NJ Newspapers Call On Gov. Christie To Resign
By David Madden
ASBURY PARK, NJ (CBS) -- Dissatisfaction within New Jersey over Governor Chris Christie's job performance is well known. But his recent decision to back Donald Trump for President, and campaign for him out of state, is now fueling calls for Christie's resignation or removal from office.
Six co-owned newspapers in the state jumped on the bandwagon in a joint editorial.
The six papers, all part of the Gannett chain, include the South Jersey Courier Post. The editorial suggests the papers are "fed up" with what they label Christie's arrogance, opportunism, hypocrisy, sarcasm and "his long neglect of the state to pursue his own selfish agenda."
"He has not done the job he was elected to do," Asbury Park Press Editorial Page Editorial Page Editor Randy Bergmann told KYW Newsradio.
"He spent 261 days out of state last year. That's just unacceptable."
The papers endorsed Christie in both his Gubernatorial races. But they conducted an informal poll among readers in January.
"We asked them to give him an "A" to "F" on I think it was nine different issues," Bergmann said. "There were 1,300 people that responded to it, which is pretty good And on all nine of those issues, everyone gave him an "F"."
Christie's turnaround on Trump, paired with the Governor's refusal to discuss it at a rare press conference in Trenton on Monday, led the papers to determine in the editorial that Christie has "put personal ambition ahead of the interests of New Jersey citizens".
Bergmann concedes Christie is unlikely to quit, but suggests on line chatter about a recall is picking up.
No comment from Christie's office.
