Corzine and Christie: Icy Transition?

MYFOXNY.COM - Incoming and outgoing political officeholders always say they look forward to a smooth transition of power. But it appears that may not actually be happening as Gov. Jon Corzine prepares to leave office and Gov.-elect Chris Christie gets ready to take over.

Former acting governor and current Senate President Richard Codey describes as "chilly" the relationship between the Corzine and Christie camps.

"It's unfortunate that two decent men cannot come to a compromise," Codey said.

In the final days of his term, Corzine has made approximately 200 appointments to public boards and commissions -- surprising to some -- not so to others.

Patrick Murray, the director of Monmouth University's polling institute, said some appointments are clearly political, others partly the result of a lengthy nominating process.

"Jon Corzine spent four years leaving a lot of these positions open for various reasons, many of which had nothing to do with strategy, but everything to do with not getting around to it," Murray said.

One of Corzine's appointments, Republican state Sen. Phil Haines, has turned down the judgeship that Corzine, a Democrat, nominated him for.

"It has long been my strongly held personal belief that the incoming governor should not be handcuffed with lame duck political appointments that are not his own," Haines said in a letter addressed to both Corzine and Codey.

Gov. Corzine's spokesman responded to the perceived icy relationship, saying "There is no 'rift' between both offices."

Christie's spokeswoman calls the relationship "cooperative."