January 2, 2009 - 8:38pm
News

In familiar setting, Christie tells Raritan, 'I look forward to working with all of you'

Former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco, left, and former U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie

RARITAN TWP. – There were a lot of bodies in the room here in Raritan Township tonight as former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie swore in Mayor Richard O’Malley – and in the process ratcheted his own gubernatorial drama up another notch.   

 

Arriving in a suburban and clad in a dark blue suit and powder blue tie, Christie entered the municipal chamber trailing half a dozen whispers about his intentions for statewide office.

“I’ll have an announcement soon,” he said.  

He’s been making the rounds of these swearing-in ceremonies for seven years – ever since he became U.S. Attorney, and when the newly minted Mayor O’Malley gave Christie the floor, the newly retired lawman and establishment GOP’s best hope for a crack at Gov. Jon Corzine, made his usual good government remarks.

The record of the Township Committee “reassures you that government can work,” he said.

“The problems of our state seem so large and intimidating, but serious people can solve serious problems,” Christie told the crowd, which included former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco, and 23rd District state senate rivals Assemblyman Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan Twp.) and Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.).

“We just need to be able to confront them (problems) in an honest and forthright way – with a toughness of spirit,” Christie added. “Each and every one of us needs to understand it as a public trust.”

He threw two statements out there that sent bells off in the ears of political junkies, a ringing that probably went completely unnoticed by the saner and more sedate three quarters of the room.    

Read into them what you will but when Christie spoke into the microphone, “I look forward to working with all of you in the future,” and bemoaned having too much time on his hands, he sounded a little like a candidate for governor.

Max Pizarro is a PolitickerNJ.com Reporter and can be reached via email at max@politicsnj.com.

Comments

This is amusing


I find it amusing that a former attorney general actually believes that he has the legal authority to swear elected officials into office. Christie had better check the law.

01/03/09 3:57 am

All Attorney's may swear in Mayors and others into office.


Mayor Rob of Hampton Borough

01/03/09 6:14 am

Former Attorney General?


Wake up

01/03/09 11:28 am

dontmakemelaugh


Thanks for the chuckle....ignorance is bliss.

01/03/09 2:56 pm

Chris "Sonny Liston" Christie will never file


He hasn't raised any money, has no fire in his belly and is having trouble getting county chairs in his corner. He'll be lucky to have even a third of the 21 endorsing him, and those chances decrease with every passing day.

Meanwhile Lonegan will be filing for matching funds on Tuesday morning which will put him over the MILLION DOLLAR mark. And as of today, Chris Christie's campaign has NO money raised, no finance committee, no grass-roots and no support at all.

The depth of the Lonegan candidacy will become clear within the next ten days and by the end of the month, Chris Christie will be taking a close look at those seven figure job offers, before they become six figure offers.

Time to get on the bus.

01/03/09 10:47 pm

Chris Christie for Governor


Number one Mountaintop you do not know what you are talking about .Chris Christie is a man of great integrity and is a born leader.Steve Lonegan is part of the lunatic fringe of the GOP and has no chance of winning the Governors race. Chris Christie will make a great Governor and will stop the culture of corruption in New Jersey.The GOP needs unity and not a long drawn out primary that will deplete our resources and will cause animosity among Republicans in the state.

01/05/09 12:03 pm

Christie and Lonegan


Niethr man is fit for the job of governor. I do find it amusing that the GOP is debating on which yahoo they nominate...lets see should we nominate the ultra-"conservative" Lonegan (unless of course you need cheap labor) or should we nominate the more moderate crime buster (unless of course you need to play politics with the President to keep your job, play ball with Norcross and Adubato to keep them from coming after you, or unethically dolling out lucrative contracts to your former boss) Neither of them can stand in the same ring as Corzine

01/05/09 1:57 pm

Corzine


I find it amusing SJblue that you are defending a Governor who bought a US Senate seat and the Governors office for 105 million dollars.This is a Governor who paid off a union boss and her family to keep silent about illegal activities.Chris Christie never did anything unethical and has a record of being honest,has integrity and is a man of his word.

01/05/09 2:42 pm

or


Corzine gave his girlfriend money because they had built a life together, lived together, made financial plans together (much like you breaking up with a girlfriend and saying "Ok fine you keep the couch"). THere has never been any connection to Corzine and any illegal activities. Christie investigated Menendez in 06 when he was told to drum something up by his boss at the AG's office, because the race looked competative and its funny that that never went anywhere (really what was discovered was that Menendez gave a nonprofit a discounted rate on rent-how terrible!) Buying offices is nothing new-I am glad that Corzine spent his own money rather than some corporations-furthermore his campaign for Gov accepted and received monatary donations. Christie on the other hand trumped up Menendez's case, had illegal conversations with potential LG candidates, and played ball with SJ and NJ powerbrokers. In any event-he is a Bush appointee, a huge Bush fundraiser, and is about 100 pound over weight. If you think that he makes for a good candidate than vote for him. Regardles Corzine stomps on him or Lonegan in the fall.

01/05/09 4:12 pm

The Ring?


Lonegan isn't a lunatic at all, he knows what he's talking about because he's wholely devoted to pissing Corzine off. A Sarah Palin, he is not. I'd love to see a debate between Corzine and himself.

You think Lonegan gets stomped in the ring? It'd be a huge switch for Corzine to allow his opponents IN the ring at all. He's used to sending his lib, ork, thugs out to arrest his detractors.

Corzine could barely stand in the ring with NJ voters who booed him during his toll hike disgrace.

01/05/09 8:06 pm

Please


I agree with you that Lonegan would have been a better choice of VP nomination than Palin. Youre very correct in asserting that she was a mess. However, Lonegan toe to toe with Corzine is no contest. No contest. Lonegan is a stunt man, and political hack, headline seaker, all fluff no substance.

01/06/09 10:33 am

Call him what you want today.


Soon you'll be calling him Governor.

01/07/09 10:58 am

Yes


Yes then I get into my flying car so I can make a trip to the moon. Whether or not I like him is not the issue when I say that. Lonegan is not a serious contender. At best he is a fringe artist, he will barely make it out of single digits in the polls. He is not going to win. I admire your determination, but in all sincerity this race is going to Christie. Christie will lose to Corzine as Lonegan would have done. The only way a GOP candidate wins gov is to get mass ifusions of out of state money, from the national party etc...any candidate should be good at this bc NJ is one of only 2 gov races in nation in 09 (Ibelieve at least thats how it was in 05). But if you think for one minute that the national GOP is going to fund a candidate that hired illegal aliens to assemble campaign signs you are sadly mistaken. THe fork is in Lonegan, he's done. He should be proud though, not everyone gets to be Mayor.

01/07/09 1:21 pm

Yeah exactly


Christie will lose, that is certain. So I'd rather see Lonegan do his thing than watch another boring GOP canidate campaign as though his balls are being kept in his wifes purse.
Lonegan could say, hey yeah I hired spanish workers, I didn't know they were here illegally and I'm not one to discriminate. I think there's a common sense solution to illegal immigration and that is deport all those that commit crimes and captial offenses while integrating those who're just looking for work. THAT'S IT! Fork is out of Lonegan if he just says that... no one can disagree with that. Doesn't matter if that policy is impossible to implement.. it takes the issue off the table.

01/11/09 1:07 pm

Thank you


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03/03/09 3:17 pm