Outside the Beltway

For some bizarre reason, Sarah Palin decided over the weekend to pick a fight with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie:

Over the weekend, Palin fired her harshest shot yet at Christie. Her words weren’t just inflammatory; the whole context was kerosene.

In an interview on the Fox Business network, Palin was asked about Christie’s recent assertion that the current GOP presidential field wasn’t inspiring.

Palin, who might be a part of that field, disagreed and then veered from the discussion to take on Christie’s record, questioning his political courage and promoting her own.

“He has no choice but to cut budgets, because he’s broke, his state is broke,” she said. Real courage, she argued, is cutting budgets when the state has a surplus.

“And, by the way,” she finished with a flourish, “that’s what I did here [in Alaska].”

Courage also apparently includes quitting your job half way before it’s finished.

Video:

US Politics

Alaska, Chris Christie, New Jersey, Sarah Palin

26 responses to “Sarah Palin Claims Chris Christie Lacks “Courage””

Tony

March 9, 2011 at 3:51 pm

So, basically 50% passive-aggressive harpy, 50% self-promoting egotist. Cherishable.
datechguy

March 9, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Actually yes. It did take courage to leave when she did, allowing the state to continue on without the handicap of suit after suit of the left even though she would get hit for it and it worked out quite well for both her and the state.

As far as Christie, I have to only partially agree with Gov Palin, The proper line would be it takes more courage to cut during a surplus but by any standard Christie stepped up to the plate unlike any other NJ gov. He could have kicked the can like a lot of other did, he hasn’t..

It’s an interesting little feud.
wr

March 9, 2011 at 4:00 pm

Sorry, Datechguy, but going after schoolteachers while assiduously protecting the billionaires who funded your campaign is hardly “courage.” Bullying is more like it, and bootlicking, But then, that’s what passes on the right for courage these days — courageously sucking up to billionaires in hopes they’ll keep buying you elections.
matt b

March 9, 2011 at 4:12 pm

@datechguy

No offense, she didn’t leave because of the law suits. Reading all the facts, she rightly decided to cash in and also understood that she could not maintain the image that she developed and be an effective governor. Basically, to govern, you have to compromise. That would have ruined her reputation in the long run. Read generously, these were decisions that were better for the state.

Which gets to why she’s going after Christie — to maintain a position as the representative of the base, one has to constantly be on guard to make sure you don’t get replaced. Christie growing popularity is a potential threat to Palin’s position. She knows how she came to prominence on the national scene and she’s smart enough to do what it takes to maintain that prominence.
wr

March 9, 2011 at 4:16 pm

“Christie’s growing popularity.” Sure, everywhere but in New Jersey, where his poll numbers are plummeting.
Jay Tea

March 9, 2011 at 4:19 pm

no, matt b, she spelled out precisely why she resigned, and it was the lawsuits. She spelled out the reasons, and they hold up to scrutiny. Her legal bills had reached 200% of her annual family income, and 40% of their net worth. The last ethics complaint would have put her personally on the hook for all that and more, denying her the assistance of a legal defense fund. Further, the cost to the state was roughly double what she was facing. Finally, the assholes filing the bullshit charges were now going after her top aides, crippling her effectiveness and causing harm to those she trusted, relied upon, and cared about.

Her stated reasons hold up under scrutiny. Further, they suffice fully to explain it.

If you want to challenge that, you have a few options:

1) Prove that the reasons she cited are false. (“She lied.”)

2) Prove that the reasons she cited are accurate, but insufficient to explain the action. (“She told the truth, but not the whole truth — she lied by omission.”)

Feel free to try. Your failure should prove most entertaining.

J.
Jay Tea

March 9, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Oh, and I published my own theory on the Palin/Christie dustups: folks who don’t like one or both of them (such as the media) are trying to stir up a fight between two of the most prominent Republicans so they’ll take each other out. Palin and Christie are giving them just a taste of what they want, to keep the publicity, without actually going at each other hammer and tongs. They’re both mature and sensible enough to see through the ploy, and recognize each other as potential allies and complementary against the real opposition, but by throwing these bones to the MSM, they keep their own names in play and the MSM focused on this and not trying to find another manner of attack.

