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Christie Dodges Scandals in Inauguration Speech

Weathering snow and scandal, Gov. Chris Christie was sworn in for a second term Tuesday with a return to the bipartisan theme that made him a national celebrity.

Weathering snow and scandal, Gov. Chris Christie was sworn in for a second term Tuesday with a return to the bipartisan theme that made him a national celebrity.

The Republican governor made no reference to the investigations that have plagued his administration and dulled the shine on his landslide re-election just 11 weeks ago.

"We cannot fall victim to the attitude of Washington, D.C.," Christie said at the Trenton War Memorial. "The attitude that says I am always right and you are always wrong. The attitude that puts everyone into a box they are not permitted to leave … The belief that compromise is a dirty word."

The daylong celebration of his inauguration as the state’s 55th governor was supposed to cap Christie’s ascent from popular governor to early front-runner for the 2016 presidential nomination.

Instead, his administration has found itself on the defensive, fending off questions about who ordered lanes closed to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee and recent allegations that Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and Cabinet officials deprived Hoboken of Hurricane Sandy relief aid because the mayor wouldn’t sign off on a development plan favored by the governor.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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