Yesterday, The New York Times took a moment to note New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's loose relationship with the truth:
Mr. Christie, a Republican who took office in January 2010, would hardly be the first politician to indulge in hyperbole or gloss over facts. But his misstatements, exaggerations and carefully constructed claims belie the national image he has built as a blunt talker who gives straight answers to hard questions, especially about budgets and labor relations. Candor is central to Mr. Christie’s appeal, and a review of his public statements over the past year shows some of them do not hold up to scrutiny.
TheTimes provides a greatest hits of Christie "misstatements":
In fact, on the occasions when the Legislature granted the unions new benefits, it was for pensions, which were not subject to collective bargaining — and it has not happened in eight years. In reality, state employees have paid 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health insurance since 2007, in addition to co-payments and deductibles, and since last spring, many local government workers, including teachers, do as well. The few dozen school districts where employees agreed to concessions last year still saw layoffs and cuts in academic programs.
Not only does this not come as a surprise, but I doubt it will have any effect on the media's coverage of Christie. The New Jersey governor has already developed a reputation for telling tough "truths," and as long as his rhetoric sounds gutsy, that reputation will stick, even if it's built on misleading assertions and outright lies.
