Mitt Romney is trying hard to combat the perception of his elitist, well-heeled upbringing in the age of 99 percent protests. Why, he wants you to know he's a man of the people, not a ruthless corporate raider or soulless automaton. Pay no attention to his nine-figure bank account, his multiple mansions and privileged childhood. So he rolls up the sleeves of his button-down shirts, restrains himself from pressing creases into his denims, and lets his carefully-coiffed hair get just slightly mussed. Obviously, that gives him the cred to hang out with Jersey tough Gov. Chris Christie, who likes to go "Jersey Style" at campaign events to prove what a big, tough guy he is:

On Sunday, Jan. 8., New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was speaking at a Romney for President rally in New Hampshire when he was interrupted by some female hecklers. It’s difficult to make out exactly what Christie’s critics were yelling, but it’s something to do with jobs going down. Ever the class act, Christie’s response: “You know, something may be going down tonight, but it ain’t going to be jobs, sweetheart.” He then goes on to insult the women by saying that if they were from Jersey, they wouldn’t be so silly as to think that his policies don’t support job creation.

Because nothing says "Vote for Romney!" than condescendingly referring to NH females as "sweetheart", "girls", make thinly veiled allusions to fellatio and to cap it off, insinuate that they are not as smart as New Jersey females. Does Mittens think this shores up his "regular Joe" vote? Gawker:

The question is: Does this stuff "work" for Mitt Romney, having a surrogate whom the Christian Science Monitor describes as "the larger-than-life governor" step forward in some sort of bodyguard-hitman role for the Massachusetts Moderate? It seems to remind Republican voters of how weak the field is: They couldn't get their cherished New Jersey monster to come and yell at liberal ladies and unionized teachers in his own campaign for President of the United States; instead he just throws out a couple of Jersey lines to make the Romney go down easier. Sigh.

Honestly, this isn't going to help Mitt any more than it's winning over more supporters in Christie's home state, where the local editorial page beseeches Christie to find his inner Alan Alda:

Christie knows his belittling of town hall critics has made him a YouTube sensation. It attracts a national spotlight and he's good at it. In this case, he has every right to shoot back at this heckler. But he misfires. He picks two words, in a macho, pat-the-little-girl-on-the-head tone, that grate on the majority of women.

"Sweetheart" is patronizing. In an intimate context, it's a pet name. In any other context, it's a putdown.

Amazing that most media coyly avoids the "going down" reference and focuses solely on the paternalistic verbiage. Seems like that's the clincher in the misogyny sweepstakes.

NJ Governor Chris Christie jokingly (?) threatens to go "Jersey-Style" on Iowans at a campaign rally for Mitt Romney on Friday in Des Moines...

Via nj.com:

Gov. Chris Christie likes to say he’s improving New Jersey’s image around the country.

But at a campaign stop in Des Moines Friday morning, Christie let loose on Iowa Republicans with all the attitude they’ve come to expect from the birthplace of "The Sopranos."

"If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do for Mitt Romney on Tuesday," Christie said, defiant in only a suit jacket against the biting cold and wind-whipped rain, "I will be back, Jersey-style, people. I will be back."

A few hours later in Cedar Rapids, Christie was unrelenting in an interview: "I hope they’ve taken me seriously because I will come back here plenty angry if they don’t do the right thing on Tuesday night. So they don’t want that. They’ve seen that. It’s not good."

Gingrich had already used the crying thing, so threats were really all that was left.

Whether it's the bronze bull encountered by those occupying Wall Street, the fixation with a Chris Christie presidency not to be, or the ex post facto transformation of Ronald Reagan into Kratos by middle-aged Republican Congresspersons who practically start to giggle and spontaneously pulsate just upon hearing his name, there is one thing you can expect to encounter a lot of on the right side of the political spectrum these days: Golden Calves.

Sure, that Bible thing conservatives claim to have read and revere strictly admonishes those who take to idolatry. But then again, it also doesn't wish death upon 30-year-olds because they lack health insurance or a poorly conceived bowl-cut by a former Speaker of the House who's running just about even with the hantavirus in Republican presidential polling.

So even the Bible is fallible.

