Chris Christie

Fitch Downgrades New Jersey's Credit Rating To AA-

David Taintor | August 17, 2011, 4:52PM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

On the same day a report suggested that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is exploring a presidential bid, the ratings agency Fitch downgraded the state's credit rating from AA to AA-.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, the state's budget needs more funding to meet growing needs of pension and worker-benefit liabilities:

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2012

Report: Chris Christie Exploring Presidential Run

Benjy Sarlin | August 17, 2011, 12:49PM

Perhaps Rick Perry isn't the only late entrant into the Republican field. According to one report, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is considering a last-second bid as well.

According to reporter Jonathan Alter on Twitter, "sources say NJ Gov. Chris Christie is conducting focus groups in preparation for a possible run for president in 2012."

Christie has long denied any interest in a 2012 run. Of course, so did Perry, but the New Jersey governor's denials have been Shermanesque to the point of absurdity.

"Listen, I threatened to commit suicide. I did, I said, 'What can I do short of suicide to convince people I'm not running?'" Christie said in February. "Apparently, I actually have to commit suicide to convince people I'm not running."

But Christie has developed a strong following among grassroots and establishment Republicans alike with his combative style and many conservative commentators have openly pined for him to run. While it's late in the campaign, a lot of top Republican donors have yet to take sides, meaning there's still room to find donors. Or for donors to find Christie: a group of major GOP fundraisers led by Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone met with the governor last month to beg him to change his mind, according to Politico's Mike Allen, only to be rebuffed when the governor gave a firm "no" based on family and state commitments.

Update: CNN quoted an anonymous source close to Christie saying that the governor's thinking doesn't seem to have changed. Still no official denial.

Update II: A spokeswoman for Christie, Maria Comella, denied the focus groups report to First Read. "It's absolutely not true," she said.

Chris Christie

CAIR: Thanks For Defending Muslims, Chris Christie!

Evan McMorris-Santoro | August 5, 2011, 5:58PM

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie just picked up an unlikely ally for a prominent Republican politician these days: the Council on American-Islamic Relation, better known as CAIR.

The group's Garden State branch sent a shout-out to Christie after a video made the rounds showing the governor defending one of his nominees for the state bench against allegation that his Muslim faith meant he'd bring sharia into the legal system.

"Governor Christie's praise highlights the commitment of American Muslims to building a better society," CAIR-NJ Executive Director James Yee said in a statement. "We hope the governor's comments will help stem the rising tide of Islamophobia in our society and help unify our nation."

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Chris Christie

Poll: Gov. Christie's Approval Rating Slumps To Record Low

Jon Terbush | June 21, 2011, 1:50PM

Troubled by Gov. Chris Christie's (R) deep cuts to education spending and his push to cut state employees' benefits, a plurality of voters in the Garden State now disapprove of the the governor's job performance, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday.

That finding comes as Christie and his allies in the state legislature are pushing through sweeping changes to public workers' benefits, including a big increase in the amount of money employees must directly pay toward pension and health programs. Those proposed changes prompted hundreds of people to protest outside the State House in recent weeks, and now, it seems they've also dragged down the approval rating of a governor who was once quite popular with his constituents.

In the poll, 47% of registered voters said they disapproved of Christie's job performance, compared to 44% who said they approved of it. Though Christie's approval rating is barely underwater, it's still the worst showing he's ever posted in Quinnipiac's surveys, continuing a downward trend that began most markedly at the start of this year when Christie began to push for deep budget cuts and sweeping changes to public employees' benefits.

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2012 Presidential Primaries

Call In The Cavalry!: Meet The GOP Dream Ballot

Jon Terbush | June 20, 2011, 5:45AM

Republican voters have sampled their party's presidential choices, but are still left wanting.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released last week found that less than half of GOP primary voters are "satisfied" with the Republican slate. And in a recent Pew study, when asked for their reaction to the current GOP field, Americans' top three responses to the were "unimpressed," "disappointed," and "weak."

It's no surprise then that some voters are hoping for a white knight to leap into the fold and shake things up. Several polls bear this out, as they've shown non-candidates like Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani running well or even topping the entire field.

So who are these dream candidates? And will any of them answer the call?

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NY-26

Party VIPs Chris Christie and Bill Clinton Hit The Phones In NY-26

Benjy Sarlin | May 24, 2011, 2:46PM

NY-26 Congressional Candidates Jane Corwin (R) and Kathy Hochul (D).

Both parties are calling in the big guns to rally voters as residents in New York's 26th district line up to vote in today's special election.

On the Republican side, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, one of the most popular party members nationally, has a robo-call making the rounds backing Republican Jane Corwin.

"Now, I'm sure you've received many phone calls about this election already, nut please just give me a few seconds of your time as the election draws near," Christie says in the call, according to The Buffalo News. "I'm calling to ask you for your support for Jane Corwin for Congress as you go to the polls Tuesday, May 24th. I ran for governor of New Jersey because like you, I wanted to see REAL change. Jane Corwin is a fighter who knows how to get things done. We're in critical times for our country, and Washington needs stand-up leaders who will fight to control spending and change business as usual."

Rallying Democrats, former President and current New York State resident Bill Clinton has recorded a call as well. Clinton's script focuses tightly on the Medicare angle that Democrats have been pushing in the district, an approach they credit with their current lead in the polls.

"You can count on Kathy to say no to partisan politics that would end Medicare as we know it to pay for more tax cuts for multi-millionaires," he says. "That's just one reason I hope you'll join me in supporting Kathy Hochul for Congress in the Special Election tomorrow, May 24th."

Hypocrisy

Republican Governors Quietly Accept Federal Dollars -- While Attacking Federal Spending

Brian Beutler | April 20, 2011, 9:17AM

Govs. Rick Perry, John Kasich (R-OH), Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Tom Corbett (R-PA)

Republican governors stormed into state houses this January after campaigning against federal spending, and various so-called state bailouts. They won in part by painting a slanted picture of fiscal mismanagement by their Democratic predecessors.

That rhetoric -- and the rhetoric of their more senior Republican peers -- continues to this day, and occasionally translates into genuinely puzzling acts of malgovernance. Florida Governor Rick Scott, for example, turned down $2.4 billion in federal funds to build a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa.

But in other ways, their failure to publicly embrace additional federal commitments during tough economic times has left them behind the eight ball, politically. As the costs to their states of providing needed social services has risen, and their revenue has fallen, they're looking for sub rosa ways to take the money without catching flak from their bases.

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2012

Poll: Obama Leads GOPers For Reelection Despite Low Approval Rating

Jon Terbush | April 14, 2011, 3:43PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama comfortably led a slate of potential Republican challengers in a PPP poll released Thursday, even though a slim plurality of voters disapproved of his job performance.

That's likely because while voters weren't too thrilled with Obama, they were even less excited about his potential challengers. Every Republican tested in the poll posted a net negative favorability rating, the most extreme example being Sarah Palin, whom 61% of respondents viewed unfavorably.

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Chris Christie

Greetings From The Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen Slams New Jersey Budget Cuts

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2011, 5:42PM

Bruce Springsteen and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

Bruce Springsteen is making his opinions known about the political battles in his home state of New Jersey -- with a letter to the Asbury Park Press, praising a recent article of theirs about the negative impact of Gov. Chris Christie's (R-NJ) proposed cuts on the poor.

Interesting to note, Christie is himself a big Springsteen fan, and has a collection of many years worth of ticket stubs from concerts. Of course, Springsteen is known for being on the political left, and campaigned for John Kerry in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008. Though perhaps the Boss cut Christie some slack -- the letter is very harsh on the policies, but never mentions Christie by name.

"The article is one of the few that highlights the contradictions between a policy of large tax cuts, on the one hand, and cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions, on the other," Springsteen wrote. He then praised the paper for highlighting anti-poverty activists, "all of whom have something important to add to the discussion: real information and actual facts about what is happening below the poverty line."

He also added: "Finally, your article shows that the cuts are eating away at the lower edges of the middle class, not just those already classified as in poverty, and are likely to continue to get worse over the next few years. I'm always glad to see my hometown newspaper covering these issues."

