Pundits offer mixed reviews on Christie news conference

Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie had to come out and directly address issues relating to the way he awarded federal monitoring contracts, according to three non-partisan political analysts.

The question, however, is whether Christie snuffed out growing media attention that has questioned his command of the issue that is supposed to be his strong suit: ethics.

Christie yesterday opened himself up to any question reporters had about allegations of cronyism and pay-to-play from his opponents and political commentators.  At issue was his appointment of David Kelley, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to a federal monitoring contract; $23,800 in donations to his campaign from the law firm Stern & Kilcullen, which he had earlier appointed to monitor the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; and the one-and-a -half year old story about awarding of a federal monitoring contract with $27 to $52 million to his former boss, former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"It wasn't going to go away.  He has to tackle them head-on because he can't be seen to be ignoring them," said Peter Woolley, a pollster and political science professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.  "And they're still not going to go away, because the campaign tactic book dictates that you always hit somebody in their strength.  So if his strength is integrity, or at least that's what the public's perception of his strength is, then the tactic book says that's where you have to tear him down."

The way Woolley saw it, the purpose of the event was to address the allegations and insinuations early so that by the time the public really starts paying attention, they're old news.  Democratic partisans and operatives, speaking on background, read it the same way, although they were surprised by what they considered to be Christie's "glass jaw" and "thin skin."

Woolley, however, said that Christie answered the charges as well "as they can be addressed" in such a difficult situation.

Indeed, Christie is in a tricky spot.  Despite seven years as the most high profile U.S. Attorney New Jersey has seen in recent memory, he is still in the process of developing name recognition.  Even if the specific charges don't remain in voters' minds come the June primary and the November general election, the fact that they're being raised now makes it more difficult for Christie to start off with positive name recognition before he has to field these attacks.

Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University, felt that Christie's press conference yesterday probably strengthened his critics.

"I think he actually wound up muddying the waters," she said.

The accusations against Christie are so complicated that news outlets had to spend a significant amount of space explaining them.

"In almost every article I read, there was a laundry list of all the accusations or criticisms of Mr. Christie.  Many of them are complicated, and what Mr. Christie did is essentially put these in the public eye yet again," she said. "In Mr. Christie's position, I think he really needs to be like Caesar's wife and be beyond reproach.  I'm not saying any of the allegations or criticisms have merit, but just the fact that they have been articulated and now covered in every major newspaper in the state lends credence to those cynics who believe that anyone involved in politics, that there has to be something wrong with them."

Ingrid Reed, the director of the Eagleton Institute's New Jersey Project, said that Christie's performance yesterday was reminiscent of his press conferences as U.S. Attorney - that his anger at critics for impugning his record as U.S. Attorney mirrored his outrage at public officials he indicted for abusing the public trust.

"There was a sense of outrage.  When you raise your voice and sort of protest, some people could call that thin-skinned. Others would say its being out there and setting the record straight," Reed said.

Christie Campaign Manager Bill Stepien said that the press conference was a demonstration of just how transparent the campaign is.

"Chris will set the record straight anytime there's misinformation or inaccuracies being printed or spread by our opponents," he said.  "New Jerseyans deserve to know the truth.  Just as he did as US Attorney, as he's doing as a candidate, and as he will do as Governor, Chris will be open and transparent with the public.  I know we're not used to candidates being up front and honest with us, but it's who Chris is and how his campaign will be run."

But Christie's rivals, both on the Democrat and Republican sides, said they were happy that Christie was keeping the controversies in the press.

"He opened more doors than Monty Hall.  The question is where they lead," said Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan. "I think it's fair to say that scrutiny works both ways in a gubernatorial election."

Rick Shaftan, the chief strategist for Christie Republican rival Steve Lonegan, thanked Christie for keeping the issues alive.

"Some people were saying Steve should hold a press conference on it, but we don't need to - Chris did one," said Shaftan.