These Golden Calf conservatives have taken impulses that have been long ascendant on the Right, and way-too-present in American culture overall, and transformed their entire belief system into the Cirque de Soleil of idol worship. These days their leaders bow down before personality, mythology, ideology, theology and an unregulated market economy. These are revered in much the same manner anti-gay Republicans seem to hold a particular passion for the most quickly available RentBoy, or Kelsey Grammar does divorce court.

If you think I exaggerate, ponder what has brought the extreme right to public ecstasy over the last few months, and the right's obsessions in general, and tell me core members of the tea party brigade aren't addicted to symbol over substance. Think about it ... Rick Perry. Paul Ryan's unworkable budget plan. Chris Christie. Guns. The Constitution (at least their mistaken reading of it). Socialism. Bigger guns. Wall Street. American Exceptionalism. Really, really big guns.

This tendency to idolise people and objects makes it all the more amusing when loudmouth right-wing preachers start in with all the "cult" talk about Mitt Romney's Mormonism. So let me get this straight, Romney's version of Christianity is cultish, while those who handle snakes, speak in tongues and ask their arena-based parishioners for their very last dime, so they can erect Mammon-on-Earth, are not?

When one lacks practical, reasonable answers to the myriad problems this country is facing, from a continued economic debacle to ongoing civil liberties abuses at home and abroad to who Carly Simon's singing about in "You're So Vain," the only thing left to do is turn to symbolism. For those on the Right that means trusting Jesus will just work things out for them, or Reagan needs to be on the $10 bill, or obsessing over the Founding Fathers, you know, such as John Quincy Adams, Alan Cumming and Darth Plagueis The Wise.

This is not to say some Democrats have not fallen into this same trap. Again, grasping at symbols, especially charismatic individuals, is encoded in human DNA. There are those who would stick with President Obama were he to break every campaign promise he made during the 2008 election (so far I am gonna guestimate about 82 percent). But overall, education and civic engagement tend to lessen this tendency. Hence, it is not only a much more interesting, but foreboding phenomenon on the right.

Continue reading »

So far Roger Ailes, Chris Wallace, and the Koch Brothers -- along with almost every conservative TV pundit on the planet -- have all been clamoring for New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie to run for president, but to no avail. The latest group from the billionaire elites to beg for his services include some prominent donors and Hedge Fund managers:

Fifty of the most prized donors in national politics, including several hedge-fund billionaires who are among the richest people in the world, schlepped to a Manhattan office or hovered around speakerphones Tuesday afternoon as their host, venture capitalist Ken Langone (pronounced LAN-goan), a co-founder of The Home Depot, implored New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to reconsider and seek the GOP presidential nomination. The governor was firm that it’s not in the cards this time, but left his spurned suitors with the impression he might well go in 2016. He impressed the audience with his emphasis on family and commitment, and flashes of disarming humor.

Langone backed Rudy Giuliani in 2008, and his guests came from both parties, although most were moderate Republicans. Most are uncommitted in the presidential race. Participants who rank on the Forbes list of richest Americans included Bernie Marcus, Paul Tudor Jones (hedge funds; $3.3 billion), Stan Druckenmiller (hedge funds; $2.5 billion) and Bernie Marcus (Home Depot; $1.9 billion).

Several of them said: I’m Republican but I voted for President Obama, because I couldn’t live with Sarah Palin. Many said they were severely disappointed in the president. The biggest complaint was what several called “class warfare.” They said they didn’t understand what they had done to deserve that: If you want to have a conversation about taxation, have a conversation. But a president shouldn’t attack his constituents – he’s not the president of some people, he’s president of all the people. Someone mentioned Huey Long populism.

These whiny, vain men of wealth have only seen rocketing profits and have been insulated from prosecution or the financial collapse that has plagued middle America with high unemployment, but being called a few names is too much for them to handle. What wankers.

Digby writes:

The only thing Obama did to these Masters of the Universe was use the word "fat cat" a couple of times and mouth platitudes like "people like me should pay their fair share" as if it will really hurt any of these hedge fund hogs to give up the tiniest percentage of their ill gotten gains. Other than that, he's been downright subservient. Certainly nothing in the deficit reduction talks can be seen as particularly threatening.