Chris Christie

Voters Sour On NJ Gov. Christie After His Budget Address

Jon Terbush | March 9, 2011, 12:07PM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who earned accolades for his tough talk about taking on public employee unions, appears to have lost some support from his constituents after releasing a new budget that does just that.

According to a recent Rutgers-Eagleton poll, registered voters in New Jersey now have a much less favorable view of Christie than they did just a few months ago, with the poll coming shortly after the governor delivered his budget address two weeks ago. In that address, Christie, like other Republican governors nationwide, criticized public employee unions for having "rich benefits," and said he would go after those benefits as a way to balance the budget.

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Pres '12

Poll: Chris Christie America's 'Hottest' Politician

Jon Terbush | March 7, 2011, 10:31AM

NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R)

For all his tough talk and firm governing, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is apparently making Americans feel all warm and fuzzy.

In a new Quinnipiac poll out Monday morning, registered voters nationwide gave Christie the highest average favorable marks of any current politician -- even placing him above President Obama. Yet while that says something positive about Christie himself, it does not bode so well for the Republican Party in general. That result, combined with the comparatively weak showing by the presumed candidates for the GOP presidential nomination, underscores the absence of an enthusing, true Republican front runner heading into 2012.

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Wisconsin Protests

Orrin Hatch Makes Wisconsin His Latest Tea Party Rallying Cry

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 17, 2011, 6:29PM

Orin Hatch (D-UT)

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who appears to currently be in the midst of a tea party conversion out of fear he'll become the next Bob Bennett, has found a new conservative hard line to cling to. At CPAC last week, it was beating up Washington. On Thursday, it was taking swings at Wisconsin protestors.

In a statement to reporters, Hatch said the thousands of state union workers gathered in and around the Wisconsin State Capitol were crossing the line by exercising their right to Freedom of Assembly.

"This is not the way public servants should behave," Hatch said.

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State Of The Union

Christie Turned Down Offer To Deliver State Of The Union Response

Jon Terbush | January 24, 2011, 11:00AM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) declined an offer to deliver the Republican rebuttal to the State of The Union address, according to a top Christie aide.

William Palatucci told the New Jersey Star-Ledger that Congressional Republicans had contacted the governor to see if he'd be interested in countering Obama's speech on Tuesday. Yet Palatucci said that Christie felt it would be inappropriate to address federal issues when his state has its own pressing problems.

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2012 elections

PPP Poll: Obama Cruising Toward Huge 2012 Win In NJ

Jon Terbush | January 11, 2011, 1:09PM

Pres. Barack Obama (D)

Bruce Springsteen may be the only person who could beat Barack Obama in a presidential matchup in New Jersey.

In a new PPP survey of the Garden State, the President crushes every Republican candidate polled against him, including the state's relatively popular Governor, Chris Christie. Obama led his challengers by an average of almost 20 points, with his most comfortable race coming against Sarah Palin, whom he led by 30 points.

Mitt Romney fared best--er, least poorly--among the GOP contenders, trailing Obama by 15 points, 52% to 37%. Obama held a 17-point margin against three other challengers--Mike Huckabee (53%-36%), Newt Gingrich (54%-37%), and Chris Christie (55%-38%). Against Sarah Palin, Obama held an even wider 59% to 29% lead.

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Chris Christie

NJ Gov. Chris Christie Stands By Absence From State During Storm

Eric Kleefeld | January 3, 2011, 10:02AM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), who was on vacation in Disney World during last weeks' big snowstorm, returned to the state on Friday to defend his absence -- and to blast the local mayors' handling of the situation.

"I wouldn't change the decision even if I could do it right now," Christie told reporters on New Year's Eve, the Star Ledger reports. "I had a great five days with my children. I promised that." He also added that his wife Mary Pat told him to not "even think about" canceling the trip.

"I would have been doing the same thing here as I was there," Christie said. "I would not have been out driving a plow. I would be in a room somewhere on a telephone. That's exactly the same thing I was doing in Florida."

