Can I Politicize Hurricane Sandy Yet?

Here's the quote of the day:

“The president has been all over this and he deserves great credit. I’ve been on the phone with him, like I said, yesterday, personally, three times. He gave me his number at the White House, told me to call him if I needed anything, and he absolutely means it. It’s been very good working with the president, and he and his administration have been coordinating with us great. It’s been wonderful.“

That quote brought to you Republican NewJersey Governor Chris Christie, whose state (my state) has been crushed by Hurricane Sandy. Major sections of the Jersey shore have been destroyed. I'm shocked at the devastation I see on the news reports on television.

Luckily, I was spared any damage or power outage. The storm made landfall about 90 minutes south of me, near Atlantic City (another destroyed city). I took a short walk around my neighborhood and couldn't go more than a couple of blocks without coming across downed trees, severed power lines and blocked streets.







But back to my point.

Kudos to Christie figuring out what's important and how crucial issues like federal disaster relief can be. I don't know if he was one of the Republican governors Mitt Romney called to offer advice*, you know because I suppose only Republican governors have been affected by the storm, but I wonder if Christie will have a come to Jesus moment at the voting booth next week. ... I doubt it.

Speaking of federal disaster relief, let's not forget, and really how can you at this point, that FEMA is in the crosshairs for Mitt Romney to gut if he's elected president. During a primary debate, Romney not only thought that disaster aid should be in the hands of the states, but went a step further and said that the private sector should be first in line for these types of situations.

Who knows what he's saying now, but last year, Mitt Romney said it was "immoral" for the government to borrow and spend money to pay for disaster relief. 

Importantly, he wasn't just talking about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which some conservatives say is a horrible waste of money. He was talking about "disaster relief."... 

..."Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction," Romney told debate moderator John King. "And if you can go even further, and send it back to the private sector, that’s even better. Instead of thinking, in the federal budget, what we should cut, we should ask the opposite question, what should we keep?” 

When John King interrupted to clarify, "Including disaster relief?" Romney continued, "We cannot afford to do those things without jeopardizing the future for our kids. It is simply immoral, in my view, for us to continue to rack up larger and larger debts and pass them on to our kids, knowing full well that we’ll all be dead and gone before it’s paid off. It makes no sense at all."

Sure! No federal relief for devastated states due to natural disasters. Let them fend for themselves since their coffers are always overflowing. And hell, while we're at it, it's the private, for-profit sector that should take care of the clean up and restoration of towns and cities that got washed away in the hurricane. Nothing like giving preference to the highest bidder when it comes to restoring essentials to survive. 

I really don't know what else to say about this except that we are witnessing, in live time, the differences between the two candidates in their response to the disaster we've seen here these last 36 hours. While President Obama admittedly has a bit of an advantage in actually being the president, he's suspended his campaign, continues to make sure help gets to ALL that need it, and is keeping in contact with state leaders regardless of political affiliation. Mitt Romney has "suspended his campaign" and decided to have "storm relief events" that look exactly the same as his campaign events.

Yesterday, the Republican team said it had canceled today's campaign event in Ohio. Mitt Romney was set to headline a "victory rally" at a specific venue in Dayton, alongside specific celebrity guests, but out of sensitivity, the event was scrapped. 

Instead, Romney will appear at the exact same venue at the exact same time with the exact same celebrity guests, but it will be billed as a "storm relief event." What about yesterday's promise about cancellations? A Republican official said Romney/Ryan hadn't broken its word because, technically, this is "not a campaign event per se." 

Hmm. The badge for today's "storm relief event" says "victory rally"; the sign on the door described the event as a "campaign rally"; they're playing the campaign warm-up songs for the audience; and before the "storm relief event" could begin, campaign officials showed the official campaign video on Romney's awesomeness.

But hey, it's not a campaign event if it we don't call it a campaign event, huh?

_________________________________
*Chris Christie was one of the governors that was called by Mitt Romney.

Ya Think?!

From the "No shit, Sherlock!" annals of journalism comes this NY Times piece suggesting New Jersey Governor Tony Soprano may have hindered his chances for a VP nod because he's a bit over the top.

From: Christie’s Brashness Blunts Hopes to Join Ticket

...Mr. Christie’s star has faded as a potential vice-presidential pick. As polls show that his bluntness is striking more voters as bullying, Republicans close to Mr. Romney’s campaign say that the governor’s continued hostile encounters — including one on the Jersey Shore this month that was caught on video — have augmented fears that he is too unpredictable and too contentious, turning what was once viewed as a key strength into a drawback. 

