Governor Christie’s office released parts of his interview with NBC’s Rock Center that did not make it to the Friday night broadcast.
Christie will be accompanying Prince Harry to the Jersey Shore this week. If there is a Prince Albert in Christie’s future, it will probably be a better kept secret than his lap band surgery.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, continues to lag terribly in name recognition in various independent polls that show her losing the November general election to Governor Chris Christie by over thirty points.
Worse for ‘Dawn Quixote’ Buono, as she was dubbed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, she can’t raise the money needed to increase her name ID and message. Numerous media reports indicate that Buono will likely be the first major party nominee not to qualify for the maximum in New Jersey’s state matching fund program for gubernatorial candidates.
Christie, who has opted out of the state matching fund program for the primary, is spending $850,000 of the $6+million he has raised to boost Buono’s name ID and define her by her record of voting to raise taxes 154 times and as former Governor Jon Corzine’s budget chair.
Cory Booker was out of state exploring a his candidacy for U. S. Senate, so Governor Chris Chistie had to rely on his father, Jon Bon Jovi, Alec Baldwin, James Carville, and Kim Guadagno playing solitaire to co-star in this year’s video for the New Jersey Press Association Legislative Correspondents Dinner. The dinner took place last night in Hamilton.
Anyone who has read Henry Vaccarro Sr’s book, Johnny Cash is a Friend of Mine, will recognize that Bon Jovi was reprising a role he’s mastered.
Governor Chris Christie and Danny Shields in Highlands last week. Shields, an owner of Windansea, is Sen. Jennifer Beck’s husband. facebook photo.
Governor Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band surgery in February. He has lost 40 pounds since, according to a report in the New York Post.
Christie told NYP that he underwent the aggressive weight loss procedure because he recently turned 50 and wanted to be around for his kids. He said it had nothing to do the presidential ambitions.
“I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”
He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid.
“It’s so much more important than that,” he said.
The governor went to great lengths to keep the procedure secret. He did not go to his surgeon’s office, having the doctor visit him at his Mendam home. He checked into the surgery center under an assumed name.
The surgery took 40 minutes on the morning of February 16. Christie was home in the afternoon after having a silicone tube placed around the top of his stomach.
Before having the surgery, Christie spoke privately with Jets coach Rex Ryan. Ryan had the procedure in 2010 and has lost 100 lbs. since. Dr. George Fielding of the NYU Medical Center’s Weight Management Program performed the surgery on both men.
Someone commissioned ‘phone ID’ calls in LD 13 that went out yesterday asking Republican primary voters if they planned to vote for Republican Senator Joe Kyrillos, Tea Party challenger Leigh-Ann Bellew or if they are unsure.
It was left as a voice mail at an MMM reader’s home. The caller ID said the call came from 602-357-5922, a Phoenix, AZ landline listed to Danny Crosby.
None of the competing campaigns or candidates will cop to paying for the call. There was no ‘paid for’ disclosure.
‘Phone ID’ calls are not polls, per se. The data collected is used for get out the vote (GOTV) planning.
Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholders Serena DiMaso and Tom Arnone at Christie fundraiser, facebook photo
Governor Chris Christie’s reelection campaign raised $500,000 at the Middletown home of Newport Capital Group President Domenic DePiero, according to sources familiar with the event. The fundraiser, chaired by State Senator Joe and Susan Kyrillos, was the most successful Christie fundraiser to date, including the February fundraiser at the Palo Alto, CA home of facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Governor Chris Christie launched a $1.2 million television ad campaign this morning entitled Jersey Proud. Thankfully, the ad does not mention the words ‘Corzine’ or ‘Democrats.’ It does include a photo of Christie with Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, a Democrat who has endorsed the governor for reelection.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee dubbed “Dawn Quixote” by MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews responded with an email plea to her supporters asking for money.
I’ll keep this short. Chris Christie went up with his first ad of the election today. If we want to respond we’ve got to hit our goal by the May 6th deadline. There isn’t a moment to waste – Christie will spend millions to try and hide his failed record, and we can’t afford to fall behind. Can you click here and donate today? Your contribution will be matched 2-1.
That means for every $1 you contribute today, our campaign will get $3. This could be a true game changer – we just have to hit our goal in the next six days. Your support will go a long way toward making sure the people of New Jersey get to meet the real Chris Christie. We need your help to stop Chris Christie.