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NJ-GOV

Report: New Jersey Lt. Gov. Was Out Of State During Snowstorm Due To Family Illness

Eric Kleefeld | December 29, 2010, 1:54PM

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R)

Some more information has come to light on the simultaneous absence in New Jersey of both Gov. Chris Christie (R) and his Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno (R), during a crippling snowstorm that was ultimately managed by the Democratic state Senate President. As it turns out, Guadagno reportedly had a family-related reason to be gone.

As the Camden Courier-Post reports:

Sources in both the State House and the governor's office said Guadagno's family was spending time with her father, who has Stage IV cancer. The sources did not want to speak publicly about a private matter.

This would appear to shift more of the blame to Christie, rather than Guadagno, in terms of the complaints about both of them being out of the state during a very serious snowstorm. After all, for her part Guadagno appears to have a very good reason to be absent.

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New Jersey

NJ's Christie & Lt. Gov. Leave Dem In Charge During Snowstorm

Eric Kleefeld | December 28, 2010, 8:20AM

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno (R)

A funny thing is going on in New Jersey. The state's response to the massive snowstorm is being overseen by Democratic state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, in the role of Acting Governor -- because both Republican Gov. Chris Christie and his Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno are vacationing out of state at the same time.

Until this past year, New Jersey did not actually have a lieutenant governor, with the state Senate President taking over in case of a vacancy or temporary absence of the governor. In 2005, New Jersey voters approved a ballot question to create the office of lieutenant governor, with it being filled by the victory of the Christie-Guadagno ticket in 2009.

But in the midst of the snowstorm, Christie is on vacation with his family at Disney World in Florida, and Guadagno and her family are in Mexico.

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2012 elections

Poll: Majority Of NJ Voters Don't Want Gov. Christie For President

Jon Terbush | December 21, 2010, 12:47PM

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose unpolished, tough-talking style has brought him much national attention and made him a viral sensation, is often floated as a potential presidential candidate in 2012. A new Quinnipiac poll out today suggests Christie would face a tough time even in his home state.

According to the poll, a large majority of New Jersey voters don't think their governor would make a good president. Sixty-three percent of respondents said Christie would not be a good commander-in-chief, while only 25% said he would be a good fit for the nation's top job.

What's more, most New Jersey voters don't like the sound of "Vice President Christie" either. Just 32% of respondents said Christie would make a good veep, while 59% said he would not.

Those results come despite another finding in the poll that most voters in the state approve of the job Christie is doing as governor by a 46% to 44% margin. So while Christie's constituents like what he's doing for the Garden State, they're not so sure he'd be a good choice to run the entire country.

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Pres '12

Poll: 41% Of Dems Want Primary Opponent For Obama

Marc Kilstein | November 24, 2010, 10:39AM

President Barack Obama

While President Obama has fared well at the state level in early 2012 presidential election polls, a newly released national poll paints a more troublesome picture for the president's re-election bid.

The McClatchy-Marist survey finds 41% of Democrats are in favor of a challenge for the Democratic presidential nomination. When Democratic-leaning independents are included, 45% support a primary challenge, 46% don't, and 9% aren't sure.

A November 15 Quinnipiac poll showed much less support for a contested 2012 primary, with just 27% of Democrats and Democrat leaners saying they wanted a Dem besides Obama to run in 2012, while 64% didn't.

In the Marist poll, only 36% of respondents indicate that they would "definitely vote for him" in the general election, whereas 48% state they will "definitely vote against him."

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | November 5, 2010, 6:17PM

Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Sen.-elect Rand Paul (R-KY), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), former Reagan administration Budget Director David Stockman.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen.-elect Pat Toomey (R-PA).

• Fox News Sunday: House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ).

Chris Christie

Chris Christie: Both Sides Using 'Ground Zero Mosque' As 'Political Football'

Jillian Rayfield | August 17, 2010, 11:16AM

NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said yesterday that both Democrats and Republicans are using the Cordoba House Muslim community center as a "political football," and that while the "sensitivities" of 9/11 victims' families are important, "we cannot paint all of Islam with that brush."

