You won't believe why N.H.'s top paper endorsed Christie

Know two things about this endorsement from the Manchester Union-Leader.

One is that it could put Christie on the map. This paper's endorsements result in an 11 point bump for the winner, on average. If history holds, that means Christie is now a contender in New Hampshire.

The second is this: The paper knows almost nothing about his record as governor.

That's harsh, I know. But I just got off the phone with the Union-Leader's editorial page editor, a very nice guy by the name of Grant Bosse.

The paper has been paying close attention to Christie's speeches in New Hampshire, and his visit to the editorial board. And that's a dangerous game when it comes to a slick character like our governor.

Take Bridgegate. The editorial made no mention of it. "It has nothing to do with the governor," Bosse says.

It's possible Christie didn't know about the lane closures or the cover-up. But this is a governor whose cabinet members don't go to the bathroom without his permission. At a minimum, these were his senior appointees.

How about pension reform? The board in Manchester did not know that Christie broke his core promise on that by skipping pension payments. "I don't know if we went into the weeds on pension reform," Bosse said.

The editorial said he "dealt admirably" with Sandy. That would come as a shock to the actual victims, 60 percent of whom say they are dissatisfied with the state's response.

On jobs, the paper saw no reason to check Christie's dismal record. "Politicians don't create jobs, so we didn't want to give that any credibility," Bosse said.

How about the nine credit downgrades on Christie's watch as governor?

"That largely stems from the fact that while he's been successful holding back tax increases, he hasn't been as successful in restraining spending. Credit agencies like taxes. They don't reward states for fiscal discipline...read on"