O'Malley, who heads the Democratic Governors Association, and Christie started swapping staunch criticism of the other several weeks ago
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie isn't the only governor willing to walk into another state and issue strong criticisms about their leader's choices.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Jefferson-Jackson dinner, an annual fundraiser for the state party.
O'Malley, who heads the Democratic Governors Association, and Christie started swapping staunch criticism of the other several weeks ago. O'Malley questioned Christie's budget plan, saying Democratic governors had managed to balance their budgets without cutting schools and hurting working-class residents. When Christie delivered a speech to the conservative American Enterprise Institute, O'Malley issued a response statement.
Christie said O'Malley was only "spewing pabulum" and "kissing up to every special interest." O'Malley responded by calling Christie a "bombastic bully" and dismissing his stump speeches as nothing more than the "best stand-up routine" of any Republican governor. Christie then said he was happy to give O'Malley someone to talk about who would get his name into the New York Times.
Picking O'Malley for the New Jersey speech was partially prompted by his criticism of Christie, said state Democratic Party Executive Director Sean Downey.
"Gov. O'Malley has certainly been vocal in his defense of New Jersey working families," Downey said. "There is no one else better to come rally the Democratic base in an important election year. Martin O'Malley is our man."