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Gay Marriage

Report: Support For Gay Marriage Collapses In New Jersey Legislature

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2009, 1:11PM

New Jersey Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R)

Same sex marriage advocates are seeing the end of the line for their cause in an unlikely place: New Jersey. Marriage equality was once expected to be all but inevitable in the Garden state, but as Newark Star-Ledger political columnist Tim Moran reports today, all that changed with the election of Gov.-elect Chris Christie (R).

Christie promised on the campaign trail to veto the same-sex marriage law that Moran reports many expected the state legislature to pass this year. Christie's defeat of Gov. Jon Corzine (D), coupled with a stepped up opposition campaign by the Catholic Church, has led one-time supporters of marriage equality in New Jersey to change their tune.

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Jon Corzine

Needy NJ Families Giving Thanks That Corzine Is Still Governor?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 24, 2009, 6:53PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

Needy families in New Jersey are learning that elections matter. Outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine (D) and his incoming successor, Chris Christie (R) are having their first open policy disagreement since the election this week over how to care for the growing number of hungry families in New Jersey this Thanksgiving.

Corzine says he's using the final weeks of his term in office to pass an emergency plan to use state funds to fill the pantries of soup kitchens across the state, which have seen a decline in donations during the economic crisis. Christie, who takes office in January, says he's against any new spending while the state is still "broke."

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Health Care

Yesterday's Overwhelming Historic Republican Victory Makes Democratic Health Care Reform Just A Bit Easier

Brian Beutler | November 4, 2009, 10:04AM

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Congressman-elect Bill Owens (D)

Most of the commentary about last night's elections has centered around Republican pickups in the New Jersey and Virginia statehouses. But what's gone largely unnoticed is that the two congressional seats up for grabs last night both went to Democrats, and that will have immediate ramifications for health care reform.

The NY-23 seat abdicated by Republican John McHugh (who resigned to become Secretary of the Army) went to Democrat Bill Owens--the first Democrat to hold the seat in over a century. And the CA-10 seat abdicated by Democrat Ellen Tauscher (who resigned to become Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs) went to Democrat John Garamendi.

That creates some simple arithmetic. Yesterday, Democrats had 256 voting members in the House. By week's end, they'll have 258. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could afford to lose no more than 38 Democratic votes on a landmark health care reform bill. Next week, after Owens and Garamendi are sworn in, she can lose up to 40. For legislation this historic and far-reaching, she'll need every vote she can get--and both seem likely to support reform.

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Michael Steele

Steele To Meet The Press Tomorrow

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 10:52PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

After hopping a plane to New Jersey earlier this evening as returns began to show a victory for Republican governor-elect Chris Christie, RNC chair Michael Steele will head back to the airport to fly back to to D.C. and gloat to the press about his party's dual wins in both New Jersey and Virginia.

Steele will host a 10 a.m. press conference at RNC headquarters in Washington, where he'll talk about tonight's victories (and maybe a defeat, too -- as of this post, the Democratic nominee is still leading in NY-23). The victory lap comes less than a year after Steele began his turbulent tenure as the head of the Republican party, and it's fair to say it will be the first objectively great day for Republicans since President Obama's victory last November. Expect to see a lot of smiles from a lot of tired Republican operatives who won't be getting much sleep tonight.

NJ-GOV

New Jersey: Christie Wins After Neck-and-Neck Race

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 10:13PM

NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R)

The Associated Press and MSNBC have called it for Republican Chris Christie in the New Jersey gubernatorial election.

With 71 percent of precincts reporting, Christie had 50 percent of the vote. His opponent, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, trailed with 44 percent.

As results trickled in tonight, Christie held the lead but the race was too close to call. But as the night wore on, signs that Christie would take it appeared. RNC chairman Michael Steele flew from Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell's victory party to New Jersey. And bellwether counties started going to Christie.

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NJ-GOV

New Jersey Still Too Close To Call

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 9:54PM

Chris Christie (R) and Jon Corzine (D)

With 64 percent of precincts reporting, Republican Chris Christie is leading Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine 50 to 44 percent in the New Jersey gubernatorial race.

The race is still too close to call. With important bellwether precinct numbers yet to come in, Corzine has been holding on.

