Tag: Chris Christie

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NJ Gov. Christie vetoes bill allowing transgendered citizens right to change name on birth certificates

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today vetoed a bill that would have granted transgender citizens the right to change their names on their birth certificates.

From the governor’s veto statement:

Birth certificates are often required to complete myriad security-related tasks. Accordingly, proposed measures that revise the standards for the issuance of amended birth certificates may result in significant legal uncertainties and create opportunities for fraud, deception, and abuse, and should therefore be closely scrutinized and sparingly approved.

The bill was approved by the state Assembly in June by a vote of 43-27.  The state Senate approved it in December by a vote of 21-11.

Garden State Equality’s Troy Stevenson condemned the veto as a “vindictive move to punish the LGBT community,” highlighting that the bill would “have zero effect on anyone else.”

(source)

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Cover of the New York Post today: “Ignorance is Chris”

NJ Gov. Chris Christie's BridgeGate woes seem to be just beginning as he's slapped with lawsuits by citizens affected by the famous traffic snarl

The main story covering what is now being called “BridgeGate” goes on to say that six people caught up in the traffic jam caused by Gov. Chris Christie staff members:

The six commuters, who are all from Bergen County, were “trapped on local roads” and were either late or missed work between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12 when Christie’s senior aide Bridget Anne Kelly conspired with a Port Authority official David Wildstein to shut down two of the three lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee, the suit says.

Meanwhile, New Jersey’s top lawman on Thursday ordered a federal criminal investigation into the saga.

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NJ Gov. Chris Christie fires top aide over “bridge closing” scandal

Via the New York Times:

Saying that he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by revelations that a top aide and other close associates ordered lane closings on the George Washington Bridge to exact revenge on a political foe, Gov. Chris Christie fired that aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, whom he called “stupid” and “deceitful.”

The revelations became public on Wednesday, when a series of emails and texts showed that members of his administration and others were deeply involved, contradicting the governor’s own earlier public statements on the matter.

“I am heartbroken that someone I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the past five years betrayed that trust,” he said, speaking at a news conference at the State House where he took questions for over an hour.

The United States attorney for New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman, opened an inquiry after the matter was referred to the office by the inspector general for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls the bridge.

More at the New York Times

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New Jersey Gov. Christie’s office connected to GW Bridge closing scandal

Newly released emails suggest that politics — from the highest levels of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration — may have played a role in last fall’s closure of local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, N.J.

The lane closures led to a massive, multi-day traffic jam in the town of Fort Lee, N.J. — a traffic jam Democrats have argued was intended as a form of retaliation against Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor.

Christie had in recent weeks dismissed the suggestion that the lane closures were a scandal using terms like “absolutely, unequivocally.”

Democrats had suggested the closures were political retribution for Ft. Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, a Democrat who did not endorse the governor’s re-election campaign last year.

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Christie Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly wrote to Christie Port Authority aide David Wildstein on Aug. 13, weeks before the lane closures that ensnared traffic on the first day of school in New Jersey last fall.

Wildstein replies, “Got it.”

In addition, an unidentified person sent this text message about delayed school buses to Wildstein on Sept. 10, the second day of the lane closures:

Person: “Is it wrong that I am smiling?”

Wildstein: “No.”

Person: “I feel badly about the kids. I guess.”

Wildstein: “They are the children of Buono voters.”

Buono is the Democrat whom Christie defeated in last year’s gubernatorial race.

On Wednesday, Gov. Christie promised that “people will be held responsible for their actions.”

 From his statement today:

“What I’ve seen today for the first time is unacceptable,” Christie said. “I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge.”

(source)

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Hillary Clinton has huge numbers as early front runner for 2016 Dem Presidential nominee

 
Good news for my girl Hillary.  Huge numbers on her side in a recent CNN poll for Democratic nominee for President in 2016.
Interestingly, in the same poll, Gov. Chris Christie tops the GOP side, but not nearly by the same margin as Hillary on the Dem side.  Christie gets 24% over Sen. Rand Paul’s 13%.  
Big enthusiasm gap compared to Hillary’s margin over Vice-President Biden’s 52 point deficit.
Does that mean Dems are more united already around a candidate?
AND – will Hillary run?
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Poll: Hillary Clinton beats Chris Christie in hypothetical match-up

Hillary would beat Chris Christie in a hypothetical presidental race now poll says

According to a poll released Tuesday by NBC News, the former secretary of state Hillary Clinton leads New Jersey GOP governor Chris Christie 44-34 percent in a hypothetical race.

The poll also showed that Clinton enjoys more unified Democratic enthusiasm for her potential presidential bid than Christie does from his party.

Only 32% of GOP and GOP-leaning respondents called Christie their top choice for the Republican presidential nod; 31 percent named someone else.

In contrast, Clinton was the first choice of 66% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents for the Democratic nomination; 14 percent said they’d opt for another candidate.

(via Politico)

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Fox News falsely claims Gov. Chris Christie did not veto marriage equality

Fox News really needs to get their act together if they’re going to try to smear “not-right-enough” Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey.  This is about as inaccurate as you get.

From Media Matters:

Fox News attempted to paint Gov. Chris Christie as a moderate on social issues, falsely claiming that he had refused to veto legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage in New Jersey.

On the November 10 edition of Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Fox News reporter Carl Cameron discussed Gov. Christie’s political reputation among conservatives, citing his decision not to veto marriage equality legislation in 2013 as evidence that Christie might not appeal to social conservatives.

The reason Christie didn’t veto a marriage equality bill in 2013 is because he had already vetoed it in 2012 despite widespread public support for the measure. Christie cited his personal opposition to marriage equality and was widely criticized for the suggestion that the issue should be put up for a public vote.

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New Jersey: Gov. Christie drops state Supreme Court appeal on same-sex marriage

In light of the UNANIMOUS decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court to not delay marriage equality, Gov. Chris Christie has withdrawn his appeal on the ruling granting the state same-sex marriage.

From Christie’s administration:

“Chief Justice Stuart Rabner left no ambiguity about the unanimous court’s view on the ultimate decision in this matter when he wrote, ‘same-sex couples who cannot marry are not treated equally under the law today,’” the administration stated.

“Although the Governor strongly disagrees with the Court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the Court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law. The Governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his Administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”