When it comes to defending New York from tart-tongued Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn’t leading from big behind:
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is none too pleased with rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s criticism of “New York values.”
In an interview with TIME in Iowa Sunday, Christie issued a sharp rebuttal to Cruz, who recently characterized “the values in New York City” as “socially liberal and pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage.” Christie called Cruz’s language divisive and insulting to the people of New York and of his own state across the Hudson River, before mocking Cruz for taking money from the very people whose views he was disparaging.
“I think it was a very, very ill-advised thing for Ted to say,” Christie said. “You want to be President of the United States, you have to unite this country. And for him to somehow be implying that certain values are more appropriate, more American, depending upon what region of the country you’re from, is to me just asinine.”
Christie praised GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s response to Cruz. The New York businessman pointed to the city’s response to the attacks of September 11, 2001 as the true values of the city. “Is there anybody in the country who didn’t admire New Yorkers and New Jerseyans in the aftermath of 9/11 for rebuilding and recovering the way they did? Is there anybody in the country who didn’t admire New Jerseyans for the way they stood up after Hurricane Sandy and rebuilt our state over the last three years,” Christie said. “Like somehow are those bad values? Is that what he’s saying?”
The governor highlighted Cruz’s opposition to aid for response to the devastating hurricane, but his calls for federal assistance after Texas flooding in 2015. “He’s a guy—and I think Trump’s right about this—he’s a guy whose views are often very, very malleable depending upon what he considers to be politically advantageous at the moment,” Christie continued.
My take on this is that I’m sure Cruz didn’t think this would have the “legs” that it did: he didn’t expect Trump to pounce on it (bad assessment) and bring up, quite correctly, 9/11. Cruz’s “New York values” is typical political dog whistle.
I’m not surprised Christie defended New York after what he experienced as Governor. And I’m not surprised he correctly noted that Cruz opposed Congress giving hurricane disaster relief — but then sought help when Texas had a natural disaster.
I am surprised that he didn’t again somehow work into his remarks that he was once a prosecutor, etc. etc.
Christie added that if Cruz had such a problem with “New York values” he should return the millions he has raised from New Yorkers. “Ted Cruz has no problem with New York values when he’s collecting fundraising from New York hedge funds,” Christie said. “Then New York values are just great, those people have great values I’m sure when they are writing him seven- and eight-figure checks. If he really has a problem with New York values, then he should return that money. And why doesn’t he?
“If those values are bad, I don’t know why you would want to take money from people whose values you don’t agree with—especially if you’re some upright guy like Ted Cruz.”
(P.S. That last comment was sarcastic.)
UPDATE: ABC’s Rick Klein offers this about Cruz and Trump:
Has Donald Trump met his match in Ted Cruz? It’s not just the Iowa appeal that has that matchup dominating the Republican race two weeks before the caucuses. Consider how Cruz is handling Trump – and yes, it’s Cruz handling Trump, and not the other way around. Trump has been trying to draw him out for months with small and often veiled attacks. Cruz refused to engage. Then the birther buzz began, courtesy of Trump. Cruz found an opening for what may go down as the most effective attacks of the race: “New York values.” Cruz took his lumps for it. But he knows that being attacked by The New York Daily News, Bill de Blasio, and, especially, Hillary Clinton is a good thing in the… primary. He’s now focused scrutiny on Trump’s past statements and positions – scrutiny he’s been able to avoid via his own bluster and media ubiquity until now. Cruz has vulnerabilities of his own, including some that are only just now surfacing. Trump is now unloading on a man he now calls “a nasty guy” whom “nobody likes.” Cruz is savvy enough to know what kind of words hurt, and what’s just noise.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.