Chris Christie, bravely waiting to see how President Obama's immigration action plays out before taking a position.
President Obama has thrown a bucket of cold water on what was supposed to be a fun time in Boca Raton for
victorious Republican governors, and it's made things particularly dicey for those with presidential ambitions. And face it, they're Republican governors—they
all have presidential ambitions.
Many of them seethed visibly over the issue. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas accused the president of "sticking his finger into the eye of the American people" after an election that gave Republicans control over both houses of Congress.
Several governors threatened legal action to block the measure. "I would go to the courts," said Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. "This is illegal."[…]
As he has in the past, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey refused to specify a plan for dealing with illegal immigration, saying he would not articulate a plan until he had decided whether to run for president.
Regular profile in courage there, Christie is. These governors are in a tough spot, both in terms of policy and politics. Obama's executive order will raise questions for them like whether they will have to issue drivers licenses to these immigrants, or in-state college tuition. But it's a lot harder politically as they eye 2016. To have a chance in a primary, they've got to take a tough line against Obama and on immigration. To be viable in a general election, they can't alienate Latinos further. Unless they're Christie, who apparently continues to consider himself God's gift to the GOP and is above having to answer questions like whether he has an opinion on immigration.