New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) spoke to NBC's Matt Lauer this morning about the response effort to Hurricane Sandy, and towards the end of the interview, he offered some noteworthy praise for the federal response to the crisis.
Christie offered a fairly detailed assessment of conditions in the Garden State, including the fact that there have been three reported fatalities thus far. But when Lauer asked about the efficacy of the federal response, the governor said it's been "great," noting that he spoke directly to President Obama at midnight and FEMA again this morning. Christie said Obama "has been outstanding."
The governor made similar remarks on CBS, saying, "Cooperation from the president of the United States has been outstanding. He deserves great credit."
What's more, Christie told reporters yesterday that he'd spoken to Obama, "and he told me that if, at any point over the next 48 hours, I was not getting something from the federal government that I should call him directly at the White House and that he was going to be there. And I should just not worry about dealing with anybody else, call him. So I appreciate that call from the president. It was very proactive. And I appreciate that type of leadership."
I think it's fair to say Christie is not a fan of Obama's when it comes to politics and ideology. It's what makes this praise, a week before the election, that much more striking.
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I think the only thing I've learned from this story is that I want a sweat suit with my name and title on it.
It's funny...the surprised reaction of dems and republicans to some truth coming out of a republican's mouth...we have been truth deprived and fact depraved for so long and for so many issues that for someone to think that a tiny bit of praise for President Obama is bad...
Someone needs to talk to Chuck Todd about his "holier than thou" attitude...I oozes out of the tv and is hard to clean up...
Of course a shot in '16 is in the back of Christie's mind. But libertarian ideology is one of convenience for all but the true believers. It's easy to rationalize punishing people who make choices you disagree with, much harder to see folks literally riding out the storm and refuse to help. When it comes down to it, he's a mean-spirited blowhard, not a sociopath or a sadist.
i applaud governor christie for his praise of the president but i feel it is an indirect campaign for 2016 office by the governor and this is a decampaign for mitt romney just as he did at the rnc in august.
It is a shame that it takes a disaster for our leaders to work together. Just imagine how much good would have happened in the last four years if congress could have worked with the president instead of doing nothing.
Remember that Romney vowed to cut FEMA saying the federal govt shouldn't deal with disaster recovery - it should be handled by private assistance.
I am sorry! But I don't trust him one bit!
I was shocked when I heard it but I would have to agree with Hennamuse. For the first time in 4 years we actually have the two parties working together for the common good. Maybe it will change the tide of politics.
Ok there is always wishful thinking.
No matter his motives, he does seem to go out of his way in each of these interviews to praise Obama which does seem out of character, but is much appreciated anyway. He could just not mention it all, but he has repeatedly shown appreciation for Obama, so I like it and I'll take it :)
I don't trust him, but I want to take him simply at his word. I agree, the President has been calm, resourceful, responsible, presidential...as usual. I'm glad to see that Christie sees that and acknowledges it publicly. The rest of the political stuff...we'll see later. But we'll always have this video!
right now i am happy governor christie shows humanity,,,democrats or republicans ,they need help,,and if he is honest enough to admit mr obama is doing what a president should do,'',take care of 100% americans,'', romney wants to get rid of fema,,,,,,under bush it was not good,,remember louisiana,,but under mr clinton and mr obama,,fema was great,,thank you mr obama for taking care of 100% of americans we appreciate,, who ever can vote this week,,please vote for mr obama,this country needs him,,
I think Christie means it, FWIW. I trusted the President to come through, and he has and will. That's why he did the grown-up thing. He always does the grown-up thing. Who knows what the punditocracy will make of this and who knows what it will do to the election, but at times like this, people step up. I'm surprised at Christie. He's been conspicuously absent during other big disasters, but not on this scale and evidently not this time.
It's because this time it is HE who needs the money.
Chris Christie wants to run for president only because he wants to hear the words "Chris Christie" and "run" in the same sentence.
The remarks he made were made on instinct and not by political motivation.
Before the interview with Chris Christy there was a commercial for Burger King Cinnamon Rolls...anyone else find this more than a little ironic.
Some of us will truly miss that bathroom at the end of the pier. The writing is on the wall.
President Obama reaching out to assist New Jersey's governor clearly demonstrates Obama understands he is president of one hundred percent of the people of the United States. And Governor Christie's gracious acknowledgement is refreshing. A tip of the hat to both of them.
Christie is a true New Jerseyian. He tells it as it is when he is not playing politics.
Not fond of Christie, but what a contrast with Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana Governor, in 2005 during Katrina, when Dubya and Brownie basically hung her up to dry. I hope those affected by Sandy fare better than the folks trapped in the Superdome. I see this as Christie's "Giuliani 9/11" moment/opportunity, which did not get Rudy elected prez.
If anyone doesn't realize that this is but a precursor of Global Warming and its aftermath, they better start buying sand bags.
He realizes he would be in the hot seat, and all of this would be HIS problem under Romney's plan to break up FEMA and distribute responsibility to the states.
If Romney becomes president he wants to turn Fema over to the states and better yet to the private sector. Scares me to think what the outcome of a disaster like this could be if he is elected.
Right?
Waiting on Wal-mart for water? Home depot for a life raft? Yikes.
Say what you want about Christie... but he could probably carry his home state in a presidential run.... Unlike some people.
My property taxes went up by about $1000 last year - If you are going to cut teachers then you better show those cuts in my taxes - not in corporate tax breaks.
He is at times a straight shooter but more often a blowhard who will not be getting my vote.
i have always felt there was something disingenuous about Christie's criticisms of the President in general. he tends to do it only when his party is on board otherwise he has over the years said some very nice things about Obama. leading me to believe its all politics until the perverbeal Sh*t hits the fan. a wise man knows which side his bread is buttered on Nuf said but of course none of this can be applied to Mittens whose blatant self interest were once again revealed in his statement to cancel Ohio today in deference to the hurricane victims but then went and did it anyway claiming that changing the context makes it ok. am i the only one that feels his moral compass is not only bent but has burst into flames never to be seen again? i can't help but think no matter what the public opinion of Mit is in relationship to his family you know deep down inside whether they would admit it or not that the knowledge he is a liar must really make them angry. think of the destabilization of his relationships within the Mormon church. people will not often express their views publicly but is it not funny after a big scandal how no one looks your direction on the street i think Mitt has sealed his fate for the rest of his life.
There's looting. In Manhattan, except you have to get in line to loot cause there's so many freakin people! And they only let one person and one rat into the store at a time cause it's freakin New Yawk! I think that Wall Street might need another bailout, only this time literally. This just goes to show: Barack Obama does not care about CORPORATE people. Or he would do something. If Al Queda claims credit for this, does that further our quest to smoke out Bin Laden, who might still be at large?