We can now more fully connect the dots with regard to just how corrupt the Republican candidate for NJ governor, and then U.S. Attorney, Christopher Christie is and was.
Christie's campaign is based on his reputation as an alleged corruption fighter. Yet he was of course appointed as U.S. Attorney by the Rove-Bush administration, and as a politician he has been a Rove protege.
As reported yesterday, on the one hand, Christie was ranked highly for political loyalty by Bush-Rove White House in 2005, when he was already discussing his running for governor with them. Yet he also supposedly shows up on early lists from January 2006 of U.S. Attorneys to be fired. But by December of 2006, he again is ranked highly enough for political loyalty that he was not among the seven who actually were fired.
So what happened during that interval? How did he reaffirm himself as a loyal Bushie?
Well one answer to remember why the other seven were fired. It was for not being agressive enough in smearing Democrats, especially during the run-up to the 2006 elections. It was for not engaging enough in selective partisan criminal investigations, leaks and attempted prosecutions.
As for Christie, he DID exactly that in the spring, summer and fall of 2006, having been behind the infamous series of leaks of false allegations against then Democratic candidate for NJ Sent Robert Menendez in the fall of 2006.
By false, I mean that after the pre-election torrent of leaks regardiing supposed investigations into supposed wrongdoing, nothing happened. No indictments. No trials. No more leaks. It was all about Christie, using his office of U.S. Attorney, to deliverately smearing the Democrat in the run-up to the election.
With regard to the senate race, the smears are thought to have backfired against lightweight trustfund baby Kean, Jr.
But more important, for Christie at least, he had proven himself a loyal Bushie. So he got stay on as U.S. Attorney, while seven other, relatively more honest Republicans were fired.
Thus Christie was part of the illegal partisan activity of the Rove-Gonzalez Justic Department. Far from being an above-fray corruption buster, he is himself just another corrupt Rovian Repuglican.
Timeline Recap:
- 2005: Christie highly ranked for politically loyalty among U.S. Attorneys by Rove. Is already discussing running for NJ Governor with Rove.
- Early 2006: Early draft lists of U.S. Attorneys to be fired suprisingly includes Christie.
- Mid 2006: Christie engages in both partisan selective investigation and deliberate leaking of those investigations, against Democrat and for Republican in NJ Senate race. Some other U.S. Attorneys refuse to do this.
- Late 2006: Christie is off list and not fired. Other U.S. Attorneys who refused to do Rove's bidding are fired.
Update - TalkingPoints Memo has more on this too:
Did Christie Play Politics With Probe? U.S. Attorney Docs Add To Questions
Chris Christie & the US Atty Scandal