NewJersey

Puzzler: NJ Gov. Christie Not Really Bipartisan Because...A Democrat Called Him a Bully?

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:57:00 +0000

How did a political opponent's playground insults against Gov. Chris Christie translate into proof of Christie's nastiness, as opposed to the immaturity of the politician himself? "After a tough budget battle in June, Stephen M. Sweeney, the Senate president and one of Mr. Christie's allies in the Legislature, called him 'a bully and a punk,' 'mean-spirited,' 'spoiled,' 'vindictive' and 'a cruel man,' adding, 'I wanted to punch him in his head.' Not exactly the stuff of happy-go-lucky bipartisanship and easygoing compromise."

Clay Waters

Does the New York Times fear a Chris Christie presidential run?

'Pugnacious and Boastful' Gov. Christie Left Education System 'Reeling'

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:50:00 +0000

Reporter David Halbfinger relays what unions find "most galling" about the "pugnacious and boastful" Gov. Christie's budget proposals. He displayed far more empathy toward Connecticut's Democratic governor in a similar budget story a week ago.

Clay Waters

Reporter David Halbfinger filed from Trenton, N.J., Wednesday on Gov. Chris Christie's recently unveiled budget proposal ("Christie Declares 'New Normal' in Proposing Tight Budget") and again displayed a pro-Democrat double standard.

NJ GOP Gov. Christie 'Blustery and Bellicose', While CT Dem Gov. Works Hard Sparing 'Most Vulnerable'

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:11:00 +0000

David Halbfinger gushes over Connecticut's new Democratic governor, in contrast with the "blustery and bellicose" budget-slasher Chris Christie of neighboring New Jersey: "And as he closes a 20 percent budget deficit, he spends much of his energy finding ways to spare the most vulnerable....he has set out to prove that even in an age of austerity one can govern as a defender of the social safety net....He also promised not to gut education or shift the costs of services on to cities and towns."

Clay Waters

David Halbfinger's Wednesday Metro section profile of Connecticut's newly elected Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy favorably compared him to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is winning fans for his insistence on budget discipline and his outspoken challenges to unions: "In Tackling Connecticut's Finances, New Governor Criticizes Peer's Approach."

ABC Scolds 'Rising Star of the Republican Party' Chris Christie for Missing Blizzard

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Scott Whitlock

Of the three morning shows, only ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday singled out New Jersey governor Chris Christie, chiding the "rising

Williams Harangues Christie from the Krugman Left, Pleads for More Spending: 'Couldn't You Find the Money?'

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Brent Baker

Brian Williams touted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as a "star" on "the rise" in the Republican Party before adding a "however" and haranguing him from left over his opposition to massive spending for a new tunnel from his state to New York, reciting as an oracle the criticism from far-left New York Times columnist Paul Krugman without ever identifying the source of the supposed wisdom beyond "the op-ed page of the New York Times."

Times Focuses on Obama's Populist Sub Shop Stop in NJ, Skips Glitzy Manhattan Fundraising Tour

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:36:00 +0000

Unlike the Washington Post, the Times' print edition left out Obama's two $30,000 entry fee fundraisers in Manhattan in favor of these vital details from his visit to the Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, NJ: "Mr. Obama ordered a six-inch 'super sub' - he declared that at nearly 49 he can no longer eat the 12-inch variety - and sat down at a table with the owner, Dave Thornton, and the owners of three businesses in nearby towns."

Clay Waters

David Herszenhorn and Jackie Calmes reported on Obama's politically calculated visit to the Tastee Sub Shop in Edison, N.J. in Thursday's "Obama Trumpets Party's Small-Business Bona Fides."

Times Promotes NJ Student Walkout As 'Silent Call to Arms'

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Reporter Winnie Hu continues to push against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's fight against the teachers' unions: The protest offered "a real-life civics lesson that unfolded on lawns, sidewalks, parking lots and football fields."

Clay Waters

Metro reporter Winnie Hu seems to be on a one-person crusade to pump up opposition against Republican Gov. Chris Christie's fight against expensive and unreformed teachers unions in New Jersey. On Wednesday she profiled a student walkout, which of course was not at all motivated by getting out of class: "In New Jersey, a Civics Lesson in the Internet Age - Students, Inspired by a Facebook Message, Rally Against School Budget Cuts."

Taking the Teachers' Unions Side in New Jersey: 'Radical' Cuts to Schools on the Way

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:36:00 +0000

New Jerseyans, angry at the stubbornness of the teachers' unions for refusing to accept wage freezes during a recession, voted down NJ school budgets. Reporter Winnie Hu takes the side of the unions: "Many school officials said students were the losers in Tuesday's elections." Meanwhile, many taxpayers said they were the winners.

