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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is fast emerging as a center-right hero who appeals to both conservatives and independent-minded moderates. And his actions in the brouhaha over New Jersey’s loss of $400 million in federal education funding show why.
The funding loss threatened to undermine Christie because it suggests managerial incompetence and failure. But, as the cliché has it, Christie has turned a lemon into lemonade and, in the process, shown himself to be an even better and stronger leader.
First, Christie went before the media to accept responsibility for this failure. But he also provided some crucially important explanatory context.
In a Race to the Top application that numbered more than 1,000 pages, Christie explained, one page had incorrect information. The feds had asked for a comparison of 2008 and 2009 budget data, but the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) had provided, instead, a comparison of 2010 and 2011 data.
“Now, I’m not gonna fire somebody over this,” Christie said. “This was a simple clerical error in putting together an application of this size. Am I happy about it? Of course not. “
But Christie also rightly criticized the Obama administration for not bothering to “pick up the phone” and ask for this information. The data, he said, also is available on the state’s Department of the Treasury website. Christie went on to lambaste the federal bureaucrats for their apparent indifference to the real-world consequences of their misdeeds.
Are you guys just down there checking boxes like mindless drones? Or are you thinking? Because what you want to have happen is to have a firestorm of reform of our education system in New Jersey, which is necessary — and [reform] across the country.
Christie then delivered an impassioned plea in defense of the “mid-level” public servant who made an honest mistake, a simple “clerical error.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSahbjR3k0
But if you think for a minute [that] I’m going to fire some mid-level person at DOE [the Department of Education], who was putting this application together, because they put one wrong piece of paper in [to the application], then you don’t know me.
That person doesn’t deserve that treatment. I’m not gonna even give you the person’s name because they don’t deserve to be called out in that way.
I’m taking responsibility. [New Jersey State Education] Commissioner Bret D. Schundler is taking responsibility. And I am not going to allow anybody to be scapegoated over this. You want to take shots, take shots at me.
Anyone who’s ever worked on the staff of some bullying big shot — be they a bullying big-shot politician, elected official, celebrity, General or military leader, et al — is surely cheering Christie, and with good reason: Here is a man who stands by his people. Here is a man for whom loyalty truly is a two-way street. Here is a man who refuses to throw his subordinates under the bus just because doing so might be politically expedient and convenient.
Hear hear, Governor! On behalf of mid-level staffers everywhere, I salute you! You have earned our deep-seated admiration and respect.
Now, as it turns out Christie was lied to: by his own state education commissioner, Bret D. Schundler. Indeed, a videotape surfaced that showed Schundler and his colleagues had been asked (by the Obama administration) specifically about the missing 2010-2011 data, and that they failed to provide the requisite information.
So Christie didn’t hesitate to do what he quite clearly had to do, and that is fire Schundler. “He [Schundler] can’t lie to me,” Christie reportedly told his aides.
The American people don’t expect their political leaders to be perfect or mistake-free. What they do expect, however, is that when trouble hits, our leaders will honestly and forthrightly address the problems that confront them. Chris Christie has done just that. And for his leadership and grace under fire, he deserves praise and recognition.
You can follow John Guardiano on Twitter: @JohnRGuardiano
In an alternative universe, Christie comes out of this well. However, in the universe which we actually occupy, it has been demonstrated that Christie first tried to cover his ample ass by blaming the Obama administration for his administration’s incompetence – and in the course of doing so told a flat-out lie.
If he has not already done so, Christie should apologize to the Department of Education and Obama.
I have only followed this story from the articles posted on this site, but I feel Christie didn’t show great leadership in this situation . He shifted the blame from his subordinates (which relfected on Christie) to a federal agency and the President. Had he admitted that they made a mistake and explained the nature of the mistake and left it at that – that would have been leadership.
Reports from the real world, er New Jersey:
http://blog.nj.com/njv_tom_moran/2010/08/tom_moran_bret_schundlers_firi.html
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/race_to_the_top_presentation_v.html
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/us_officials_to_release_video.html
Leadership indeed!
Guardiano reverts to his usual partisan and totally false world after a couple of decent posts.
Christie was a tool in the way he blame shifted the cock-up onto the Obama administration. Only the revelation of the video caused him to acknowledge the truth of the situation.
He should publicly apologize to Obama.
He is running an incompetent show in NJ and has cost his state $400,000 dollars. How this can be spun to his advantage is truly laughable. So I laugh at you Guardiano.
Terry – $400 million to be exact.
Street,
Thanks for the correction a zero went missing somewhere!
I’m confused. If, indeed, it as a clerical error and they have proof that they corrected the error (albeit verbally) two weeks before the deadline, then why aren’t they now eligible for the money?
