Christie administration of withholding Hurricane Sandy relief money because she would not go along with fast-track approval of a redevelopment plan they supported.   Meanwhile, federal investigators are looking in to whether Christie's reelection campaign misused funds appropriated for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Governor Christie was thought to be considering a run for the presidency in 2016.  His blunt, aggressive and energetic style has attracted a lot of support among Republicans and independent voters according to national polls.  He has positioned himself as a strong leader, a person who can work with all parties, and a man who can get things done.  Many of his opponents call him bully, political, ambitious and a micromanager.

But some of his strongest opposition comes from within the Republican Party.  Among their most notable complaints is that Governor Christie's embrace of President Barack Obama following Hurricane Sandy hurt Mitt Romney's presidential bid.  Critics accused him of bolstering his own national status at a cost to the Republican Party.   The Conservative Political Action Committee chose not to invite him to speak to their 2013 convention.  At the time their chair said, "Hopefully next year he's back on the right track and being a conservative."

Some Republicans have voiced support for the governor's statements and actions in response to the Ft. Lee lane closures, noting that he took responsibility for what happened.  Nonetheless, the Christie administration is now dealing with 20 subpoenas from state investigators, and more may be on the way.  Those who support the governor are hoping he is not directly linked to the growing scandal.   But for those who have opposed the governor, the scandal is just further evidence that Chris Christie cannot be trusted to be president.      

Christie-gate

Governor Chris Christie appeared humbled in his news conference Thursday as he apologized to the people of Ft. Lee New Jersey for the disruptive lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last fall.  He also said that he had "no knowledge or involvement" in the closures.  While he spoke with reporters for 107 minutes, the incident brings into focus many serious questions about the governor and his administrative team.  

Governor Christie was uncharacteristically contrite, regretful, ashamed, and even sad for the actions taken by of key members of his team.  "I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here," Mr. Christie said.   He announced he had terminated his Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly because "she lied to me" when he says he asked her several weeks ago whether she had any knowledge of the closures.   

The governor also announced that he had ended his support for the appointment of his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, as state Republican chairman.  Mr. Christie was reelected in a landslide last November.  The governor also announced that he had severed political ties with Stepien.  "I would not place him at the head of my political operation because of the lack of judgment that was shown in the emails," he said.

The news conference was prompted by email disclosures in the Record, a northern New Jersey newspaper also know as the Bergen Record.   Ms. Kelly sent an email last August to a Port Authority executive saying, "Time for some traffic problems in Ft. Lee."  The executive, David Wildstein, a childhood friend of the governor's, responded, "Got it."  Following the lane closures the Port Authority explained it was part of a last minute traffic study.  Later Wildstein admitted ordering the closures, and resigned his post.  On Thursday, he appeared before a panel of state legislators and repeatedly invoked his constitutional right not to say anything that might incriminate him.  

Speculation grew following the incident that it was in retaliation against Ft. Lee's Democratic mayor, who had not endorsed Mr. Christie's reelection.  The mayor, Mark Sokolich, was also the subject of some emails.  Bill Stepien, who was deputy chief of staff for intergovernmental affairs, reassured Wildstein at the time, writing, "It's fine.  The mayor's and idiot."  Stepien worked with local officials throughout the state to arrange town meetings.  At Thursday's news conference, the governor, who was Stepien's mentor, said, "reading that it made me lose my confidence in Bill's judgment, and you cannot have someone at the top of your political operation that you don't have confidence in." 

But is Governor Christie telling the truth about his lack of knowledge and involvement in the lane closures?  If any evidence to the contrary surfaces his presidential aspirations will be badly damaged.  The people who are so far known to have been involved are all very close to the governor, and in constant contact with him.  How could it be they never mentioned anything or "lied" to him?   Wildstein answered Kelly's email requesting traffic problems in Ft. Lee tersely, as if it had been a prearranged scheme.  Who was behind the lane closures?  Did she have the authority?