Clay Waters

New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie urged voters to use yesterday's statewide budget votes to hold the line on spending. They followed his lead, with most districts voting down their proposed budgets, an unusual occurrence, leaving districts scrambling.

Gay Marriage Advocates Use Children as Campaign Props, Times Celebrates

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:03:00 +0000

Sure: "Kasey is 10 years old. When the New Jersey State Senate voted against same-sex marriage on Jan. 7, he was devastated."

Clay Waters

Some advocates of gay marriage brought along their children to a protest as props, and those allegedly hard-bitten Times journalists showcased it on the front of the Thursday Styles section (not in the news pages), along with three photos featuring the kids.

Adam Nagourney Also Dismisses NJ, VA Dems as Lousy Candidates, Sparing Obama

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

In a podcast, chief political reporter Adam Nagourney throws Democrats under the bus, leaving Obama and his agenda blameless: "Is that really surprising, that they didn't show up to vote for Creigh Deeds or Jon Corzine?" Nagourney also warned, "don't overstate" Democrat losses in New Jersey and Virginia - but in 2006, he argued that a special congressional election result spelled trouble for the G.O.P.

Clay Waters

As noted previously, the Times' November 5 "Political Points" podcast recited a full 30-second excerpt from Gail Collins' Wednesday column blaming not Obama, but bad Democratic candidates, for the party's huge losses in governors' races in Virginia and New Jersey.

Gail Collins Desperately Throwing VA, NJ Democrats Under the Bus to Aid Obama

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Columnist Gail Collins desperately wants to convince people that the big Democratic losses in New Jersey and Virginia last Tuesday don't have the slightest thing to do with Barack Obama or his agenda.

Clay Waters

On Saturday, Gail Collins penned a sequel to her Wednesday column in which (as my MRC colleague Tim Graham documented) she tried rather desperately to argue that the big Democratic losses in New Jersey and Virginia governor's races the previous day didn't reflect badly on Obama at all, since Democrats Creigh Deeds and Jon Corzine were such obviously horrible, no-good, very bad candidates.

Nagourney: Don't Let Election Results Fool You, G.O.P. Still Has Problems

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Chief political reporter Adam Nagourney continues to forward liberal conventional wisdom on the impact of the Republican victories of Election 2009.

Clay Waters

Don't let the election results fool you, the G.O.P. is still in trouble. That's the thrust of chief political reporter Adam Nagourney's Thursday front-page piece on the Election 2009 aftermath, "Energized G.O.P. Looks to Avoid a Party Feud."

As he did yesterday, Nagourney continued to forward the paper's left-leaning conventional wisdom, right from the lead sentence:

Adam Nagourney Encapsulates Liberal Conventional Wisdom on Election 2009

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Chief political reporter Adam Nagourney modeled the paper's conventional wisdom on Campaign 2009 perfectly, emphasizing all three of the Times' campaign themes: The Republicans won by appearing moderate; the congressional race in upstate New York revealed deep divisions within the G.O.P; these off-year elections don't matter much anyway.

Clay Waters

As shown in the previous post, the Times' Election Day 2009 coverage emphasized three liberal themes:

The Republicans won by appearing moderate.

The congressional race in upstate New York revealed deep divisions within the G.O.P.

These off-year elections don't mean much anyway (except when Democrats win).

GOP Won With Moderation, Is Ripping Itself Apart, & These Elections Don't Even Matter (Unless Dems Win)

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Coverage of the governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia and the congressional race in New York was dominated by three themes: The Republicans won by appearing moderate; there are deep divisions within the G.O.P.; and these off-year elections don't mean much anyway (except when Democrats win, like in 2005).

Clay Waters

The G.O.P. had two big victories yesterday in off-year elections, winning the governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia for the first time since 1997. The Times' coverage was dominated by three themes used to explain away the success of Republicans:

The Republicans won by appearing moderate.
The congressional race in upstate New York revealed deep divisions within the G.O.P.
These off-year elections don't mean much anyway (except when Democrats win).

Times Downplays Possible Dem Losses in Virginia, NJ - But It Was Bigger Deal in 2005

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:25:00 +0000

The last time the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey were up for grabs was 2005, when "stinging" GOP losses meant "President Bush's political standing has fallen." This year it's the Dems that trail, and the Times is more sanguine.

Clay Waters

Chief political reporter Adam Nagourney's Friday "Political Memo" put the spotlight on how Democrats are trailing in races for the only two governor's seats up for grab in 2009, in New Jersey and Virginia: "Some Will Look to Results of 2 Governor Races to See How Obama Is Doing." Note that only "some" will take these results seriously if the Democrats lose.