A decision to pass on Mr. Christie would highlight the more cautious approach Mr. Romney appears to be taking — by all indications he has been leaning toward measured personalities like Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, or Senator Rob Portman of Ohio. This may reflect the lessons of the last presidential race, when a Republican running mate who seemed authentic and exciting went rogue... 

...Aides and advisers to Mr. Romney, who acknowledge that he was never going to be the safest choice, privately say that they are troubled by Mr. Christie’s temper, calling it unsettling and out of step with Mr. Romney’s temperament... 

...In the town-hall-style meetings that have become his preferred method of delivering messages (he has done 88 in 18 months), he boasts of his skill getting a Democrat-led Legislature to buckle. But what is often left out is that the changes were things that had first been proposed by Democrats who were coming in when Mr. Christie took office. 

“It’s like the guy who catches the little fish, then by the time he’s done telling you the story, it’s a 60-pound tuna,” said Stephen M. Sweeney, the State Senate president and a Gloucester County Democrat who initially proposed the pension changes and property tax cap.

So was it calling people idiots in town-hall meetings or his thin-skinned approach to hearing criticism on a Jersey Shore boardwalk from a constituent that has people second guessing his baseball bat to the knees approach? Or maybe it's his economic decisions based on politics instead of what's best for his state, like canceling the ARC tunnel project or blowing a $400 million federal education grant because of his disapproval on a teachers' union compromise.

But hey, you gotta love that tough guy persona, huh? 

New Jersey voters, you can only polish a turd for so long.

Governor Tony Soprano

I'm really getting tired of the Chris Christie good fella-slant nose-goombah shit. Here's the Intrepid* governor addressing one of his constituents when said voter dared to question the Emperor on his education agenda.

While on vacation with his family in Seaside Heights, N.J. on Thursday, the Republican governor lashed out at a passerby who, according to TMZ, made a derisive comment about his education policies. 

"You're a real big shot," Christie fired back at his heckler. "You're a real big shot shooting your mouth off." 

The man responded: "Just take care of the teachers." 

Christie approached the man, yelling at him to "keep walkin' away ... keep walkin'." A man accompanying Christie then put his hand on the governor's shoulder and walked with him in the opposite direction.

Remember, this is the same Governor whose administration blew a $400 million federal education grant at Christie's insistence. The reason: he wasn't satisfied with the deal that was made with the Teachers' Union and made his education staff reapply for the grant at the last second, causing confusion and ultimately leading to accidental omission of information and a loss of the federal grant money.

And for God's sake, put the ice cream down, Governor. Hot day? Try some water... or maybe a lemonade.

(*Intrepid as in the size of an aircraft carrier, not the actual definition of the word.)

Why the Hell is Tony Soprano in Israel?!

AP - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie kicked off his first official overseas trip to the Middle East Monday, meeting Israeli leaders in a visit that may boost the rising Republican star's foreign policy credentials ahead of November's presidential elections. He will move on to Jordan later this week for a personal visit with Jordan's King Abdullah.

...Christie's trip, billed "Jersey to Jerusalem," is a trade and diplomacy mission, according to his office.

How many bialys can one guy eat?!

Chris Christie's Bully Syndrome

Now granted, this is an edited video, mostly of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's response to law student and former Navy SEAL, William Brown. We don't see the possible and probable interruption(s) of Brown. But I really don't need to see a full, unedited version, because here's the thing: this is just another instance in a continuing pattern of Christie being a bully to constituents who attend his town hall meetings, teachers and teachers unions, call into his live, on-air interviews or anywhere else he happens to be speaking in a public forum.

The problem with Chris Christie (as if there were only one) is that he thinks he's Tony Soprano. He's not. He's an elected official, one of only fifty governors in the country. Yet Christie acts like he's a bouncer at the Bada Bing. He thinks he can say anything he wants. He's beloved by his party for being so "blunt." But what would his party say, if President Obama, during a town hall meeting where you know some serious and sometimes awkward questions will be asked, called a former Navy SEAL an idiot? There would be mass outrage of epic proportions.

Maybe Chris Christie is a normal, guy next door. Who knows? But as governor, I don't want the guy next door that you can sit down and have a beer with while he eats all the spare ribs. I want a thoughtful, responsible, intelligent person. He, along with all elected officials, must be held to a higher standard. So sit back, Chris, take the question, take deep breath and answer it as politely as possible, then move on. Despite what you may think, you don't have the power to have somebody whacked.