But, as TPMDC's Eric Kleefeld explains, two counties which voted against Corzine in the last gubernatorial race -- Monmouth and Ocean -- have swung even further away from the governor this year.

We're still a ways away from calling it, but things aren't looking good for Corzine.

Late update: In a more troubling sign for the governor, GOP sources tell TPMDC RNC Chairman Mike Steele is boarding a plane bound for New Jersey.

NJ-GOV

Christie Takes Early Lead In New Jersey

Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 8:43PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

Republican Chris Christie has taken an early lead in New Jersey, leading Gov. Jon Corzine 52 to 42 with 35 percent of precincts reporting. Chris Daggett, the Independent candidate, trails with six percent of the vote.

The all-important Independent vote appears to be going to Christie, with an early CNN exit poll showing 58 percent of Independents voting for the Republican candidate and only 33 percent going to Corzine. According to the poll, 28 percent of New Jersey voters are Independents.

CNN's exit polling also shows that 38 percent of voters said they were looking for change as the number one quality in a candidate. Most of those voted for Christie.

NJ-GOV

Christie Camp Calls For State Investigation Of Dem Robocalls Promoting Indy Candidate Daggett

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 3:29PM

NJ-GOV Candidates Chris Daggett (I), Chris Christie (R) and Gov. Jon Corzine (D)

The Christie campaign is complaining to the state about a tactic from the New Jersey Democrats -- who have admitted to making robocalls to promote independent candidate Chris Daggett.

The calls happened in Somerset County, an area where Christie should likely do very well, and where any addition in vote for Daggett would likely come more from Christie's column than Corzine's.

The Christie campaign has sent a letter to ELEC (the state equivalent of the Federal Election Commission), demanding an investigation into the calls and an immediate directive that the Dems stop it, on the grounds that the calls would constitute an illegal in-kind contribution from the Dems to Daggett.

Keep in mind that these calls have been done in the final two days of a campaign -- meaning there's really no way to feasibly stop them, or to undo any potential damage that they might inflict.

NJ-GOV

Daggett Votes: I Practiced Finding My Name On The Sample Ballot

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 2:32PM

Chris Daggett, independent candidate for governor in New Jersey

Independent New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett voted this morning -- in a process that involved some jokes about his obscure location on many county ballots, mixed in among numerous minor candidates.

As the Star-Ledger reports:

After taking a few minutes to fill out his ballot a poll worker said, "he can't find his name!"

When Daggett emerged he responded, "I found my name. I practiced on the sample ballot."

On my own absentee ballot, issued by Essex County, Daggett's name was ninth out of 12 choices. Corzine was first, and Christie was second, with a whole lot of lesser-known independent and third-party candidates between Daggett and the two major nominees.

NJ-GOV

Menendez Uses Bush Against Christie On Election Day

Eric Kleefeld | November 3, 2009, 12:28PM

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

At a get-out-the-vote rally today in New Jersey, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) continued to use the legacy of the unpopular George W. Bush as a cudgel against Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie.

Menendez asked the crowd: "Are you going to vote for a Bush pioneer who will try to implement the same policies that led us into the worst economy since the Great Depression?"

Christie served as a U.S. Attorney in the Bush administration, and before that had raised money for the Bush 2000 campaign.

NJ-GOV

New Jersey Dems Admit To Robocalls Promoting Indy Candidate Daggett In GOP County

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 5:52PM

Chris Daggett, independent candidate for governor in New Jersey

The New Jersey Democrats have been caught in a dirty trick in the home stretch of the gubernatorial race, PolitickerNJ reports, sending out robocalls promoting independent Chris Daggett to a Republican-leaning county.

The calls went to Somerset County, which has usually been a Republican stronghold. It did vote for Barack Obama in 2008, but it also voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004, and for the GOP candidates for governor in 2001 and 2005, and for Senate in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2008. (In two of those elections listed, Jon Corzine was the Democratic nominee.)

State Party chairman Joe Cryan had previously denied that the calls came from the Dems, though they did in fact say at the end that they were paid for by "NJDSC" (New Jersey Democratic State Committee), and listed the party's address. A party spokesperson has told PolitickerNJ that Cryan was unaware of the calls when he'd made the denial.

