The Truth about Chris Christie by (another) Jersey Guy

Natty Bumpo · Mar 17, 2015

Christie has shown his willingness to grovel before the fat cats that use the GOP to further their interests, a prime requisite to qualify for the Republican presidential nomination:

...Last March in Las Vegas Adelson organized his own private Republican primary. Politico wrote at the time: Adelson summoned Jeb Bush and Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey, John Kasich of Ohio and Scott Walker of Wisconsin to Las Vegas. ... The new big-money political landscape in which a handful of donors can dramatically alter a campaign with just a check or two. When Christie, in his speech before Adelson, described the West Bank as occupied territories, some Republican Jews in the audience were appalled. So, Politico reported, Christie hastily arranged a meeting with Adelson to explain that he had misspoken and that he was a true friend of Israel. The New Jersey governor apologized in a private meeting in the casino moguls Venetian office shortly afterward, Politico reported. It said Adelson accepted Christies explanation and quick apology.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/o...inancier-plays-politics-two-countries-2819353
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... but even the dupes who unwittingly kowtow to their oligarchic overlords can hardly ignore his blatant corporate welfare cronyism:

J Gov. Christie's tax breaks reward political insiders

Mar 17, 2015

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) Under Republican Gov. Chris Christie, New Jersey has authorized more than $2 billion in economic development tax breaks since 2014, often to corporations with notable political connections. One grant went to a developer who owes millions of dollars on an unpaid state loan, an Associated Press review found.

That total of tax breaks handed out by New Jersey's Economic Development Authority is more than the total amount issued during the decade before Christie took office.
The aid has gone disproportionately to businesses in Camden, a beleaguered city of 77,000. Development projects in the city received $630 million in future tax breaks last year. In his January state of the state address, Christie said that the money in future tax breaks awarded to Camden development projects means the city is "seeing a new tomorrow."

As Christie considers a Republican presidential campaign, a Camden renaissance would offer a useful counterpoint to New Jersey's lackluster economic performance. But a closer look at the grants which will amount to nearly four times Camden's annual budget indicates they may do less for the city than advertised and more for Christie's political alliances.
Most of the jobs coming to Camden are filled by existing employees who currently work just a few miles away. One tax break exceeded the value of the company that received it. And nearly all the recipients boast notable political connections.

The Christie Administration's Camden incentives raise questions about the governor's stewardship of New Jersey's finances and whether Christie's claims of revitalizing Camden will resonate with Republican voters opposed to corporate welfare.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150317/us--christie_tax_breaks-9884d08e93.html
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jackdog · Mar 17, 2015

ProgressivePatriot said: ↑

eeeeeerrrr I specifically said "Not all Republicans are guilty of all of these crimes" But, they are pervasive characteristics that pervade the party. Here is more on your boy Christie:

.
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you sound like Harry Reid, referring to President Barack Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect" . That means Reid is only just 1/2 racist or 3/4 bigoted right ?

Here is a hint, try using some critical thinking and objective analysis instead of regurgitating anything that you read on the Move On. You might find it enjoyable but warning your political views may not be as rock solid. Objective thinking is frowned upon by religions for that reason and I have a feeling that for some here, partisanship is their religion

Here is something to think about while you are trying to come up with some attack on Christie. The New jersey legislature has been under Democratic control since 2005. Now who is it that sets the budget that has gotten the State into a budget crisis , the legislature or Christie. Wow what a concept, the Democratic Legislature

ProgressivePatriot · Mar 17, 2015

jackdog said: ↑

you sound like Harry Reid, referring to President Barack Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect" . That means Reid is only just 1/2 racist or 3/4 bigoted right ?

Here is a hint, try using some critical thinking and objective analysis instead of regurgitating anything that you read on the Move On. You might find it enjoyable but warning your political views may not be as rock solid. Objective thinking is frowned upon by religions for that reason and I have a feeling that for some here, partisanship is their religion

Here is something to think about while you are trying to come up with some attack on Christie. The New jersey legislature has been under Democratic control since 2005. Now who is it that sets the budget that has gotten the State into a budget crisis , the legislature or Christie. Wow what a concept, the Democratic Legislature
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Critical thinking? I might make the same suggestion of you. This state has been a mess for a long and democrats are not blameless. But you seem to have a blind eye to Christies incompetence and sleaziness. All that you have been doing is deflecting attention away from that fact and focusing on Clinton and the Dems.

