Is Christie headed for a great fall?

By Art Gallagher

Graphic by Robert Hazelrigg. Click on photo for RobertHazelrigg.com

Prominent New Jersey Republicans seem to finally be moving out of Governor Chris Christie’s shadow.

This afternoon The Star Ledger reported that Monmouth County State Senator Joe Kyrillos was among the 15 or so New Jersey Republicans who met with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a top rival of Christie’s for the 2016 GOP Presidential nomination, last week at a dinner hosted by Lawrence E. Bathgate.  Bathgate, an Ocean County attorney, is one of the top Republican fundraisers in the nation.  Also attending the dinner held at the Union Club in Manhattan was Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr, according to The Record’s Charles Stile, who first reported the event.

Such potential defections from the Christie camp were unthinkable just 15 months ago.  Christie’s attempt at ousting Kean as Senate Minority Leader immediately following his 2013 re-election, and the resulting fallout as Kean, Jr’s father, the former Governor, went national in criticizing Christie can explain the younger Kean’s flirtation with the Bush campaign.

But Kyrillos being anything other than solidly in Christie’s corner is big news.  Their relationship was personal before it was political.  Christie introduced Kyrillos to his wife Susan. He swore Christie into his first elected office, Morris County Freeholder. Kyrillos was the Chairman of the Christie for Governor campaign in 2009.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Don’t Count On GOP Legislators Voting To Override Christie’s Port Authority Reform Veto

By Art Gallagher

In his OpEd published this morning, former Kean and Whitman Administration spokesman Carl Golden makes the case why it is safe for New Jersey’s Republican legislators to defy Governor Chris Christie and join the Democratic majority in overriding Christie’s of the Port Authority reform legislation.

The two identical bills that Governors Christie and Cuomo vetoed on the Saturday between Christmas and New Years Day had passed overwhelmingly with bi-partisan support in both houses of the New Jersey and New York legislatures. The bills would have required increased transparency and accountability on the part of Port Authority of NY/NJ.

In vetoing the bills, Christie and Cuomo endorsed reforms proposed by a panel they had appointed and urged both legislatures to adopt them instead.  But as Golden noted in his OpEd, the vetoes have been widely viewed as maintaining the status quo of disfunctionality, wasteful spending and gubernatorial abuse at Port Authority.

In his five years in office, none of Christie’s vetoes have been overridden, even if the original bills passed the legislature with bi-partisan support and by veto proof majorities.  Republican legislators have frequently “flip-flopped” and changed their votes to uphold the Governor’s will.   As Golden explains,

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Republicans don’t want Christie to run for president, say Bush and Romney should, poll says

WASHINGTON — Republicans would rather have former governors Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee seek their 2016 presidential nomination than current Gov. Chris Christie, according to a CBS News poll. Just 29 percent of Republicans surveyed said they wanted to see Christie seek the White House, while 44 percent said they wanted him to stay… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

How did N.J. get into this pension mess?

TRENTON — Some 800,000 people, working and retired, are beneficiaries of New Jersey’s pension system, a collection of funds going deeper into the red. It’s a system that Gov. Chris Christie, in his State of the State address last week, called “ an insatiable beast.” In boom years, New Jersey leaders shortchanged the pension system, and… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Chris Christie preparing to set up leadership PAC for 2016 presidential campaign, report says

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie could be setting up a leadership political action committee before the end of the month to help raise money with an eye toward the White House in 2016, according to a published report. Christie, who concluded his fifth State of the State address today, would use the PAC to finance political… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Governor Chris Christie’s State of the State Address as prepared for delivery

Trenton, New Jersey
January 13, 2015

Mr. Speaker…

Mr. Senate President…

Lt. Governor Guadagno…

Members of the legislature…

Friends and citizens of New Jersey:

I come before you, as required by the state constitution, to report on the condition of our state.

The state of our state continues to get better.

New Jersey is better off than it was last year at this time, and it is certainly far better off than it was just five years ago.

While many first years of a second term show a hangover from the campaign and its partisanship, we have fought through that tradition and have real accomplishments to show for that action in 2014.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Governor Chris Christie’s 2015 State of the State Address

Governor Chris Christie is delivered his State of the State Address this afternoon.

Watch a recording here, including responses from  the Democratic Legislative Leadership towards to end.

• Tweet

What Chris Christie might talk about in 2015 State of the State speech today

TRENTON — With speculation growing that he may soon launch a bid for the White House, Gov. Chris Christie will step to rostrum a podium at the Statehouse in Trenton today and focus on New Jersey. Christie will deliver his fifth State of the State address at 2 p.m., giving his take on the condition of… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Federal prosecutors interviewed Chris Christie in bridge scandal probe, report says

TRENTON — Federal prosecutors interviewed Gov. Chris Christie last month as part of the ongoing investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closure controversy, according to a published report. The governor, who’s weighing a presidential campaign, met with prosecutors and the FBI for more than two hours, according to ABC news. The meeting took place at… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

U.S. Attorney issues new subpoenas in Christie investigation

MMM photo by Art Gallagher

Federal prosecutors have widened their investigation into the relationship between Governor Chris Christie’s office and his 2013 reelection campaign, according to a report at The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ reports that U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s office has subpoenaed documents related to government meetings that Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop claims were canceled after he declined to endorse Christie’s reelection.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet