A bipartisan Christie praises Menendez, Obama
WASHINGTON -- "Here I am, Washington, DC, my kind of town." And with that sarcastic remark, Gov. Christie opened his Sandy-centered speech tonight to several hundred New Jersey politicos and business leaders at the annual New Jersey Chamber of Commerce dinner. Last year, Christie delivered a highly partisan speech at this dinner, trashing legislative Democrats for pushing gay marriage. Democratic U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg didn't even show up, bucking tradition. This year, though, in a speech draped in the emotion of a state recovering from Sandy, Christie offered extensive thanks and appreciation for his one-time nemesis, Lautenberg; for a senator in the midst of a major scandal, Menendez; and for a guy he campaigned against for most of 2012, President Obama.
A bipartisan Christie praises Menendez, Obama
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- "Here I am, Washington, DC, my kind of town."
And with that sarcastic remark, Gov. Christie opened his Sandy-centered speech tonight to several hundred New Jersey politicos and business leaders at the annual New Jersey Chamber of Commerce dinner.
Last year, Christie delivered a highly partisan speech at this dinner, trashing legislative Democrats for pushing gay marriage. Democratic U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg weren't even invited, bucking tradition.
This year, though, in a speech draped in the emotion of a state recovering from Sandy, Christie offered extensive thanks and appreciation for his one-time nemesis, Lautenberg; for a senator in the midst of a major scandal, Menendez; and for a guy he campaigned against for most of 2012, President Obama.
"The president stood up for this region when it needed to be stood up for, he put aside partisan politics," Christie said. "I want to thank the president. He's been extraordinary."
As for the Democratic senators, here's Christie: "We had two people battling for us in the United States Senate who would not forget it was the right thing to do. I want to thank Sen. Lautenberg and Sen. Menendez for their leadership."
Christie contrasted his bipartisan shpiel with the way "compromise" has "become a curse word" in the nation's capital.
"What we've been doing in Washington all these weeks, months and years, it seems, is doing everything but making the deal," Christie said.
Not so in New Jersey, according to the governor, where Democratic leaders work with Christie.
"Folks call them Christiecrats, for gosh-sakes," Christie said. "You see the very use of that term discourages what you want to accomplish. People say they want us to be bipartisan and then criticize them for talking to the other party...a strong principled conservative governor can work with two strong principled progressive leaders of the legislature and find common ground."
He was referring to Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, who haven't had much nice to say about Christie in recent weeks.
The event Christie spoke at is the so-called "Walk To Washington," sponsored by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. The annual event begins in the morning, as a chartered Amtrak train filled with lawmakers, lobbyists, special interest group reps, business people and reporters "walk to Washington."
Mostly, they "walk" the train -- and drink and shmooze.
Sum mo' Chrispy Cream.— albrock
Senator Buono has a challenge.— Cuddles- Gov Christie the RINO. Maybe he wants to know how it feels to win an election in NJ without having to do anything like Frank or Bob. Or maybe he was getting some Hooker phone #s. Any word on if any of the 3 had any solutions to NJ's 10% unemployment problem or high property taxes? Nah.....didn't think so— UTR
- Gov. Christie knows the art of "compromise" or quid pro quo specially with the South Jersey Democrats!— EIK
- This is just a political piece playing gotcha and trying to rub it in to Republicans. Hey sometimes Christie is wrong. I also think the media canonized him as the go to Republican faster than the Republican Party and the media got lucky that Christie praises Obama and Menendez. But if Christie ripped them, you would call him a loud mouth Tony Soprano. You'd get him coming or going.— Phillies2008WSChamps
Obviously, Snuffleupagus hasn't yet read that Menendez took sex trips to the Dominican Republic to have sex with 16 year old girls.— The Monk
Reach him at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattkatz00. Reach Matt at mkatz@phillynews.com or 609-217-8355.