This was a terrible disruption that took place over several days and created mayhem for thousands of New Jersey commuters who were going to work or school.  Why didn't the governor, who says his first priority is serving New Jersey, immediately step in to deal with the problem?

Mr. Christie once served as United States Attorney for New Jersey.  He was an aggressive prosecutor, especially against corrupt public officials, and garnered a record of 130 convictions versus zero acquittals.  Yet, Christie did not individually question his aides about the closures.  Instead, he said he addressed his aides four weeks ago, "I put to all of them one simple challenge: if there is any information that you know about the decision to close the lanes in Fort Lee, you have one hour to tell either my chief of staff, Kevin O'Dowd, or my chief counsel, Charlie McKenna."  What happened to the aggressive prosecutor?  

The governor has nominated Kevin O'Dowd to be the state's new attorney general.  He is scheduled to appear before the state's Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.  What was his role in the lane closures?  Since Bridget Anne Kelly reported directly to him, did she ever discuss the matter with him?  Will he answer relevant questions in Tuesday's hearing or provide emails?  

Did the governor receive emails at any point, or have any conversations on the lane closures beyond what he specified in his news conference.  The governor was asked by a reporter Thursday, "If you were to get a subpoena, for whatever reason, what would you do?"  Governor Christie responded, "I am not going to speculate on that."  What does that mean?

The governor has been characterized by his opponents as a politically ambitious, a micromanager, and a bully prone to retribution.  "I am not a bully," he said Thursday.  "Politics ain't bean bag," he continued,  "And everybody in the country who engages in politics knows that."  He admitted to having very heated arguments because, "I feel passionately about issues.  And I don't hide my emotions from people.  I am not a focus-group tested, blow-dried candidate or governor."  

Along with a legislative inquiry and the U.S. Attorney's investigation, Mr. Christie is facing a class-action suit filed by workers who claim the closures made them late for work and resulted in lost wages.   Even if there are no further disclosers implicating the governor, and everything he said Thursday holds up, and that's a big if, Governor Christie has a long and difficult road ahead of him.    

Christie vs. Paul

The escalating public dispute between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has exposed the deep rift that exists between factions of the Republican Party.   But these two men have turned their differences into a food fight over "pork" and "bacon".   

The dispute began last week when Christie raised concerns about the dangers of libertarianism, espoused by Senator Paul, who has been an outspoken critic of the National Security Agency and other national security issues.  "I just want us to be really cautious because this strain of libertarianism going through both parties right now and making big headlines I think is very dangerous," Christie told a gathering of Republican governors at the Aspen Institute in Colorado.  

The always blunt governor then said,  "These esoteric intellectual debates, I want them to come to New Jersey and sit in front of the widows and orphans and have that conversation, " referring to the people who lost family members in the September 11 terrorist attacks.  He concluded, "And they won't, because that's a much tougher conversation to have."

On Sunday, a prickly Senator Paul lashed back, attacking the governor for his federal funding requests following Hurricane Sandy.  "They're precisely the same people who are unwilling to cut spending, and their "gimme, gimme, gimme, give me all of my Sandy money now," he told reporters.  "Those are the people who are bankrupting the government and not letting enough money be left over for national defense." 

Gimme, gimme, gimme a break, Mr. Paul!  The annual U.S. defense budget is $700 billion, larger than the combined defense budgets of the next dozen countries.  Meanwhile, Hurricane Sandy was the second most destructive storm in U.S. history; it left in its wake 159 dead and an estimated $69 billion in damage.   Nonetheless, Mr. Paul tore into the governor on Monday night in an interview with Fox News, "It's really, I think, kind of sad and cheap that he would use the cloak of 9/11 victims and say, 'I'm the only one who cares about these victims.'" 

