printIn “The Rise of The Cr-ppy Chris Christie,” I ventured that, “Chris Christie’s problem is not his weight, but his character. New Jersey’s popular Republican governor is the consummate backstabbing, slimy, opportunistic politician, who, for good measure, also preaches and practices the dirigiste economics of an Obama (and a ‘W’).”
Too true. Just as the link between President Obama and the corrupt policies pursued by his minions was becoming patent, in stepped The Incredible Hulk, late in May, with another show of love for his new BFF (Best Friend Forever), Barack Obama.
After the President touched down in Jersey, the governor won Obama a teddy bear at Point Pleasant, according to the White House pool report. They high-fived. Last month, Christie explained their alliance, saying, “Listen, the president has kept every promise that he made… What I was saying at the time was, I was asked how the president was doing, I said, he’s doing a good job, he’s kept his word.”
I guess if you were Ann Coulter nursing a crush—and a bruised ego for being wrong, yet again—over the Incredible Hulk you might excuse his characteristic opportunism with allusions to his mandate as a governor; Chris Christie’s concerned for the welfare of his state.
UPDATE: CHRISTIE’S CHOICE. “Chris Christie is at a Crossroads”
Facing a weak gubernatorial opponent and sporting enviable approval ratings, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie looked like he was heading into his election year on cruise control. He’s been seeking to blunt his hard-edged reputation with carefully crafted appearances with President Obama on hurricane recovery, and occasional jibes at conservative Republicans in Congress.
But with Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s death on Monday, Christie now faces a difficult decision that could shape his future political trajectory. Does he solidify his bipartisan credentials by picking a caretaker Republican to fill the seat, probably giving Newark Mayor Cory Booker a glide path to the Senate? Or does he pick a major fight with Democrats, which could bolster any 2016 presidential aspirations but complicate his own reelection prospects?