From offensive tackler to artful dodger

During an exclusive call-in interview on WIP-AM 610 sports radio, ex-Eagle football player and presumptive GOP candidate for Congress Jon Runyan was asked what he stood for.

"What do I stand for?" Runyan repeated the question. "I mean . . . I really believe, you know, the way these career politicians have been and they've gotten us to the point we're at, there needs to be change, and we really have to look at how to change that type of stuff."

His answer doesn't exactly compare with the Gettysburg Address, but at least he's politically savvy enough to know how to answer a question by not answering the question.

If he can dodge tacklers as well as he dodges questions maybe he should go back to football as a running back.

Lunch with Christie: "What's in it for me?"

Gov.-elect Chris Christie sent a strong message to an audience of municipal politicians and workers gathered here today: Stop thinking about yourselves, or you will be voted out.

After embracing outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine at the head of a long banquet table, Christie delivered a forceful speech in which he said he would use "every tool at my disposal to force change."

"The people of the state of New Jersey will no longer stand for us asking, 'What's in it for me,'" he said at the luncheon at the annual League of Municipalities convention.

When Christie got through with the buffet they were asking, "What's left for me?"

A simple "yes" will do

When Bill O'Reilly asked former CNN anchorman Lou Dobbs if he will consider running against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez in 2012, Dobbs refused to rule it out. "A lot of things are on my mind, I'm not going to be coy about that," Dobbs said.

He's not being coy, just evasive.

At least we know Jon Runyan can follow orders

Brian Propp, who played fifteen seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, was recruited by state Sen. Diane Allen to run for State Assembly in her district as a Republican in 2007. However, he did not come close to unseating the Democratic incumbents.

Propp believes that former Philadelphia Eagles star Jon Runyan could be a viable candidate, and will not face several of the obstacles that his own candidacy faced. "He probably has a lot more notoriety than I did," said Propp, who thinks that athletes can make powerful political candidates with the right guidance.

"We've been coached all our lives. If we have a really good coach showing us what to do, we can exceed at it," he said.

That's great. Why don't we just send Andy Reid to Congress instead?

Chris Christie says "everything is on the table"

Chris Christie was discussing the budget at a meeting with State Treasurer David Rousseau and two officials from the Office of Management and Budget. At a press conference talking about that meeting, Christie and his two top budget advisors did not get specific about how dire the forecasts from the Department of Treasury were, and gave no hint of what areas of the budget they would cut. Christie said that "everything is on the table."

That is, until he starts getting hungry.

Can Bob Menendez keep his eyes off Lou Dobbs?

In an appearance on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" host Bill O'Reilly welcomed Dobbs for his first cable news appearance since resigning from CNN last week. "Now, there's been speculation you might run for the Senate in New Jersey. Is that on your mind?" O'Reilly asked.

"A lot of things are on my mind," Dobbs responded. "I'm not going to be coy about this....I'm thinking — my wife and I are thinking about a lot of opportunities. I'm very blessed to have a lot of opportunities. I can guarantee you 100 percent I'm going to remain in the public arena. These issues that matter so much to me, many of the same that matter to you, are not changing. What is immutable here is, I'm going to remain in the public arena."

A spokesman for NJ Senator Robert Menendez said "the senator's focus is on jobs, not Dobbs."

I hope so. I hate to think Menendez has a man crush on the guy.

Christie is going to "weigh in"

Chris Christie and Gov. Jon Corzine have come to a simple agreement when it comes to major appointments and policy decisions in lame duck: if Corzine wants to do something, he'll fill Christie in.

"The understanding that the Governor and I came to was we would be talking to each other about it. There was no agreement that we made that either certain appointments, or any appoints, would or would not go forward," said Christie at a press conference today in the Meadowlands. "He's the governor until January 19. I'm going to certainly weigh in, and he offered me the opportunity to weigh in."

I guess that means Christie plans on "throwing his weight around".