Pundits offer mixed reviews on Christie news conference

By Matt Friedman | April 7th, 2009 - 4:29pm

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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.

Tags:

Peter Woolley?

Submitted by FormerlyAnonymous on April 7, 2009 - 3:38pm.

This is a guy who last week on NPR said that Christie had no political experience beyond the US Attorney's office, conveniently forgetting the stint as a Freeholder, Assembly candidate and fundraiser for George Bush.

Can we please quote someone who knows something about the players?

"Three" non-partisan observers

Submitted by bergen_prince on April 7, 2009 - 3:44pm.

Hey Matt -

Not only can't you write or self-edit, apparently you can't count, either.

Bill

Ethics tidbit: How many

Submitted by RussOCNJ on April 7, 2009 - 3:44pm.

Ethics tidbit: How many ethics violations have been found in New Jersey by the agency in charge of ethics violations (Dept. of Community Affairs, Local Finace Board) in the past 10 years? Answer: 2
(see http://www.lpcnj.org/OGTF/LFBRoster.pdf)

It seems things like jail sentences don't count as ethics violations. Christie wants to hire more regulators and auditors. Lonegan wants to get rid of of Dept of Community Affairs. Lonegan seems to have the answer.

bergen_prince

Submitted by Matt Friedman on April 7, 2009 - 4:10pm.

I accidentally cut off most of the story when I posted it. Thanks for your constructive criticism though.

Political Experience

Submitted by Michael Illions on April 7, 2009 - 4:40pm.

Freeholder, Assembly candidate

One term freeholder and slaughtered as a Assembly candidate.

and fundraiser for George Bush.

THAT'S considered "political experience"?

Michael

Submitted by Eric on April 7, 2009 - 5:17pm.

Christie still has more political experience than you.

One day story

Submitted by CliffordCase on April 7, 2009 - 5:37pm.

At least until October when Corzine feels he has to go negative. Of course he doesn't need to get into Stern and Kelley; focusing on Ashcroft should be sufficient.

This will have zero impact on ther primary, however, when Chris Christie does the Big Splash off the top rope and smashes Looneygan through the canvas.

“If you’re unwilling to compete for these votes, and if you’re unable to win these votes, then you’ve got to wonder if you belong on the ballot at all." -- Chris Christie on Steve Lonegan's decision not to attend the Bergen County Republican c

Exactly

Submitted by pablos3 on April 7, 2009 - 6:25pm.

You can smell the desperation from the Corzine Crowd

Christie

Submitted by SJBlue on April 7, 2009 - 8:00pm.

So Chris Christie is on the ropes already, placed there by his own actions, throwing on another press conference to build his terrible name id numbers, and he fumbles through it...and the Corzine crowd is desperate? I dont think so

Amateur hour

Submitted by Demsandonts on April 7, 2009 - 8:23pm.

Christie is too think skinned to be governor, much less deal with the Democrats, the press or anyone else who doesn't agree with him.

He looked like a child defending the indefensible.

His holier than thou approach to this campaign will be his undoing. That was obvious from the less than professional way he addressed the issue.

Mayor Lonegan doesn't have to do anything. Christie is planting his own political grave.

Vote Column "A" - All the way!

Hypocrisy?

Submitted by JoeSchilp on April 7, 2009 - 8:58pm.

It's funny to watch Christie tell people not to pick on his brother before picking on Kushner's son. It's almost like liberals during the '08 campaign who whined whenever someone said anything about Obama's wife before throwing dirt at Palin's family.

A little hypocrisy, one might say...

"We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work!"
- FDR's Treasure Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, in 1939, on 8 years of New Deal spending as an attempt to end the Great Depression.

Hypocrisy!

Submitted by PadrePeon on April 8, 2009 - 1:05am.

Christie did not have a press conference that hinted about an AG investigation or a grand jury investigation . Who did? Oh yeah, that would be hypocrite Steve Lonegan.

If the Corzine / Kushner / Lonegan axis wants to traffic in inuendo, there is plenty of inuendo do be had under Lonegan's own roof, pun intended.

So NOBODY is talking about an AG or grand jury investigation of Christie, but LONEGAN is the one who had a press conference where the AG investigation came up and a grand jury investigation was mentioned.

Why were Bogota Department of Public Works records subpoenad? Why, why, why? Would a candidate who is not above having illegal aliens assemble campaign signs in the garage of his house, be above having the public workers that work for the town in which he is mayor also do work (paid or unpaid) in that same house where the illegals were working?

Is anybody in the Corzine / Kushner / Lonegan axis going to ask?

Well

Submitted by the oc on April 8, 2009 - 7:51am.

If anyone knows about amateur hour, it would be Demsdont. I see your campaign startegy is doing wonders for your polling numbers. You continue to be a joke. Thanks for the laugh.

Mr. Illions - you claim that one term as a Freeholder is not enough electoral experience for a Governor. So being mayor of a town of 8,000 (hardly representational of the rest of NJ) and elected a mere two more times than someone who represented over 450,000 makes Lonegan more "experienced" to be Governor? Are you kidding me? Wow - talk about grasping at straws. Unelectable.

Wait...Joe are you serious

Submitted by SJBlue on April 8, 2009 - 8:33am.

"It's almost like liberals during the '08 campaign who whined whenever someone said anything about Obama's wife before throwing dirt at Palin's family" What...no one like Mrs. Obama during the campaign. Where does this come from. No body trashed Sarah Palin's family, they rightfully trashed her because she was frankly the least qualified person to ever be nominated to such a position (no I'm not talking about years served in an office-I am talking about her ability to answer even basic questions). I suppose that liberals are the hypocrits, when Bill O'Reilly calls Jamie Lynn Spears' parents pinheads because their teenage daughter got pregnant and then turns around and says the Palin's deserve praise for supporting Bristol. She was running for VP and had a pregnant teenage daughter, and she was a proponent of abstinence only education...that my dear friend Joe is news worthy. Where you draw this hamhanded comparision is beyond me. Thats the typical GOP style though "Can beat um on substance ATTACK DEFLECT ATTACK"

sohbet

Submitted by izledoy on April 8, 2009 - 10:28am.

hi
How often have you seen a talented friend lose hope, and stop making art? Often it is because they have been misguided and confused by professors, and don't whether to make a product or something completely original, and haven't been given the tools to think through their experience to find Eros/inspiration/a guiding belief system
sohbet

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