Obama Team Digs Up Dirt on Christie ... Just in Case

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(Newser) – Despite the fact that Chris Christie has joked that committing suicide might be the only way to convince supporters he's not running in 2012, President Obama's campaign is still trying to get the dirt on the New Jersey governor. Sources tell the New York Post that Obama operatives are compiling a file of "opposition research" that could be used to damage Christie should he change his mind.

Of course, sources say the team is trying to do all this secretly, in an effort to avoid elevating Christie’s status even more. A rep for Christie continues to insist the governor is "not cracking the door open even a little bit," but said Obama's efforts are a flattering “acknowledgment that Christie is a bold leader successfully taking on big challenges as governor" A leader who cuts spending and takes on the special interests tends to earn notice at the highest levels."