What A Dick

Here's my governor (unfortunately) with full pomposity on display on Morning Joe clashing with Jonathan Capehart over the issue of gay marriage among other things. Good luck trying to stomach the 20 plus minutes of video.

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Weighing In On Whitney

Like many people, I was actually a little saddened when I heard about the loss of Whitney Houston, not because I was a huge fan, but because I felt it was a shame that another talent (and she was talented regardless of whether you liked her music or not) had fallen to drug addiction. It really is a shame.

So I thought, okay, we'll get a day of nonstop Whitney coverage with speculation of what happened and how. And I tolerated Day Two of "Whitney Still Dead" news analysis. But I thought it was a little much when I came across "Breaking News" while channel surfing Monday night, with live helicopter coverage of the convoy of vehicles transporting Houston's body from Teterboro Airport to Newark, New Jersey.

And then Jabba the Governor decides to fly flags at half-staff in New Jersey in her honor. Seriously? Was Whitney Houston a former President of the US and I hadn't noticed? Is being known as the "Queen of Pop" considered official royalty in this country and worthy of that honor?

If someone had mentioned Whitney Houston the day before her death, you'd mostly likely think of her as a joke. They'd call her a crack addict, an alcoholic, someone who'd destroyed herself, someone who succumbed to her demons. Those woulds were self-inflicted, yet somehow it seems all of that was forgotten in lieu of some feel good, she-was-so-great story. Yes, what happened was sad and tragic. But can we keep things in perspective?

The American People Have Spoken

How many times have we heard House Speaker John Boehner say, "The American people want..." or "The American people sent us here to..."? How often do you think he'll use that phrase after yesterday's election results?

Well, I'll use it. If yesterday's election results have shown us anything, it's that the American people don't like hypocrites. They American people have spoken in their rejection of Ohio's collective bargaining/anti-union law. The American people have spoken in their rejection of an attempt by Mississippi Republicans to redefine "personhood" as the point of which an egg becomes fertilized. The American people have spoken in their re-election of Kentucky's Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear with 56% of the vote. The American people have spoken in their recall of Republican Arizona Senate President Russell Pierce, the author of the harsh immigration law that had been adopted in Grand Canyon state. The American people have spoken in their addition of a New Jersey Democratic Assembly member as they've cooled off of a Chris Christie love affair. The American people have spoken against voter suppression by repealing Maine's two day voting registration law and restoring same day registration.

The American people have spoken. And if the Congressional members of the Republican party refuse to listen and continue on the path of "Just Say No" to President Obama's every attempt to get the country's employment situation and GDP jump started, they're in for a rude awakening in November of 2012.

VERY LARGE Pants On Fire

Via PolitiFact:

...Having endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, [New Jersey Governor Chris] Christie has been addressing what he considers illegitimate comparisons between Romney’s health care reform in Massachusetts and the national health care reform led by President Barack Obama...

"...ninety-three percent of the people in Massachusetts had private insurance then and have private insurance now. That’s not what’s gonna happen under Obamacare. It’s gonna be a government takeover of health care."

PolitiFact previously addressed the "government takeover of healthcare" talking point as its 2010 Lie of the Year.

Christie Not Running

Chris Christie is having a press conference at 1pm to announce that he is not running for the Republican nomination for the presidential race. In other words, he's making news by announcing what he's been saying for the last twelve months.



Now let's give Christie a little credit. Even though sources say he was reconsidering his position after hearing the outcry of voters who aren't satisfied with any of the eight current nominees, he was smart enough to realize that even if he were ready to be president, he's nowhere near ready organizationally to run a national campaign.

The question will soon shift to who will the voters clamor for as their next flavor of the week?

So Much for Savior Perry

Well this can't be good for the Perry campaign.

Herman Cain, the former chief executive of Godfather’s Pizza, won the Florida straw poll today, defeating second-place Rick Perry after the Texas governor worked the crowd of activists with a breakfast speech Saturday morning.

Mr. Cain won nearly 40 percent of the 2,657 people who voted, more than doubling Mr. Perry’s total and that of Mitt Romney, who came in a close third.

Herman the pizza guy beat Rick Perry, the GOP's flavor of the month, in Florida's straw poll after his performance in the most recent GOP debate. And I have to ask: what the hell is wrong with Republican voters? Arguably, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are the most sane, responsible politicians vying for the GOP nomination, but they're not even close to what the polls say the voters want.

