Gov. Jon Corzine’s (D) campaign is launching a new attack on Republican Christopher Christie’s ethics, heralding news that Christie spoke with former White House political strategist Karl Rove about a possible governor’s race while he was the U.S. Attorney for Newark.
Asked about Christie during a July 7 appearance before the committee, Rove said he never spoke with Christie about his investigations or other actions as the state’s top federal prosecutor. They did discuss the possibility Christie might run for governor, Rove testified.
“I talked to him twice in the last couple of years, perhaps one time while I was at the White House and once or twice since I left the White House, but not regarding his duties as U.S. Attorney, but regarding his interest in running for governor, and he asked me questions about who — who were good people that knew about running for Governor that he could talk to,” Rove said in the testimony.
In an act that stinks of political desperation, the Corzine campaign is attempting to use Rove’s testimony as a basis for calling Christie’s entire extremely successful seven-year stint as U.S. Attorney for Newark into question.
Corzine’s theory is that the phone calls with Rove prove that Christie’s actions as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor were politically motivated.
“I’m under the impression that U.S. attorneys are supposed to be free of politics. If politics comes into play, then the whole basis of justice is called into question. Are the actions taken dependent on the fair administration of justice, or were there political issues? People have to have faith that the judgments that are taken by our courts, by our prosecutorial system, are such that everyone is treated equally before the law.”
There is no actual evidence, of course, that Christie was even seriously considering a campaign for elective office while he was U.S. Attorney, let alone making prosecutorial decisions on the basis of his future political aspirations. Rove confirms this in is testimony, telling the committee, “My recollection was he was very tentative about it. He was a long way away from the practical politics of it.”
But that doesn’t matter to Corzine, or the Newark Star-Ledger, which dutifully reported the baseless accusations. Corzine continues to trail Christie by double-digits in the RCP Average, and his campaign is effectively dead in the water. Not even a visit by President Barack Obama was able to lift Corzine’s flagging position in the polls, actually doing him more harm than good.
The essential problem for Corzine is that New Jersey voters don’t trust him, and they don’t trust the Democratic Party. By a margin of 50-15 percent, they associate Democrats with political corruption over Republicans and 58 percent disapprove of Corzine’s performance as governor. Faced with those facts, and unable to defend his party or himself, Corzine has no choice but to try and smear Christie with any and every possible allegation. It’s evidence of a political camapign in its death throes, and the harbinger of good electoral news for Republicans not just in New Jersey, but in next year’s congressional elections as well.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Daniel Horowitz
Jake Walker
Victoria Coates
Choir Preaching
Robert A. Hahn (Diary) Wednesday, August 12th at 9:21PM EST (link)I guess if yelling “Karl Rove!” doesn’t work, they’ll try yelling “SarahPalin!”
Has Corzine suggested that Christie would be “four more years of Bush” yet? That’s gotta be coming.
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you’re dead.
In one of Corzine's attack ads on Christie ...
Thrhheggeegwc Jjtkylkfofud (Diary) Wednesday, August 12th at 9:31PM EST (link)… George Bush was mentioned six times by name. So, should Bush ever run against Corzine for Governor of New Jersey, Corzine is pretty much set.
just escaped from that "that place"
yesyouwill Wednesday, August 12th at 9:22PM EST (link)My wife and I lived nearby in “that place on the other side of manhattan”…Glen Cove, Long Island for 3 years due to my job. We just ESCAPED to Texas.
I painted “escaped from NY” on the back of my car-in-tow for the entire 1800 mile drive and kissed the ground at Texarkana.
yesyouwill!
Pathetic
Patrick McGarry Wednesday, August 12th at 9:51PM EST (link)The party of hope and change is going way back for this one. Rove didn’t even make it to the end of the 8 Bush years if I remember correctly. Pretty soon Corzine is going to have to prove a link between Chrostie and Rumsfeld and war collaborators or something. Sad.
Patrick T. McGarry
http://curiousmojo.blogspot.com/
As Aaron has said a few times
Leopard1996 (Diary) Wednesday, August 12th at 10:36PM EST (link)In yoda voice:
Stong in the Douche Corzine is.
I am so glad that I moved out of NJ to OH. The state got too expensive namely because of Mr. Corzine.
“The accumluated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, “Save Us!”….and I’ll look down and whisper, “No”…The Watchmen
Christie should respond in an ad and target the Star Ledger along with Corzine.
Martin Knight (Diary) Thursday, August 13th at 6:12AM EST (link)To make it a little different, the ad should say something like …
The key here is to name a Press institution as a key cog of the slime machine that is a typical Democratic campaign for office.
It’s a start.
I don't agree that NJ residents don't trust the Democratic party
Scope (Diary) Thursday, August 13th at 6:56AM EST (link)They keep voting for them overwhelmingly. I escaped from NJ more than 14 years ago, as the taxes then were outreageous, as well as the traffic. If you meet a New Jerseyan, the first question is usually – What exit are you near? It is one big super highway. It used to take my husband and I 45 minutes to make an 11 mile ride to work, down good ole Route 1.
With Obama dropping so quickly in the polls, I had the same thought that he was a liability for any D running for elected office. He made his famous “clean up the mess” comments while here in VA stumping for Creigh Deeds.
I don't agree that NJ residents don't trust the Democratic party
Scope (Diary) Thursday, August 13th at 6:56AM EST (link)They keep voting for them overwhelmingly. I escaped from NJ more than 14 years ago, as the taxes then were outreageous, as well as the traffic. If you meet a New Jerseyan, the first question is usually – What exit are you near? It is one big super highway. It used to take my husband and I 45 minutes to make an 11 mile ride to work, down good ole Route 1.
With Obama dropping so quickly in the polls, I had the same thought that he was a liability for any D running for elected office. He made his famous “clean up the mess” comments while here in VA stumping for Creigh Deeds.