Friday - August 27, 2010

You Lie, You Fry

Yesterday, I mentioned in passing watching NJ Christie give it to DC for their asshatted douchebaggery. And here’s the video, in an article over at The Corner that asks just how vindictive the Oblahblah Regime really is. Answer: very. Very very.

But Christie was a little bit wrong. He was wrong in that he said that Schundler had given the correct information verbally at one of these Race To The Top education grant grillings. Because that’s what Schundler told him had happened.

It turns out that Schundler “mis-remembered”. As the unapologetic and still douchebaggy US Department of Education was quick to point out, by sending in the videotape, Schundler and his team actually muffed that question, and had no answer for the committee during that earlier Q&A session.

But the fact still remains that the federal form wanted 2008 vs 2009 data, on one page of the 1000+ page application, and Schundler’s people provided 2010 vs 2011 data. Clearly labeled as 2010 vs 2011 data. And nobody down at the DC DOE could be bothered to pick up a phone. Christie asked “Does anybody in Washington have a lick of common sense?” Answer: No. Mindless drones checking boxes. Zero effort towards their jobs.

New Jersey lost the competition to Ohio by 3 points. That one bit of bad data cost them 4.8 points. $400 million down the hole. What was that old line, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you”? Bull. Shit.

So here’s your Conservative version of Nuance: In his conference at the first link above, Governor Christie said he wasn’t going to fire anybody over a simple but unfortunate clerical mistake like this. That’s class. But when he found out that Schundler had lied to him about providing the correct data verbally - and let’s face it, it was a lie; put yourself in his seat at that session. You’re getting grilled left and right, providing answers, solving issues, helping your state compete for this grant. And then you and your team totally blow one of the questions. Not only don’t you know the answer off the top of your head, you don’t even have it written down anywhere. Big time muff. Mortifying. You KNOW you are going to remember this moment.  - so when Schundler was caught lying, Christie asked him to resign. But Schundler wouldn’t do as asked. He would not resign. So after a few hours waiting, the NJ Governor got tired of it, and canned him. Now that Schundler has lost his $141,000 job, he says he asked to get fired so he could collect unemployment. Currently NJ pays a maximum weekly unemployment benefit of $584 for 79 weeks, which is barely 21% of the $2711/wk he was bringing in. But maybe top government jobs are scarce these days for Republicans. So maybe he will need the cash.

Don’t mess with Christie.

Gov. Chris Christie fired state education commissioner Bret Schundler this morning after Schundler refused to resign in the wake of the controversy over the state’s loss of up to $400 million in federal school funding.

“I was extremely disappointed to learn that the videotape of the Race to the Top presentation was not consistent with the information provided to me,” Christie said in a press release. “As a result, I ordered an end to Bret Schundler’s service as New Jersey’s Education Commissioner and as a member of my administration.”

But after Christie and other top officials on Thursday watched the video of Schundler and other officials’ presentation to the U.S. Department of Education, and the video contradicted Schundler’s explanation, the governor said, “He can’t lie to me,” the source said.

He directed Bagger to ask for Schundler’s resignation Thursday afternoon, but it took several hours for Bagger to reach the commissioner.

Then, Schundler at first said if the governor wanted his resignation, he would give it, according to the source.

By this morning the resignation had not been received, and word started circulating in Trenton that Schundler was resisting. Christie grew tired of waiting, and ordered Schundler fired, the source said.

Schundler said today he asked to be fired rather than resign because he said he needed the unemployment benefits.

Schundler has been an effective Conservative, serving as mayor of Jersey City and even running for Governor a few years ago. But the current NJ Governor won’t put up with dishonesty of any kind, not even CYA bullshit from his top people.  I’m beginning to wonder if he could fill bigger shoes than just NJ Governor.

Posted by Drew458     on 08/27/2010 at 01:50 PM   
Filed Under: • Politics •  
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