Chris Christie’s Category 5 Eruption Before The Press
Business Insider
Chris Christie may have held the press conference of the year on January 2.
After House Speaker John Boehner declined to bring disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy to the floor last night, Christie, the governor of New Jersey, was upset. In a 40-minute press conference, Christie ripped “toxic internal politics of the House majority” and stated that residents of New Jersey and New York were “tired of being treated like second class citizens.” He squarely placed the blame on “the House Majority and their speaker, John Boehner.”
The press conference was revelatory both for the brutal frankness with which Christie attacked members of his own party as well as mocking what he called the “fake fiscal cliff.” To the New Jersey governor, what happened last night was betrayal, pure and simple. After what he described as constant assurance that the vote would take place, he was double crossed:
“I was given no explanation. I was called at 11:20 last night by Leader Cantor and was told that he was told authority for the vote was pulled by the Speaker. Our delegation asked for a meeting with the Speaker at the time; they were refused. I called the Speaker four times last night after 11:20 and he did not take my call.”
Christie was left describing Boehner as a liar stating “there’s no reason for me to believe anything they tell me, because they’ve been telling me stuff for weeks. And they didn’t deliver” and hinting that he might support a primary challenge against Boehner.
This press conference has refocused the entire national media on the Hurricane Sandy relief bill. With the star power and straight talk of Christie, it has now eclipsed the country’s close fiscal cliff scare in the news. Further, it is happening in tandem with the pending vote for Speaker of the House in the new Congress tomorrow. Boehner’s speakership could rest on the decisions he makes in the next 24 hours to either push the House to approve the $60 billion in aid to disaster victims or to let the bill lapse.
That’s a lot of pressure on Boehner but it’s not likely Christie particularly cares. He just wants the people of his state to get the help that they need. And with a media megaphone even bigger than the plus size governor, Christie can do more to get attention than a hundred congressman combined. Reporters love his frankness and willingness to say what he thinks. It always makes the New Jersey governor a good quote but, in situations like these, it also is a magnet for journalists to cover the issues he cares about.
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