Christie returns to NJ; finds himself on the defensive

NJ Gov. Christie Defends Storm Response
(NewsCore) - New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, back from a Family Vacation to Disney World Friday, defended his absence from the state during the recent blizzard and even went out of his way to chastise those who preferred to “showboat” during the snowstorm, The Newark Star-Ledger reported. Addressing reporters for the first time since his return, Christie praised state workers for their response to the blizzard, saying, "I would give the folks in New Jersey State Government...

Christie: I don't regret going to Disney World during the snowstorm
While New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stayed home and took a media lashing for the slow response to December's devastating snowstorm, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got some sun. And he's not sorry. At all. The Republican Governor called the criticism of his family trip to Disney World during the week of a crippling blizzard "carping and craziness." "I made a promise to my Children that at the end of my first year of Governor that I was going to take them to Disney World," Christie said ...

NJ Gov. Chris Christie Stands By Absence From State During Storm
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), who was on Vacation in Disney World during last weeks' big snowstorm, returned to the state on Friday to defend his absence -- and to blast the local mayors' handling of the situation. "I wouldn't change the decision even if I could do it right now," Christie told reporters on New Year's Eve, the Star Ledger reports. "I had a great five days with my Children. I promised that." He also added that his wife Mary Pat told him to not "even think about" canceling the trip...

Quote of the Day
"I wouldn't change the decision even if I could do it right now. I had a great five days with my Children. I promised that." -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), telling the Newark Star Ledger that his wife warned him to not "even think about" canceling their Florida Vacation when a Snow Storm hit. ...

Today's Chris Christie Lesson in Government
Many politicians (see Michael Bloomberg) would wilt under this kind of pressure, but not NJ Gov. Chris Christie: To all the critics of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's Florida Vacation during one of the worst snow storms in his state's history, the governor has one message: chill out. Christie weathered a storm of attacks this week following his decision to keep a planned post-Christmas holiday with his wife and four Children to Disney World, while the Garden State dug itself out of up to t...

Zogby Interactive: Christie Trumps Field Of Potential Presidential Candidates; Only One Who Beats Obama
Zogby Interactive: Christie Trumps Field Of Potential Presidential Candidates; Only One Who Beats Obama New Jersey Governor Leads Obama, 43%-40% UTICA, New York - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leads a hypothetical field of contenders for the Presidential nomination among Republican voters, and is the only Republican tested who leads President Barack Obama among all voters, while Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are tied, a new Zogby Interactive poll finds Of the following, which ...

Christie Addresses the Idiots
One of the dumbest stories to come along in awhile is the lame whining about Governor Chris Christie being in Florida when the snowstorm hit the Northeast last weekend. Here he calmly explains things to the morons. He shouldn't even have to.While New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stayed home and took a media lashing for the slow response to December's devastating snowstorm, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got some sun. And he's not sorry. At all. The Republican governor called the criticism...

Christie returns, starts pointing fingers
CHRISTIE RETURNS, STARTS POINTING FINGERS.... To put a coda on a story that came up this week, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) left for Florida on Sunday after being told of an impending blizzard headed for his home state. His Lieutenant Governor was also away, and their simultaneous trips left the emergency response in the hands of state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), who served as the acting Governor. The result was a flap that undermined Christie's image as a hands-on, take-charge...

Roves US Attorney Project Comes Full Circle
Remember the entire point of Karl Rove’s plot to fire a bunch of US Attorneys and replace them with partisan hacks? It was to advance the Political Career of the new USAs. Perhaps his most prominent success on that measure is Chris Christie. Though Christie abandons his state even in the face of blizzards-and then blames the resulting chaos on New Jersey’s cities-he is still (implausibly) mentioned as a potential 2012 Presidential Candidate. But the true measure of Rove...

The construction worker awakening
Image via Wikipedia William McGurn: ... Suddenly, it's a different world. In this Recession, for example, Construction Workers are suffering from Unemployment levels roughly double the national rate, according to a recent analysis of federal jobs data by the Associated General Contractors of America. They are relearning, the hard way, that without a growing economy, all the labor-friendly laws and regulations in the world won't keep them working. What's more, "blue-collar union workers are be...

As Blizzard Bills Add Up, NJ Turns to Feds
Six hundred and ten thousand dollars. In Neptune Township down the Jersey Shore, $610,000 is the preliminary Price Tag for the clean up following last week's historic blizzard. "A significant Snow Storm would cost us $100,000," said Michael Bascom, Neptune's Chief Financial Officer, who then added "This is a disaster." Multiply that by the hundreds of municipalities both bigger and smaller than Neptune, and you begin to understand why Governor Chris Christie didn't hesitate l...

Gov. Christie Defends 'Disney World' Trip During Blizzard
FREEHOLD, N.J. -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was criticized for vacationing in Florida as a blizzard pummeled the East Coast, defended his trip and praised his state for its response to the storm, which dumped nearly three feet of snow in some parts. Speaking Friday at his first news conference since returning home, Christie said all major decisions on the state's response he made in consultation with state Senate President Stephen Sweeney. Sweeney, a Democrat, had been serving as act...

Christie defends blizzard vacation
He said he stayed in touch from Fla. with the acting Governor and wouldn't do anything differently. FREEHOLD, N.J. - Gov. Christie, who was criticized for vacationing in Florida as a blizzard pummeled the East Coast, defended his trip and praised the state's response to the storm, which dumped nearly three feet of snow in some areas. Speaking Friday at his first news conference since returning home, Christie said he made all major decisions on the state's response in consultation with Senate Pr...

