Christie's Gift to Obama
With the election looming and storm passed, Gov. Christie lays a gift at Obama's feet that could pay dividends to the Prez.
Christie's Gift to Obama
John Baer, Daily News Political Columnist
Gov. Christie, who in past tagged President Obama as a Windy City pol without leadership skills, now gives Obama a glowing review just days before the election.
The outspoken Republican whose August GOP convention address included the line that Obama is "nothing more than a Chicago ward politician," is touting the president's response to devastation in New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
“I have to say the administration, the president himself and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far. We have a great partnership with them, and I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this,” Christie said Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Christie and Obama were scheduled to visit New Jersey's hardest hit areas together on Wednesday.
As I wrote in Wednesday's column, how voters view the president during the next few days (and by contrast Mitt Romney) could help decide the election next Tuesday.
Even on FOX, Christie hugged Obama, saying, "I have to give the president great credit...I spoke to the president three times yesterday...he called me for the last time at midnight last night, asking what he could do.”
And when FOX-casters asked if maybe Mitt would tour Jersey with him, Christie said, "I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested...If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.”
Love him, hate him, have no opinion or just don't care, Christie's national reputation for straight talk most of the time is, in this case, a gift to the incumbent.
Cynics might say Christie (as many said of his convention speech) is more interested in pushing himself for a 2016 presidential run than doing anything to help Romney. Others will argue he's a Jersey-first leader doing all he can to help his state.
Either way, right now, he's also helping Obama.
Christie and Obama are doing what is right for the country we should leave it at that.— Seed1- Obama and Christie visited the effected area after Irene. Why should it be different this time? — Seed1
- Romney's plan to privatize FEMA is not going well with Floridians.
We all have private home insurance and we know how difficult it is to deal with them in normal times. In emergency situation why would we want to be at the mercy of private insurance.
We are stronger together even if that means the Red south leaches on the rest of the country. We have been subsidizing the Red states for ever.— Seed1 
obama wants to cut spending on FEMA, yet this knave has no problem exploiting tragedy and devastation for maximum political benefit. send this charlatan back to chicago— hannibal barca- Most of the donations to Romney's "food drive" yesterday were donated Romney staffers who took $5000 to Wal-Mart and bought a bunch of phony donations.
Almost as good as Paul Ryan washing clean dishes at that soup kitchen after it closed.
Who's exploiting?— carl and sons - The Chicago PMI was just released. The figure is 49.7 and what that means,in layman's terms, is that the economy in October began to stall. There's only one thing that happens when the captain stalls in the middle of takeoff.— celtic
- Obama now has a 77% chance of winning— Argos
- ....................."Newsweek Magazine even used the climate “tipping point” argument in 1975. Newsweek wrote April 28, 1975 article: "The longer the planners delay, the more difficult will they find it to cope with climatic change once the results become grim reality."
But on October 24, 2006, Newsweek admitted it erred in predicting a coming ice age in the 1970's. (NYT: Obama's global warming promoting science czar Holdren 'warned of a coming ice age' in 1971 – September 29, 2009 & also see: NASA warned of human caused coming 'ice age' in 1971 – Washington Times – September 19, 2007 and also see: 1975 New York Times: "Scientists Ask Why World Climate is Changing, Major Cooling May Be Ahead", May 21, 1975 and see: 1974 Time Magazine: "Another Ice Age," June 24, 1974."
— Keep The Change - Christie's only interest right now is that his state has suffered an unprecedented natural disaster and he wants the help of the federal government. And I think Christie is a blow hard with bullying tendencies. On this, however, how can anyone question his motives? Let others debate whether eliminating FEMA or transferring FEMA responsibilities to the States withstands scrutiny. Let's face it---New Jersey was not going Republican in this election anyway. This is not a political act.— Palestra Jon
- Christie's being pragmatic and realistic. So is Obama. Romney's lost in his fog of lies. The "Romney surge" is just one of his latest lies. I realize to Mormons "lying for the Lord" is encouraged, but to the rest of us, a thoroughly dishonest President is the last thing America needs.— Jeff West
- VOTE FOR A PRESIDENT WHO CARES-VOTE OBAMA !!!! romney-bold face LIAR!— kingofpoker
- In times of tragedy, let's leave politics out of it...exactly what Christie referred to.— FletcherT
- I'm still wondering what "Rev Wright" has to say?? Are he and Obama still mentor and protege???— dogman5
- I'm not generally a fan of Christie but he's handling this disaster well. Obama was just on TV and Christie was standing behind him smiling and laughing.
Rush "fat fool" Limbaugh is probably having an aneurysm right about now.— carl and sons
John is the author of the book "On The Front Lines of Pennsylvania Politics: Twenty-Five Years of Keystone Reporting" (The History Press, 2012). Reach John at baerj@phillynews.com.
