Free Republic

I propose the formation of a new political party to end the partisanship in Maine. It could be called the Bash Brothers Party, with Donald Trump as its candidate for president, and Paul LePage for vice president. If Trump and LePage campaign nationally for the next 18 months, then they will be out of the state for long stretches of time.

GOP presidential candidates Florida Senator Marco Rubio and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had some fun over the weekend at Mitt Romney's Lake Winnipesaukee home in New Hampshire. On Friday night, though, Romney had the Christies as overnight guests. But they weren't the only non-family members in the house. Fellow GOP hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and his wife, Jeanette, also joined the Romneys for Friday night's slumber party. "Governor Romney heard that his friends, Governor Christie and Senator Rubio, along with their families, would be in Wolfeboro over the July 4th holiday weekend. He and Mrs. Romney opened...

2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney will be hosting two rival Republican presidential contenders at a holiday sleepover Friday evening. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will both be staying over at Romney’s property in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, an aide to Romney confirmed. The aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of what the aide called the private nature of the event, said the former governor and his wife opened their home to the Christie and Rubio families after hearing they would be in town for the holiday weekend. Both candidates are scheduled to march...

Governor Christie declared his presidential intentions on Tuesday in what appears to be crowded GOP field. But “crowded” is a relative word according to the FEC’s official list of candidates.Christie joined 12 other high-profile Republican primary candidates after holding a press conference and he will soon file with the Federal Elections Commission as a candidate of record receiving campaign contributions.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie broke with many in his party’s social conservative wing Wednesday, telling reporters that government employees who have objections to issuing same-sex marriage licenses should not be allowed to opt out. While many conservatives have called for steps to protect government employees who have objections to Friday’s same-sex marriage ruling from the Supreme Court, Christie said those who work for the government should abide by their oaths.

Maine’s Paul LePage became the first sitting governor to endorse a candidate in the 2016 GOP nomination race, throwing his support behind Christie Christie’s fledgling bid for president. Mr. LePage said that the New Jersey governor has been an inspiration to him over his career and said Mr. Christie, as the head of the Republican Governors Association, played an instrumental role in helping him win re-election last year. (SNIP) LePage refused to criticize Christie for accepting Obamacare’s huge Medicaid expansion, a program LePage has derided as “welfare expansion” and that he repeatedly vetoed when the Maine Legislature sent it to...

HOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following statement welcoming New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie into the race for the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States:“I’m glad to welcome Governor Chris Christie into our diverse field of candidates. He is bold, he is brash, and I’m always glad to see Republicans get elected in blue states. His presence in the race for the Republican nomination will make our eventual nominee all the stronger to defeat Hillary Clinton in November of 2016.”

Live coverage of Democrat Republican Gov. Christie announcing run for Emperor POTUS.Live link to CNBC

Democratic leaders will introduce a budget that once again includes $7.5 million Gov. Chris Christie eliminated five years ago for women's health services and led to the closure of six family planning centers, state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg said.Christie said in 2010 he eliminated the funds as part of a wide array of cuts to close a budget gap. But in speeches to conservative groups in February and again last week, the Republican governor, who is mulling a bid for president, boasted he had "vetoed Planned Parenthood funding five times out of the New Jersey budget."Now that his true...

New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie may announce a presidential bid as soon as next week, Politico reports. Aides have already said Christie isn't likely to make a move into the crowded GOP primary race until the New Jersey legislature finalizes the state budget around the end of June. But recent travels and staffing changes appear to show he's closing in on a declaration. Christie's campaign-in-waiting announced two additional staff hires in New Hampshire, and earlier this month, longtime Christie aide Maria Comella took a senior position at his political action action committee, Politico reports.

On Tuesday, after the entire Republican primary field - including Donald Trump and George Pataki - had taken a position on the Confederate flag, and after the Republican governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, had asked for its removal from the state capitol grounds, Chris Christie seemed to calculate that it was politically safe to do the same. The New Jersey governor said in a statement that Haley had "demonstrated what it means to be a leader" and that he commended her decision. ... Every Republican presidential candidate, including the not-yet announced ones, had said something, even if it was,...

Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) is nearing a decision on his presidential bid and could announce his decision as soon as next week, sources told Politico. Christie would likely be the 14th GOP candidate in a crowded primary if he decides to jump in—12 have already announced and Gov. Bobby Jindal (La.) is set to join later Wednesday. Christie, a no-nonsense Republican from a deep blue state, earned a legion of supporters for his willingness to, at times, buck party lines. His 2012 embrace of President Obama after Hurricane Sandy both endeared him to his supporters and repulsed his detractors. Once...

You've seen the polls that measure Republican voters first choice for the party's 2016 presidential nomination. But there's another measure of public perception -- this one on the negative side -- with pollsters asking voters to list candidates they could not see supporting. Pollsters for NBC News/Wall Street Journal asked that very question of GOP primary voters, and in that one, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal did fairly well. Jindal is expected to announce his presidential candidacy on Wednesday. While Jindal remains toward the bottom of the list in terms of voters' first choice for the GOP presidential nomination, with just...

If any doubt remained that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would throw his hat in the ring for the Republican presidential nomination, it was all but erased at a recent family meeting.

Just what we need. A squishy (or fluffy, depending upon how you view cellulite) northeast governor considering a run for the presidency visits Iowa and uses talking points lifted directly from progressive propaganda to attack Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) 100%. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took aim at 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) on Friday, accusing him and other lawmakers of “hypocrisy” over federal disaster relief.“We have Sen. Cruz, who voted against Sandy relief. Now he says he’s got floods in Texas. He says, ‘Hey, we need some help down here in Texas.’ It’s great, right?” Christie...

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie faulted his party Wednesday for its unwelcoming tone at times to minority voters. In a speech to a Latino Coalition small business conference, the potential Republican presidential contender also boasted about getting 51 percent of the Hispanic vote in his re-election as governor. Christie portrays himself as the kind of Republican who can attract females, blacks, Hispanics and other voters who are normally drawn to Democrats. …

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a GOP presidential hopeful, was named MVP at the True Blue benefit softball game Wednesday, which was held to honor three slain New York City police officers: Brian Moore, Wenjian Liu, and Rafael Ramos. The three officers were killed in the line of duty in recent months. According to Fox News Insider, “Proceeds from the game will go to the Silver Shield Foundation, NYC PBA Widows’ and Children’s Fund, and the three slain officers’ families.”

“He sounds like a Jew,” someone muttered at a nearby table as Ted Cruz gave his address. Last night, presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Chris Christie addressed over a thousand Jewish New Yorkers of Jewish Values International Awards Gala... Despite the long cast of characters present (Senator Bob Menendez, Christie, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, magnate Sheldon Adelson.... it was Cruz who stole the show, by far..... When Cruz got on stage, for a moment the room shifted into a political rally more than a charity dinner: Cruz walked around the podium, without notes, and gave an impassioned address which...

The story, as told in this classic 2005 This American Life episode, is a tale of ineptitude, entrapment, and bureaucratic self-perpetuation, starring very young U.S. attorney Christopher (!) Christie. The episode is a full hour, and you should absolutely listen to (or at least read) the whole thing. But until then, enjoy some highlights from Christie's dogged the pursuit of this dangerous terrorist: Here is a list of what Lakhani claims he can acquire, when prodded by an FBI informant: Stinger missiles ammo submarines night-vision goggles (although the exchange makes clear that he think that might just be another term...

He told ABC five years ago that he supported citizenship, leaving him with two options now. One: Stick to his guns and give conservatives another reason to treat “Christie” as a curse word. Two: Follow Scott Walker’s lead by pleading ignorance in his earlier views and claiming that he’s since seen the light. Actual quote from Christie: “I have now learned some of the ramifications for all of these things.” What those things might be isn’t clear, but it’d be impolite after such an earnest pander to badger the poor guy for details. He’s trying, Republicans. A for effort? This...