Jake Tapper had ex-FreedomWorks Dick Armey on to comment on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's democratic decision to opt for a Special Election to fill the seat of recently deceased Frank Lautenberg rather than appoint some placeholder Republican for 18 months. Armey was not pleased.

DICK ARMEY: "This is what rankles conservatives. There's not a Democratic governor that wouldn't have seized the opportunity to appoint a Democrat senator, no matter what the status. In some states they may try to sell it and get rich off it as they did in Illinois. All Christie has to do is appoint a Republican. That's the correct move for him to make."

"Now, I put it down as debilitating stupidity, the first rule of politics is don't lose the friends you already have for the friends you're never going to get. And if he thinks the Democrats are going to love him for being the guy who plays fair rather than takes the political opportunity he's crazy.

"Democrats hate Republicans. Democrats aren't going to vote for Republicans. They're not going to get a break from Democrats. They will use him, Obama will use him for political cover as he's done twice now and then actively campaign against him."

For some reason, Armey thought the politically expedient move of appointing a Republican was far preferable to letting the voters of New Jersey decide. Armey also called congressman Frank Pallone a "shoo-in", I guess forgetting that Cory Booker is the overwhelming favorite in the Democratic Primary, to be held in August with the odd timing (most have said politically calculated) of a general election to be held in mid October.