Shame On You, Chris Christie

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is upset with House Republicans, specifically blaming House GOP leadership, over the delay in passing a bill for Hurricane Sandy relief:

“There is only one group to blame,” Christie said. “The House Majority and John Boehner.”

“Last night, the House Majority failed the basic test of leadership and they did so with callous disregard to the people of my state,” he said. “It was disappointing and disgusting to watch.”

“Shame on you, shame on Congress.”

Following his remarks, Christie doubled down on his criticism in a lengthy — and incredibly candid — press conference in which he laid into House Republicans for putting “palace intrigue” ahead of their actual jobs. …

Asked who he thought was responsible on the holdup over Sandy aid, Christie laid the blame entirely on Boehner.

“It was the Speaker’s decision — his alone,” Christie said, adding that he tried to reach Boehner four times, but that the Speaker did not take his calls until this morning.”

One can probably understand Christie’s frustration. He’s got a state that was badly damaged by natural disaster, and he doesn’t want hold ups in rebuilding efforts.

But to hear Christie blast House Republicans for the delay in the relief bill without mentioning all the unrelated pork in the bill – including $150 million for Alaskan fisheries, $8 million for cars for the Homeland Security and Justice departments, $2 million for the Smithsonian to repair roofs damaged before Sandy, etc. – is even more frustrating.

Parochialism is eating this nation alive. We are in fiscal paralysis because of politicians afraid of cutting other’s slice of the pie lest that lead to cuts to their slice of the pie. People like Christie, who is supposed to be a fresh new voice for fiscal conservatism in the party, demanding indiscriminate spending as long as they get theirs, is what’s wrong with the country.

Shame on Christie for blaming House Republicans, who are trying to manage the nation’s finances responsibly, instead of all the opportunists who stuffed this bill with pork.