ProgressivePatriot · Mar 20, 2015

Chris Christies ties to establishment party figures have enabled him to become a prolific fundraiser and frequent campaign surrogate, and his heated and bombastic rhetoric has animated many conservatives. However, the New Jersey governor has run a chaotic state government with frequent budget crises, credit downgrades and an atmosphere that led to the notorious, politically-motivated Fort Lee highway lane closures, just one of several scandals Christie is facing. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/chris-christie-problem-solver-who-left-new-jersey-mess

ProgressivePatriot · Jun 10, 2015

Governor Christie told the town hall audience that America needed to take a military approach and let the Chinese know there are limits to what theyre allowed to do. In discussing Chinas activity in the South China Sea, Christie added:

That is an issue that we can handle militarily by going out there and making sure that we show them that we dont respect their claims to these artificial islands in the South China Sea that theyre building, that theyre saying are theirs that are hundreds and hundreds of miles from the coast of China and are clearly in international waters. We need to send that signal to the Chinese very clearly that we do not acknowledge nor will we respect their claims to those areas. http://www.politicususa.com/2015/06/09/chris-christie-calls-starting-war-china.html

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Brilliant!! Just Brilliant!!!

PeppermintTwist · Jun 14, 2015

Durandal said: ↑

In sum, the guy is a politician, and so is whatever he needs to be in order to gain and maintain power.
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A politician and a cruel cold-hearted self-serving (*)(*)(*)(*)...

Chris Christie Runs Into The Loving Arms Of The Pork Industry
http://thedailybanter.com/2014/11/c...l-banning-cruel-treatment-pigs-factory-farms/

Anders Hoveland · Jun 14, 2015

Christie is definitely not the Libertarian kind of Conservative, but I think some of that comes from the State that he's from (New Jersey is highly urbanized and has a high population density).

perotista · Jun 14, 2015

ProgressivePatriot said: ↑

The Myth of Chris Christie as a Moderate Republican
Who is Good for New Jersey
by the Progressive Patriot 11.13.13

Part 1 Introduction
Chris Christie has a lot of people-Democrats, Republicans and independents alike- duped into thinking that he is a moderate who has done a great job running New Jersey as evidenced by the recent election results. Here is my blue state of New Jersey, this Republican Governor just won reelection with 60% of the vote (although, with a 38% turnout that was heavily Republican, it was not exactly a resounding mandate) Yet at the same time, legislature remained solidly Democratic, and, lets not forget that NJ went solidly for Obama, who got 70% of the vote just one year ago. Not only did Christie garner popular support from the general public, but also from Democratic elected officials and party bosses. I had to ask myself how this was possible.

I believe that part of the answer lies in his brash, in your face style which (some) people find refreshing but which masks the actual underling substance or lack thereof on the issues. In addition, he praised Obama for his response to hurricane Sandy and generally does not speak ill of him. And, he has demonstrated the ability to avoid giving the appearance of being obsessed with, or too extreme on the most contentious social issues.

Campaign financing and fundraising was another major factor, with Christie far out spending Bouno every step of the way The (Newark) Star-Ledger reports that his campaign has already raised more than $12.4 million, although New Jersey state law limits what gubernatorial candidates who accept matching funds can spend to $12.2 million. Source:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/p...re_will_the_money_go.html#fOSBAhp09I2HMLuq.99 .

This is the kind of money that allowed Christie to spend $1.5M on TV adds saying that Chris tie, "working with both parties" achieved "four balanced budgets" and "no new taxes for anyone." assertions that to varying degrees are questionable. There's also a reference to Hurricane Sandy at the end: "When tragedy struck, he was there every step of the way." Source:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ss...different_tv_ads_barbara_buono_in_only_2.html

Again, with respect to Sandy, there are questions about the veracity of that assertion in that a year later, people are still homeless and awaiting assistance Source:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politic...r-10-places-that-are-still-suffering-20131101

However, his true talent really is his ability to walk a fine line of appealing to liberal NJ while playing to the more conservative national stage- a feat that allowed him to win reelection as a moderate governor. It didnt hurt that people were just not paying close attention to the issues or the election which featured an unexciting opponent with weak backing that came three weeks after the hotly contested special election featuring two very different candidates-an election that Christie cleverly called to suppress the Democratic turnout in the general election.

It seems at times that its only the hard core tea party that thinks that he is not conservative enough. However, its important to note that there is a lot of daylight between Christie and the like of Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Michelle Bachman. While he is not them, he is far from a centrist, yet he is perceived by many to be exactly that. Watch for part II

- - - Updated - - -

Part ll The Issues : Giving just enough to create the illusion

So, lets look at what specifically has he done to give the appearance of being a moderate, or as some would say these days, a RINO, and why, on each issue he really is not:

Same Sex Marriage and other LGBTI issues: He did in fact sign legislation outlawing reparative therapy used to cure gay children, something that his tea party detractors would not approve of. However He vetoed the gay marriage bill passed by the state legislature, and fought against the ultimately successful court challenges to the same sex marriage ban. The fact the he dropped the appeal to the state supreme court does not in any way constitute a capitulation, despite the moans and charges of betrayal by conservatives. Rather, knowing full well how the court would rule, he made a strategic retreat. Now, marriage is legal only on the basis of the lower court ruling, which could more easily overturned. In addition the door is open for another appeal to the state high court at future time when that court-which he is trying to remake in his image- may be comprised of judges that will favor his position.

