New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie does pushups on the Wailing Wall as part of his strict fitness regimen.

I think Gov. Christie is hoping to become Mittens' VP, but that would require national amnesia and more than just verbal energy on his part.

NEW YORK — Gov. Chris Christie said the country is becoming a "paternalistic entitlement society" this morning in a speech at a conservative conference headed by former President George W. Bush.

Just in case you didn't know, Chris Christie was a Wall St. lobbyist with zippo prosecution experience who rather coincidentally, became the U.S. Attorney in N.J. only after he, his wife and brother bundled together a large cash contribution to George Bush. I'd euphemistically say he shot to the top of the appointee list, but he wasn't even on the list until he coughed up the cash. Why, some people even say he bought the position! One might infer a certain sense of entitlement there — but then, that's why Carl Jung was a genius.

Addressing Bush and other national Republicans, Christie said he hasn't seen a less optimistic period in the country in his lifetime. "Government's telling them stop dreaming, stop striving, we'll take care of you," he said at a theater at the New York Historical Society. "We're turning into a paternalistic entitlement society. That will not just bankrupt us financially, it will bankrupt us morally."

I wonder if giving fat government contracts to your friends will bankrupt them morally? Nah! Not in Bizarro Republican World! And I'm sure it had nothing to do with your brother not being prosecuted, either.

"We'll have a bunch of people sitting on a couch waiting for their next government check," Christie said.

More friends of yours, Governor? And from what I hear, you're the one who's sitting on a couch — or being driven in a limo, because you can't walk to your kid's ball field. (And let's not forget, taking helicopter rides to meet with Republican donors!)

And Governor, there would be a lot fewer New Jerseyans sitting on the couch if you hadn't been posturing and preening over turning down a train tunnel project that would have relieved a lot of congestion. Turns out your reasons were, like so much else about you, all bluster.

Christie and Bush kicked off a day-long conference on pro-growth tax policy run by the President George W. Bush Institute, a group that Bush said allows him to engage in public policy issues behind the scenes. Speakers throughout the day include Steve Forbes, Congressman Paul Ryan, Karl Rove and several governors. In addition to Bush, Henry Kissinger was in the audience for Christie's 30-minute speech.

Steve Forbes, who worked hard for every cent he has by selecting Very Lucky DNA; Lyin' Paul Ryan, who only passes as a Republican intellectual in Beltway circles because in the valley of the blind, the one-eyed man is king; Karl Rove, war criminal; and Henry Kissinger, Nobel Peace Prize-winning war criminal. Yes, these are the role models to which more Americans should aspire — at least, in the World According To Chris.