Kind of like Obama and his birth certificate, come to think of it… refuse to kill the matter outright, just occasionally toss out a bone to keep the nutjobs on the other side fixated on it and not doing something more productive.

Hey, if it works for Obama, why shouldn’t others use it, too?

J.
Josh Painter

March 9, 2011 at 4:28 pm

“For some bizarre reason”? Christie had publicly dissed Palin on three separate occasions before she responded. It was Christie who picked this fight.

Apparently you think it’s okay for Christie to criticize Palin in public, but it’s not okay for her to return fire. Nice double standard you have there, Doug.

– JP
CB

March 9, 2011 at 5:01 pm

one thing christie does not lack is courage. as a garden state resident, one who leans a bit to the left, i see him as a mixed bag. but what convinces me that he is ultimately good for our state is that he has FINALLY taken a stand that no other governor has ever been willing to and spoken truth to power (with regards to the budget mess/congressional incompetence).

love him or hate him, he pretty much defines political conviction.
CB

March 9, 2011 at 5:04 pm

“going after schoolteachers”
—

actually, any jersey resident will understand that that is definitively NOT what is going on. jersey is one instance where they hold far far too much power, with too much influence and money going to the top of the heirarchy, and far too little going to their constituents (teachers).
Steve Anthony

March 9, 2011 at 6:24 pm

I’d venture to say the New Jersey governor’s job is much tougher than Alaska’s.
And Christie hasn’t quit, and hasn’t had probes all over the place compelling him to do so.
mantis

March 9, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Oh, and I published my own theory on the Palin/Christie dustups: folks who don’t like one or both of them (such as the media) are trying to stir up a fight between two of the most prominent Republicans so they’ll take each other out.

Issa media conspercy, I tells ya!

They’re both mature and sensible enough to see through the ploy, and recognize each other as potential allies and complementary against the real opposition, but by throwing these bones to the MSM, they keep their own names in play and the MSM focused on this and not trying to find another manner of attack.

Those wily devils! Aren’t they just the greatest?
mantis

March 9, 2011 at 7:14 pm

And Christie hasn’t quit, and hasn’t had probes all over the place compelling him to do so.

Right, because he’s not spending crazy amounts of money running all over the country while pretending to govern a state like Alaska, where they already mostly despise government, hence their extreme ethics laws which are highly burdensome to the accused.

She could never have gone on a book tour in that environment, and selling her book plus paid speeches was her way out from underneath the mountain of legal debt, and then some. Pretending that the decision was made because it was what was best for Alaska is laughable, of course. It was what was best for Sarah Palin. So be it.
Smooth Jazz

March 9, 2011 at 8:37 pm

“For some bizarre reason, Sarah Palin decided over the weekend to pick a fight with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie:”

Oh Goodie, Goodie. The left wing hack at OTB has something disparaging to say about Gov Palin. Why am I not not surprised. The “bizarre” reason is that he has been going on all the Wash DC/New York Liberal talking head shows taking pot shots at her; So she responded by calling a spade a spade.

I guess if you’re a Palin Hater, you woudn’t see any logic in her defending herself. Gov Christie knows full well when he goes on Palin hating shows such as Morning Joe, Face The Nation, Today, etc, the questions are desgin to take shots at Palin and he happily obliges as he kisses to the Left Wing echo chamber. If you can’t see all that, you’re in denial.
Smooth Jazz

March 9, 2011 at 8:40 pm

“Apparently you think it’s okay for Christie to criticize Palin in public, but it’s not okay for her to return fire. Nice double standard you have there, Doug.”

