After a year of campaigning for GOP presidential nominee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie rankled the campaign this week by praising President Barack Obama, Politico reported Saturday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
Chris Christie Praise For Obama Frustrated Romney Campaign: Report
The Huffington Post | By Elise Foley
Posted: 11/03/2012 10:28 am EDT Updated: 11/03/2012 10:42 am EDT
Romney insiders told Politico this week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was Mitt Romney's first choice for the vice president, until he decided Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would be a safer choice due to some problems with Christie.
The information comes just days before the 2012 election and was released in a story on Saturday, adding another narrative to the campaign as Romney and Ryan make their final pitch to voters. But it also comes during a week in which Christie has repeatedly praised President Barack Obama for his help during superstorm Sandy -- a move that, according to Politico, rankled the Romney campaign and could lead to tension should he become president:
From Politico:
In typical Christie fashion, there has been nothing understated about his role at each critical point, culminating with his tour with President Barack Obama on Marine One this week as they surveyed Sandy’s havoc along the Jersey Shore.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) continued his praise of President Barack Obama's work responding to Hurricane Sandy, using a press briefing Monday evening to note that he appreciated the "leadership" Obama was showing in the emergency....The differences were papered over. Now, some Romney friends and donors are irked by Christie’s embrace of Obama this week, which one referred to as “over the top.""If Romney wins, it won't be forgotten,” the adviser said. "If Romney loses, it doesn't matter."
Christie, a prominent surrogate for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said that he and Obama had a private phone conversation on Monday to discuss how the federal government could help New Jersey. He said that Obama told Christie that he could call him directly over the next 48 hours if the state government had issues with federal response to the hurricane in New Jersey.
“I appreciate that type of leadership," Christie said of Obama.
The Republican governor said most of the call centered on Obama's concern for New Jersey and then he continued to heap praise on the president, saying Obama's work has been "proactive." Christie shortened a campaign trip for Romney to return to New Jersey to handle the storm response.
Christie started his praise of Obama during press briefings on Sunday, when he said "appreciated" Obama's outreach to him and the governors of other states being impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
During a press briefing on Monday afternoon, Christie described another call he had with Obama and said that the president and his aides have been working to benefit New Jersey.
“We appreciate the president’s efforts in that regard," Christie said earlier Monday. "He and his staff worked tremendously hard.”
Christie's remarks come as part of a wave of bipartisan work being done in response to the hurricane. In New York, Rep. Nan Hayworth (R) endorsed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) request for a similar pre-disaster emergency declaration from Obama, Capitol Tonight reported. Obama issued the order for New York state on Sunday.
In an Oct. 26 letter, which was first reported Monday, Hayworth wrote to Obama that state and local governments in her Hudson Valley district would not be able to respond to Hurricane Sandy without federal assistance. The Hayworth letter comes as the one-term Republican congresswoman has been saying she was misquoted by a Westchester County newspaper last year when she said that federal aid for Hurricane Irene should be matched with cuts to other federal programs. Hayworth is locked in a competitive battle with Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney in her bid for a second term.
Christie did cast aside bipartisanship long enough to criticize New Jersey's Democratic state legislature on Sunday for not passing a bill that would have given him additional power to fine utility companies $25,000 a day if they do not respond to power outages in a timely fashion.
During his Monday evening briefing, Christie also slammed Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford (D) for Langford's decision to request Atlantic City residents take shelter in the barrier island city instead of heeding Christie's calls to leave the island. Christie called Langford a "rogue mayor" and said that the state could not rescue Atlantic City residents until Tuesday, due to the storm.
“I wish he would do his job or get the hell out of the way," Christie said of Langford.~ Posted: 10/29/2012 11:03 pm EDT Updated: 10/30/2012 11:43 am ED
Despite endorsing Romney early in the race and campaigning for him, when asked whether he had asked Romney to visit the state, Christie kept the focus on the damage to New Jersey in the wake of the storm. "If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don't know me," he said on "Fox and Friends" Tuesday.
Read the full Politico story here.
Chris Christie Says He 'Could Care Less' About Presidential Election
The Huffington Post | By John Celock Posted: 10/30/2012 11:56 am EDT Updated: 10/31/2012 5:14 pm EDT
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) told "Fox & Friends" Tuesday morning that he "could care less" about the presidential campaign in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Christie was asked on the show if Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would be visiting New Jersey in the wake of the storm.
"I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested," Christie said. "I have got a job to do here in New Jersey that is much bigger than presidential politics. And I could care less about any of that stuff."
After listing the damage around the state, including power outages and devastation along the Jersey Shore, Christie reiterated his indifference now to the presidential race.
"I have a job to do. If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don't know me," Christie said.
Christie has been praising President Barack Obama regularly since Sunday, noting that he's had several phone calls with the president regarding the storm. He said that Obama has been "proactive" and that he appreciated Obama's leadership. He said that Obama has been quick to declare disasters in New Jersey and to provide him with assistance.
Christie has used several television appearances on Tuesday to praise Obama, including the "Fox & Friends" interview.
"He's done -- as far as I’m concerned -- a great job for New Jersey," Christie said.
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