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Every day we learn a little bit more about how Chris Christie operates. And everything we learn underscores his philosophy: “Do as I say, not as I do.”

“Do as I say, not as I do” – moving violations edition

Today, NJ 101.5 reported that Chris Christie was stopped for speeding when he was U.S. Attorney and got “lenient treatment” during the stop. Police on the scene learned that his vehicle was unregistered and uninsured – but he was allowed to drive away anyway after Christie named-dropped his title.

Little rankles voters more than officials abusing their positions to get lenient treatment for moving violations. Traffic tickets have ended careers in New Jersey before. Attorney General Zulima Farber resigned
in 2006 after allegations she tried to get special treatment for her boyfriend in a traffic stop.

“Do as I say, not as I do” – financial disclosures edition

On Tuesday, the No. 2 prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office abruptly stepped down after her ongoing and previously undisclosed financial relationship with Christie was revealed.

Brown was overseeing public records requests for Christie’s travel, correspondence and other issues while she also owed Christie $46,000. He didn’t report the loan or the income on his taxes and ethics filings.

Christie prosecuted other officials for the same violations.

“Do as I say, not as I do” – following the law edition

Newspapers around the state editorialized against Christie for talking to Bush operative Karl Rove while he was U.S. Attorney about running for governor. Christie was supposed to follow the Hatch Act, which prohibits apolitical federal employees from putting a campaign together.

Some highlights of their editorials and columns:

Burlington Times: “…what really bothers us is the admission that Christie spoke with Karl Rove, adviser to former President George W. Bush, during his time as U.S. attorney. Rove has said that they discussed Christie’s interest in running for the state’s highest office. That means that Christie may have been actively pursuing the governorship while serving as a federal prosecutor. And that’s a violation of the Hatch Act, a law that restricts employees of the executive branch of the federal government, as well as state and federal employees, from any political activity.”

Alfred Doblin, Record: “White Knight Christie has fallen off his horse. There are no seat belts on saddles…But New Jersey doesn’t need a white knight. It needs an honest broker…Sin of omission? Sin of commission? Either way, the truth is compromised.”

Politico:
“But Brown’s sudden resignation only ensures that the Jersey media will continue to focus on Christie’s ethics as a major storyline in the governor’s race during the summer doldrums.”

Corzine’s rise

Meanwhile, Governor Corzine continues to gain ground in the polls. A new poll by conservative polling firm Neighborhood Research has the race at a dead heat. And thanks to his stewardship, the economy shows sign of improvement, with 13,000 new private sector jobs added. The campaign gave people the opportunity to tell their stories with this video.

From the Deeds campaign:

Today, Sen. Deeds appeared on two local morning news programs, WTTG Fox and WUSA CBS. During the interviews, Sen. Deeds discussed his plans to move Virginia forward including his tax cut for every job created.

When asked whether he was following the Warner-Kaine playbook, Deeds drew a clear distinction between his vision for Virginia and his opponent’s.

“You know, my opponent says that President Bush created an economic revival in this country and that’s his model for governance,” said Deeds. “I would suggest that I’m not the one that’s dusting off an old playbook. I want to build on the progress of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. I am proud to have their support. I’m proud to have the President’s support. This election is very simply about whether we continue to move forward in Virginia or whether we move back. I’m for moving forward.”

Watch the video of Sen. Deeds’s appearances at the following links:

• Fox 5
• WUSA 9

Today, in a speech at George Mason University, Sen. Creigh Deeds outlined the stark differences between his campaign and Bob McDonnell’s campaign, between keeping Virginia moving forward and callously abandoning it with the failed policies of the past:

You can read his full remarks here.

The reviews are in: Christie’s taking a beating in the press for his ethics problems.

Associated Press, “Analysis: NJ GOP Candidate Now Playing Defense,” Aug. 19

• “Now it’s Republican challenger Chris Christie’s turn to play defense.”
• “…the Corzine campaign has begun to turn the corruption-busting ex-prosecutor’s signature issue against him.”
• Prof. Brigid Harrison, Montclair State University: “…it’s become clear the momentum has shifted.”

Charles Stile, “Christie’s loan error tarnishes his armor,” August 20

• Patrick Murray, Monmouth University political scientist: “…his [Christie’s] brand is gone.”
• “Christie runs the risk of being perceived as just another generic Jersey politician.”
• “Christie is now the one with a throbbing headache for failing to practice what he preaches.”
• “Christie’s ‘oversight’ is at odds with his experience as a corruption fighter. He should have known better.”
• “If Christie was truly concerned about the pernicious dangers of poor disclosure, he should have set an example by reporting the loan two years ago instead of explaining himself amid a political firestorm.”

