That noise you heard from across the sea yesterday was the hissing sound coming out of the Christie for President campaign trial balloon that fizzled out in London of all places.

christieThe Jersey Governor's reputation of being a straight-shooter is basically the lone asset in his long-shot race for the Republican presidential nomination.

The English fog may have clouded Christie's mind when he told the British that parents should have "some measure of choice" about vaccinating their kids about measles.

That atmospheric condition offers no excuse for Big Chris. His unfortunate remark was a blatant pander to curry favor with the flat earth wing of the Republican party that turns out to vote in primaries. Christie's vaccination statement put him in the same territory as the loopy libertarian Rand Paul.

The Governor's staff went into full damage mode and attempted to clarify his boneheaded remark. It was too late. The British press reveled in Christie's pandering. The Governor grew a tad testy with reporters today, telling them to zip it.

More important, Republican kingpin Rupert Murdoch, threw Christie under the bus today in a Wall Street Journal editorial.

The editorial offered rare praise for President Obama's support for vaccinations for measles and ridiculed Christie's "meandering meditation on parental rights."

The Journal noted that Christie also pandered in search of votes in 2009 when he claimed to stand with parents of autism children who expressed concern that Jersey has the highest vaccination mandates in the country.

Said the Journal: "This isn’t the first time he’s given comfort to those who spread vaccine misinformation or suggest vaccine requirements are an abuse of government power." Hello, Jeb Bush.

The pro-business wing and dwindling band of GOP moderates expected better from Christie, who has proven he's just another spineless politico.

I can't wait for him to tackle the evolution controversy.