Perdido 03

Perdido 03

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cuomo, Christie Hold Joint Campaign Appearance

The two governors who can't get the PATH running are going to keep you safe from terrorism - oh, and burnish their "national security" credentials at the same time:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will appear alongside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday for the second time this month.

The governors will make the joint appearance in New York 10 days after coming together to announce a review of safety and security procedures to combat the threat of terrorism, according to Christie’s schedule.

They are slated to hold the briefing at 7 World Trade Center at 11:30 a.m.

Citing an “undeniable heightening” of terrorist activity, Christie, a Republican, and Cuomo, a Democrat seeking reelection, announced plans for a bi-state review of security procedures on Sept. 15.

The plan called for convening a meeting to review the review “initial recommendations” in 10 days, followed in 30 days by a report back to the governors “with any and all further findings and recommendations.”

“I spent seven years as U.S. attorney in the immediate aftermath of September 11. I’m acutely aware of what’s been done during those seven years and what’s continued to be done,” Christie said at the event earlier this month.

“We need to make sure that we are ahead of the curve on this,” he said.

The New Jersey officials leading the review — which includes more than 10 agencies between the two states — are State Police Supt. Rick Fuentes and New Jersey Homeland Security Director Christopher Rodriguez. In New York, it will be Supt. of State Police Joseph D’Amico and Homeland Security Commissioner Jerome Hauer.

If Christie's anti-terrorism plan has anything to do with bridge closures, it should go swimmingly.

Also, I love the "I spent seven years as U.S. attorney in the immediate aftermath of September 11..." jive - he has also been governor for the last five years and could have pushed for whatever review they're doing now in the past years too.

That he's doing it at the same time he's shedding pounds and visiting Iowa on a regular basis suggests this review is as much about politics as safety.

And of course Cuomo is running for re-election too and wants to make sure his GOP opponent gets no help from the National Governors Association in the election.

Christie has said he will not help GOP candidate Rob Astorino in the election, but holding two press conferences with Cuomo in the past month really puts an exclamation point on that.

It's like these two guys, Cuomo and Christie, are campaigning together - and why not, since they're good buddies, they've already coordinated Port Authority toll increases in the dark together and conspired to make sure nothing untoward comes out for Christie in the Bridgegate scandal?

2 comments:

  1. Christie and Cuomo are a marriage made in heaven. There is not an ounce of integrity between them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good point - but plenty of ambition and venom in 'em.

    ReplyDelete