Despite Appearances, Chris Christie Is Anything But Obvious

by Michael Matheron · November 8, 2013

Michael Matthew Bloomer, November 8, 2013

I don’t believe Chris Christie’s an “old-fashioned Republican,” do you? Many do. I do believe he’s the darling of the moment of the so-called Republican OG (OG as in Old Guard or Old Gangsters, your choice). The Old Guard, though, hearkens back to an era when Republicans, though more genteel and more willing to compromise, were still trying to hamstring social programs, dismantle Medicare and Medicaid, and boost the already enriched.

By today’s disgraceful standards wherein deranged Tea Partiers roam the land seeking defenseless victims, and, by the way, control the House of Representatives, for Pete’s sake, yes, Chris Christie is, in a narrow sense, more palatable. Yet, look at his record: here’s an article about two major newspaper endorsements entitled, Chris Christie Wins Endorsement of Newspaper That Appears to Hate Him. Ouch!

Here’s how I think we ought to view him until proved otherwise . . .

___________________________________

Somehow, I survived 24 years on Capitol Hill during the “Conservative Download” between Presidents Reagan and George W. Bush. My HQ during this error-riddled era was Congress’s own Congressional Research Service (CRS), a tax-funded legislative branch agency in the belly of the Library of Congress. CRS’s only “client” is the U.S. Congress. CRS minions (like I was) respond to thousands of weekly requests for information, reports, in-depth studies, seminars, briefings, and memos from members and their office minions, and all must comply with a founding principle of nonpartisanship, which CRS renegades sometimes circumvent.

Now retired, I’m freed from CRS nonpartisanship, and “came out” as an aggressive progressive, as a contributing writer for Nation of Change. Also, when I retired in 2008, I started writing this blog, a place where we examine and often skewer GOP Congressloons, Senadorks, Me Partiers, zombie economists and others wandering with that herd. Stop by often for a sometimes serious, sometimes funny, and always aggressively progressive POV, and with plenty of fun graphics to boot!

Make your life a bit easier too by subscribing to receive new posts by email. Just put your email address in the rectangular box at the above right. I will not use your email address for anything but ANYTHING! posts, and will not use, sell, share, or reveal my mailing list for commercial, political, or any other purposes.