No, they are the very definition of what Atrios dubbed the WATBs. (You can look it up.) This is purely because they feel they haven't gotten the public respect and deference they deserve. Even though they screwed everything up royally (pun intended) and the ungrateful little people had to bail them out. As Michele Bachman would say -- that's some major chootspaw.

These people of wealth sure love the conservative bully from New Jersey, but a new poll released by the PPP shows his support among New Jersey voters keeps plummeting.

“New Jerseyans are smart. So, it’s no surprise that Governor Christie’s poll numbers are dropping faster than Rupert Murdoch avoiding a cream pie at a Parliament hearing,” said Joshua Henne, spokesman for One New Jersey, a new progressive watchdog group.

According to data released today by “Public Policy Polling”, a mere 43% of voters approve of the job Christie is doing, while a whopping 53% disapprove. This ten-point differential represents a full thirteen-point dip from when PPP last polled earlier this year.

“While Governor Christie might be popular in Iowa or among GOP fundraising circles in the D.C. beltway, those families who have to live with the ramifications of his policies in New Jersey know better,” said Joshua Henne, spokesman for One New Jersey, a new progressive watchdog group. “With Chris Christie in the Statehouse, New Jerseyans are paying more and getting less. After nearly two years of Christie’s bluster, middle-class and working families are far worse-off than when he took office – with less jobs and higher property taxes.”
--
For fun, PPP decided to put Bruce Springsteen in a head-to-head poll with Christie. Right out the gate, he would tie Christie 42-42. Bruce would start in this position because – unlike Christie – Springsteen knows “nobody wins unless everybody wins

If only The Boss would run. The MillBills Club are acting like love sick puppies over the nasty Christie, but the people that he serves have turned on him because they actually are feeling the results of what his policies bring. of course his ideas will never hurt the wealthy like they do the 98%ers.

There was a lot of anger pouring out from Democrats in New Jersey over their budget battle. I've heard Sweeney is in hot water also and he responded to Christie's line-item veto by having one of the angriest responses I've ever heard.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney went to bed furious Thursday night after reviewing the governor’s line-item veto of the state budget.

He woke up Friday morning even angrier.

“This is all about him being a bully and a punk,” he said in an interview Friday.

“I wanted to punch him in his head.”

Sweeney had just risked his political neck to support the governor’s pension and health reform, and his reward was a slap across the face. The governor’s budget was a brusque rejection of every Democratic move, and Sweeney couldn’t even get an audience with the governor to discuss it.

“You know who he reminds me of?” Sweeney says. “Mr. Potter from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ the mean old bastard who screws everybody.”

This is not your regular budget dispute. This is personal. And it could have seismic impact on state politics.

Because the working alliance between these two men is the central political fact in New Jersey these days. If that changes, this brief and productive era of bipartisan cooperation is over.

“Last night I couldn’t calm down,” Sweeney said. “To prove a point to me – a guy who has stood side by side with him, and made tough decisions – for him to punish people to prove his political point? He’s just a rotten bastard to do what he did.”

It is a law of nature that Democrats and Republicans fight over budgets, like dogs chasing cats. And both parties are playing to their ideological scripts in this dispute.

But Sweeney’s beef with the governor goes much deeper. He feels the governor has acted in bad faith.

The governor’s budget, he says, is full of vindictive cuts designed to punish Democrats, and anyone else who dared to defy him. And he is furious that the governor refused to talk to him during the final week.

“After all the heavy lifting that’s been done – the property tax cap, the interest arbitration reform, the pension and health care reform – and the guy wouldn’t even talk to me?” Sweeney asks.

The details are even uglier. The governor, Sweeney said, personally told him they would talk. His staff called Sweeney and asked him to remain close all day Wednesday. At one point, the staff told him the governor planned to call in five minutes.

No call.

No negotiations.

“I sat in my office all day like a nitwit, figuring we were going to talk,” Sweeney says.

As for the vindictive cuts, Sweeney’s list of suspects is a long one.

Are you shocked that Christie acted this way? No phone call after he sandbagged you? How could he expect anything less? I've heard that Sweeney's action have damaged the Democratic Party in NJ tremendously.

“He’s mean-spirited,” Sweeney said in the Friday interview. “He’s angry. If you don’t do what he says, I liken it to being spoiled, I’m going to get my way, or else.”

And: “He’s a rotten prick.”

