Attorney Lawrence Bathgate is a former finance chair of the Republican National Committee. He talks about vacations with the Bush family in Kennebunkport. President Ford, John McCain and the first President Bush were guests at his Bay Head home. Rumor has it he owns Thomas Jefferson’s table. He knows Christie personally. But he’s supporting Jeb Bush. Among the issues that bother him? Sandy recovery. “New Jersey’s done a terrible job," he says. "The people they hired were the wrong people." New J...
Apr 08, 2015•16 min•Ep. 11
According to a CBS poll released this week, only 27 percent of Republicans would consider voting for Chris Christie. That puts him way down the list of likely Republican candidates. But some say the governor has a secret weapon. And her name is Hillary Clinton. This week, we're joined by NJ Advance Media state house reporter Claude Brodesser-Akner who traveled to Iowa to speak with voters. He says the thinking among Christie supporters goes something like this: ‘Hey, why don’t we win for a chang...
Apr 01, 2015•18 min•Ep. 10
Governor Christie projects “late spring, early summer” for an announcement on whether he’ll run for president. But why wait so long? With Ted Cruz formally jumping in the race, Matt and Tom take a hard look at Christie’s viability. Plus, one year after the Mastro Report made ethics recommendations that Christie said he would fully embrace, the administration has adopted precious few of them . We look at what they did and didn't do. We also look at some of the difficulties a top Christie official...
Mar 25, 2015•15 min•Ep. 9
This week, WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein and Matt Katz talk about their investigation into the calendars maintained by David Wildstein while he was at the Port Authority. The calendars, and a treasure trove of photos, reveal a closer connection than has been acknowledged between Governor Christie’s inner circle and Wildstein – the guy who answered “got it” in response to “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” Host David Furst also speaks with Robert George, associate editorial page editor and p...
Mar 18, 2015•14 min•Ep. 8
Senator Robert Menendez is facing possible federal corruption charges for accepting gifts from a Florida eye doctor. Hillary Clinton is confronting a media firestorm for her secretive email habits. It calls to mind a certain governor’s relationship with his pal, "Jerry" and his own email history. (Spoiler alert: a grand total of ONE has been made public.) Also this week: A heckler from New Jersey follows Christie to Iowa with a message about Sandy recovery. And, after months of silence, we get a...
Mar 11, 2015•17 min•Ep. 7
In basketball, the pivot is an essential move that can allow a player with the ball to trick a defender and score points. In politics, pivoting on an issue can score points - but it also carries the risk of being labeled a flip-flop. The Christie Tracker Podcast takes a close look at some of Christie's pivot moves. We also wade into the settlement with ExxonMobil over contaminated wetlands to find out whether the governor sold out the Garden State for a quick infusion of cash. Host David Furst i...
Mar 04, 2015•16 min•Ep. 6
The governor delivered his sixth budget address this week. But this one was a little different. First, because it's not just going to be analyzed by state legislators and New Jersey residents… but also by the national media, potential Republican donors, and political watchers from coast-to-coast. Governor Christie is for all intents and purposes running for higher office. Second, the budget speech came a day after a judge ruled that the governor broke a law (that he signed) when he cut $1.57 bil...
Feb 25, 2015•9 min•Ep. 5
The Gov. continues to make news out-of-state. During his latest visit to New Hampshire, Governor Christie started talking about his first 100 days in office - - in the White House. He then went on to unveil a presidential platform. Plus, after saying he had “grave concerns” about Common Core in Iowa, many in New Jersey were left puzzling over where the governor stands on the new PARCC test, which is set to be given to students in grades 3 through 11 in March. Host David Furst is joined by New Je...
Feb 18, 2015•15 min•Ep. 4
This week, Governor Christie made his 13th appearance in Iowa in the past five years. As he often does at campaign speeches, he tells a powerful, personal story about his mother on her deathbed. On the Christie Tracker Podcast we’ll take a closer look at the story - and the larger purpose it serves. Also, as the governor continues to drum up support for a possible presidential run, he’s dealing with growing frustration among Republicans in New Jersey. We’ll talk about that dissatisfaction with R...
Feb 11, 2015•16 min•Ep. 3
Just last Friday, Chris Christie was basking in some very welcome news. Mitt Romney was not going to pursue another presidential run. That night, the governor had dinner with Romney and then he was off to London on a trade mission – with plans to meet with Prime Minister David Cameron and the promise of, perhaps, some good publicity back home. Then things went off script. It all started with a comment about vaccinations. Asked about the measles outbreak in America, Christie said that parents nee...
Feb 04, 2015•15 min•Ep. 2
Just after wrapping things up at the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Governor Christie took a first official step toward a presidential run. He launched a web site for a Political Action Committee - ‘Leadership Matters for America.' Listen to this week's Christie Tracker Podcast to hear how Governor Christie turned on the charm and did what he needed to advance his campaign. Host David Furst is joined by Matt Katz who covers Chris Christie for WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio, Tom Moran, edit...
Jan 28, 2015•15 min•Ep. 1
It’s been a busy week in the Christie-tracking business. The governor gives his state of the state address, which sounded more like a presidential campaign speech than a policy road map for New Jersey. He visits Iowa for Governor Terry Branstad’s inauguration. And before you can say "exploratory committee," he’s headed back to the Hawkeye State on Saturday for the Iowa Freedom Summit. This week on the Christie Tracker Podcast , New Jersey Public Radio’s Matt Katz, Tom Moran, Editorial Page Edito...
Jan 21, 2015•18 min0
