Chris Christie won’t commit to whether he’s running for president, but his expensive helicopter travel is, well, presidential:
“June 2 (Bloomberg) — Governor Chris Christie’s image as a cost-cutter may have started cracking the moment he boarded a state police helicopter to get to his son’s high-school baseball game, leaving New Jersey with a $2,500 bill.
“Christie, 48, joined the line-up of past governors whose personal use of state aircraft led to public outcry — and in one case, an apology and reimbursement for the costs.
“Christie took office in January 2010 pledging to bring fiscal restraint to a state with the fourth-highest public-debt burden in the U.S. at $3,940 per capita, according to a report from Moody’s Investors Service. For fiscal 2012, which starts in July, he has urged ‘shared sacrifice’ under a $29.4 billion spending plan that Democrats say skimps on education and health.
“The helicopter ride, plus a trooper-driven arrival at the ballfield with his wife, Mary Pat, before two varsity teams, fans and family, drew focus to the Republican’s use of such gubernatorial perks. Neither the game nor a later meeting he flew to was state business, said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch.
“‘He has been asking everyone else in the state to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and share in the sacrifice of all these budget cuts to education and so forth,’ Murray said by telephone. ‘There were so many pieces to this that should have screamed out, ‘Don’t do it!’ It makes the governor seem that he’s tone deaf.”
The rest of the article is here.
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The helicopter ride to kids soccer game is to Christie what the tank ride was to Dukakis.
Game/Set/Match plus suspension for four years on a click that does not start until election night in November 2012.
This is another example of why the Republicans should wait until the August convention in 2012 to pick their nominee!
John
“New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, beloved by some and despised by others for his bluntness, has a Minus 18 job approval today as speculation continues about whether Christie should run for President. 38% of NJ adults approve of the job Christie is doing, 56% disapprove.” This is the most recent polling data–prior to his recent helicopter ride, I suspect that his numbers are trending lower today.
Will the Tea Party go after him for this?
He just announced that he’ll pay back the cost of that trip –
http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_Gov_Christie_GOP_reimburse_state_for_2_helicopter_trips_.html -
all the while ripping others use and misuse – even invoking Corzine’s accident, cheap Democratic Party tactics & journalist hacks.
The hypocrisy is the problem, as usual.
The townships are revolting against his budget cap dictums, etc.
I see nothing different in this (overly) stuffed suit – there appear to be many skeletons (wire tapping, abuse of powers, etc.). I’m just not impressed.
He swears to not be running, but I say jump in the water and swim if you’re going to act like a lifeguard.
Well, he actually he paid $2100 of the bill and asked that the GOP pick up the remaining $1200. With no admission that he did anything wrong claiming he was just trying to be a good dad. Typical “Do as I say, not as I do” politican.
“Surprise, surprise” to quote Gomer Pyle. Now that I’m at middle age, it seems life is just a series of instant replays but with different players. Chris Christie is a hero of some around here.
Christie is as hypocritical as a local blogger who cries about the let.
And I also heard some rumors that there was gambling going on at Thunder Valley last Saturday night!
At least he used the money for sports instead of paying for a mistress that he needed while his wife was dying of cancer.
John
Speaking of mistresses, when are they putting the cuffs on Ensign, Coburn and Santorum? Lemme guess, the next National Prayer Breakfast on C Street…Kate