Christie calls on Prieto to renew key NJ property tax law

Christie calls on Prieto to renew key NJ property tax law (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — After spending months combating scandal, Gov. Chris Christie today returned to a familiar setting and an old target: standing in front of dozens of supporters to pressure the state Assembly to pass a key bill. Backed by dozens of county…

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Christie to hammer NJ Assembly on expiration of property tax law

Christie to hammer NJ Assembly on expiration of property tax law (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie plans to go after Assembly Democrats this morning for their refusal to renew a law that reduced compensation for many police and firefighters. Christie has an 11a.m. press conference scheduled at Trenton’s war memorial…

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The Politics Of Disaster Relief

By Art Gallagher, [email protected]

When disaster hits, natural or man made, Americans put aside their differences and come together to handle the emergency.

We saw it with 9-11. Most recently in New Jersey we saw it with Superstorm Sandy.

Once the emergency is over and the federal money is flowing, the politics…partisanship and patronage starts.  We saw it with 9-11. We’re living it with Sandy.

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Chris Christie says Obama, Democrats should be careful increasing U.S. minimum wage

Chris Christie says Obama, Democrats should be careful increasing U.S. minimum wage (via NJ.com)

FAIRFIELD — A student asked Gov. Chris Christie at a town hall Wednesday what he thought of a push by President Obama and Democrats in Congress to increase the minimum wage across the U.S. to $10.10 an hour. The Republican governor — and possible…

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Quinnipiac Poll: New Jersey Voters Approve Of Christie More Than Obama, Menendez or Booker

New Jersey Voters Disapprove of the State Legislature, 36-48%

By Art Gallagher, [email protected]

Governor Chris Christie at Belmar Town Hall. photo by Art Gallagher

A Quinnipiac Poll released this morning indicates that, despite the beating he has been taking in the local and national media since January, Governor Chris Christie has higher approval ratings than President Barack Obama, Senator Bob Menendez and Senator Cory Booker, among New Jersey voters.

Quinnipiac didn’t spin the poll that way in their narrative, but that is what the numbers indicate.  Most of the media coverage about this poll will be negative for Christie. Too many reporters and editors read the spin and not the numbers.

There is bad news for Christie in this poll.  His approval rating has dropped to 49-44% since January when it was 55-38%.

82% of Republicans and 54% of Independents approve of Christie’s job performance. Only 23% of Democrats give the Guv love.

The Governor’s bully rating is higher than ever before. Voters are now evenly split 48-48 on whether he’s a leader or a bully. In January they said he was more of a leader by 54-40 margin.

56% of voters think the Mastro Report, the internal investigation commissioned by the Governor’s Office that exonerated Christie from any involvement in the Bridgegate scandal was a “whitewash.”  Voters are split 46-46 over whether the legislative investigation into Bridgegate lead by Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Senator Loretta Weinberg is a legitimate investigation or a political witch-hunt.

Voters have a net negative impression of the State Legislature that crosses all party lines. Republicans disapprove of legislature 40-45, Democrats 40-43 and Independents 33-53.  The Legislature’s overall approval numbers are negative 36-48.

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Christie can’t count on a Kean endorsement if he runs for president

Christie can’t count on a Kean endorsement if he runs for president (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — In his biggest repudiation of his political protégé yet, former Gov. Tom Kean said he wouldn’t necessarily endorse Gov. Chris Christie’s presidential campaign if there is one. UPDATE: Kean Sr. downplays ‘rift’ with Gov. Chris Christie…

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Sweeney: Stop bridge scandal legislative investigation if judge rules against committee

Sweeney: Stop bridge scandal legislative investigation if judge rules against committee (via NJ.com)

NEWARK — The state legislative committee investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal should “walk away” if a judge doesn’t rule in its favor on a key case, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney said today. State Superior Court Judge…

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Christie comes closest to besting Clinton, Virginia poll finds

Christie comes closest to besting Clinton, Virginia poll finds (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — In the swing state of Virginia, Gov. Chris Christie is the Republican with the best chance of beating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a presidential faceoff, a new poll shows, though her lead us shrinking. According to a Quinnipiac…

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Christie meets the press

Governor Chris Christie’s held is first press conference since January 9 this afternoon to answer questions regarding the Mastro Report into the George Washington Bridge lane closures known as Bridgegate that was released yesterday.

Christie announced the resignation of Port Authority Chairman David Samson in his statement prior to taking reporters questions.

The press conference was available live on MMM via livestream.

A recording of the press conference is made available courtesy of NJTV.

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Christie to hold press conference this afternoon

MMM photo/Art Gallagher

Governor Chris Christie will end his 75 day exile from the New Jersey press corps this afternoon at 2:30 with a press conference in his outer office.

Christie has not taken questions from the press since his January 9 marathon press conference about the revelations that members of his team had orchestrated the George Washington Bridge lane closures last September.

Yesterday the lawyers that Christie hired to investigate GWB lane closures and Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s allegations that he, through Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, threaten to withhold Sandy relief from Hoboken unless Zimmer secured a zoning approval for the Rockefeller Group, a client of Port Authority Chairman David Samson, released their findings.  The report backed up Christie’s claims from his January 9 press conference that he had no involvement in the lane closures and Guadagno’s denial of Zimmer’s allegations.  The investigation cost New Jersey taxpayers roughly $1 million.

The report blamed Christie’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly and his former #2 at Port Authority David Wildstein for the GWB lane closures and concluded that the widely speculated motive for the lane closures…political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich…did not make sense. The report says the motive for the lane closures remains a mystery.  Kelly’s termination from Christie’s staff was announced at the January 9 press conference, the day after her “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” email to Wildstein became public.

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