The truth is that in New Jersey, the governor has all the power in a budget fight. He simply vetoes any budget line he doesn’t like, and it disappears.

Check out this article to read about some of the important funding that he slashed: Outrage and disappointment follow Gov. Christie's line-item veto of Democrats' $30.6B budget

"The only people that benefit in Chris Christie’s new normal are economically well-off, white and male."

The governor’s office declined to answer questions about specific cuts yesterday, including why some programs were chopped and others were not.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie revels in his bullying style, as do most conservatives, but it's really starting to backfire on him. Verbally beating up on teachers and school administrators and other public servants makes him huggable with the psychos who watch John Stossel, but to the general public it makes him about as huggable as Lotso.

This is being reflected in the polls of New Jersey voters. And he's losing women at a very fast rate.

One example came back in April, when Chris Christie urged reporters to 'take the bat' to 76-year-old widow.

Isn't he so sweet? Earlier this week, Christie took more flack for the way he treated a woman who called in complaining about the way he's slashing funds to public education while sending his kids to private school.

He told Gail it was none of her business.

On the Today Show this morning, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) defended his belittling of a constituent who asked the governor if he sends his kids to private or public school. Christie has slashed public education spending so severely that the state Supreme Court overruled him.

However, when the woman called into a local TV interview Christie was giving this month to see if he understood first-hand the devastating effects of his cuts, the governor went off on the woman, angrily saying, “Hey Gail, you know what, first of all it’s none of your business.” Christie sends his kids to private school. This morning, Today Show host Matt Lauer brought up the incident, asking, “Why isn’t it a fair question?” “Her point is completely ridiculous,” Chrisitie snapped, calling the woman “nonsensical.”

On Meet The Press, Christie tried to downplay the exchange with Gail by telling David Gregory he's just a huggable and loveable guy.

GREGORY: Now I'm familiar with the substance of you what said, which is you're a taxpayer. You pay-- property taxes. You're the governor of everybody. You're working for the best public schools for everybody. For religious reasons-- you and your wife decided to send your kids to parochial schools. My question is more about your temperament. Is-- should the chief executive speak to people that way?

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE: Damn right he should. You know why? Because this is who I am. And the public knows they get it straight from me. And so what I said to her was, "Don't question my wife and my-- and my parenting decisions." That's the most personal thing that you can say to someone. You're a father. You know this.

These parenting decisions we make from the heart. There's no one more precious in my life than my wife and my four children. And when we make those decisions, that's not appropriate for public inquiry. I made that decision because I believe, David, in my heart, that's the right thing.

And so you know what? I am very blunt, I am very direct and you know what? So was she. And you look at her tone and her demeanor in that question, so was she. She's questioning my ability as a public officer holder to make decisions about every child in New Jersey and their public education because my children go to parochial school? Well, I went to public schools in New Jersey. I'm a product of the public schools. And so you're-- you know what? Absolutely. I wish more people in public life would respond just that way.

DAVID GREGORY: But authenticity is one thing. But we all can be better in the public square -- how we interact with people. Are you too abrasive? Are you too stubborn? Are you too-- tough when it comes to people questioning you?

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE: I'm huggable and loveable, David. I am not abrasive at all. I-- listen, I'm honest. And I wish we had more of it in politics. You know what people are tired of in politics? They're tired of blow dried-- tested answers that are given by political consultants to politicians and everybody sounds the same. (BABBLING) And everybody sounds the same.

He's just lying when he says he's not abrasive and he knows it. Conservatives love a mean-spirited bully as a politician and that's why they've been begging him to run in 2012. He can't hide from ugly incidents like this even if the national press has been slobbering all over him.

Eric Boehlert writes:

I realize much of the D.C. press corps is crushing on Christie. But before they announce that "people" are responding to the governor's "plain talk," pundits might want to find out if that response extends beyond their professional class.

Everybody remembers how Toy Story 3 ends, right? Lotso's new home is on the front grill of a truck. And the entire audience cheers.

(h/t DavidE at VideoCafe)

Gov. Cuomo just praised the passage of NY's Marriage Equality bill:

The other states look to New York for the progressive direction. And what we said today is you look to New York once again, because New York made a powerful statement, not just to the people of New York, but to people all across this nation.