First it was Donald Trump, until he exposed himself as a complete buffoon when he jumped on the Birther bandwagon. Then came Michele Bachmann, whose buffoonery is usually excused until she suggested that the HPV vaccine could cause "mental retardation." Then it was Rick Perry, who got cheers for 234 Texas executions under his leadership, but jeers for his Texas Dream Act where illegal immigrants who came to this country when they were children are given a chance to go to college. They were also too quickly reminded of the 43rd president when Perry tripped over his tongue while trying to attack Mitt Romney. And we may as well forget the other six candidates, including Cain, considering the fact that week after week GOP pundits and talking heads are constantly touting new candidates and hoping they'll get in the race.

This week they're returning to the idea of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie yet again... until they take a cursory look and realize he called the fringe right wing "crazies" when it comes to their anti-Muslim rhetoric and the whole "banning Sharia law" thing in places where Sharia law doesn't exist and will never exist. And as of this writing, he had once again stated he's not interested in running for president in 2012.

Who'll be the flavor of the week next week?

Christie Running For President? FAT CHANCE!

Earlier today, Jonathan Alter reported via the Twitters that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was conducting focus groups for a possible 2012 presidential run. I mean, hell, if know-nothings like Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry can get into the act, why not lovable, straight talking, education fund blowing, job killing Chris Christie?

Well it seems to have been a misguided rumor.

A top adviser to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie insists the big name Republican is not exploring the possibility of running for president in the next election cycle despite rumors swirling that he could jump into the GOP primary mix...
"It’s completely untrue -- one hundred percent that is not true,” Christie adviser Mike Duhaime said in response to the suggestion, according to The Hill. “Nothing’s changed. I’m not sure who [Alter’s] source is or what they are saying, but nothing’s changed."

... and Alter concurs.

It's a good thing too, especially considering that it was only seven months ago that Christie said he wasn't ready to be President. But hey, he now has the same amount of gubernatorial experience as half termer Sarah Palin, so anything's possible.

Do Not Believe Jon Cornyn

Over the weekend, Texas Senator Jon Cornyn appeared on Fox News Sunday and said he was open to the idea of closing loopholes and cutting corporate subsidies as an overall part of tax reform. And this morning it seems like the media is jumping all over this as an example of how Republicans are willing to compromise.

“I think it’s clear that the Republicans are opposed to any tax hikes, particularly during a fragile economic recovery,” Mr. Cornyn said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Now, do we believe tax reform is necessary? I would say absolutely.”

He also included that he thought there wouldn't be enough time for tax reform measures to be changed at such a late date, so let's do this thing now, give the Republicans what they want now, and then in August let's talk about tax reform.

Bullshit.

Don't believe Jon Cornyn. Tax reform for whom? Shall we rehash the Ryan plan all over again and reform taxes that look like a 10% decrease in upper income earners and a tax increase for those than can least afford it? And what guarantee do Democrats have if they went along with Cornyn's idea of tax reform after August? Will he pull a Chris "rotten prick" Christie and stab them in the back? And one other thing the pundits didn't mention in their rush to tweak their nipples at Cornyn's willingness to "compromise":

[Cornyn] insisted that any changes in taxes be “revenue neutral,” meaning that the government would not take in any more money from individuals or businesses than it does now.

Well then what's the fucking point of tax reform if not to dig ourselves out of this shithole that's been created over the last 10 years and not just since January 20th, 2009 as these jackasses would have you believe?

Once again, there is absolutely no way to get out of this debt "crisis" we are in solely by cutting spending on the backs of the middle and lower class while the GOP insist that no revenue increases be applied on those who can most afford it, namely big oil corporations with record breaking profits who still receive government subsidies, hedge fund manager loopholes and lower and lower tax rates on millionaires and billionaires.

ADDING... John McCain mentioned something about tax revenue increases too, but does anyone really care what McCain has to say anymore?

Christie's Helicopter Ride

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find another example of hypocrisy from a Governor of a state who is taking a hatchet to the budget and constantly crying poverty, yet uses taxpayer provided transportation for personal use.

Blunt-talking New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has made ethics and government reform a centerpiece of his Administration, raised some eyebrows yesterday with his decision to take a state helicopter to his son's baseball game yesterday afternoon. Moreover, he left the game in the fifth inning, presumably to make it back to Princeton for his meeting with a group of Iowa activists who had flown to New Jersey to try to convince the governor to run for president.

