Chris Christie Traffic Jam Scandal
I thought someone would have posted this.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/nyregion/christie-aide-tied-to-bridge-lane-closings.html
Byebye2016 Yeah...it's just that Christie has so many backers around here no one wants to admit what a d-bag the guy really is.
eperot He'll just pull a page from the Obama playbook, claim to have been "unaware" of anything and have the aides fall on their swords. Politics as usual. I would have had more respect for him if he would have gone "Boss Tweed" and had some goons rough these guys up personally, rather than resorting to fraternity pranks like creating traffic jams, that affect everyone BUT other politicians.
iPhone-imal I think there is a traffic jam scandal on wb rt80 every night. Can someone figure that one out?
LJRubi There is no way he did not know about it. The high-ranking people in his inner circle would not have done something like that without running it by the governor first. I'd be willing to bet that he will not even try to run for president after this is all said and done
oldredJon Stewart's take.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP5i_9MWWdM&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Calico696 You noticed when people started asking questions about it. It was all a big joke to him I was the one moving the cones around. And then when people started digging deeper into the story. He started attacking the reporters and the Democrats for looking into a nonexistent story. I bet you he's not laughing now
Like I had said a few years back, the good thing about bullies is that, if you like what they are doing then the fact that they scare everyone into submission to get their way does not bother you and tends to quiet much of the opposition as well as supporters who may feel that the bully should throttle back a bit.
Unfortunately, when the worm turns, supporters as well as detractors come out of the woodwork for their quid pro quo. That what will make this one so bad, everyone will pile on and his own party may even back off.
This may be enough to tank his aspirations; at least he can eat hearty again!
"People let me tell you about my best friend........"
msitergoogle 
Christine NJ.com had a story showing emails. Why are some of the email messages blacked out with a marker? Show them all.
maja Gov Christie's scheduled response to the traffic jam scadal is to be broadcasted at
11:00. Never a dull moment in NJ! I hope the facts clearly prove he is not involved in this...
Spring Fever I agree, oldred. Just like there's no way that Obama didn't know exactly what was going on when he pled ignorance as well. How can you tell a politician is lying? His lips are moving...
I can't believe the people involved in this could have been so petty and stupid. Very disappointing.
jd2 There's security cam footage of Christie buying 10,000 marbles from Fort Lee Drugs and Sundry directly prior to their thanksgiving day parade. Now we know who's responsible for that fiasco with the marching bands, too.
Nit and Wit. One "is" the liar and chief and the other is the liar and chief "wanna" be. Oh goody.
auntiel The big difference is Obama IS the President and Christie won't be.
Now there's an extra seat in the clown car.
skippy right calico, all of them are liars, just that some haven't been caught yet.
christies performance at this press conference should be a guide for Obama,
Obama hasn't held anyone accountable for anything. he let's them all slide along. and no one has held him accoutnable for anything, wish the press would display the same critical attention to our president as they are to nj's govenor. it is a free press that helps ensure our freedoms as americans.
jd2 - i agree with you. i cannot get my head around how vapid, petty, and stupid this behavior is, and for them to gloat about it afterwards is shocking. and to not know that these google mail messages would come out at point in time is stupid, naive, petty, and as the governor has said, completely unacceptable.
this damages his name, brand and reputation, time will tell how it all plays out.
BrotherDog Your right Calico, I'm not surprised. Disgusted mostly. I don't know if I'm more disgusted with them or the American public for voting the same crap over and over, year after year. Either party doesn't matter, one is no better than the other.
The last time we had a similar press conference the Governor of NJ came out and said he was gay. Only in NJ.
Can't you just picture it now. My name is Kelly I work for the governor of New Jersey I woke up one morning and decided that I would take a chance of throwing away my cushy six-figure salary be the butt of jokes and throwaway any chance I have of having a political career so I can put the screws to Fort Lee New Jersey just because I feel like it without the governor knowing anything about it.
