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Christie Slammed for Going AWOL in Snowstorm
The star of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has steadily risen ever higher since he appeared on the scene like a nova, taking the governor's mansion from the Democrat, Jon Corzine. A Tea Party darling, Christie became, via YouTube, a hero to angry conservatives for his tirades against public employees and teachers' unions. Sought as a speaker for Republicans on the campaign trail, Christie racked up frequent flyer miles during the mid-term election cycle, hitting the stump in states across the country. Next up, CBS News's "60 Minutes" celebrated Christie in a piece about the drastic fiscal condition of the states.
But as a major blizzard barreled up the East Coast with New Jersey in its sights last weekend, Christie got out of Dodge, taking his family to Florida, even as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat, burnished his good-guy reputation by physically helping residents dig their way out of the 30 inches of snow that blanketed New Jersey's largest city. Christie is fast losing that heroic glow, as Newark Airport remains a den of marooned passengers. Making matters worse, the lieutenant governor also skipped town, heading to that land whose citizens are reviled by the Tea Party: Mexico. And the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is having a field day -- in a snow-covered field.
The PCCC -- whose co-founder, Adam Green, is a former communications director for the New Jersey Democratic Party -- launched a Web site today, Where's Chris Christie?, that plays on the children's book, Where's Waldo?
The site features a timeline of Christie absences, starting with the recent blizzard, and working backward to his many out-of-state campaign appearances for fellow Republicans. Online ads will appear as buttons linking to the site, featuring Christie in Waldo's trademark red-and-white cap, and featuring Waldo-like graphics that ask the peripatetic question.
