Ken Serrano and John Schoonejongen

Asbury Park (N.J.) Press

Speech was supposed to bolster position for White House run

Governor quickly dispensed with the closing of the George Washington Bridge

Twice shook hands with assemblyman who has raised specter of impeachment

This year's State of the State address was set to be New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's national moment to bolster his position as the Republican front-runner in the 2016 presidential race.

But "Bridgegate" threw up a roadblock.

Christie's biggest proposal in the speech was to bring a longer school day and school year to New Jersey. It was designed to be a national talker.

"This was supposed to be Christie's trial balloon for the first policy issue for the 2016 campaign," said Patrick Murray, Monmouth University Polling director.

But apologies had to come first.

Christie arrived in the Statehouse Assembly fresh from his windbreaker days as the human face of resilience against Superstorm Sandy.

This year, after the governor entered the chamber to rousing applause, a quieter, humbler Christie dispensed with the closing of lanes on the George Washington Bridge, the basis of a federal investigation.

"He needed to be contrite, and he was," Murray said. "The rest of the speech was really flat."

Christie was trying to cultivate the benefit of the doubt from the public about whether he knew about closing of some the bridge lanes as political retribution against the Democratic Fort Lee mayor for not supporting Christie's re-election bid, Murray says.

"The last week has certainly tested this administration," Christie said in his opening remarks. "Mistakes were clearly made. And as a result, we let down the people we are entrusted to serve. I know our citizens deserve better. Much better."

But Christie quickly launched into a litany of what he said were his accomplishments during his first term.

"Today, the state of the state is good, and getting better," he said.

Christie shook hands twice with Assemblyman John Wisniewski, a Democrat from Middlesex, while both entering the Assembly chamber and leaving. It was Wisniewski who had raised the specter of impeachment on the television show Face the Nation on Sunday.

Wisniewski said he found Christie's choice of words "curious" when the governor said, "Without a doubt we will cooperate with all appropriate inquiries."

In addition to a federal investigation into "Bridgegate," there also are separate investigations due to be set up Thursday in the Legislature. Subpoenas could be issued that day.

"I hope he wasn't ...in some way parsing his words," he said.

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