Chris Christie, you gotta love him sometimes, even if you hate his politics.
Here’s a governor whose unflinching bravado can turn into an embarrassing bluster if he doesn’t watch his temper.
You can cringe when he goes too far, but, when he’s on, that prideful New Jerseyan inside of you stands up and cheers.
Last week, when he oratorically turned on his own Republican brothers in Congress for dragging their feet on voting for disaster aid, you had to thrust your fist in the air and shout, “Right on, brother.”
It was hard not to feel the sting of his “shame on you” to Speaker Boehner and his own party’s majority in the House of Representatives.
After Gov. Christie’s rebuke, New Jersey congressmen rushed to huddle with Mr. Boehner and extract the promise of an expedited vote, if only on a small slice of the requested $60 billion. The rest could be forthcoming next week, if cranky Tea Party types can be dissuaded from holding up the request to wring spending cuts elsewhere out of the federal budget.
Gov. Christie seemed to cast politics aside when he chastised “the House majority” and Speaker Boehner for failing “the most basic test of leadership … with callous disregard to the people of my state. … It was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”
He said what most people think of today’s D.C. atmosphere: “Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress … this used to be something that was not political. Disaster relief was something that you didn’t play games with.”
Chris Christie can be at his best when he can manage his characteristic contumacious outrage. Even New Jerseyans who fight him tooth and nail on policy can admire his piss-and-vinegar attitude when it comes to defending his state.

