TOGETHER AGAIN Seven months ago, President Obama visited the Sandy-devastated towns of New Jersey, with Governor Christie leading him on a tour of the battered coastline. To some — if not most — Republicans, the resulting photo op was a stab in the back to the GOP and specifically to presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who would lose an election to Obama just days later. Today, the President paid a follow-up visit to see recovery efforts in the Garden State, and there again was Christie to shake his hand. Or, as conservatives called it, “Waaaaah, Christie is telling us to fuck off again” (Photo: Stephen Crowley / The New York Times)
Tracks
So these two exchanged pleasantries during an appearance in Seaside Heights, NJ on Friday.
Sound and fury, signifying yadda yadda.
Chris Christie hurt the GOP's feelings by caring more about his state during Sandy and caring less about politics so conservatives decided they didn't want Chris Christie to be at their little CPAC circlejerk because petulant assholes.
Let me be clear: I am no fan of the Affordable Care Act. I think it is wrong for New Jersey and for America. I fought against it and believe, in the long run, it will not achieve what it promises. However, it is now the law of the land. I will make all my judgments as governor based on what is best for New Jerseyans.
Republican Governor CHRIS CHRISTIE, once ardent opponent of Obamacare, now saying he’ll take some of that sweet Obamacare.
If you can’t beat ‘em, tell ‘em “I could’ve beat you, but I didn’t want to, so now I’m gonna join you. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Now gimme some of that sweet fed cheddar.”
(via The New York Times)
Last night, the House of Representatives failed that most basic test of public service, and they did so with callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state. If you want an example of how non-partisan this issue should have been, I offer this for your consideration: near midnight last night, conservative Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California both spoke on the floor in concert with each other in support of (the Hurricane Sandy) aid package. It’s one for the record books, I suspect.
On the equities, this one should be a no-brainer for the House Republicans, as well. Both New York and New Jersey used the international firm of McKinsey & Co. to assess and quantify the damage to our states. Our professional staffs have spent countless hours with Congressional staff providing leadership and backup documentation for ALL of the damage claims. Governor Cuomo and I have spent hours and hours speaking to individual members of the House and Senate to answer their questions. We worked with President Obama and his administration to satisfy them of the urgent need of this $60 billion aid package.
This was good enough for 62 United States Senators — of both parties — to vote for this package. This was good enough for a majority of the House of Representatives. It overcame all the factual challenges. It just could not overcome the toxic, internal politics of the House majority.
Finally, New Jersey and New York are perenially among the most generous states in the nation to our fellow states. We vote for disaster relief for other states in need; we are donor states sending much more to Washington D.C. than we ever get back in federal spending. Despite this history of unbridled generosity, in our hour of desperate need, we’ve been left waiting for help six times longer than the victims of Katrina with no end in sight.
Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress which places one-upsmanship ahead of the lives of the citizens who sent these people to Washington D.C. in the first place.
New Jerseyans and New Yorkers are tired of being treated like second-class citizens. New York deserves better than the selfishness that we saw displayed last night; New Jersey deserves better than the duplicity we saw on display last night. America deserves better than just another example of the government that has forgotten who they’re there to serve, and why.
66 days and counting. Shame on you; shame on Congress.
Christie would later make his anger crystal clear: “All I can tell you is this was the Speaker’s decision. His alone.”
(via Mediaite)
- Jon Stewart doing a good job reminding Chris Christie that he can’t have it both ways — going to the feds for Hurricane Sandy relief then vetoing New Jersey’s ability to set up a health insurance exchange program as allowed for under Obamacare.
If you're a Republican who blames Chris Christie for Mitt Romney losing the election, then honestly and truly go fuck yourself.
In the middle of updating New Jerseyans on Sandy and the current Nor'easter, reporters force governor Chris Christie to respond to concerns from whining Republicans that his appearances with Barack Obama helped cost Mitt Romney the election. Thankfully, part of Christie's response essentially amounted to "I don't have time for this stupid shit."
Saturday Night Live
KRUGMAN / NY TIMES: "There will be two big stars at the Republican National Convention, and neither of them will be Mitt Romney. One will, of course, be Paul Ryan, Mr. Romney’s running mate. The other will be Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, who will give the keynote address. And while the two men could hardly look or sound more different, they are brothers under the skin. How so? Both have carefully cultivated public images as tough, fiscally responsible guys willing to make hard choices. And both public images are completely false."
Mitt Romney has a loved one break his VP pick news to Chris Christie.
(via The Colbert Report)
This is apparently not New Jersey governor Chris Christie falling asleep at a Bruce Springsteen concert.
It occurs to me that more people have publicly said “no” to being Mitt Romney’s vice president than have ever said no to any other presidential candidate in recent memory.
It’s almost like they don’t want his cooties.
