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Corzine Ad: Christie "Threw His Weight Around" To Get Out Of Trouble In Traffic Incidents

Eric Kleefeld | September 23, 2009, 12:44PM

Chris Christie, Christie V. Corzine, John Corzine, NJ-GOV, NJ-Gov's race, New Jersey

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The latest ad from Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) openly accuses his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, of pulling rank in order to get out of serious trouble in his multiple traffic violations -- and quite possibly takes a jab at Christie's weight.

"If you drove the wrong way down a one-way street, causing an accident and putting the victim in a trauma center, would you get away without a ticket? Chris Christie did," the announcer says. "If you were caught speeding in an unregistered car- would you get away without points? Chris Christie did."

"In both cases, Christie threw his weight around as US Attorney and got off easy," the announcer adds, later adding a slogan that's popped up lately in Corzine's ads: "Chris Christie. One set of rules for himself. Another for everyone else."

The folks at Real Clear Politics think the line about how Christie "threw his weight around" is an obvious reference to Christie's personal bulk. Requests for comment to the Corzine and Christie camps were not immediately returned.

Late Update: Corzine campaign communications director Sean Darcy has just told us that this is not a reference to Christie's weight. "No," said Darcy in an e-mail.

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tosh

September 23, 2009 1:05 PM

I really wish you guys broke off the non-national stuff into a section other than DC. You also need to get the LiveWire up into the top menu. It's far more active than TPMTV.

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shooter242

September 23, 2009 1:37 PM

I agree with tosh above, besides why are you running a piece about Christie and preferential treatment after Corzine's SUV crashed and rolled going 91 MPH?

No seatbelt, lied about being in the front seat, and then quietly transferred his lovely 25 yr old "intellectual valet" who "happened" to be the SUV also. This of course is the same guy who bedded the state's employee union head, costing him 6 million dollars to her, all the while both were in office.

The man is another Spitzer who doesn't want to pay for it. At least directly. Next to him Christie is a saint.

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gene1138

September 23, 2009 10:26 PM in reply to shooter242

Too bad Corzine requested, got and payed the ticket for not wearing a seat belt.

And personally payed for all his medical treatments to boot.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-26-corzine-seatbelt_N.htm

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Ann Arbor

September 23, 2009 3:29 PM

This and the Virginia governor's race are national stories this year. Rightly or wrongly, they will be interpreted as referendums on Obama and the national Democrats.

Aside from the obvious difference that Christie was driving for his many accidents and violations while Corzine was not driving for the Parkway accident, there's this: As Corzine left the hospital, he apologized to the public for not wearing a seat belt and insisted that he be ticketed. Meanwhile, Christie years later says of his wrong-way accident in Elizabeth: "First of all, the motorcycle hit me." So if you want someone who ducks responsibility and can't admit a mistake, Christie is your man.

I'm unclear on when Corzine lied about being in the front seat (or the significance of that), between his many surgeries and being on a ventilator for days.

Nice innuendo about the intellectual valet. Is that from Free Republic or the NY Post? Most governors (aside from Mark Sanford) do have an aide or two accompany them when they are out on official business.

As for "bedding" Carla Katz, the two were an item for about two years while Corzine was in the Senate. They split before he ran for governor.

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shooter242

September 23, 2009 7:10 PM in reply to Ann Arbor

LOL. Did he apologize for telling his driver to break every speeding law? As for Ms. Katz, you can believe Corzine with starry eyed admiration, but it's certainly misplaced.

Meanwhile, back at Drumthwacket, what the hell is an intellectual valet, and how did he end up in the third row of the SUV? Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

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