Christie give Trump a Run for his Money

[Big RR]

In his quest to become a bigger asshole than Trump, Christie has reached a new low. Firstly, for those of you who don't know, NJ is in Day 3 of a government shutdown (except for essential services)--all state parks and other services (including the courts and motor vehicles) are shut down due to budget impasse between the Assembly and Governor (the Senate is trying to mediate a deal). On Friday afternoon, Christies signed an Executive Order suspending all nonessential services, closing all state parks (including some of the most popular beaches), and putting up signs at the entrances with a picture of the Assembly Speaker, saying the park was closed because of this man and giving his office number (that's a great way to start negotiations).

Then, in a fit or arrogance, he took his family and friends to a governor's retreat Island Beach State Park (one of the most popular beaches), and when asked about how it looked said something to the effect of "I don't really care--the house is for the use of the governor and if someone doesn't like it they can run for governor themselves and shut it down".

So far it hasn't worked, with the vast majority of NJ residents blaming Christie for the shutdown.

Note; For those who care, Christie is seeking to take money from the reserves of the largest insurer in the state (Horizon Blue Cross/ Blue Shield) to fund the budget (especially his drug treatment initiative as he is now Trump's drug treatment czar); he has threatened to line item veto most dem sponsored provisions if the budget comes to his desk with out it. This was brought late to the table, and the Assembly Speaker has said they will not include it in the budget, nor will they deliver a budget which can undo the agreed upon compromises at Christie's whim; he also suggested it could be taken up and debated afterwards (and given the fact that the dems are no fan of Horizon, it could well pass, but Christie has to flex his muscle). With Christie's tactics of posting the Speaker's photos at the park entrances, it's likely to be a long shut down.

I wonder what Trump's giving him to play the clown and divert at least some of the attention from his idiotic acts.

[Lord Jim]

Chris Christie's sunbathing pics clinch it: He's stopped caring



(CNN)On Friday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered the beaches across the Garden State closed -- a reaction to the ongoing budget impasse in the state's legislature.

Less than 48 hours later, photos from NJ Advance Media showed Christie sunning himself with his family on Island Beach State Park -- the only people on the beach because, well, the governor had closed it. This photo really sums it up.



But, wait! It gets worse! Way worse!

Turns out that after those photos were taken on Sunday, Christie took the state helicopter to Trenton for a press conference. At it, he was asked about staying at the beach while the beaches were shut down. "I didn't get any sun today," Christie responded.

When shown the pictures, a Christie spokesman -- in what will be fast-tracked into the spin Hall of Fame -- responded: "He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on."[There's a fella with a bright future in the Trump press office...]

The "hat" defense! Epic. Absolutely epic.

What the episode shows that Christie has moved beyond caring what the people he was elected to represent think about him.[Ya think?]

Consider Christie's life since Feb. 10, 2016, when he dropped out of the presidential race following a disappointing showing in the New Hampshire primary.

Just 16 days later, Christie endorses Donald Trump's campaign. He spent much of the rest of the campaign traveling around with Trump -- to much ridicule -- perhaps in hopes of winding up as the vice presidential pick or as a member of the Cabinet. Neither happened. And, Christie got fired as the head of the presidential transition in favor of Vice President Mike Pence.

Meanwhile, back in New Jersey, Christie's approval numbers took a massive hit -- partly because of his ties to Trump and partly due to the fact that he wasn't in the state all that much.

By mid-June, a Quinnipiac University poll put Christie's approval rating at just 15%, the worst approval rating for any governor in any state poll ever conducted by Quinnipiac. Eighty-one percent of New Jersey voters disapproved of the job Christie was doing.[I'll be so happy when Trump gets to those numbers...]

That same poll cast Christie's lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno, as a major underdog to keep the governor's mansion in Republican hands this fall -- largely due to the incumbent's unpopularity. A majority (54%) of voters said Guadagno's ties to Christie have a negative impact on their views of her.

