Christie held to higher editorial board judgement than Walker

When Gov. Chris Christie's people were charged with breaking the law, The New York Times editorial board said "he can't slough these problems off on hired hands. They belong to the man in charge."

No matter how Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey spins the George Washington Bridge scandal as he eyes a run for president, one thing should be clear: These are his people, charged with a conspiracy to exact revenge against a local mayor by closing lanes to one of the world’s busiest bridges/

Mr. Christie’s response on Friday was to reiterate, on Twitter, an earlier claim that he had “no knowledge or involvement in” the bridge scandal. He recently told journalists in New Hampshire, where he is drumming up support for his implausible, undeclared campaign, that the trouble occurred because he is “too trusting” and too much of a delegator. Mr. Christie can’t slough these problems off on hired hands. They belong to the man in charge. 

When Gov. Scott Walker's former county executive people were charged with breaking the law, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board sloughed it off for him:

Prosecutors have charged three ex-Walker aides and two others; more charges may be coming. Walker has set up a legal-defense fund. 

But the governor has insisted that he is not a target of the investigation and that he is cooperating. While the investigation surely is troubling, no evidence revealed so far implicates Walker. Overzealous political associates sometimes get in trouble.

Walker is famous in Wisconsin for finger-pointing and blaming others, but It's a lot easier to evade responsibility and take a pass for the behavior of your law-breaking and ethics-deprived appointees, associates and donors if the state's largest newspaper does it for you.