Well, 2016 is now over. Christie wins, because Shaq endorsed him!

[Nanjing to Seoul]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/27/chris-christie-shaq_n_4168347.html#

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) nabbed the endorsement of a former basketball superstar on Sunday.

Shaquille O'Neal, a Newark, N.J. native, appeared in an ad in support of the Republican gubernatorial candidate's reelection, saying, "I don't endorse many politicians, but Chris Christie is different."

The former athlete touted Christie's commitment to education and job expansion in the ad, which was released just over a week before the Nov. 5 election.

"He's a good man," he said. "Excuse me, he's a great man."

Well, that settles it. When someone as politically important and intelligence as "Shazam" comes out to support you, you'll win in a landslide.

W2G, Governor Ballast!

[JI7]

1. oops

thought you meant the Governor's race

[MADem]

2. Shame on him. Everytime he aligns himself with the GOP he loses commercial endorsements.

He should know better.

Stick your Gold Bond where the sun don't shine, Shaq!

[ProSense]

3. Dumbass. Christie is

another Republican fraud.

Is he kidding? Gov. Chris Christie wants more tax cuts for the rich

A few days after saying New Jersey is so broke it must cut medical benefits for retirees and freeze their pensions forever, Gov. Chris Christie now says he wants to cut income taxes for the rich.

Think about those priorities. Middle-class families just lost their property tax rebates. Schools lost nearly $1 billion in funding, their biggest hit ever. Thousands of working poor families were closed out of health care programs. And our colleges and universities were whacked hard, forcing tuition hikes as the state scholarship programs run dry.

The governor said those cuts were necessary because the state’s vaults were empty. He was the guy telling us to live within our means, to face hard realities. And now this — a tax cut that would blow a new hole in the budget.

The governor says cutting top tax rates will spur business investment. The truth is it would shower benefits on the wealthy indiscriminately. Yes, some of the money might be invested in New Jersey. But much more would be invested outside the state, and even outside the country. The only thing that would stay here for sure is the budget gap it would create.

- more -

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/09/is_he_kidding_gov_chris_christ.html

N.J. unemployment jumps from Christie budget cuts
18,100 government workers and teachers out of work

The loss of 18,100 government and school jobs in July bumped New Jersey unemployment rate up 0.1 percentage point to 9.7 percent, the first monthly increase since reaching a high of 10 percent in December.

The lost jobs included 14,700 in local and county government and public schools and 3,600 related to the winding down of the U.S. Census.

Another 3,100 jobs were lost in the private sector.

The loss in government and school jobs can be contributed, at least in part, to Gov. Chris Christie's decision to cut state aid to local government by $445 million and $820 million to public schools as he attempted to close a $10 billion budget deficit.

more

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/economy/nj-unemployment-jumps-from-christie-budget-cuts

<...>

In New Jersey, where about 3,000 teachers were let go in May, Gov. Chris Christie’s administration worries that the federal aid will only forestall difficult decisions later, and it is unclear how much will be spent immediately.

“It’s a real double-edged sword,” said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the governor. “This money will not be there next year, and we’re not going to get back up to the funding that they had previously been used to.”

<...>

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/business/economy/18teachers.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Chris Christie Gets Booed At Seton Hall Commencement

New Jersey governor Chris Christie was loudly booed at Seton Hall's graduation ceremony earlier today, where he delivered a commencement address to the university's 2,281 graduates. One student even yelled "shut up" in the middle of the speech.

The Setonian has more:

Christie acknowledged those who did not welcome him, and began his speech as a "proud alumnus" of Seton Hall.

He referred to a New York Times Magazine cover that referred to him as "the disruptor," and said, "I think a disruptor is someone who is willing to challenge the status quo."

"You need to be a disruptor in the way that your heart and your mind tells you to be a disruptor," he added.

Christie has been a subject of controversy after he proposed heavy budget cuts to New Jersey's education system.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/17/chris-christie-gets-booed_n_863181.html

ALEC and Old Yeller

Well, whaddya know: it turns out that Governor Yells-at-people is very much an ALEC guy. From NJ.com:

A Star-Ledger analysis of hundreds of documents shows that ALEC bills are surfacing in New Jersey, where Republican Gov. Chris Christie is trying to remake the state, frequently against the wishes of a Democrat-controlled Legislature.

Drawing on bills crafted by the council, on New Jersey legislation and dozens of e-mails by Christie staffers and others, The Star-Ledger found a pattern of similarities between ALEC’s proposals and several measures championed by the Christie administration. At least three bills, one executive order and one agency rule accomplish the same goals set out by ALEC using the same specific policies. In eight passages contained in those documents, New Jersey initiatives and ALEC proposals line up almost word for word. Two other Republican bills not pushed by the governor’s office are nearly identical to ALEC models.

As a resident of New Jersey, yeah, I got a problem with that.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/alec-and-old-yeller/

N.J. revenue shortfall increases at least another $50M in May

By Salvador Rizzo/Statehouse Bureau

TRENTON — Once again, the latest revenue numbers are pushing hard against Gov. Chris Christie’s claims of a "Jersey Comeback."

Tax collections failed to meet expectations in May, continuing a months-long trend that is cranking up the pressure on New Jersey’s finances just as Christie and Democratic lawmakers are racing to strike a tax-cut deal by the end of this month.

Revenues were $50 million to $100 million under target last month, according to a memo sent to lawmakers by David Rosen, the budget chief of the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services.

Meanwhile, the Christie administration said the shortfall was closer to $28.9 million in May and questioned Rosen’s credibility as a budget analyst.

- more -

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/nj_revenue_shortfall_increases.html

We built it together

by Elizabeth Warren

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gave a speech last night at the Republican National Convention about the Greatest Generation.

Let's talk about what really made the Greatest Generation so great.

Coming out of the Great Depression, America was at a crossroads. The future of our economy - and our democracy - was at stake.

We made a decision together as a country: To invest in ourselves, in our kids, and in our future. For nearly half a century, that's just what we did.

And it worked. For nearly 50 years, as our country got richer, our families got richer - and as our families got richer, our country got richer.

And then about 30 years ago, our country moved in a different direction. New leadership attacked wages. They attacked pensions. They attacked health care. They attacked unions. And now we find ourselves in a very different world from the one our parents and grandparents built. We are now in a world in which the rich skim more off the top in taxes and special deals, and they leave less and less for our schools, for roads and bridges, for medical and scientific research - less to build a future.

Last night, Chris Christie and the Republicans told the American people that we're to blame for our broken economy. He told families to tighten their belts. He told seniors to live on less. He told teachers to stop fighting for fair pay.

He never, ever mentioned how much more the richest have taken, and he had no mention that those who broke our economy still haven't been held accountable.

The Republicans believe in an America that is rigged for the big guys - giant corporations that can hire an army of lobbyists, ship jobs overseas, and take their profits to the Cayman Islands.

That's not who we are as a people - and that's not the kind of country we want to be.

We built America together, and that's what makes America great.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/29/1125449/-We-built-it-together

[House of Roberts]

4. The player who introduced 'thugball' to the SEC,

endorses Governor Bully the Thug? I'm shocked!

[Jamaal510]

5. Looks like Shaq put his size 23 foot in his mouth

on this one.

[joeybee12]

6. I never cared for Shaq...

Loud mouth asshat who whined way too much.