Governor Christie, a former prosecutor, responded to Mr. Paul in a press conference Tuesday.  “So if Senator Paul wants to start looking at where he’s going to cut spending to afford defense, maybe he should start looking at cutting the pork barrel spending that he brings home to Kentucky, at $1.51 for every $1.00 and not look at New Jersey, where we get $0.61 for every $1.00,” Christie said, referring to the amount of money each state receives for each dollar it pays to the federal government.   “So maybe Senator Paul could — could, you know, deal with that when he’s trying to deal with the reduction of spending on the federal side.  But I doubt he would, because most Washington politicians only care about bringing home the bacon so that they can get reelected.”

On Tuesday evening, Senator Paul struck back at the governor in a CNN interview.  “This is the king of bacon talking about bacon,” he said. “You know, we have two military bases in Kentucky. And is Governor Christie recommending that we shut down our military bases?”  Then he raised the ante.  “He’s making a big mistake picking a fight with other Republicans, because the Republican Party is shrinking in — in New England and in the northeast part of our country."  He continued, “I’m the one trying to grow the party by talking about liberation ideas of privacy and the Internet.  And attacking me isn’t helping the party.  He’s hurting the party.”

Paul then puffed, “Why would he want to pick a fight with the one guy who has the chance to grow the party by appealing to the youth and appealing to people who would like to see a more moderate and less aggressive foreign policy."

Governor Christie and Senator Paul are both positioning themselves for the 2016 presidential election.  The Republican Party suffered a stinging defeat at the ballot box one year ago that resulted in a self-examination of its core values.  But there is a wide chasm between its conservative right and its more centrist members on the future direction of the party.  

These differences are reflected in the public spat between Mr. Christie and Mr. Paul.  With three more years remaining before the election, Democrats, who will likely nominate Hillary Clinton as their standard-bearer, are certainly enjoying the show.  

Christie's Future

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will spend the weekend considering whether to declare his candidacy for president. Should he enter the GOP race he will have committed one of the biggest flip-flops ever, and many Americans will be asking, "What changed?"

For months the governor has been adamant that he will not run for the White House in 2012. Up to now the governor has repeatedly said on television, "I am not ready to be president." Should he declare his candidacy he will be seeing that soundbite in a lot of campaign commercials.

But now what has changed is the intensity with which supporters and some leading party members are clamoring for him to enter the race. It seems that many Republicans are not happy with their existing field of candidates.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has retaken the top spot in some polls of declared GOP candidates. A recent Fox News poll shows his support at 23%, which is about where it was two months ago. Despite his strong debate performances and tireless campaigning, Romney has not been able to win over most Republicans. It seems that "RomneyCare", his track record of changing positions on key issues and the fact he is a Mormon are all dragging him down among conservative party members.

Following his announcement in August, Texas Governor Rick Perry surged in polls to a commanding lead among Republican candidates. He quickly became the darling of conservatives and Tea Party members. But a series of poor debate performances and increased scrutiny of his record has rocked his campaign and dampened enthusiasm for his candidacy.

Businessman Herman Cain got a bump up to third place in this week's polls following his solid debate performance in Orlando, Florida. But his "9-9-9" plan for the American economy is more of a clever marketing pitch than a realistic solution to this nation's woes. Meanwhile, the rest of the field is mired in single digits and none are likely get their party's nomination.

Republicans believe they can defeat President Barack Obama in 2012, the number one priority of the party since he was elected. Whoever gets the nomination will campaign against the president's economic record, his health care reform act and his inability to end partisan politics in Washington. Their only dilemma is finding the right candidate.

So many key Republicans are pressuring Governor Christie because they believe he can unite the party and win over independent voters. The governor has only been if office two years but he has received a lot of attention because of his straight-talking brash style. Critics call him a bully. The governor has taken on the teachers' unions and he has balanced two budgets after eliminating huge deficits by working with a Democratic majority in the New Jersey legislature.

But is the governor ready for relentless national scrutiny? The unemployment rate in New Jersey is 9.5%, above the national rate, and the state's economy is struggling. The governor has no experience in foreign affairs and few, if any, relationships with international leaders.