The truth will come out when the lawsuits start coming. They've all lawyered up already there's going to be tens if not hundreds of lawsuits these people Christie through under the bus and plus there going to have to contend with a chance of jail time for political corruption. Can't wait to see how long it takes them to throw him under the bus this scandal kills any chance he had of winning the Republican nomination not that he had a real chance anyway hell even my wife who is a Republican said she would vote for Hillary Clinton for president because she wanted to see a woman president in her lifetime. All those Bible thumper's out there in the Midwest would never vote for him anyway he's to liberal on gay issues even the gun nuts won't vote for him because he supports gun control
Obama didn't cause the death of an old lady.
http://www.northjersey.com/fortlee/GWB_lane_closures_delayed_EMS_response_in_Fort_Lee.html
U.S. Attorney reviewing Chris Christie bridge scandal for potential violation
http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2014/01/us_attorney_open_to_federal_criminal_probe_of_lane_closure_scandal.html
LeRoy Grimace I voted for Christie and would again. Not excusing this GWB situation but in comparison to other politicians at least he owned it and did apologize.
+1 luvlife......
Who would vote for Hillary just because she is a woman? That's like voting for Obama just because he is black! Yeah look where that got us. ;)
Here's the Wildstein Committee Hearing. At least Christie didn't filibuster ALL the way through it:
http://new.livestream.com/NJOLS/ATR1
Obama's drone strikes have probably killed lots of old ladies. Plus, there's no legitimate concrete correlation between an unconscious 91-year old woman dying of cardiac arrest at a hospital and a few minute delay in the ambulance getting there. That's a stretch that Mr. Fantastic would have a hard time pulling off.
It's under investigation. Meanwhile, Wildstein has pleaded the fifth 15 times already.
Christie has never been a man of character. He is a politician, just like the rest of them. He only SEEMED to be "better" because we are in the swamp that is NJ. I have never been a Christie "fan", altho I admit I think he's been doing a better job than several previous governors.
I have to wonder tho... with Christie being Hillary's #1 problem in 2016.... is there a Clinton in the woodpile on this one?
JeffersonRepub @christine, are you saying only black people voted for Obama. I think I'm missing your point, can you explain further?
Bessie Who got the text messages/emails between kelly and the other guy and gave them to the media?
Christine over half of the people in this country are one issue voters whether it be pro life or pro-choice pro-gun anti-gun if my wife wants to vote for a woman for president that is her right to do so. I myself am a one issue voter veterans rights. There has not been a Republican in office since Eisenhower that has really given a crap about veterans issues
I personally would never vote or not vote for anyone based on race, gender, religion etc. I vote for who I think can do the best job. Unfortunately, lately it's been more of a "lesser than two evils" scenario than I would like. Sigh....
Speaking of wood piles, can't help wondering how many and who were paid off, and who came up with such a stupid, outlandish idea. The whole thing makes no sense unless some think-tank thought it would be a good way to ruin Christie's reputation before the next Presidential election. For the record, I am neither Republican nor Democrat...
I really think the presidency is Hillary's for the taking first of all Republicans are going to have a weak field anyway. And as happened with Romney the eventual Republican nominee will be pulled so far to the right that it will be nearly impossible for them to win Republicans are Republicans worst enemy
Spring Fever...
Ruining Christie's rep before the next presidential election isn't small potatoes... to the democrats. It would be BIG potatoes. VERY big.
Same could be said for anything that stops Hillary for running... but if the country is stupid enough to run and/or elect her after Benghazi, then the country is far more ignorant thatn I thought... and that would be a tall order.
One thing's for sure... Christie doesn't have the face for 1080p close ups. Yikes...
Bessie if you look above I responded to oldreds comment.
I am not a one issue voter either Calico. I feel you have to weigh the issues. Kind of like one evil over the other.
Oldred stated his wife will vote for Hillary just because she wants a woman as president. I think that is DUMB! Yes its her right but again that would be like voting for Obama only because he is black. One has nothing to do with the other. Vote for them because they can do the job and are qualified and you have confidence in them not because of race or gender.
Wildstein guilty of contempt for not answering the committee's questions. He's lucky it's not 36 counts.
Giving Christie the benefit of the doubt, he sure didn't do a good job of hiring people for jobs that paid six figures. Didn't do a good job of supervising them, either.
The joke about Christie has been that he's a good governor whenever he gets around to it.
And what does Obama have to do with any of this?
Andy Loigu Makes you proud to be from New Jersey, doesn't it?
Jon Stewart pointed out we have a horse's head on the state flag and quoted the lyrics from Bruce Springsteen ...
We've gotta get out while we're young ...
Christy a good governor? Economically speaking by the numbers, he stinks on ice.
It's odd that people are using Obama as an argument seemingly in support or as an excuse for Christie.