And now, Christie on the beach. And telling reporters he didn't get any sun. And the pictures. And his spokesman's "hat" spin.

What explains it? Either Christie is actively working to destroy any political future he might have or he has simply stopped caring.

The latter option is more plausible. Christie is term-limited out of office early next year. He has zero interest in running for the US Senate and couldn't get elected to one of those seats even if he did want to wind up in the world's greatest deliberative body.

Christie's only option is to be a second-wave Trump administration appointee; he is regularly rumored as a chief of staff possibility if and when Reince Priebus leaves or is ushered out.

And, if there's anyone out there who l-o-v-e-s Christie sunbathing while the beaches are shut down, it's Trump. The President digs anyone who thumbs his nose at convention. If you can feud with the press too, well, that's a double bonus in the eyes of Trump.

When you see Christie on the beach then, you see a man who has stopped caring. He knows he is done as a politician in New Jersey -- and that his only possible future rests in the hands of a man who has built a political career on flouting convention.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/politics/ ... index.html

So, less popular in New Jersey than Hurricane Sandy, Christie has decided to go out with a big, FUCK YOU to the people who twice entrusted him with the state's highest office...

by shutting the beach's down to them on the 4th of July weekend while he lounges on the beach at their expense...

[Crackpot]

Hey Jim do you remember when you liked him?

[Lord Jim]

Yes, indeed I do CP...

But thanks for the reminder...


ETA:

It occurs to me that what a decent person would have done in this situation, is agree to sign a temporary funding extension for a week or two, to provide more time for negociations and not ruin the 4th of July holiday for thousands of people (not to mention the damage done to the small businesses that rely on the revenue from people enjoying the holiday)

But that's not what you do when you're the kind of guy who wants this award:

[Big RR]

Yep Jim; and a decent governor would also try to not inflame the situation by posting photos of the Assembly Speaker on every closed facility--he's going to have to deal with him eventually.


And the asinine part of this dispute is that the entire way Horizon is being run is worth a close look and debate, but not as a budget hostage negotiation. And since 4 members of the Board have been appointed by Christie, he had a lot of advance notice and could have raised his concerns with the legislature long before this.

Maybe you're right about him trying to get Trump's attention for a job after this; his political career is pretty much dead and I doubt many law firms would welcome him as they have other ex-governors.

[rubato]

Hey Jim do you remember when you liked him?

Liked him? LJ said he was the great white whale hope for President.


yrs,
rubato

[Econoline]

A confession: to be honest, at one time I actually thought he was one of only 3 or 4 candidates for the 2016 Republican nomination who might have been competent as POTUS. (Of course, given the 2016 Republican clown car, that's not saying much... )

[Sue U]

A confession: to be honest, at one time I actually thought he was one of only 3 or 4 candidates for the 2016 Republican nomination who might have been competent as POTUS. (Of course, given the 2016 Republican clown car, that's not saying much... )

Also, you don't live in NJ. Those of us with front row seats know better.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15386&p=196342&hili ... ie#p196342

[Econoline]

[BoSoxGal]

[Econoline]

Just gotta post one more....

[MajGenl.Meade]

The Outlaw, Jersey Whale.....

[Sue U]

[Big RR]

Gotta love 'em, especially the last one. The man is a complete ass.

[Guinevere]

He is definitely an ass, but calling him a whale is an insult to those beautiful and graceful creatures.

[ex-khobar Andy]

When the story first appeared, the headline was something like "Gov Christie spotted from helicopter." I honestly thought it was going to be one of those visible-from-space type stories, like the Great Wall of China. I was quite prepared to believe it, too.

[Long Run]

This seemed about the most appropriate one:

[Lord Jim]

The Skipper, Gilligan, The Professor, and Thurston Christie The Turd...

[Joe Guy]

The Skipper, Gilligan, The Professor, and Thurston Christie The Turd...

Thurston Hungryton Christie The Turd...

[Scooter]