Chris Christie vacations in Disneyland while NJ buried under blizzard

[brentspeak]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20026711-503544.html

While Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was vacationing in Disney World this week, he was taking a few shots back home from some of his Democratic opponents as the state dug out from a blizzard that dumped more than two feet of snow in some places.

Christie's office is now pushing back against complaints that both he and the also-Republican lieutenant governor should never have taken a vacation at the same time, especially during a snow emergency.

While Christie hit up the Magic Kingdom, and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was in Mexico, State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, had been serving as acting governor in their absence and coordinated response efforts.

snip

Hanging out with Mickey Mouse while backs all over New Jersey ache under the strain of shoveling two feet of snow will probably not help his poll numbers at home either. The Hill also reports that Christie's popularity in New Jersey slipped five points in a Quinnipiac poll released this month.

[JVS]

1. Disney world seems an odd destination for such a wannabe toughguy

[jimmie]

2. What an sob.

Who the hell voted for this idiot.

[dana_b]

3. surprised that we haven't heard

him tell the people of N.J. to "buck up" or some sort of b.s.

[Little Star]

23. "buck-up" is sorta what Bloomberg said to NYC.

[alp227]

4. RECALL!!!!

This fool hates teachers and apparently abuses his power by letting the LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR go on vacation too. C'mon. Isn't the LG supposed to be in the state if the governor is away? That's why either Obama or Biden or both has to be in Washington at the same time.

[tblue]

5. It's his 'Katrina moment.'

Prolly telling someone they're doing a heckuva job, too.

[customerserviceguy]

6. And the President is in Hawaii

while much of the Eastern seaboard has had to clean up from this thing.

Neither vacation caused the storm.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. delete

This was a good response to an OP I was reading earlier.

Note to self: don't drink and post on DU

[starroute]

13. The president isn't in charge of cleaning up blizzards

Governors and mayors are. And Christie has been AWOL, while Bloomberg simply fell down on the job.

[Toucano]

16. By being out of the state, he's no longer in charge?

Or do we expect him to man a plow?

I'm pretty sure there's a department head or two in between the plow driver and the Governor, and doubt his physical presence would have very much impact either way.

[karynnj]

20. NJ law requires the person issuing orders to be in NJ

That's why the third in line was given the designation of acting Governor. (I think that we need to work on that rule - it seems archaic.)

[Toucano]

22. It does seem archaic at that. As in pre-Alexander G. Bell.

But I don't really get what "orders" have to be issued to get snow pushed off the streets.

Maybe ordering workers to work overtime, or something?

[walldude]

17. Funny when Bush was out fucking around during Katrina

he was excoriated. Yet he wasn't "in charge of cleaning up hurricanes".

[old mark]

7. After he laid off and fired all those state workers, too...I guess they have the same problem as NYC

get rid of state workers, then find out you need them...


I beileve we will see a lot of this in the future, and a lot more of Mr. Christie... I think he will run for President.


mark

[1badjedi]

8. I can't stand this

sloppy looking POS, but c'mon. It's not like he was going to shovel any snow. Also jersey didn't get hit any harder than philly and it didn't take me but 10 minutes to clear my pavement and get my car out. So this claim of "backs aching under the strain of shoveling" is a load of horseshit. The snow was soft, powdery and easily shoveled.

There are plenty of things to break christine's balls over but this surely isn't one of them. Go after the Lt. Gov. instead because it makes more sense. If the stand in isn't going to be there when needed then why have the stand in at all.

[tabbycat31]

9. I don't know what part of NJ you are in

but I got hit really hard (2-3 feet, the drifts were higher). I only JUST was able to get my car out today and my arms and back are very sore.

Oddly enough the two counties hit hardest were among Christie's biggest margins.

Kim Guadagno is in Mexico to be with her father who is dying of cancer. She should get a pass there, but Christie should have been aware of her situation.

[1badjedi]

15. So what exactly would have changed

for you and your car had christie been in town? Does he have some power to stop snowfall that has not been mentioned?

This is much ado about nothing. Diss the dude for the right reasons not this kind of lame bs.

btw I am guessing you're exaggerating a bit as well because a lot of the snow has already melted so it was not the major snowstorm some make it out to be. Nothing here was closed and all buses and trains ran on time. Had it been something major we'd still be digging out from it all across the delaware valley. Instead there are clear streets and rapidly melting snow piles. Much ado about nothing.

[brentspeak]

18. A NJ State of Emergency was declared on Sunday

the same day Christie took off for his vacation.

The airports were all closed, and NJ Transit buses and trains didn't resume normal schedule until Wednesday, with many lines suspended before then. While most major roadways are now clear, a large stretch of Route 18 was too deep with snow to be plowed, and cars had to be abandoned. There's also a bunch of NJ towns which haven't seen any snow plows thanks to Christie's budget cuts. So far, not much snow has melted.

Leave it to Christie to insist on vacationing during a State of Emergency after defunding snow removal efforts.

[Stevenmarc]

19. So by your logic if a bird shit on your head in Philly everyone in NJ would dodging bird shit

Despite your empirical data on the snowstorm many parts of NJ were hit hard, certainly if large stretches of RT 18 were closed for 2 days that might suggest that it wasn't exactly a 10 minute romp in the soft powder to deal with the situation.

It might also come as a surprise to you but there are tunnels and bridges that connect NYC to NJ, and I know that this could appear to be quite a stretch but the same weather system dumping snow on NYC might have wandered an inch or two over the NY/NJ border.

[Fuzz]

10. I live in NJ and I can't stand the asshole, but no big deal. He can take a vacation, but

the lt. Governor should have been here.

[Dappleganger]

12. Christie parties like a boss!

[daa]

14. Hell of job Christie

PS the lt gov was alos out of the state at the same time. Its fun slashing the budget until you need those services.

[RagAss]

21. Not surprised. Repugs tend to leave the little people behind to wade through the shit !