The Christie error/misunderstanding demonstrates a blatant abuse of power. To retaliate against someone because they did not support your candidacy is a Gestapo-like move and really pathetic considering how far ahead he was in the polls.
Bonv Never vote for a democrat or republican...vote for a 3rd party......Gov. Christie sucks! So did the last 10 guys running the state....NJ is a corrupt wasteland of crooked politico's! Vote all these scumbags out! Hell I say Impeach Christie....and Impeach President Obama too! expell the congress and fire the house! Seal the borders while we are at it ! Deport all of the illegals! Empty all the prisons by sending ALL felons to Cuba! Make all drugs legal (but make users register so the CANT get any goverment beni's) Make gun ownership a requirement for all sound minded citizens. Eliminate income tax! And lastly have term limits for all elected officals!
A&P Sucks anyways ^^ Yeah, like Obama and his so called "Justice Department" hasn't been doing it for years.
Toldya The references to Obama aren't an excuse or a show of support for Christie. They are the strongest condemnation of him that one can muster. He had portrayed himself in a certain light and it turns out he's just as big a liar as everyone else in politics.
As for retaliating against people for political non-support in a blatant misuse of power, it's not a Gestapo tactic... it's a CHICAGO tactic.
iphone animal wrote:
"The references to Obama aren't an excuse or a show of support for Christie. They are the strongest condemnation of him that one can muster. He had portrayed himself in a certain light and it turns out he's just as big a liar as everyone else in politics.
As for retaliating against people for political non-support in a blatant misuse of power, it's not a Gestapo tactic... it's a CHICAGO tactic."
A+!!!! Post of the day, man!!! Right on 100%
RU "If Chris Christie can’t even bully one little small-town mayor and get away with it, how can we reasonably believe he’s politically skilled enough to cover up national scandals?"
http://onion.com/1cSE9NI
It's not odd. It's politics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-its-obamacare-all-the-time-for-republicans/2014/01/07/60d72f26-77de-11e3-af7f-13bf0e9965f6_story.html
Is anyone surprised ianimal (that he is not a boy scout)? I am not, and I still support him (as much as I can any politician).
No presidential chance now, you can only hope mistergoogle...
iJay Whether Christie knew or not really isn't important. His demeanor and past acts created the atmosphere that this type of behavior is something he condones. Maybe he didn't hire the people responsible but he did hire the people that over saw the workers responsible. Either way, hiw attitude encourages this behavior.
boobalaa What an ugly little man.Eerily similar to Anthony Weiner's infamous performance. Scary how comfortably these guys dwell in dishonesty.
A little surprised nobody made the comparison of this to the IRS tea party scandal (since swept under the rug and forgotten)... Both are a pretty shameful abuse of power.
I would however have to give Christie a pass if he got in front of the cameras today and said that he thought it was ok to abuse his power like this as he was just following the example set by the president... I guess he doesn't quite have the balls for that though...
Brendan What a piece of garbage to hang his top aide out to dry.
What arrogance to think that people will believe that he did not order the lane closures.
He actually takes no responsibility because he threw everyone he could under a bus in the hope of salvaging his political career.
What an embarrassment.
If in fact he through people under the bus as you think Vous, then that infomation will come out eventually. The Feds are involved in the investigtion and will offer some kind of immunity to those he fired. At least he fired those involved unlike Obama who has not fired or held anyone responsile for the numerous scandals under his watch. If he is found to be lying then he is toast.
kb2755 Wow, you would think Christie got some diplomats killed in an embassy or something and covered it up. So a politician threw his political weight around. Ha. Big deal. Press has been waiting for something, anything, to skewer him. This is pretty weak. The only people who should be mad are the ones who had to sit in the traffic.
MeisterNJ I am still amazed that people want to sue because they sat in traffic. The media acts like there is never traffic at the GWB and he is to blame for all of it. If this is all they can find out about him and they find out he lied and did order it so what! Other politicians have done worse and they have survived their so called political weight.
As far as this losing his chances to run for President, GOOD! I personally want him in NJ for as long as possible. Besides he never has said he would run anyway.
“I’m heartbroken about it and I’m incredibly disappointed. I don’t think I’ve gotten to the anger stage yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there.” -Gov. Chris Christie
My dad used to say, you learn about someone's true character when you give that person power.
