Mitt Romney will extend a helping hand to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie this week by appearing at a Feb. 27 fund-raiser for the Christie-led Republican Governors Association.

Romney’s participation was confirmed Feb. 22. Meanwhile, Christie, keeping a low-profile in the nation’s capital during a meeting of the National Governor’s Association over the weekend, avoided reporters seeking comment on the scandal of his administration’s role in intentionally creating gridlock for four days last September on access to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, NJ.

Romney’s speech this week helps him stay in the limelight and help fellow Republicans in case he runs in 2016 as a already vetted candidate.

Mostly, Romney helps former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in a run for the 2016 by staving off scrutiny of Bush as a front-runner until Christie’s almost inevitable collapse down the road as a viable contender. That downfall will come because of other and largely unreported scandals, as we have previously argued here.

The Justice Integrity Project does not cover routine political stories. In this case, however, my previous reporting on Christie and for the book Presidential Puppetry: Obama Romney and Their Masters provides important evidence missed by much of the mainstream media.

Most pertinent, as previously reported, are: The underlying strength of the Bush dynasty, whose scion Jeb is my prediction as the 2016 GOP nominee.

Romney is the most likely fallback choice because he is a known quantity from his races in 2008 and 2012 and has the backing of the powerful Mormon Church unless its power structure sees an opportunity to the otherwise longshot former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Conversely, Christie is highly vulnerable whenever his GOP rivals decide join vocal Democrats in undercutting him.

Before the knives come out, however, Republicans seeking mainstream support have every reason to stand with Christie. Until recently, Christie has fostered a rare blend of a common-man image coupled with faithful service to Wall Street and other elite interests behind the scenes.