Christie, leadership & 2016
But Christie also dipped a toe, once again, into a national issue. When asked about the debt crisis agreement, he repeated his running argument that Washington needs to take some notes on how he leads New Jersey:
Christie, leadership & 2016
Matt Katz, Inquirer Staff Writer
Gov. Christie is at work this week after his health scare on Thursday, and today he held a press conference to announce that 182,000 households of senior citizens and disabled people would get some extra cash to help with their home-cooling bills.
But as he often does, Christie also dipped a toe into a national issue. When asked about the debt agreement, he repeated his running argument that Washington needs to take some notes on how he leads New Jersey:
"I'm like, I think, most other citizens in this country who are sitting around saying, 'What the hell are they doing down there?' They don't to each other, they talk at each other. They're worried more about talking to the cable TV stations than they are talking to their colleague sitting to their right or to their left. The president seemed to be absent through most of this. If we ever did that in New Jersey we'd be run out of town on a rail..."
"I'm sure [NY Gov. Andrew] Cuomo and I would be happy to run a seminar for them anytime, let them know how to get things done."
And that brings me to my story in yesterday's paper, in case you missed it, exploring the possibility that Christie is keeping himself in the national political conversation in order to set himself up nicely for a 2016 presidential run:
DES MOINES, Iowa - The star of the show, Gov. Christie, spoke without a hint he was following a script.
The supporting cast, including a prospective first lady, a deep-pocketed brother, and two teenage children, learned where to stand on the stage.
The three acts, from the speech to the news conference to the fund-raiser, were choreographed with exactness.
The setting Monday was Iowa, which holds the first vote in the nation for president. Christie, in town for an education speech, stole some headlines from the presidential contenders as he repeated that he wasn't a Republican candidate.
But his presence on the presidential stage suggested he was performing a dress rehearsal for 2016, when President Obama may be wrapping up a second term and the Republican presidential field may be more open than ever.
he's exactly what this country needs.
It may already be too late.
The rabble has been convinced that if we just raise taxes on the rich, our debt problem will go away.
We need someone who can explain the unvarnished truth to these misguided people. Christie would be the perfect solution in washington.— NJ_taxpayer- He better worry about lower/stifling property taxes so he isn't gone in 2013. Taxes have not decreased and have actually increased more since he took office (I just look at my own 25% increase, not any study) while our services and educational system have been hit hard.— sjnative94
- Governor Rotundo is so full of himself, he evacuates limbs.
By 2016, his permanent address will be Somerset Medical Center.
— biff diggerence - Christie has done nothing good for NJ but protect his cronies and all the other rich folk. His mission is destroy the middle class and education as we know it in NJ. He's in for a pretty big figh though. He speaks w/a forked tongue. He leads with his ego and that's not a good thing.— eLizHH
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.