Of course, he doesn’t care about the double standard. Left wing activists like this guy believes she belongs back in her Igloo in Alaska, and shouldn’t respond in kind to the echo chamber lined up against her.
An Interested Party

March 9, 2011 at 10:08 pm

Oh, and I published my own theory on the Palin/Christie dustups: folks who don’t like one or both of them (such as the media) are trying to stir up a fight between two of the most prominent Republicans so they’ll take each other out.

Ohhhhh…so it was the media that twisted Christie into saying the GOP field isn’t inspiring and then Palin was manipulated into saying what she did about Christie? That darn media, they sure are powerful! I wonder if Soros is ultimately behind everything…
wr

March 9, 2011 at 10:32 pm

I love the guy who “leans to the left” slobbering all over Christie. Almost as hilarious as Smoovie claiming the media hates him. They haven’t stopped fellating him since he took office, and refuse to acknowledge his plummeting poll numbers.

As for courage — tell me, CB, what exactly has he done that would inconvenience a single one of his supporters, as opposed to his opponents?
anjin-san

March 10, 2011 at 1:12 am

Palin’s struggle to stay relevant is starting to look a little desperate…
wr

March 10, 2011 at 12:49 pm

Wow, still no answer on how Christie enacting the agenda of his campaign contributors is courageous.
CB

March 10, 2011 at 12:53 pm

did i say i love the guy? that hes my hero? or is it possible that after the mcgreevey nonsense and then the complete incompetence of corzine that i find it refreshing to have someone who is even remotely serious, even if they happen to be on the other side of the aisle. that hes willing to at least acknowledge the property tax issue is a good step, and one that is very needed.

as far as unorthodox views, gun control jumps to mind immediately, and i appreciate how he generally stays out of the culture wars, even though he holds pretty standard republican social views. his support of a few alternative energy measures also stands out. and quite honestly, its good to see him stand up to a state congress that more resembles a cartel than a legislature.

you can attack me for bucking the conventional liberal wisdom, but once i separated the national politics from the state politics, it just seemed that christie is far from the worst thing thing to happen to NJ.

and if you still disagree, more power to you. the guy isnt perfect. but i would recommend that you recognize that NJ is in a unique position, with a number of potentially crippling problems that need hard solutions. he is the first jersey governor to come along in a long time that seems even remotely serrious to me about solving them.
CB

March 10, 2011 at 12:57 pm

and again, i cannot stress enough how horrible a second corzine term would have been. so i guess i saw him as the lesser of two evils.
wr

March 10, 2011 at 1:31 pm

CB — Do you understand why the New Jersey pension plans are in such terrible trouble? It’s because Christie Whitman deliberately chose not to fund them so she could cut taxes. She was warned that this would come back to bite the state in 2010, and she ignored the warning.

Now the rich have had their decade of tax cuts, so it’s time for the state employees to pay for it. This is what Christie is fighting for — paying for tax cuts on the rich with sacrifices by the middle class.

The only problem he’s trying to solve is that of America not being a third world country.
CB

March 10, 2011 at 1:58 pm

true enough. the state govt’s are reaping what they sowed, obviously.

my question then becomes the alternative? i ask that honestly. do we raise the top tax brackets? raise business taxes further? across the board cuts?

being the economic layman that i am, i honestly do not know. but im not sure a pragmatic solution can be reached in a state as dysfunctional as jersey.
CB

March 10, 2011 at 1:58 pm

*what is the alternative
wr

March 10, 2011 at 2:03 pm

CB — The middle class is reaping what Republican politicians sowed. Christie’s preferred method — which has been the plan all along — is to bankrupt the states, then force the middle class to pay, while slashing taxes on the rich.So yes, the first solution is to raise taxes on the upper brackes. If you’re going to spend all your time yapping about how everyone has to share the sacrifice, you should really ask your buddies from the country club to give a little, too.
anjin-san

March 10, 2011 at 9:41 pm

wr do you have one of those California license plate with the palm trees on it that says “BRD MXT”?

🙂