If you're so worried about the budget, couldn't that helicopter flight, which I'm sure must have costs thousands, been avoided? He'll be asked about it, bark that it's his right, his family comes first and the media will drop it.

Mr. Clean Energy

Running for governor in 2009, Chris Christie vowed to become “New Jersey’s No. 1 clean-energy advocate.” That was a hollow promise. As governor, Mr. Christie proceeded to cut all the money for the Office of Climate and Energy. He raided $158 million from the clean energy fund, meant for alternative energy investments, and spent it on general programs. He withdrew the state from an important lawsuit against electric utilities to reduce emissions.

On Thursday, he took the worst step of all: He abandoned the 10-state initiative in the Northeast that uses a cap-and-trade system to lower carbon-dioxide emissions from power plants. The program has been remarkably successful, a model of vision and fortitude. Lacking that, Mr. Christie has given in to the corporate and Tea Party interests that revile all forms of cap and trade, letting down the other nine states trying to fight climate change.

He's happy to accept the funds generated by the initiative while claiming it doesn't work, contrary to the statements of other governors in the program. For someone who's so concerned about the state deficit, Christie sure is quick to make decision that have cost New Jersey at least $650 million in his short tenure. When will the New Jersey residents who voted this buffoon into office realize that he's nothing but a fraud? So far it seems the only thing Christie's cleaned as governor is the refrigerator. Yes, that was a fat joke.

Big. Fat. Oops.

New Jersey Governor and resident walrus Chris Christie is doing his best to plummet his numbers to Scott Walker levels. But New Jersey firefighters and police officers aren't going to sit idly by and watch.

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Christie Goes To Disney World During Blizzard - UPDATED

A lot of people are making an issue out of NJ Governor Chris "The Cannoli" Christie going on vacation to Disney World during the big blizzard we've experienced.  I really don't think it's that big a deal. What's he going to do, shovel New Jersey out himself? He probably needs help getting out of bed in the morning.

As much as I don't like Christie, this was obviously a planned vacation with his family. A trip to Disney World during Christmas week is not a spur of the moment thing.  But I do hope he enjoys the wonderful, balmy Florida weather.



Heh.

UPDATE (12/28/10 4:45pm): This is the reason Christie should be held accountable:

..it was Governor Christie's responsibility to ensure that the separated powers of the executive branch remained separated. Either he should have scheduled his family trip at another time, or he should have been a boss and told [Lt. Gov.] Guadagno that she could not travel at the same time as he was.

For someone who seems eager to exercise the power of the bully pulpit at public events, the reticence to exercise the legitimate powers of his office responsibly is puzzling, and alarming. It is a dereliction of duty and an abrogation of responsibility. Yes, the world will keep turning. But it isn't the Governor's duty to keep the world turning. It is his duty to ensure the administration of the state government and to run the executive branch. Especially in an emergency. Especially when there is almost a week's notice that the emergency is going to hit. It is inexcusable.

Dumbass Quote of the Day

"Mankind, is it responsible for global warming? Well I'll tell you something. I have seen evidence on both sides of it. I'm skeptical -- I'm skeptical. And you know, I think at the at the end of this, I think we're going to need more science to prove something one way or the other. But you know - cause I've seen arguments on both sides of it that at times - like I'll watch something about man made global warming, and I go wow, that's fairly convincing. And then I'll go out and watch the other side of the argument, and I go huh, that's fairly convincing too. So, I gotta be honest with you, I don't know. And that's probably one of the reason's why I became a lawyer, and not a doctor, or an engineer, or a scientist, because I can't figure this stuff out. But I would say at this point, that has to be proven, and I'm a little skeptical about it. Thank you."

~New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at a town hall meeting catering to the wingnuts.

NJ Gov Christie Blows Another $350 Million

Governor Rejects Huge Rail Project Already In Progress - Must Repay Fed

I've recently moved to New Jersey and use the New Jersey Transit rail system five or six days a week to get to and from work. It's a pretty good system, I imagine no better or worse than any rail system in the US, subjected to occasional delays but for the most part, relatively reliable.  The one thing that is strange however, is that as the population has expanded to the suburbs and train ridership has increased over the course of years, the rail system hasn't been able to keep up.  There are only one pair of single track tunnels connecting New Jersey to Penn Station.  Those tracks are owned by Amtrak, and they have priority to let their trains pull in first, leaving NJ Transit trains sitting on the tracks waiting for permission to enter the station.

