Nothing promotes bipartisanship like a hurricane: Morristown Mayor praises Gov. Christie

Last weekend, Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty welcomed Newark Mayor Cory Booker to the historic Morristown Green for a Democratic campaign rally that included a poke or two at Gov. Chris Christie.

But on Monday, Mayor Dougherty was singing the praises of the Republican governor. Hurricanes have a way of promoting bi-partisanship.

“The Governor has been better than good,” said the Morristown Mayor, after a long day overseeing the town’s response to Hurricane Sandy. “This wasn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It was about leadership in a crisis. Everybody followed him through this crisis. And he led.”

Mayor Dougherty credited the Governor and his staff with communicating clearly and effectively, averting the confusion that surrounded last year’s Tropical Storm Irene. A hierarchical, top-down system of information from Trenton to the counties and towns was implemented, via a series of conference calls, he said.

Now the real test begins.

“There are weeks of recovery to come,” the Morristown official said.