He might have left office as the most unpopular governor to ever serve the Garden State and many think he’s been forever tainted by the Bridgegate scandal, but Chris Christie still isn’t willing to give up his presidential ambitions.
Christie, who, to his credit, knows how to generate publicity, is out promoting the upcoming release of his new book, Let Me Finish. At a recent appearance in California, Christie wouldn’t rule out another run at the nation’s top office, according to a report by the Palm Springs Desert Sun.
“Once you’ve got this in your blood, it’s hard to get rid of it,” the former governor said while discussing other candidates, such as Ronald Reagan, who suffered early defeats but bounced back to victory.
Christie, who folded his presidential campaign early in the primary process and later went on to support President Trump, said Trump’s straight-talking style is what won him election, and that in many ways, the president, whose national approval rating is now below 40%, is what the country needs.
Christie knows all about low approval ratings. At the end of his term, his approval rating sank to 15%. The Bridgegate scandal, where two aides were convicted and a third pleaded guilty to arranging a massive traffic jam on the George Washington Bridge as political payback, cost Christie politically—even though the governor who was known for his strict control has maintained he didn’t know anything about the plan.
Christie also spent much of his second term outside of New Jersey as he pursued his presidential ambitions and crucial services—such as New Jersey Transit—deteriorated. Christie also became an internet meme after a newspaper photo showed him sunning himself at Island Beach State Park after he closed the park during a state shutdown caused by his feud with the Democratic Legislature over the state budget.
Quote of the Day: “The only reason you would claim there’s an agenda is if there’s something inappropriate you don’t want us to hear about,” — Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, after Gov. Phil Murphy suggested people calling on him to lift non-disclosure agreements signed by female campaign volunteers and transition team members who allege wrongdoing or harassment by high-level associates have an agenda.
NJ Prosecutors Again Decline to Bring Charges in Katie Brennan Sexual Assault Case
A second prosecutor’s office has declined to bring charges against a former high-ranking Murphy administration official accused of sexual assault during the 2017 campaign, citing “a lack of credible evidence and corroboration that a crime was committed.”
The Record Read more
Editorial: Keep Probing Brennan Rape Allegation Case
Even with special committee members’ due diligence and determined questioning of those close to the situation concerning Alvarez’s hiring, the special hearings have, in some ways, only further muddied the waters.
Asbury Park Press Read more
Lawmakers Call on Murphy to Lift Gag Order on Former Campaign Workers
Gov. Phil Murphy signaled Wednesday he has no plans to lift the non disclosure agreements that any former campaign workers may have signed or that the hundreds of transition volunteers agreed to when they worked for the then governor-elect.
NJ.com Read more
Murphy Has a Problem With Women
Murphy is refusing to release former campaign staffers and current employees from non-disclosure agreements they were forced to sign as a condition for working with the Murphy team. A Star-Ledger editorial called the governor out for the gag orders this week, but when he was asked about the article at a Tuesday news conference, his response was Trump-esque.
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Golden: Has the Governor Learned There’s Victory in Compromise?
It took time, but Gov. Phil Murphy seems at last to have recognized the benefits of compromise and now stands on the cusp of a much-needed victory for his legislative agenda.
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Chris Christie Doesn’t Shy Away From Possible Presidential Run; Hits Trump Over Shutdown
The former New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate gave a broad and crowd-pleasing speech Tuesday evening in Indian Wells that covered his past and possible future, touching on stories including the 2005 wedding of Donald and Melania Trump, meeting with Trump to discuss the chief of staff position following Gen. John Kelly’s departure earlier this month, and potentially running for president in 2024.
The Desert Sun Read more
New Jersey Will Allow Residents to Use Medical Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction
New Jersey residents in treatment for opioid addiction will now be allowed to use medical marijuana, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday, one of several steps he outlined to combat the enduring opioid epidemic.
The Record Read more
PSEG Drives Home Vow to Shutter Nuke Plants Unless Public Subsidizes Them
Absent financial help, PSEG Nuclear vows to close its nuclear units in South Jersey within three years, saying the plants are not projected to cover hundreds of millions of dollars in annual expenditures, according to applications submitted to the state.
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Bill Would Protect Liberty State Park From Large-Scale Development
Lawmakers are pushing to bar large-scale development in Liberty State Park after proposals for a hotel, marina, golf course and race car stadium have been floated in recent years at New Jersey’s most visited park.
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Nursing Shortage: NJ May Recognize Out-of-State Licenses
Already up and running in 31 states, a proposed New Jersey law would allow the state to join a compact that allows out-of-state nurses to work here without jumping through hoops, and vice versa.
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Congress Will ‘Put Pressure on the EPA’ to Address PFAS-Contaminated
Pushing for a safe drinking
Inquirer Read more
Unions: Paterson Layoff Plan Would Cut 112 Police Officers
The city would lay off 112 police officers under a tentative plan for resolving Paterson’s budget crisis, according to employee labor union leaders and public officials.
Paterson Press Read more
New Racism Allegations Surface Around Referee Embroiled in Wrestling Dreadlocks Controversy
New allegations of racism have surfaced against New Jersey referee Alan Maloney, who has been sidelined since a Buena Regional High School wrestler had his dreadlocks cut to avoid forfeiting a match Maloney was overseeing.
Inquirer Read more
Hundreds Jam Paterson School Board Meeting to Protest Employee Health Plan Changes
Hundreds of angry educators jammed the Paterson school district’s headquarters Tuesday night to demand that the Board of Education reverse its cost-cutting change in the employee medical insurance plan.
Paterson Press Read more
