A Democratic lawmaker in New Jersey believes the state’s history of bipartisan deal-making and Chris Christie’s ability to exploit it will insulate the embattled governor from legislative scrutiny.
The Washington Post noted Tuesday that even Christie’s Democrats adversaries “acknowledged that he is unlikely to face wrath from a legislature known for its clubby cross-party dealings.”
State Sen. Ronald Rice (D) explained.
“Christie knows how to exploit power and the way some of the legislators are controlled,” Rice told the Post. “This place is old school. It’s about power and big money, and he hasn’t shaken that up.”
This week has brought attention to Christie’s Democratic allies and how their role in the investigation into politically motivated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge.
State Sen. Richard Codey (D), a longtime New Jersey lawmaker who served as governor for 14 months after Jim McGreevey stepped down in 2004, accused “Democratic power brokers” of trying to interrupt the bridge probe.
New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney, one of Christie’s closest Democratic allies, indicated Tuesday that the scandal had become a “distraction.”