Furthermore, given the size of the application, shouldn’t the Obama administration simply accept the revised number and give them the money? I fail to understand the problem. Ok, so, NJ made a clerical mistake and Washington failed to follow up and get the right numbers. Government agencies not being “efficient”?!?! THE SHOCK! But now that we have caught the mistake, why is there any need to blame anyone at all? Just fix the mistake, and move on!
There MUST be more to this that I’m not understanding.
drdredel – from my understanding this was a competition and as in most competitions, do-over’s are not generally allowed. With that said, evidently video has surfaced where the NJ contingent was permitted a do-over and still couldn’t deliver. If you really want to get into the weeds on this, follow the links I posted above.
As I said before, if Christie is a fiscal Conservative, then why the hell is he applying for the money at all? Education should be a local issue. Why take 500 million from taxpayers, wash it through DC and 100 million in operating expenses and then send 400 million back to a state? And the costs and expenses of compiling this data probably cost a cool million in operating costs for NJ.
No, real Conservative leadership would have been not applying for the money at all.
Lets also not forget that the Republicans themselves in Congress limited the money available for this, which is fine as far as that goes, but that 400 million went to another state, it wasn’t burned in a trash bin.
And I love this Christie quote: “He said ‘We have to be on offense on this stuff, not on defense, so I’m going to highlight the stupid Obama administration rules.’” Look, the other state that won instead managed to play by those self same rules. So that is really, really weak on Christies part.
Pathetic Lies 101 with John Guardiano. Christie blamed Obama and then fired Education Commissioner Bret Schundler after trying to force a resignation. Fat boy then went into full walking back mode. If your going to spin some BS you need to be much better then this.
He needs to apologize to the Obama Administration and the Department of Education before he shows any “leadership.” Bet that won’t happen.
This is a poorly researched article. The grant rules state that changes couldn’t be made to the application, which is why the correct data was never provided. Christie’s communications chief received an e-mail stating this the day before the loose canon had a press conference. His communications chief is the one who should have been fired for not squaring the details before Christie spoke on Wednesday. I knew Schundler wouldn’t last long in Trenton. He’s for real reform.
I have no problems with Christie firing his Education Commissioner. However, if he was truly being a leader he’d apologize to the Obama Administration for his attack blaming them for his State’s incompetence. And not allowing New Jersey to resubmit the information was the only fair course of action since other States were competing against New Jersey for limited funding.
Honest to god, I glanced too quickly at the headline and (mistakenly) read, “Leadership 101 Crisis With Christie.”
Not really a mistake after all.
Easton
Lets also not forget that the Republicans themselves in Congress limited the money available for this, which is fine as far as that goes, but that 400 million went to another state, it wasn’t burned in a trash bin.
It is amusing to see the GOP whining over this.
It’s also notable – although certainly not by Guiardiano, that the N.J. teachers union joined Christie administration in crafting the ‘Race to the Top’ application early on in the process. Then at the 11th hour, Christie decided (perhaps with Koch Family input whispering in his ear?) that an application co-prepared by the teachers union just wouldn’t do.
So they tore that one up, and started a new one.
And obviously, didn’t have enough time to check their work properly at the end of the day.
This isn’t leadership. This is whining, cover your ass mode.
Those of us who work in the private sector and submit competitive proposals on a regular basis understand that failure to address all the items in the RFP, failure to respond in the format requested by the client, failure to meet the RFP schedule, can all result in disqualification or failure. Particularly when there are other competitive proposals for the client to choose.
Perhaps Christie, who has been working as a lobbyist or in government since 1998, needs a taste of the private sector to teach him that whining when you lose is simply whining?
Wait. Now I get it.
“Leadership 101 with Chris Christie”
Of course, that means what you’d get in a freshman level survey class – and not what you’d expect from someone whose major was Leadership, or someone with an advanced degree in the subject.
Guardiano was simply being ironic.
Christie showed his true colors to all the world. He blames Washington for his own errors fully knowing that it wasn’t Washington’s fault at all. Caught in a bold face lie will he do the “stand up” thing and apologize? My money says no way.
While he has the size and voice of a bear he’s really just a mouse of a man. Truth and integrity are the prime ingredients for a leader and Christie clearly lacks both.
It’s not like they missed a perfect score by 5 points. There were plenty of areas they could have done better. Why wasn’t more effort put into getting to number one instead of whining about getting bumped to 11.
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/phase1-applications/score-sheets/new-jersey.pdf
http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/phase1-applications/score-summary.pdf
I think this sets a GREAT precedent!
If and when any individuals applying for ANY form of Government assistance ever make a mistake on the form, they should be utterly and completely CUT OFF!
That alone would save the Federal Gov’t billions of dollars.
Chris Christie is a disgrace!
He failed to own up to the costly mistake, and then he went looking for a scapegoat – including the President. And how many on the “conservative” side have recently spoken of the virtues of the New Jersey governor with such superlatives?
Pathetic.