Tornoe's Toons: Corzine and Last-Minute Appointments

Tornoe's Toons: Christie Takes Aim at Teachers' Unions

Tornoe toon: Chris Christie - Change We Can Believe In

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Tornoe toon: Christie's Loan

Republican gubernatorial challenger Chris Christie has gotten into some hot water over a $46,000 loan he gave to Michele Brown, the first assistant U.S. attorney.

According to Jon Corzine, this loan presents "an appearance of a conflict" of interest.

However, there's no word from Corzine about giving a $470,000 loan, and then paying off that loan, to the then head of the state's largest labor union, and what "appearance" of a conflict" that might present.

And let's not forget that Katz’ $1.1 million condo purchase came at the same time negotiators for her union and the Corzine administration were entering intense negotiations over a new contract for state workers. Katz was president of the largest of five Communications Workers of America locals that are about to vote on the four-year deal.


I wonder if Christie has emails from Michele Brown that he's keeping a secret as well...

Karl Rove and Chris Christie

My Toon: Chris Christie Gets His... Girl

Who Will New Jerseyans Choose in November?

Seems like an obvious choice to me.

Which Republican is Corzine Pulling For?

While the Steve Lonegan/Chris Christie youTube battle rages on, a new Lonegan backer is coming out to support his pick for the GOP nomination for Governor - Jon Corzine.

A Washington-based political organization with ties to democrats is running ads attacking Christie, the Republican they consider more formidable, in an attempt to knock him out in the June primary.

The ad, released by the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Fund, highlights the Wall Street entanglements of Christie’s younger brother and suggests the former U.S. Attorney improperly used his connections to bail him out of trouble.

“This week is a stark reminder of how Jon Corzine operates,” Chris Christie Campaign Consultant Mike DuHaime told PolitickerNJ.com. “Taxes are up, unemployment is up… The only thing going down are his polls numbers. Clearly this is an effort to influence the Republican Primary. Jon Corzine may have bought the Democrat Party, but he will not buy the Republican Party.”

Here's the ad:

As Long as Voters Know who Jon Corzine is...

Governor Corzine's approval ratings continue to be upside-down as he struggles to close New Jersey's budget gap, but his Republican opponents for governor, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan, have their own problems.

According to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, 56% of respondents haven't heard enough about Christie to rate him favorable or not. That number jumps to 72% for Steve Lonegan.

But as long as more than 50% of New Jerseyans don't approve of the job Corzine is doing, they should just continue to remain "the other guy."

Is Corzine Hiding on Financial Television?

Jon Corzine is in love with appearing on Financial TV. It seems like every weekend he ends up on one of the talk shows as a former "financial wizard" telling us how to save the economy.

How has that worked in New Jersey?

Maybe appearing on all these shows keeps him in New York and Washington, and out of New Jersey, where former Attorney Chris Christie leads Gov. Jon Corzine, 44% to 38% in the New Jersey Governor’s race.

Anyone need make-up?

Jon Corzine, Money Man

Chris Christie may currently lead Jon Corzine in the polls for the 2009 Gubernatorial race, but does anyone expect Corzine not to dig into his unlimited pockets of cash to narrow the gap?

Charlie Stile of the Bergen Record says that Corzine "has never tangled toe-to-toe with his opponents on a level playing field."

I tend to agree with him.

Is Chris Christie Prepared to be Governor?

Straight on the heels of the release of polling data suggesting he could beat incumbent Jon Corzine, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie officially kicked off his campaign this week.

The only thing he forgot to pack: specifics.

According to the Star-Ledger:

Christie said he would not raise taxes, but declined to say how he would recoup the lost revenue if he reduces income and business taxes to make New Jersey more competitive. He did not take a position on the state's property tax rebate program, saying he wanted to carefully study it before presenting a comprehensive plan to tackle the entrenched property tax problem.

On other issues, such as town consolidation or state worker concessions, Christie sounded more like Corzine. He said he'd "encourage" New Jersey's 566 towns to consolidate, and that he thought state worker unions had to "step up and contribute" by making concessions. But according to his statements, Christie wouldn't force the issue on either side.

Former Borgata mayor Steve Lonegan, who is running against Christie in a four-man Republican primary that includes Morris County Assemblyman Rick Merkt and Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine, called Christie's refusal to provide specific budget-cutting plans "irresponsible."

"It's clear to me that Mr. Christie is in over his head," Lonegan told The Star-Ledger.

The NJ Schmooze Cruise

A rite of passage among the New Jersey political elite for over 70 years, the annual Chamber of Commerce train ride attracts more than 1,000 lawmakers, lobbyists and corporate officials each year to wine and dine with the New Jersey congressional delegation in Washington.

During the four-hour ride, and at a dinner that took place Thursday night in Washington, New Jersey's business community was once again able to gain extraordinary access to the state's political structure, from legislators to county executives to Governor Corzine.

In a break from the past and tradition, 3 GOP gubernatorial hopefuls, Christopher Christie, Steve Lonegan and Rick Merkt, all decided to boycott the chartered 14-car Amtrak ride. Sponsored by business leaders usually friendly to Republicans, the candidates criticized the annual "Walk to Washington" as an exclusive "schmooze cruise" of insiders and lobbyists.

"I call it the tax-and-spend express," gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan told the Star-Ledger. "I went once about 10 years ago and I never went again. This is where all the party insiders, the lobbyists come together. I'm not part of that and I'm running to change it."

Chamber President Joan Verplanck criticized the candidates decision to boycott the event, and attempted to defend the elbow-rubbing session to the Star-Ledger.

"Times have changed dramatically," Verplanck said. "It's less fraternity party and more college mixer."

Chris Christie for Governzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Boy, NO ONE saw this coming!

Here's the sketch:

New Jersey Cartoon: The Ghost of Chris Christie's Past

Chris Christie, the former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, is continuing his "let's wait and see" approach about running against Jon Corzine for Governor in 2009.

Despite having little experience as a criminal prosecutor when George W. Bush appointed him in 2002, Christie has been a political corruption buster, amassing 130 political corruption convictions without a single acquittal.

But, in the last year, he received a blemish on his record when he handed his one-time boss, former U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft, a contract worth between $27 million and $52 million to monitor a medical device company for 18 months. Democrats challenged the no-bid deal, which lead to new Justice Department guidelines on how federal monitors are selected.

Will it come back and bite him? Who knows. We'll see if Steve Lonegan puts together a commercial with money changing hands, as Ashcroft sings in the background, "Let the eagles soar..."

Has the lion tamer become the prey?

As a New Jersey cartoonist, some of the people I'm thankful for

New Jersey: Christie to remain U.S. Attorney...for now

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A sharpe sentence?

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New Jersey: Let the Mighty Eagle Soar

Click on image for full cartoon

Well it looks like former Attorney General John Ashcroft will have to sing in front of congress after all.

According to the New York Times, Ashcroft agreed to testify about a multimillion-dollar no-bid contract steered to his consulting firm by Chris Christie, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, under an out-of-court settlement between federal prosecutors and a medical-supply company.

Speaking of him singing, seems like a perfect opportunity to remember this: