Staying in Disney World

If ever there was a kerfuffle during Christie's first year in office, it occurred while he and his Missus were visiting sunny Florida shortly after Christmas, 2010, when a winter storm  (dubbed Blizzard 2010) deposited as much as 34 inches of snow in New Jersey, paralyzing the state for days.  People were without power, a state of emergency was declared, lives lost, transportation shut down.

  So what does our Fearless Leader do?  Does he hop a plane, knowing that Newark and Philadelphia airports have been closed?  Does he attempt to reach a more southern destination such as Washington, DC, or Baltimore, and thence to the Garden State by train or rented car, perhaps.  No, Christie adopted a low profile and let the state fend for itself, allegedly speaking on phone while roaming around with Mickey and Goofy at Disneyland.

   To make matters worse, in recent years the state created the post of Lieutenant Governor, a second in command, who might step in momentarily should the Gov be unable to fulfill his/her elected duties.  But as luck would have it, the Lt. Gov. obviously didn't read that part of the job description, for she too was in sunnier climes, cruising down Mexico way.  We were later told that her trip had long been planned, so that she and members of her family might accompanying a 'dying' relative, who clearly would benefit from the recuperative powers of such a voyage.

   So for many days, Christie enjoyed the type of national press coverage he so covets, but alas, very little of it was of a positive nature.

   Here are some of the comments:

 Rudy Giuliani offered his thoughts on national television.

Never one to attack a fellow Republican, Gov. Christie displayed characteristic tact and demeanor in his response to this criticism.

   But once again, don't just take my word for it.  Read this article about how the Acting Governor had to seek permission to apply for Emergency Funds from FEMA.  And don't miss the extensive collection of articles cited at the bottom of the page.

   It even triggered discussions of whether or not excuses such as family obligations would be acceptable for a female leader.

............
And in December, Mr. Christie was at Disney World during a blizzard that paralyzed the state. He refused to apologize, saying he had kept in touch with the acting governor, Mr. Sweeney — but Mr. Sweeney said they never spoke.

Who Is Chris Christie, Really?

  If you believe all the hype being fulminated by the Republican spin machine, Chris Christie is the greatest thing to carry their mantel since the Sanctified Ronald Reagan.

  Sure, the only statewide elective office he ever held was when he was elected governor of New Jersey in 2009.   Right wing pundits point to his victory in "heavily Democratic New Jersey" as proof of his broad appeal.  What this simplistic analysis ignores is that in winning the gubernatorial race, he defeated Jon Corzine, who carried quite a lot of baggage of his own, including an ongoing relationship with the female head of one of the largest public employee unions in the state.  Add to that the wave of discontent with incumbents that spread across the country with the recession which began in 2008, and the victory is not nearly so remarkable.  Indeed, Christie enjoyed a huge lead in the initial polling as the voters expressed desire for "anyone but Corzine," only to see his double digit lead dwindle as the voters got better acquainted with him, his positions, and his record.

   Also, despite its reputation, New Jersey actually has a history of electing Republican governors, including Tom Kean and Christine Todd Whitman, then replacing them with Democrats (e.g. Corzine and Jim McGreevy).

   So who is Chris Christie?  His only other elective post (unless you count student government) was that of Freeholder back in the 90s.  He was a corporate attorney and lobbyist, in a firm with strong Republican ties, who pressed Karl Rove to have Pres. Bush appoint him as New Jersey Prosecutor.  That position can be a springboard for the politically ambitious, with many opportunities for successful prosecution of high profile political and criminal cases, many of which require several years of work by previous administrations and the FBI.

  For a very good factual introduction to Christie's background, turn to Wikipedia, every school child's first source for information.  Maybe it's not quite as sanitized or slanted as the PR flacks would like it, but it does cover the waterfront.Granted, some in Trenton may not want everything to be included, but they have their own paid apparati to disseminate all the news that they see fit.

  Another very good information source is an oft-cited profile from New York Magazine "The Answer is No!" (yeah, I know, "those people" on the other side of the Hudson River).  But for now, it is one of the better sources of deep background on Chris Christie.

   Try to separate fact from myth.  There is a lot of "legend in the making" rhetoric spewing from the propaganda machines, so the more you really know, the better you will be.