We reached a new level of social justice this evening, marriage equality. I said to the legislators, you look at the first word, marriage, it's really about the second word, equality. It's really about New Yorkers, our brothers and sisters, looking at us and saying, we want equality. We want equality in society, equality in our relationships, equality in our love, equality in our families. We want full recognition, marriage equality, and we did it today.

NJ's Governor Chris Christie was on Meet The Press today, why? Because it's Conservative Talk Show Sunday, naturally.

But besides that, he made several comments today that were offensive. To me, the lead was that he would veto any bill that would pass NJ legislature sanctioning marriage equality similar to the one that just passed in New York.

Christie: ..In our state we're going to continue to pursue civil unions. I am not a fan of same sex marriage. It's not something that I support. I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. That's my view. And-- and that'll be the view of our state because I wouldn't sign a bill like the one that was in New York

Christie's religious views outweigh common decency and so he would deny the right of the gay community to have equality through his veto power. Maybe that's why his polling numbers have dropped like a balloon.

You'd never know his popularity has been plunging like a rock since he's become Governor if you watch the national news. By anointing him with superstar status, the media has been helping build him his own national campaign for when he decides to run for the Oval Office. At least MTP flashed some reality on the screen.

Christie's CopterGate is now upon us.

Gov. Chris Christie arrived at his son's baseball game this afternoon aboard a State Police helicopter.

Right before the lineup cards were being exchanged on the field, a noise from above distracted the spectators as the 55-foot long helicopter buzzed over trees in left field, circled the outfield and landed in an adjacent football field. Christie disembarked from the helicopter and got into a black car with tinted windows that drove him about a 100 yards to the baseball field.

During the 5th inning, Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie got into the car, rode back to the helicopter and left the game. During a pitching change, play was stopped for a couple of minutes while the helicopter took off.

{}

Christie was ferried to the field in a brand-new AugustaWestland helicopter, purchased at a cost to taxpayers of $12.5 million.

The State Police has received two of the five helicopters purchased so far, according to testimony from Attorney General Paula Dow during a May budget hearing. They were purchased to replace aging Sikorsky helicopters that the State Police have flown for about two decades.

The helicopters, which can reach nearly 200 miles per hour with its twin turbo-shaft engines, are designed for homeland security duties and transporting critically injured patients.

So the much-touted "fiscal conservative" uses a state helicopter designed for homeland security duties and transporting critically injured patients. Does going to see his soon play ball meet those strict requirements or is it an abuse of power? Murshed reminded me of this Nancy Pelosi smear job by Hannity over flying: Hannity, Gingrich falsely suggested that Pelosi made unprecedented use of military plane -- but "practice began with Speaker Hastert"

And as TPM reports, Chris Christie: No. 1 U.S. Attorney In Wasting Gov't Travel Money

Voters just don't like governors using helicopters. It helped destroy Frank Murkowski's run in Alaska. We'll see how upset NJ resident are about this.

I meant to write about this sooner after reading the NY Mag article, but time flies. We all know that Roger Ailes fashions himself a GOP kingmaker, but can you imagine the the outcry by the RWNM and all media critics if the head of a cable news network called a Democratic Governor or an active military man and begged him to run for President?

NY Mag:

A few months ago, Ailes called Chris Christie and encouraged him to jump into the race. Last summer, he’d invited Christie to dinner at his upstate compound along with Rush Limbaugh, and like much of the GOP Establishment, he fell hard for Christie, who nevertheless politely turned down Ailes’s calls to run. Ailes had also hoped that David Petraeus would run for president, but Petraeus too has decided to sit this election out, choosing to stay on the counterterrorism front lines as the head of Barack Obama’s CIA.

If the head of any other news network tried to shape a single political party's presidential primaries, they would rightly be decried for the unequivocal bias it revealed -- not to mention the breathtaking absence of ethics, But when Ailes does it, it's "nothing to see here, move right along."

Back in February of 2010, Roger Ailes told ABC that all he was interested was in ratings and not politics.

WALTERS: But you hired her to be a commentator. Do you think -- so you must think she has some qualifications? She seems to be very popular with certain groups. Do you think she has the qualifications to be president?