Thanks for standing up and rejecting Chris Christie’s failed agenda.
Barbara
Buono, who is receiving state matching funds for her primary campaign, is on the verge of being the first major party candidate in the history of the program not to qualify for the maximum state match. Since declaring her candidacy in December, Buono has raised an average of $29,000 per week. In order to ‘max out’ on state matching funds, she will have to raise $216,000 per week over the last six weeks of the primary campaign.
Only those residents and business who have registered with FEMA by 11:59pm on May 1 will be eligible for CDB grants
Gov Chris Christie and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announce $1.83 billion in federal grant money for New Jersey’s recovery from Superstorm Sandy at Bahrs Landing, Highlands, 4/29/13. photo by Art Gallagher
U.S . Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan joined Governor Chris Christie at Bahrs Landing in Highlands this morning to announce that the Obama Administration has approved New Jersey’s application for $1.83 billion in grant funds to assist businesses and homeowners from the 9 counties catastrophically impacted by Superstorm Sandy in rebuilding to a “new normal.”
“Today we take another important step toward recovery and healing for hard-hit communities in New Jersey,” said Donovan. “HUD has worked closely with Governor Christie, Senators Menendez and Lautenberg, and the New Jersey Congressional Delegation to help design effective programs that will help small businesses reopen, get families back in their homes make communities more resilient as quickly as possible. We have also imposed additional internal controls and accountability measures and we will be working with the Inspector General to ensure that all funds are used as intended – to help families, small businesses and communities get back on their feet and rebuild.”
“Today’s news sends a very powerful message that New Jersey is moving forward and that the Jersey Shore will be open for business this summer,” said Governor Chris Christie. “These funds will provide critical resources to our Sandy-impacted homeowners and businesses to reconstruct, rehabilitate and continue down the road of recovery. While there is much work ahead of us, we have come a long way during these last six months, and I want to thank Secretary Donovan and his team for their tireless efforts as we all work together to rebuild our great state.”
Christie and Donovan said that the CDB grants will assist homeowners and businesses who have received all that is available from FEMA and their insurance companies, yet have fallen short in the funds needed to rebuild. Donovan emphasized that funds are available in the program for renters and the rebuilding of rental housing.
Only those residents and business who have registered with FEMA by 11:59 on May 1 will be eligible for CDB grants, Christie said.
Anyone who has not yet registered with FEMA should do so immediately by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by visiting FEMA’s website at http://www.disasterassistance.gov/
Yet, good news for Trenton Democrats—the NJ Republicans are trying to lose
By Art Gallagher
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, received two doses of bad news today (so far) for her fledgling campaign to unseat Governor Chris Christie in November.
1) A Quinnipiac poll released today indicates that Buono has made no progress over the last month in increasing her dismal name recognition. 78% of those polled don’t know enough about Buono to form an opinion. That compares to 79% last month. Of the few who recognize her name, 43% have an unfavorable opinion.
Christie’s numbers remain amazingly strong. 67% approve of the job he is doing as governor. 66% says he deserves to be reelected. In a head to head match up with Buono, Christie wins 58%-26%, with 13% out to lunch.
2) Even worse for Buono, PolitickerNJ reports that she is likely to be the only major party gubernatorial candidate in the history of New Jersey’s matching funds campaign program not to qualify for the maximum amount. PolitickerNJ said that Buono has raised only $29,000 per week since she declared her candidacy in December. In order to earn the maximum $2 million in state matching funds for the primary, she would have to raise $216,000 per week over the next six weeks of the primary campaign.
Christie has opted out of the state matching funds program and has raised upwards of $5 million to date for the primary.
Trenton Republicans Trying to Lose
With Chrisite’s polling and financial numbers so strong, one would think that the Trenton Democrats that control the legislature would be concerned about Christie coattails. Trenton Republicans seem enthused about the prospect of taking control of the legislature, but so far their campaign is deploying the stupidest strategy imaginable.
I’m not a professional political strategist, I just play one of the Internet. In my not so humble opinion the NJ GOP‘s campaign against Corzine Democrats is the dumbest political strategy since Christine O’Donnell declared she is not a witch.
, will recognize that Bon Jovi was reprising a role he’s mastered.
