An Offer They Can't Refuse

During the second leg of my flight home today, from Dallas to L.A., I managed to crank out a quick piece -- one inspired by Chris Christie's "holy shit" news conference earlier today, the one in which he pretty much threatened to have John Boehner and the House Republicans whacked.

Here's an excerpt:

"The fact that an attack this visceral came from Christie is what makes it so damaging. Sure, Christie’s never been one to mince words but that’s part of what’s made him such a political powerhouse and star within his party. The thing is, though, it’s Christie’s willingness to put country and the actual governing thereof over partisan politics when the situation demands it — as in when he effusively praised President Obama’s initial response to Sandy — that’s made him a political star in general, irrespective of party. People like Christie. He commands attention and respect from both sides of the aisle and is that unique figure in American politics who can call out childish antics in Washington with plainspoken anger and have that criticism be truly withering and resonant. I may not love Chris Christie’s policies for the most part, but there are times I can’t help but like him."

Read the Rest Here

Chris Cross

Politically, this really is the quote and image of the day: ardent Romney supporter Chris Christie addressing Fox News's couch-of-dingbats this morning and enthusiastically praising Barack Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy. He's so effusive, in fact, that it's actually a little uncomfortable to watch because you keep waiting for the screen to suddenly go to color bars or a "Please Stand By" slate as you hear Roger Ailes storming into the studio in the background shouting, "What the fuck is going on?!"

It's sad that what should be standard operating procedure -- leaders of different political stripes coming together during a time of crisis -- seems so shocking in our current political climate. Either way, this kind of pro-Obama PR on Fox News, of all outlets, is exactly what the Romney camp doesn't need right now. Although Romney's in Ohio today staging a "flood drive," because apparently, as Cesca said last night on Twitter, Ohio is Manhattan's route to the sea.

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Assistant To the Quote of the Day

"Our people are suffering now, and they need support now. And they (Congress) can all go down there and get back to work and figure out budget cuts later."

-- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, basically telling Eric Cantor and those like him in Congress, who have demanded that federal aid for hurricane victims be offset by budget cuts, to go fuck themselves

Keep in mind, Christie is a Republican darling right now -- and between his recent castigation of the "crazies" who rallied against his appointment of a Muslim judge to the bench and now this, when the story is finally written about the death spiral of the Tea Party in America, his outrage is going to be shown to have played a big role in it.

Assistant Quote of the Day

"Sharia Law has nothing to do with this at all, it’s crazy! The guy is an American citizen! (This) Sharia Law business is just crap… and I’m tired of dealing with the crazies."

-- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie defending his appointment of a Muslim-American judge to the state bench

It's sad to think that stating the incredibly obvious -- and perfectly sane -- can constitute an act of courage, but credit where credit is due here. While I haven't always been a fan of Christie's policies, given the current default position within much of the GOP when it comes to stoking xenophobic rage through completely unfounded, nonsense controversies, Christie's verbal smackdown is damn refreshing.

Watch and learn, Herman Cain and Peter King.

Quote of the Day, Jr.

"The next thing that I would like to be publicly acknowledged is not just that they’re ideological -- they’re not just the TV equivalent of The Weekly Standard or something -- they are actually a power base within the Republican Party."

-- Gawker's John Cook on Fox News

Cook and Gawker are filing suit against the office of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie today. The reason: They want access to e-mails between Christie and Fox News Chief Roger Ailes because Cook believes it's very possible that Ailes is secretly advising Christie on his political career. The thing is, he is advising him -- and he's not even bothering to do it in secret. Fox News is the power base of the Republican party and when Ailes gives you advice, which he has to Christie, you generally take it because Fox stands as your personal megaphone and propaganda engine and Ailes can make or break you.

Remember what I said last week about the danger of having a direct connection between a massive media corporation and American politics? This is what I was talking about.