Christie 2016 momentum surging

[Grizalltheway]

Donut shops and burger joints in every swing state rejoice.

[BDKJMU]

"Christie's presidential campaign won't reimburse N.J. for troopers protecting him as he travels

DERRY, N.H. – New Jersey taxpayers are going to keep being charged the cost of Governor Christie’s security detail as he travels the country in a bid for the presidency.

Republican presidential candidate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks to potential voters during a campaign town hall meeting, Thursday, July 2, 2015, in Rochester, N.H.

Who pays for Christie’s travel has become a larger – and more expensive – issue as Christie has spent increasingly more time away from New Jersey the past two years. His formal presidential campaign – five days already in New Hampshire this week with a security team in tow – adds a new dimension.

Christie said Friday that he has no plans to change course on security costs. The governor has staunchly defended having taxpayers pick up the tab, even when he’s outside New Jersey attending political events, explaining that he’s not doing anything different from past governors.

“In the end anywhere I go the troopers need to go whether I want them to go or not so we’re going to continue to conduct this in the same way I’ve always conducted it,” Christie said when asked about the costs outside MaryAnn’s Diner.

Christie isn’t the only traveling governor to face scrutiny. After the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that taxpayers paid $138,000 for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s trade mission to Great Britain, the Republican his presidential campaign-in-waiting will pay for security travel costs related to his likely White House bid, the newspaper reported.

“The taxpayers of New Jersey must be scratching their heads and think this is pretty outrageous,” said Assemblyman Gary Schaer, D-Passaic, chairman of the chamber’s budget committee. “With the budget in such disastrous shape, the taxpayers are now being asked to pay for state troopers so he can travel around the country. It doesn’t make sense.”

State troopers often travel to a location ahead of Christie to plan for his arrival. He’s accompanied by a security detail at all times. They drive him around and survey crowds for possible threats at his public events, just as they do in New Jersey. In New Hampshire this week they’ve been traveling in two black SUVs with New Jersey license plates. The motorcade, and a sedan with New Hampshire plates, was seen bypassing traffic on Route 93 North near Suncook, driving in the shoulder with the SUVs police lights flashing Friday morning.

Christie has spent more than 60 days outside the state this year and more than 200 since the start of last year when he travelled the country campaigning and fundraising as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

The governor’s poll numbers at home have been dropping, something Christie dismisses as characteristic for a second term governor who is travelling a lot and seeking the presidency.

But those same voters told pollsters they should not have to pay for his security detail to travel with him. Only 1 percent of voters surveyed in a Monmouth University Poll released Thursday said the state should pay, while 82 percent said Christie’s campaign should pay. Another 13 percent of voters said Christie’s campaign and the state should share the costs.

“I figured more voters would say that the cost should be shared, that they should pick up some costs because he is the governor,” Patrick Murray, director of the poll Murray said Friday.

Murray attributes the high number of people opposed to pay for Christie’s security to voters also feeling the governor has abandoned the state. Only 36 percent of New Jersey voters approve of Christie’s job performance in the state, while 58 percent disapprove. And 76 percent said Christie is more concerned about his own political future than he is with governing, according to the poll.

“I think it would have been a lot different if they felt he’s still somewhat focused on New Jersey,” he said. “The vast majority feel he has turned his back on New Jersey, so why should we be paying for anything?”

Taxpayers were billed nearly $185,000 for travel-related costs during the first three months of this year – the most recent bill. And taxpayers have spent $1.34 million in travel-related security costs since February 2010, Christie’s first full month in office, records show.

While Christie’s campaign and the political groups he has travelled for will cover the cost of his lodging, travel and meals on the road, New Jersey taxpayers will be on the hook for the state troopers that travel with him. And it’s hard to tell exactly how much that has cost over the years.

Christie’s administration is fighting to keep the security costs from being made public, denying Open Public Records Act requests and then providing only gross amounts after North Jersey Media Group, which publishes The Record, filed a lawsuit seeking the information.

The state will not release itemized bills detailing the travel expenses for the security team, known as the executive protection unit. In response to another Open Public Records Act request the State Police recently said that they do not maintain a separate budget for the executive protection unit and therefore could not release those records.

That should change, Democratic lawmakers said Friday.

“The taxpayers have a right to know what’s being spent, where and how,” Schaer said. He added that Christie often speaks about how burdened by taxes residents are in New Jersey. “Apparently taxpayers aren’t paying enough.”

In one case, Christie’s administration successfully fought the release of itemized credit card bills in court, citing a threat to the governor’s security. But Christie then revealed many details about his security team to a Cub Scout at a town hall-style event earlier this year, and the video of that exchange was posted on YouTube by Christie’s staff.