Well that was all going to change with a program called Access to the Region's Core (ARC), a "big dig" that would have created a new set of tracks below 34th Street and controlled by New Jersey Transit.  No waiting to get in. The project was estimated at $8.7 billion, $6 billion of which would have been provided by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey  and the Federal Transportation Department. New Jersey would have to come up with the $2.7 billion balance. The project also would have provided 6,000 construction jobs and once the tunnel was completed, another estimated 40,000 jobs.

The project was underway, two decades in the planning, but was killed by Republican Governor Chris Christie when he looked into possible cost overruns he didn't want the citizens of New Jersey to be responsible for.  At a glance, it looks like a reasonable concern.  But dig deeper and you realize the partisan rhetoric and politicking that is going on.

Christie is the new GOP darling.  The no-nonsense, fiscal conservative who is slashing spending to get New Jersey in the black.  But if he truly cared about the citizens of his state, he would have been in his office trying to crunch the numbers to make this project work for the benefit of New Jersey Transit and its commuters instead of stumping for GOP candidates in Massachusetts, Connecticut,  Pennsylvania, and anywhere else (19 candidates to date) he can show his face to get name recognition for a possible 2012 run for the White House.

The fact is that $3 billion has been slated from the Port Authority of NY/NJ and another $3 billion from the Federal Transportation Department. So, less than the projected 1/3 of the money ($2.7 billion) would be coming from New Jersey. Even with projected cost overruns of $2 billion, New Jersey would still be footing less than 50% of the bill without even attempting to ask for Federal aid in the future for the project. Let alone the 6,000 construction jobs and the projected 40,000 jobs after completion that have been lost as Governor Nero has turned his thumb down to the project.

"I don’t want to hear about the jobs it will create. If I don’t have the money for the payroll," it will not create the jobs, Christie said. "This is not a difficult decision for me."

And if you want to talk about fiscal conservatism, Christie's cancellation of the project now puts New Jersey on the hook for $350 million we have to repay the federal government with absolutely nothing to show for it.  That combined with the Governor's boneheaded botching of the education grant, and Mr. Fiscal Responsibility as cost the state $750 million in his first 10 months.

But the fact of the matter is, Christie is just trying to make a name for himself; the new GOP governor pushing back against the big, bad federal government. It may play politically for Christie, but New Jersey residents will pay one way or the other. So far, they've paid to the tune of three quarters of a billion dollars for, apparently, nothing.

Heckuva job, Christie.

Will Christie Apologize to Obama?

Just a few days ago, we found out that New Jersey lost out on a $400 million federal education grant due to piss poor management and last minute changes in the application insisted upon by Governor Chris Christie in what amounts to a clerical error. A $400 million error.

While taking "responsibility" for it, Christie said no one would be fired for the lack of oversight but also blasted the Obama administration for not catching the mistake and said that "[t]hat’s the stuff that drives people nuts about government, and that’s what the Obama administration should answer for.”

Now comes word that Jabba the Governor has fired Education Commissioner Bret Schundler over the mistake that cost New Jersey badly needed education funding. And as far as answering for the beauraucratic red tape Christie was whining about? Well, it looks like the Obama administration did just that.

The latest evidence came Thursday, when the federal Department of Education released a video that flatly contradicted the governor’s harangue against the Obama administration earlier this week.

In a press conference Tuesday, the governor claimed that Schundler had tried to submit data needed to win a $400 million grant through the federal Race to the Top initiative during an interview a few weeks ago, but that the feds had refused to accept it. Instead, reviewers deducted five points from New Jersey’s application and knocked the state out of the running.

The video shows the governor’s statement was flatly untrue. Having poked his finger in the president’s chest, he now looks reckless and uninformed. And this comes on top of the loss of the $400 million, already the most embarrassing misstep of the governor’s term.

Schundler may not be at fault in this latest episode. The governor is the one who made the false claim. He says he was told that the numbers were presented and rejected, but we have not heard Schundler’s version of events. It’s possible the mistake was the governor’s.

Excerpt of N.J.'s Race to the Top interview shows officials with no budget answer

Boy, I didn't see that one coming.

So now that Chrissy The Cannoli has revealed himself to be reckless and a liar, do you think he'll call the White House and apologize to those he maligned?

Yeah, me neither.