Governor Chris Christie seldom makes a political miscalculation, as even his adversaries acknowledged after the incumbent Republican rolled to 60 percent of the vote to win reelection in a heavily Democratic state.
But when the likely 2016 presidential candidate maneuvered to dump Tom Kean Jr. as state Senate Republican leader two days later, he suffered a rare defeat — and alienated the lawmaker’s father, Tom Kean Sr., a GOP elder statesman and popular former governor who gave Christie his political start.
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| Gov Christie and former Gov Tom Kean |
“I’m as surprised as I’ve ever been in my life in politics,” said Kean, 78.
Christie has abruptly severed ties before — he fired his first education commissioner over mistakes on a federal grant application, for example. But, a week after the younger Kean rallied enough Senate Republicans to easily rebuff the governor, his father still seemed stung.
“I’m very disappointed,” he said, noting that Christie hadn’t phoned him or the younger Kean, and that he’d grown weary waiting for the call.
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| Gov Christie and State Senator Tom Kean Jr. |
Christie often refers to Kean as a mentor, and Kean has stayed involved in Christie’s ascending career. He advised Christie in his first political race, put in a good word for him when George W. Bush was looking for a US attorney in New Jersey, raised money for Christie’s gubernatorial campaigns, and spoke at his Nov. 5 reelection celebration.
Two days later, Kean said Christie made his move without prior mention.
The question of Christie’s loyalty has been raised before. His Republican National Convention speech was panned as self-serving as the GOP was rallying behind Mitt Romney. His allegiance to Romney was doubted again when he embraced President Obama days before the 2012 election.Read the full story HERE.
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3 comments:
I was not surprised when I read about this the other day. I gave him the benefit of the doubt on the convention speech, but not after Sandy. It's clear that Christie will be concerned about Christie, and not about fellow Republicans. We need to realize that going into the primary and decide if that is what is needed. He reminds me of McCain who is also all too willing to throw Republicans under the bus at the drop of a hat.
-Martha
I'm glad I found this article about Loyalty and turning your back on old friends..It makes me like him now even less.
We don't have all the facts. Christie might have had some good reasons. He may have already paid back the elder Kean with previous favors. There's no way to know how many favors have passed back and forth between the different players. We're not on the inside.
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