Christie backs 'bigot' and 'right-wing zealot,' Dems charge
Gov. Christie is on the road, continuing an on-again, off-again fall tour to lend his national name and fundraising prowess to senatorial and gubernatorial candidates in several states. And Democrats see an opening to pin Christie as a friend of the far right in a dogged pursuit of the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Today, the gov is in Iowa fundraising for senatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Steve King -- described by Christie nemesis and Democratic New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg as "a bigot through and through." Christie is getting some serious blowback from his continued support of King. Christie is nothing if not loyal: King jumped to Christie's defense in 2009 when the then-candidate for New Jersey governor was called to a hearing on Capitol Hill about a contract he had awarded as U.S. Attorney. But King is nothing if not controversial, as the video below from a Democratic Super PAC indicates. King has questioned whether President Obama favors black people and was born in the United States (and whether Secretary of State Clinton's aide is part of the Muslim Brotherhood). King has called for an electrified border fence ("we do that with livestock all the time," he said). And King has incorrectly said it is legal in the United States for sexual predators to impregnate girls and force them to get abortions (while also saying, later, that he's never heard of a child getting pregnant from incest or statutory rape).
Christie backs 'bigot' and 'right-wing zealot,' Dems charge
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
Gov. Christie is on the road, continuing an on-again, off-again fall tour to lend his national name and fundraising prowess to senatorial and gubernatorial candidates in several states.
And Democrats see an opening to pin Christie as a friend of the far right in a dogged pursuit of the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Today, the gov is in Iowa fundraising for senatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Steve King -- described by Christie nemesis and Democratic New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg as "a bigot through and through."
Christie is getting some serious blowback from his continued support of King. Christie is nothing if not loyal: King jumped to Christie's defense in 2009 when the then-candidate for New Jersey governor was called to a hearing on Capitol Hill about a contract he had awarded as U.S. Attorney.
But King is nothing if not controversial, as the video below from a Democratic Super PAC indicates.
King has questioned whether President Obama favors black people and was born in the United States (and whether Secretary of State Clinton's aide is part of the Muslim Brotherhood). King has called for an electrified border fence ("we do that with livestock all the time," he said). And King has incorrectly said it is legal in the United States for sexual predators to impregnate girls and force them to get abortions (while also saying, later, that he's never heard of a child getting pregnant from incest or statutory rape).
Our new Washington bureau chief, Jonathan Tamari, sat in on a conference call yesterday with Lautenberg and John Wisniewski, New Jersey Democratic party chairman, who said Christie "ought to think that he 's a representative of all of us and not just a man in pursuit of a 2016 presidential run."
Added Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D., Camden) in a statement: "The fact that Chris Christie is standing shoulder to shoulder with a radical right-wing zealot like Steve King shows that Christie has his eye more on Iowa's 2016 caucuses than on responsible leadership and governing."
Christie -- who has never said anything along the lines of King's comments -- has often argued that just because he campaigns for a Republican, it doesn't mean he agrees with everything that Republican says or does.
"I make decisions based on, in the main, do we generally agree on our plans for the country's future?" he said last week. "And I do generally agree with Congressman Steve King on those issues, so I'll be campaigning for him."
Gotta love philly.com - Home page always a fluff story,sports and a hit piece on a Republican. Water boys!— JerryCurlan- Is there any Republican that you people in the Obama camp don't label? Controversial, bigoted, mean, poopy pants, evil etc etc....— sillybilly
- Christie is a nice "story" from Jersey due to NY media the speculation is he's a national candidate; similar to the democrat of 30 years ago, Mario Cuomo. I can assure most, that Christie is unelectable in a GOP primary. Far too liberal and some other obvious issues that won't play down south, and anywhere west of Chester County.— Northcountry
- Hey north country, western Chester County is like Alabama politically, with Joe Pitts getting elected term after term. Pitts seems to have taken John Runyon under his spell, as they vote in tandem...— Napa818
- christie is a bigot too,in more ways than one. he like his friend hate poor people. lard b..t and stupid steve need to go back to their caves.— etbarksdale
- Chrstie is no frend of the right. he is a typical loudmouth wishy-washy Jerseyite. As far as a negative comment from Frank "Skelator" Lousenberg, who cares what that snake has to say.— Rowdy Roddy
- What nonsense. How about the support for racist Israel, Matt?— Public1
- Didn't Dems campaign for the former KKK wizard/senator of WV?— palmyra21
- Is Matt Katz a bigot?— tr88
Comment removed.- When they elect a Democratic governor, what will the Philly writers have to do??? Can't be slamming liberals like conservatives, you know.— JusWonderin
- Our previous governor "Where's the money Lebowski Corzine" who will soon be in club Fed, and the big liar McGeevy who couldn't finish his term, were true representatives of the liberal left. The bigot name calling now is so 90's dude. Find a real reason.— Tommy33
- King IS a bigot - loudly and proudly. His tirades and attempts to legislate against Muslims is disgusting, but not unexpected. Bigotry is a core value of the GOP and it has enabled them to survive into this century (the southern strategy gave the morally bankrupt party another 30-40 years of life) before America finally matures enough to reject their 5th century values.— JeffJenk
- The Bully should stay home and do something about the rising unemployment rate, the phony budget statistics he made up, the rising property tax, the severe cuts to education and local municipalities, instead of satisfying his ego by traveling the Country on behalf of Republican candidates whose beliefs are non-American. If he thinks Republicans will select him as their Presidential candidate in 2016, he is high on ice cream.— lport
- If you have any doubts that Obama wasn't born in America, you're a bigot. Birtherism is racism, pure and simple.
— mattand
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.