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NJ-GOV

Polls Show No Obvious Winner In New Jersey

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 5:37PM

Chris Christie (R) and Jon Corzine (D)

Let's take a look at the final polls in New Jersey, which present a mixed bag of results and really no clear verdict as to who will win the close race between Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie.

This race will really come down to two big questions: a) Which side is the better get-out-the-vote operation, and b) If independent Chris Daggett loses support in the voting booth, how many of his breakaway voters will be Corzine-leaners or Christie-leaners? Given past history in New Jersey, the Democrats probably have the edge on the first question. The second question, however, is simply unknowable at this time.

• The Monmouth poll has Corzine ahead 43%-41%, Daggett at 8%, with a ±3.7% margin of error. The previous poll from late last week had Christie ahead by 43%-42%-8%. The movement from one poll to the next was not statistically significant.

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NJ-GOV

Did Christie Campaign Violate Copyright Law, Steal Stock Video?

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 3:59PM

NJ Gov. Chris Christie (R)

The Christie campaign has apparently been caught in another copyright violation issue, in addition to their run-in with Monty Python. This time, it involves the apparent unlicensed pilfering of copyrighted stock footage -- complete with the anti-piracy watermarks.

As the Blue Jersey site discovered, a new Christie Web video featured stock footage that still had watermarks in them from Pond5, a stock footage licensing company, suggesting that the campaign had not paid to use the footage and was instead using the samples. The watermarks were in some instances covered up with on-screen text, but were still visible to the discerning eye.

The video has since been taken down, but here are some still shots:

(Click images to enlarge.)

"Thanks for bringing this to our attention," Pond5 CEO Tom Bennett told us. "It does appear that the Christie campaign has used stock footage from Pond5 without licensing it, in violation of both our license agreement and copyright law. We have brought this to our legal counsel and will be determining a course of action soon."

Bennett also informed us that to his knowledge, the company has not had any contact with the Christie campaign at this time. The Christie campaign has not returned our requests for comment.

Late Update: The video has now been restored on Christie's YouTube page -- apparently in a rush, as it was done with watermarks and all. Bennett told us that at 3:43 p.m. ET, someone associated with the Christie campaign bought permissions for all the relevant videos. "So it looks like they're doing damage control," Bennett said.

NJ-GOV

Christie Could Be Sued By...Monty Python?

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 3:30PM

Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R) Chris Christie, and former Monty Python member Terry Jones

Chris Christie could soon be facing legal action from some very illustrious people: Monty Python.

This comes after the Christie campaign used footage of a sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, without having sought permission, for a Web video. The video has since been taken down, but was preserved by Monty Python and given to the Huffington Post.

Monty Python's Terry Jones, perhaps best known for his screechy-voiced female characters (especially Brian's mother Mandy in Life of Brian), told the HuffPo that the group is strongly considering a lawsuit for copyright infringement.

"It is totally outrageous that a former US Attorney knows so little about the law that he thinks he can rip off people," said Jones. "On the other hand -- another of Bush's legal appointees was Alberto Gonzales and he didn't seem to know much about the law either."

NJ-GOV

Poll: Corzine Edging Christie By 43%-41%

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2009, 1:27PM

Gov. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) and Former US Attorney Chris Christie (R)

The new Monmouth poll of the New Jersey gubernatorial race gives Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine a narrow lead over Republican Chris Christie, in an election that is really anyone's guess going into Election Day tomorrow.

The numbers: Corzine 43%, Christie 41%, and independent Chris Daggett 8%, with a ±3.7% margin of error. This poll was conducted Saturday and Sunday. In the previous poll released yesterday, which was conducted Wednesday through Friday, Christie had a lead of 43%-42%-8%, not a statistically significant change.

From the pollster's analysis: "This race is still as close as it can be. It's possible that President Obama's visit boosted the governor's chances. But it is also likely that some anti-Corzine voters are still unsure of casting their lot with Christie. If the undecided vote breaks largely for the Republican, this race could be a squeaker."