Harper’s Magazine, “Manure for the Garden State,” August 19

• “Chris Christie may be the very model of a Rovian U.S. Attorney.”
• “No doubt New Jersey voters will agree with the U.S. attorney that much of the states political stage has become an ethics-free zone. But at this point, they may be increasingly concerned about the role played by the U.S. attorneys office in that process.”

Star-Ledger, “Gov. Corzine, N.J. Dems continue to attack Chris Christie over unreported $46K loan,” August 19

• “Later in the day, Corzine’s top adviser, Tom Shea, issued a statement saying ‘This whole episode raises grave questions … and the public deserves answers.’”
• “‘Christie continues to fail to live up to the ethical standards he sets for others,’ said New Jersey Democratic Chair Joe Cryan, a state assemblyman.”

Associated Press, “AP sources: NJ corruption prosecutor faces probe,” August 18

• “The top federal prosecutor in New Jersey is facing an internal ethics investigation over public comments that may have helped his ex-boss’ campaign for governor, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Ethics issues have Christie on defensive,” August 20

• Patrick Murray, Monmouth University political analyst: “This is really bad news for Chris Christie in the long run. For someone who is basing his entire strategy on portraying himself as someone who is different than a typical politician, this can be a fatal blow to his campaign…He’s basically put all his eggs in his ethics basket…It’s not so much that he’s unethical, but that he’s no better than any other politician.”
• “New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher J. Christie has been pitching himself as the corruption-busting lawman who will return ethics to state government….But lately, the former U.S. attorney has spent less time vowing to clean up Trenton than responding to allegations and defending his actions.”

And then some great news thanks to Governor Corzine — New Jersey gained jobs:

Philadelphia Business Journal, “N.J. adds 13,000 jobs in private sector,” August 19

• “New Jersey added 13,000 private-sector jobs last month, ending 17 straight months of job losses dating back to January 2008, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development said Wednesday.”

In case you missed it, New Jersey GOP candidate Chris Christie is having a rough week.

First we learned that while he was the supposedly apolitical U.S. Attorney, Christie sought out Karl Rove’s advice about running for governor. Christie was even ranked as one of the US Attorneys “loyal” to Bush.

In response, CREW (the nonpartisan ethics watchdog organization) called for an investigation yesterday against Christie that outlines how his conversations may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from building a campaign apparatus while working for the government.

Now we have learned that Christie’s ethics problems with his former office go even deeper: Christie gave a $46,000 loan” to a federal prosecutor who continues to block public records requests about Christie’s tenure in office. He failed to disclose the loan in in his taxes and in his candidate disclosure paperwork – a fourth degree crime in New Jersey.

Christie, who has called himself a corruption buster, seems more interested in appearances than action, as the New York Times reported in a review of his early political career: “His strategy is vintage Christie: A look at his career shows he has repeatedly used the whiff of corruption as a cudgel against political opponents. But his short-lived attempt to ban no-bid contracts as a freeholder raises questions over whether his zeal for an ethics overhaul is more than just campaign hype and would last if he became governor and met resistance from lawmakers he could not control.”

Meanwhile, new polling shows Governor Corzine within striking distance in the race.

UPDATE: Christie politicking with Rove is bad enough, but as Steve Singiser points out, the news just keeps getting worse. The AP is reporting that the Justice Department is investigating his successor for improperly helping him, the No. 2 prosecutor in the office is indebted to him to the tune of nearly $50,000 – and Christie himself says he’ll pay back the staff with jobs in Trenton. Is the US Attorney’s Office now a subsidiary of the Christie for Governor campaign?

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced that he would not be seeking a third term as governor of Wisconsin. We thank Governor Doyle for his years of service, his commitment to improving the lives of working families in Wisconsin and his national leadership on expanding access to quality, affordable health care.

In his retirement announcement speech this week, Governor Doyle reflected on his legacy and looked forward to the important work ahead of him.

Governor Doyle has already:

• Taken major steps forward in health coverage, including guaranteed coverage for Wisconsin children and expanded protection for autistic children, leading to an overall coverage rate of 98 percent in Wisconsin, the second-highest in the nation.
• Spurred job creation during the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression, pushing for Wisconsin to be the leader in creating jobs for the future in areas like R&D and high-technology fields.
• Protected the quality of education in the state, giving pioneering school districts and outstanding teachers the tools they need to educate our children while improving accountability and efficiency of Wisconsin schools.

There’s much to be done between now and January 2011. As he put it while concluding his statement:

“Let’s get to work.”