Meanwhile, late night comedians are already making fun of the governor's weight. David Letterman reported to his audience, "Critics are saying he doesn't have fire in his belly, that's all he doesn't have in his belly." And political columnists are also raising the weight issue. Take Michael Kinsley, "I'm sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be president: He is just too fat." Will Governor Christie's weight be too much of a distraction? Will he be able to conduct a rigorous campaign?

Meanwhile, conservatives are not going to be happy with some of the governor's positions. On gun control the governor has said New Jersey has a "handgun problem" and that he supports some gun-control measures. On immigration he has said that being in the country without proper papers is an "administrative matter," not a crime. When critics howled because the governor appointed a Muslim lawyer to be a New Jersey Superior Court judge, he snapped, "I'm tired of dealing with the crazies."

Running for president is incredibly difficult, and a candidate has to go all out to have a chance of winning. But will Governor Christie be able to run for president and run New Jersey at the same time?

If he chooses to run for president, Governor Christie will have to answer questions regarding his background, his performance in office, his weight and his positions on key issues. Perhaps Governor Christie should carefully reconsider his own words, "I am not ready to be president."

Goodnight Irene

Hurricane Irene pummeled New York City Saturday night and Sunday with nearly twenty-four hours of torrential rains and high winds. The storm left behind severe local flooding, falling trees, and some power outages as surging seas overran beaches, sea walls and piers throughout the region. But the "city that never sleeps" dodged a bullet.

The heavy rain began in the Big Apple at about 8pm Saturday evening. Sheets of water pounded skyscrapers, townhouses and city streets. Rivers of water rushed down avenues to lower ground where it accumulated into ponds, puddles and many basements. The intense downpour obscured the "neon lights on Broadway;" its usually bustling sidewalks were virtually empty. Below the surface New York's famous subway system sat idle, having already been shut down midday Saturday.

Every local television news organization went into "wall-to-wall coverage" as did the cable news channels. Intrepid reporters chanced hurricane force winds, rain and high water to do "live shots" everywhere from Battery Park to the southern tip of New Jersey. Seeing a correspondent leaning into the wind and driving rain while reporting on the local effects of the hurricane has now become a cliché. Perhaps journalism schools should add a course, "Hurricane 101"! Many reporters filed live reports while driving through flooded streets in extra heavy "mobile units" laden with the latest in broadcast technology.

By mid afternoon Sunday the rain had pretty much ended in New York City, but winds at 45 to 50 miles per hour persisted as the backside of the hurricane passed through. City officials tried to close Central Park, but joggers, bikers and hikers ignored warning signs posted at each entrance. Debris filled the walkways, paths and roads, but it did nothing to discourage activities. Neither did Park Rangers who had little luck in diverting traffic out of the park.

The fact is that Hurricane Irene is responsible for at least 18 deaths and billions of dollars in damage throughout the East Coast. Even with all of the scientific tools available to weathermen, hurricanes are difficult to predict with precision. For instance, in 2004 it took just three hours for Hurricane Charley to strengthened from winds of 110 mph to winds of 145 mph. Had Irene had winds of 150 mph, New York City would have been devastated and perhaps hundreds of its citizens would have been killed. So Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Chris Christie did the right thing ordering evacuations from low-lying areas and shutting down mass transit. In short, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Nonetheless, some critics now say predictions were overblown, that the populace was unnecessarily threatened, that media and government officials hyped the storm. The Drudge Report carried a headline that read: "IRENE: A PERFECT STORM OF HYPE..." But many of the same people who now complain would have been the first to scream and howl if the storm had been a monster and the preparations weak. Somehow it seems that politics must enter into everything nowadays.

The full affects of Hurricane Irene have not been yet been felt in some low-lying areas prone to flooding in the Northeast, especially Vermont and Upstate New York. Nonetheless, Hurricane Irene is an important reminder just how powerful and unpredictable Mother Nature can be.