Womens reproductive rights and family planning: He supports some exceptions to a ban on abortion such as in the case of rape, incest or if the mothers life is at risk, another position that does not sit well with the most conservative elements of his party. However ,Christie basically opposes a womans right to choose. At a 2011 rally opposing the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark Roe v. Wade decision, he said eliminating abortion was an issue whose time has come. He also cut state family planning funding to Planned Parenthood. Source:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/11/06/2894261/chris-christies-moderation/

Gun Control: Christie signed 10 gun control measures into law in April, and later stated that he thinks gun control may be able to play a role in controlling violence but stressing that his focus in New Jersey is the mental health care system, because most of the perpetrators of mass shootings are "deeply disturbed (However, consider this in relation to the mental health issue below) Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...un-control_n_4250341.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

However, he and then refused to sign a trio of stronger measures in May, including a ban on .50 sniper caliber rifles. Christie fully rejected the ban on .50 caliber rifles, five-foot-long snipers that can be loaded with palm-length cartridges designed to penetrate heavy armor a mile away; and that are, according to Christie, necessary for recreational pastimes. While Christie proposed outlawing the sale of these weapons in April, he wrote to the General Assembly that banning them outright would serve only to confuse law-abiding gun owners with the threat of imprisonment. In fact, the law would give gun owners a year in which to register, and then legally keep, any .50 calibers currently in their possession He could have used a conditional veto and sent it back for revisions. However, he just killed it outright. Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...un-control_n_4250341.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

Mental Health In January 2013 Christie committed to "fully implementing" a mental health treatment law that had been signed into law by Jon Corzine in 2009 which had gotten off to a sluggish start, a problem that Christie blamed on a lack of interest by treatment providers. Known as the involuntary outpatient commitment" law, it gives judges discretion to demand people take medication and go to therapy if they pose a danger to themselves or others in the "foreseeable future." If they fail to comply, they can be involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. However Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) criticized Christie for only dedicating $2 million to the law he sponsored to launch the program in six of the state's 21 counties. Codey said the law Gov. Jon Corzine enacted in 2009 was supposed to be operating in all 21 counties by now, with seven counties added every year starting in 2010. In addition, while Christie claimed that the program was fully funded in his first year as Governor, that statement was contradicted by his state Human Services Commissioner, Jennifer Velez, then-Deputy Commissioner Kevin Martone in August 2010. Velez and Martone's letter announced the law would be indefinitely delayed because it had been approved by the previous administration without any money to expand treatment programs. The state's finances were stretched too thin to afford it that year. Source:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/christie_says_hes_committed_to.html
It would appear that Christie got on board with this only after a series of high profile shootings and mounting pressure to support gun control and generally ramping up the urgency to do something about the violence.

ACA and Health Care: He accepted Federal money to expand Medicare under A.C.A., a smart business decision to bring badly needed money into the state and shore up voter support. However Christie has been critical of the Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare calling the law "a mistake" and "a failed policy. He, like many other Republicans has capitalized on the web site and policy cancellation issues and has failed to acknowledge the positive aspects of it or to offer any alternative other than to return to the status quo where the insurers are in full control. He refused to set up state run health care exchanges and in doing so left federal money on the table that could have been used to help enroll the uninsured (Star Ledger 9.15.13)

Update: Following the debacle of the canceled plans by the insurers, President Obama asked governors to require insurers in their states to preserve the policies that people were losing for one year. However, the Christie administration refused and gave the insurers the option to terminate the policies. (Star Ledger 11.27.13)

Environment Christie claims to believe climate change is real to the chagrin of hard core conservatives However, he pulled New Jersey out of a regional compact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He also refused to take a position on whether climate change contributed to Super Storm Sandy, though researchers see such a link. Source: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/11/06/2894261/chris-christies-moderation/

Watch for Part III
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Way too long for my short attention span. But with Christie at 4.8% standing for the Republican nomination, that pretty much makes all of this reading irrelevant.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ep..._republican_presidential_nomination-3823.html

Unless a miracle happens, Christie will never come close to the nomination.

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The Truth about Chris Christie by (another) Jersey Guy

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The Truth about Chris Christie by (another) Jersey Guy

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