Taking It To Another Level
Wow. Like the century. he's taking it to eleven. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is openly admitting that he couldn't cancel his family trip to Disney World to deal with the massive Snow Storm because he is pussy-whipped. That is not something a wise pol advertises. When it became clear that the storm was getting worse, Christie said his wife warned him to not "even think about" canceling the trip. So, even though his state was clearly entering a State of Emergency, the governor got on a f...

Chris Christie Should Do His Second-Most-Important Job Properly
Steve Benen flags Chris Christie’s defense of leaving the state governorless amidst the snowstorm by, among other things, saying “My first and most important responsibility, in my view, is as a husband and a father.” In a Real Talk sense, I think this is false. But be that as it may. What about Christie’s work in his second most important job? New Jersey, historically, hasn’t had the office of Lieutenant Governor. But the state authorities decided very recently th...

FEMA To Survey Blizzard Damage To N.J.
ELIZABETH, N.J. (CBS 2) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was hoping to get Federal Aid to cover the cost of cleanup from the post-Christmas blizzard. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was to survey the damage in the Garden State Monday, Jay Dow reports. Mother Nature finally did over the weekend what salt and plow trucks could not: melt away almost three feet of snow. The damage, however, is done. In a letter to President Obama, Governor Chris Christie asserts storm conditions in...

If it's not Tuesday, this must be Philadelphia
I was watching CNN's "Reliable Sources" with Howie Kurtz, and the main theme was the media going crazy over the holidays over ridiculous stories -- all of which had roots in Philadelphia. There was President Obama hailing Michael Vick's rehabilitation and the Eagles' role, Ed Rendell and the "wussification of America," and Chris Christie's National Lampoon Christmas Vacation in Wallyworld. Ridiculous? It all seemed like major news to me! Anyway, here we are and the Eagles a...

Christmas Blizzard 2010: Chris Christies Katrina, Or Much Ado About Nothing?
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is defending his absence from the state during last week's blizzard: I would have been doing the same thing here as I...

With Jersey Deep in Snow, Gov. Christie had Fun in Sun
Meaning no disrespect to the world’s most famous and lovable rodent, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) response to last week’s massive Snow Storm that hammered the Garden State and other East Coast states, was literally Mickey Mouse. While tough and dedicated New Jersey state workers—the same workers Christie has spent his tenure attacking—cleared snow-covered roads and worked to keep residents safe and warm, Christie was vacationing at Disney World. In fact, he’

Chris Christie out, Jon Huntsman Jr. in
Cowboy movies are making a big comeback. We spent 40-some years in the sky with Han Solo, Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Ripley; now we come back to Earth and to the epic journey we were born to: the journey West, starring Fess Parker and John Wayne. In that regard, the excellent new Coen Brothers movie, “True Grit,” might be considered a reenactment. Like all reenactments, it is a return to original principles. Make no mistake: The journey across the Western desert is as essential a transfor...

Christie's Snow Woes Get Fiery Response
To all the critics of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's Florida Vacation during one of the worst snow storms in his state's history, the governor has one message: chill out. Christie weathered a storm of attacks this week following his decision to keep a planned post-Christmas holiday with his wife and four Children to Disney World, while the Garden State dug itself out of up to three feet of snow that fell December 26. But, he told detractors, he had more important things to do than "showboa...

In Literary Debut, Snooki Discusses Favorite Body Part: Her 'Badonk'
In September, Jersey Shore's most indelible cartoon guidette decided to pen a memoir of sorts — a roman à clef detailing the boardwalk way of life. But would this tome ever approach completion? Some doubted whether the 22-year-old woman who doesn't eat lobster because "they're alive when you kill it" could complete an entire work of literature. And what of her past dabbling in the written word? The princess of Poughkeepsie tackled her first book, Nicholas Sparks' Dear John, just l...

Bloomberg v Booker
New Yorkers are always a hard bunch to please, but after this week's freak blizzard (can we stop calling them freak blizzards now that they happen on the regular?) has landed New York City (and 2012 flirt) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (D/R/Ind/2012) in hot water. Almost a week after the storm, many New York City streets remain unplowed, snow clearing crews are sparse, and entire neighborhoods are still snowed-in. Bloomberg is under fire from all sides for the slushy cleanup. Jump the Hudson River ...

In 2010, No 'Love Story' Between Taylor Swift and Mag Sales
It's no surprise that when a magazine captures the electric bombast that is Lady GaGa, they'll have a talked-about picture on the cover. And with this buzz comes monumental sales: Memo Pad has rounded up the Audit Bureau of Circulations numbers from nearly all of 2010 and found that Rolling Stone and Cosmopolitan owe their top-selling issues to Gaga's shock-pop appeal, with the singer also appearing on Vanity Fair's second-biggest seller. In case you've forgotten, Rolling Stone strapped her in...

Public Sector Unions Face Fresh Opposition
The New York Times reports: FLEMINGTON, N.J. — Ever since Marie Corfield’s confrontation with Gov. Chris Christie this fall over the state’s education cuts became a YouTube classic, she has received a stream of vituperative e-mails and Facebook postings. “People I don’t even know are calling me horrible names,” said Ms. Corfield, an art teacher who had pleaded the case of struggling teachers. “The mantra is that the problem is the Unions, the Unions, the unions.&#