AILES: Fox News is fair and balanced. We had Geraldine Ferraro on for 10 years as the only woman the Democrats ever nominated. Now we have the only woman that the Republicans nominated. I'm not in politics, I'm in ratings. We're willing.

HUFFINGTON: Roger, you clearly are in ratings, but if you are in ratings, can you explain to me why Fox went away from the meeting the president was having in -- why did you go away, 20 minutes before the end?

AILES: Because we're the most trusted name in news.

That's another baldfaced lie, right Roger? IOKIYAR

(Check out the above video from a post I wrote last year to get an idea how explosive this situation is and how angry students are. It's always the poor, the elderly and the students who get harmed the most by conservative ideology. Back in April there was a massive student walkout protest over his sweeping state aid cuts in education.

NJ.com: Gov. Chris Christie says protesting students 'belong in the classroom')

Tea Party favorite Gov. Chris Christie received a severe blow to his education budget cuts by a Superior court judge:

Gov. Chris Christie's deep cuts to state school aid last year left New Jersey's schools unable to provide a "thorough and efficient" education to the state's nearly 1.4 million school children, a Superior Court judge found today.

Judge Peter Doyne, who was appointed as special master in the long-running Abbott vs. Burke school funding case, today issued an opinion that also found the reductions "fell more heavily upon our high risk districts and the children educated within those districts."

"Despite spending levels that meet or exceed virtually every state in the country, and that saw a significant increase in spending levels from 2000 to 2008, our 'at risk' children are now moving further from proficiency," he said.
--

“The difficulty in addressing New Jersey’s fiscal crisis and its constitutionally mandated obligation to educate our children requires an exquisite balance not easily attained,” Doyne wrote. “Something need be done to equitably address these competing imperatives. That answer, though, is beyond the purview of this report. For the limited question posed to the Master, it is clear the State has failed to carry its burden.“

Ouch. Chris Christie has spent only enough time to drink a cup of coffee in New Jersey as its governor so far, but since he's very good at bullying people, FOX News pundits just love him. He has yet to solve any problems there and when it comes to education, has refused to meet with protesters after he slashed education funding. Now he has to deal with this ruling.

Think Progress:

As the article notes, Judge Doyne was appointed as a “special master” in this case, and so his finding today will go back to the state Supreme Court, which can choose to act on it. This seems likely to happen. “A special master’s report like this carries great weight with the higher court,” said David Sciarra, the executive director of the Education Law Center. “The evidence was exhaustive, detailed thorough and its conclusions are sobering about the impact of the funding cuts on students across the state, particularly poor students, regardless of where they live.”

Christie has not yet responded to the finding. If he is required by the state Supreme Court to find more funding to at-risk districts, perhaps the governor could reconsider some of his proposed tax cuts for corporations and millionaires.

Here's a few other Christie stories from C&L: Chris Christie's bullying style is inuring Americans to ugly discourse---Presidential Hopeful NJ Gov. Chris Christie: Where Wall Street Leads, He Follows---NJ Gov. Chris Christie Kills Major Transit Infrastructure Project

Collective Amnesia Strikes Swooning Media As Manly Gov. Christie Blames Public Unions For State Deficits

Where to begin? Is it more egregious that Gov. Chris Christie is trying to pin NJ budget woes on public workers' unions (and models his solutions on Grover Norquist) -- or that a "60 Minutes" producer allowed his misinformation to go unanswered?

First of all, New Jersey's pension problems came to a head in 1997, during the rein of one Christine Todd Whitman, who cooked up a high-risk scheme to finance tax cuts by refusing to make the state's mandated pension payments from general revenue. Instead, she and state treasurer Brian Clymer floated a $2.75 billion bond issue that would fund the payments.

In other words, she and Clymer were gambling that the market would generate enough money to cover their pension obligations, so they could borrow that money right away for tax cuts. (The state paid $23.9 million in bond fees, by the way. Plus interest.)

This was a radical idea for the time, and not everyone was thrilled with the plan. The mayor of Edison N.J. filed a lawsuit to stop it. The State Supreme Court refused a stay, saying the point was moot -- but agreed with the plaintiff that the bond authority was merely a legal shell created to get around the state's debt ceiling without putting it to a public vote.

And of course the inevitable happened: Whitman's pension obligation bonds (and just about every other state's) became a ticking time bomb.