| 10. The Dick LaRossa Column
Former Republican State Senator Dick LaRossa's April 3 PolitickerNJ column, "Chris Christie's Closet" challenged Christie to explain the rationale behind his decision to appoint former New York Southern District Attorney David Kelley as a federal monitor only a few years after Kelley had declined to prosecute Todd Christie, the candidate's brother, despite his having made 1,600 illegal stock trades. Although blogs like Blue Jersey had already highlighted the conflict of interest, the column set off a political and media firestorm that placed Christie on the defensive. The issue may have quieted in the primary campaign, but expect it to return after Labor Day.
9. Christie's Temper Tantrum
In an attempt to push back against LaRossa's allegations, Christie showed up at the State House for a press conference that more resembled a temper tantrum. It was interesting watching him defend himself against charges of pay to play after years of railing against the practice as U.S. Attorney. In addition to criticizing LaRossa, he accused PolitickerNJ of bias in its coverage and appeared frustrated by reporter questions. Uncomfortable, red faced, and at times angry, it was not Christie's finest hour.
8. Lonegan's Version of the Homestead Rebate
Two weeks after Christie came under scrutiny, Steve Lonegan found himself in hot water with the Election Law Enforcement Commission for mailing out one dollar bills to 2,000 prospective donors with the hope of soliciting their financial support. While ELEC's Frederick Hermann told reporters it was illegal to "advance money to induce a campaign contribution," Lonegan defended the gimmick. He said, "I am certain that a dollar bill sent as part of an incentive, a donor package, is no reason to stop somebody's campaign."
8. The Political Life of Brian
In this year's primary, Franklin Mayor Brian Levine was a guppy in the political pond. Even though all polls had him pegged in the single digits, that did not stop the Lonegan campaign from seeking his removal - along with two lesser known long shot candidates - from the primary ballot. Lonegan allies went to court to challenge their nominating petitions and won. The result? Lonegan narrowed the field to three while garnering a news cycle of negative publicity.
7. Stimulus Money? Who needs it?
In a May interview, conservative talk show host Sean Hannity asked Christie whether Republican governors had been right to reject federal stimulus funding. In an answer that must have had his handlers shouting for a commercial, Christie replied, "I think it makes sense. If they're going to put strings on that money, then they're going to tie your hands and make you expand programs. And not be able to have the freedom of choice that people elected you for. Then you shouldn't take the money."
That's $2 billion in support he would like to turn down. Meanwhile, New Jersey's massive budget shortfall looms.
6. Joe the Plumber
Even Joe Wurzelbacher took sides in the New Jersey primary. Joe the Plumber came to Clark last month on Lonegan's behalf. Over "sauerkraut, knockwurst, hotdogs, and hamburgers ... with beer," he gave an atrocious performance that nonetheless revved up the conservative audience of 685 supporters. A few days after the event, Joe told Christianity Today he refused to let openly gay people near his children and that he was waiting on Jesus Christ to tell him to run for public office. He's also made his way to late night television, starring in commercials promoting digital converter boxes. Let's hope he comes back to campaign for Christie in the general.
5. Smith and Schundler Endorse Christie
Even though Lonegan called longtime Congressman Chris Smith "more liberal than Arlen Specter" and accused former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler of abandoning movement conservatives, their endorsement of Christie proved critical in establishing his conservative bona fides. The Lonegan campaign sought to portray Christie as a "Johnny Come Lately" on choice and gun rights issues. However, most primary voters were unaware of their party's deep ideological divisions and instead took their cues from the names they knew in robocalls and direct mail.
4. The Debates
Perhaps it can be chalked up to the fissures within the New Jersey Republican Party, but the debates were dominated by the overarching discussion of the role of conservatism in the development of public policy. To their credit, Lonegan and Merkt gave performances of substance. Sure, they threw a few left hooks, but mostly because Christie avoided giving specific answers. The good news for progressives is that these engagements shaped up to be a contest of "I'm More Conservative Than You." Watch for the newly minted GOP nominee to try and shift gears and run as a moderate. In the age of YouTube, that will be no easy task after the debates.
3. Defusing Christie's Ethics Myth
The primary taught observers that Christie stands for ethics reform only when it does not involve his friends. The near indictment of his brother aside, he's raised money from lawyers to whom he awarded plumb no bid contracts, attended fundraisers hosted by dual officeholders, and now it turns out one of his top advisers has a no show pension padding job with the Legislature. For someone who rails against the culture of corruption, he sure is abetting it.
2. The Rick Shaftan/Todd Christie Facebook War
The most bizarre episode of the primary was the Facebook war of words between Todd Christie and Lonegan strategist Rick Shaftan. May be they poked each other one too many times, but it all started last April when Todd wrote Rick, "Can't wait to dance on your political grave." When Shaftan told him to lighten up, he replied, "This is fun for you messing with peoples lives. Payback comes in many forms,,,,at any time. Enjoy." While an embarrassment to the Christie campaign, it raises two larger questions: what were these two doing on Facebook in the first place? Didn't they have investors to defraud and campaigns to mismanage?
1. Warrantless Phone Tracking
In 2000, Hillary Clinton took a listening tour of New York before announcing her run for U.S. Senate. Well before declaring his run for Governor, Chris Christie took a listening tour of his own, and in the process, rode roughshod over the Constitution. It was revealed in April that while U.S. Attorney, Christie consented to a Bush Administration request and authorized the warantless tracking of thousands of New Jersey cell phones. Responding to critics who said he should have sought court approval for such an action, Christie replied, "There was no policy in place that said to us you have to get a search warrant." Yes, there was. As Blue Jersey has already pointed out, it's called the Constitution. |
