Chris Christie Victory Irritates Potential GOP 2016 Presidential Rivals

Brace yourselves, America, because the next three years are going to feel a lot like what we got on Wednesday after Republican Chris Christie won the New Jersey governor's election. The barely disguised body punches echoed from Senator Rand Paul's seat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee all the way to Fox News' Sean Hannity. The infighting among GOP presidential hopefuls and their supporters and detractors has just begun. Newsmax reported that Hannity called the "anointment" of Chris Christie as the 2016 GOP presidential nominee "jumping the gun" : "I don't know what the big appeal of Christie is, just based on the record." He said on his radio show on Wednesday : "It is hardly an economic boon or turnaround in the state of New Jersey, I can tell you that. [But] everybody is just going nuts thinking they have this thing figured out for 2016." Hannity charged Christie with not being "in the mainstream of conservatism." Citing exit polls on Tuesday that showed Hillary Clinton beating Christie in 2016, Hannity said : "Chris Christie on his most popular day can't beat Hillary Clinton. That ought to be a warning sign to everybody who wants to put their anointment on this guy without even having a primary....This governor has no idea what's going to hit him. All these liberal media people that want you to run, they are going to be your worst enemy when you get out there on the national campaign trail....And lecturing every conservative, as you are doing, is not going to endear them to you." Hannity taunted Christie : "Has Chris Christie ever said Obama's a liar? Hey Chris, election's over. I dare you. I dare you....I want to hear you say, 'Yeah, Barack Obama is a lair and he lied about his lies.'" ~~~~~ Unlike Hannity, who's not a presidential wannabe, thank goodness, Senator Rand Paul is - and his first barbs aimed at Christie came late on election night when he was interviewed on CNN. But, Rand Paul saved the bulk of his ammunition for a hearing on Superstorm Sandy relief before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Paul took Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to task for the use of federal relief funds on TV advertising aimed at bringing tourists back to areas that were devastated by the superstorm. But he also beat up on Chris Christie, a fellow Republican, for appearing in those ads. "Some of these ads, people running for office put their mug all over these ads while they're in the middle of a political campaign. In New Jersey, $25 million was spent on ads that included somebody running for political office. Do ya' think there might be a conflict of interest of there?" Paul asked. "You know, that's a real problem. And that's why when people who are trying to do good and trying to use taxpayers' money wisely, they're offended to see our money spent on political ads. You know, that's just offensive....It gives the whole thing a black eye." Paul had the decency to acknowledge that New Jersey wasn't the only state to use federal dollars for their "Stronger than the Storm" campaign, citing the New York "Come See the Comeback" ad campaign, (which Paul opposed), but he suggested the New York ads were less offensive because of a NY law that prevents politicians from appearing in the ads. Are we to believe that Senator Rand Paul, caught in a media frenzy over charges of plagiarism in several of his articles and speeches, and who has now blamed his staff for not properly vetting and footnoting them, truly believes he is still a contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination? In today's rough-and-tumble US presidential politics, one strike and you're out. That may deprive us of potentially excellent presidents (Rick Perry in 2012 comes to mind), but that's the way it is. So, Senator Paul, I wouldn't start writing any acceptance speeches because I think the 2016 presidential candidates train just left the station without you. ~~~~~ Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, actually had something good to say about the Chris Christie victory. But, Hatch is 79 and serving his last term as Senator, so he can play the elder statesman and sound like the old-fashioned Republicans of yore who actually wanted to win elections instead of trading insults while Democrats pile up the votes. To wit, Senator Hatch thinks he already has a winning GOP 2016 presidential ticket – and it’s got Chris Christie at the top. The Utah Republican praised Christie : “I think that the man really is an exceptionally tough, smart, good conservative who literally appeals across the board, which is what the Republicans need to have,” Hatch said, referring to Christie. “And let’s face it, New Mexico GOP Governor Susana Martinez has a lot of qualities that would help a lot of people to understand that the Republican Party is a broad base party.” ~~~~~ And dear readers, which Republican have we not heard from? Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Who, as far as I can find, has not even made a congratulatory morning TV stop to show that he knows who Chris Christie is and that Christie has just chalked up an historic win in terms of both winning percentage and Latino and Black votes garnered. I guess nobody told Priebus Tuesday was an election day, so he stayed home and watched "I Love Lucy" reruns in hopes of 'connecting' with Latino voters. -- Will somebody get rid of good ole Rancid Pancreas before he kills off what's left of the Grand Old Party.