Christie Earned A Reputation As A POLITICAL BULLY Even In College

[Segami]

Ushering in a new Nixonian Reich...............




New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is no stranger to accusations of political bullying and backroom dealing like those at the heart of the bridge scandal. TPM has found one of the first times the brash political brawler faced such claims was in the mid-1980s when he was an undergrad at the University of Delaware. There, student newspaper archives show, Christie was accused of establishing a college political machine that rewarded his friends and drove his classmates out of student government. One fellow student even wrote to the paper to decry Christie's "cronyism" and question the legitimacy of the future governor's reign.



The accusations have have relevance anew now that the potential 2016 presidential contender is facing the biggest turmoil of his career with the uproar over the George Washington Bridge. Democrats in New Jersey have accused members of Christie's administration of using their power to close lanes on the bridge, causing a traffic jam in the town of Fort Lee, N.J. as revenge against the mayor there. Christie's office did not respond to a request for comment. Christie was voted president of the Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress in 1983, ahead of his senior year. He ran in the race on his own line, the Campus Action Party, which had a slate that featured his future wife, Mary Pat, running for DUSC secretary. In its May 10, 1983 issue, the campus newspaper, The Review, reported Christie's Campus Action Party "swept" the elections " capturing all six positions" in the student government body.




As president, The Review praised Christie for his efforts to expand the commencement ceremonies and establish a student activity fee. However, the paper also contained hints of the rougher side of his leadership. In April 1984, the race to succeed Christie began. Though he was leaving the school, Christie and his allies clearly maintained a firm grip on the student government. Christie's younger brother, Todd, was "chairman of the election committee," and his future wife, Mary Pat, ran to follow in Christie's footsteps as president. Mary Pat was unopposed. In an interview with The Review, she suggested other students were afraid to run against her because of Christie's strong record. "People might have looked at the success that we accomplished in this year and felt that the ticket was too strong to beat," said Mary Pat.




For his part, Christie expressed surprise his party went unopposed. "You could have blown me over with a feather when I found out no one was running," he told the paper. "We're not having an election this year, we're having a coronation."
In an interview after Mary Pat's victory, Christie characterized the lack of a challenger as a sign of "silent approval" for his administration. Though Christie and his future wife seemed to indicate the lack of opposition was beyond their control, others apparently felt there were more sinister forces behind their dominance. In a letter published in the April 27, 1984 issue of the review entitled "Christie cronyism," a self-described DUSC member named Richard Abbott suggested Christie's undemocratic tactics drove others away from student government.





cont'

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/chris-christie-college-political-machine

[jsr]

1. Shocking, indeed.

[factsarenotfair]

2. So, Mary Pat has been a co-bully for quite a while.

I wonder what Federal position he would appoint her to if he became President.

[Javaman]

3. once a thug, always a thug. nt

[Segami]

4. That makes him a 'reTHUG'...

[Javaman]

5. ooo good one!

LOL