At a recent hearing, a state judge said Christie spoke “so freely” about the issue it did not square with concerns from his legal team about his security. Judge Mary Jacobson said she may order the governor to release a breakdown of what his bodyguards spend on hotel, travel and meals while on the road. That case is ongoing.

The only documents made public so far are memorandum sent from the Governor’s Office to the state Police seeking reimbursement for travel costs associated with Christie’s security detail. Those documents don’t explain how the costs are accrued. And they don’t include any overtime costs the taxpayers might be billed for those trips.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/christi ... -1.1368279" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BDKJMU]

For his campaign trips outside the state his campaign should have to pick up the tab for state related security costs. Now if he is declared a 'major' candidate or whatever the criteria the Secret Service uses for SS protection, then his campaign shouldn't have to pay for that...

[CAA Flagship]

I watched Christie's talk at the New Hampshire town hall thing on CSPAN.
It's sad that his big mouth and Bridgegate got him on the wrong side of the press. He has a lot of good things to say.

[ASUG8]

I watched Christie's talk at the New Hampshire town hall thing on CSPAN.
It's sad that his big mouth and Bridgegate got him on the wrong side of the press. He has a lot of good things to say.

He's kind of a centrist bully, which I could deal with. I don't think there's any way he gets the nom nom nomination.

[AZGrizFan]

I watched Christie's talk at the New Hampshire town hall thing on CSPAN.
It's sad that his big mouth and Bridgegate got him on the wrong side of the press. He has a lot of good things to say.

He's kind of a centrist bully, which I could deal with. I don't think there's any way he gets the nom nom nomination.

I see what you did there...

[bluehenbillk]

Trump's insertion into the race basically killed off any chance Christie still had after BridgeGate.

[Skjellyfetti]

Polling at 5% in his home state now.



http://eagletonpoll.rutgers.edu/rutgers ... 6-Oct2015/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CID1990]

well he did say he'd shoot down russian planes in Syria

thats got to be good for something

[Chizzang]

well he did say he'd shoot down russian planes in Syria

thats got to be good for something

Why is nobody talking about that..?
Several notable Republicans have (not so delicately) suggested we shoot down Russian planes

[dbackjon]

well he did say he'd shoot down russian planes in Syria

thats got to be good for something

Like WWIII?

[dbackjon]

well he did say he'd shoot down russian planes in Syria

thats got to be good for something

Why is nobody talking about that..?
Several notable Republicans have (not so delicately) suggested we shoot down Russian planes

HaliBurton needs a boost in their stock price. Plus it's not their kids that will go to war.

And it's not there trillions they will spend on another debacle in the Middle East

[kalm]

I saw a poll today that has Jeb at 5%.

[BDKJMU]

well he did say he'd shoot down russian planes in Syria

thats got to be good for something

Why is nobody talking about that..?
Several notable Republicans have (not so delicately) suggested we shoot down Russian planes

No, but when the Russians told us to clear out of Syrian airspace any POTUS with balls told have told them to f off and not moved our stuff out of the way..

[CAA Flagship]

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/ ... r-on-drugs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kalm]

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/ ... r-on-drugs

[CAA Flagship]

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/ ... r-on-drugs

It hurts that you agree with him, huh?

[kalm]

It hurts that you agree with him, huh?

Not at all. Now that he's desperate, he agrees with me...after coming out against weed legalization just awhile back.

He's a great politician. He's Hillary with a better set of moose knuckles.

[CAA Flagship]

It hurts that you agree with him, huh?

Not at all. Now that he's desperate, he agrees with me...after coming out against weed legalization just awhile back.

He's a great politician. He's Hillary with a better set of moose knuckles.

Funny line.

But if you can't tell the difference between Hillary and Christie, you haven't been paying attention.

[CAA Flagship]

Christie is bumped to the little kids table for the next debate.

[SDHornet]

Christie is bumped to the little kids table for the next debate.

Which will effectively end his campaign.

America doesn't want a fat ass for POTUS anyways. He never had a shot.

[CAA Flagship]

It's not over until the Fat Man sings.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chris-chr ... NlYwNzYw--" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chris Christie is suddenly surging in a key state

[kalm]

It's not over until the Fat Man sings.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chris-chr ... NlYwNzYw--" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chris Christie is suddenly surging in a key state

He's surged all the way up to 4th place at 10%!

[CAA Flagship]

It's not over until the Fat Man sings.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/chris-chr ... NlYwNzYw--" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chris Christie is suddenly surging in a key state

He's surged all the way up to 4th place at 10%!

It's not what yard line you are on at any given time that matters. It's whether you score a touchdown or not.

[Skjellyfetti]

This is what eating your feelings looks like.