Christine, people didn't "just sit in traffic" . . .emergency responders were delayed. It gridlocked the city. It was dangerous - and they laughed about it.
Challah Six N.J. residents file lawsuit against Christie, Port Authority
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/bridgegate_six_nj_residents_file_lawsuit_against_christie_port_of_authority.html
Boy I'm glad Christie's cronies weren't mad at the mayor of Washington and decided to close let's just say Rte 57. No big deal it's all just politics right Christine? Oops but no one could shop at all the little shops in Washington. So what if this is all he did. LOL!
"just sit in traffic" incredible lack of insight to say that.. the point is, you have no idea how that kind of delay would affect those traveling... just think of it for a minute, first responders, people trying to get to their work or to appointments - affecting other's livelihood - kids trying to get to school, but the point is, this was done Deliberately... in a childish, bully-power manner because he was angry that someone didn't agree with him... and its impact was on uninvolved bystanders - whose only involvement was the need to cross the bridge.. ugh
pmnsk MeisterNJ wrote
"Wow, you would think Christie got some diplomats killed in an embassy or something and covered it up. "
I think that about sums it up.
The whole thing is ridiculous! Who cares..really people..with everything else thats going on in our country this is what you choose to make a big stink about..wow!
I heard that Hillary has an opinion on who caused the traffic: "What difference at this point does it make?”
And who do the Yankees think they are? I've been stuck in jams getting to a game. And why do we always have to pay to leave NJ anyway :'(
I think it's great to compare Chris to Hillary and Barak. Just like a real politician. All that's missing is the wife's supporting stance next to him on the podium. He is no longer a horse of a different color. So even though a great response, the rose has wilted for what is now the joke from Jersey.
And for those of you who "personally want him in NJ for as long as possible" please read the economic numbers. We need him out of here ASAP if we want jobs and prosperity.
I do agree that this is like the IRS scandal and that Obama could learn a trick or two from Christy's alleged mea culpa which was really a dressed up "I am not a crook." Admitting you were the victim of being lied too is a long way from accepting responsibility for creating a bully-boy culture where your top aides think this type of behavior is acceptable and even appreciated. So far, he is avoiding his responsibility and the root cause.
And for those of you believing Christy fires, Obama hides ---- nope sorry ---- once again you need to check those facts before you stick your foot in your mouth. So far, the IRS agent in charge was fired, also the acting commissioner of the IRS was fired too.
This will be a tough year for Chris. As a bully, many of his opponents, detractors, and even supporters who might differ, have stayed quiet in the shadows less he unleash some verbal attack or even worse, a Fort Lee experience. Now they may be emboldened and may come forth with other allegations of bullydom, other examples of Fort Lee-itis. And like I said, his economic record is so dismal that even his basic policy "achievements' can be questioned since the results are some of the worst in the nation. Note how no Republicans have stepped up to his defense; as one commentator said, perhaps Chris has been running a bit ahead of his supply lines.
Although Christie didn't know he took responsibility and "owned" it. Took action immediately.
The current President could learn from this.
The people suing are suing because they sat in traffic and were late for work. One claims to have had a "anxiety"attack. They arent suing because of an emergency. Thats a whole nother issue. What happened was definitely wrong, but to sue, come on! Ridiculous!
I believe him. Call me stupid, but they say more may come out, so we shall see.
"So far, the IRS agent in charge was fired, also the acting commissioner of the IRS was fired too."
So what you are saying is that Christie should also fire the cops that put out the cones to block off traffic? Also, from what I remember, the acting commissioner who was fired was a couple months away from the end of that temporary assignment...
The thing that really bothers me here is the marked difference in the media's response and attitude to two strikingly similar scandals... I suppose we should all be used to it by now, but complacency builds acceptance so I still feel the need to point it out.
Once again, check your facts before you put your foot in it. The President has always taken ultimate responsibility for scandals like Benghazi and the IRS, publically, at the podium, and in the press.
You can learn from this. Check your facts.
I voted for Christie and feel the positives may still outweigh the negatives. Still, I think the following assessment from today's New York Times editorial is fair:
"If the governor wants to regain any credibility, he will have to admit that he set a tone of vindictiveness."
Watching the governors news conference I was struck by his inconsistencies. The first two I noticed right away is he was asked if the Gov.'s office and himself would cooperate fully with the ongoing investigations he said yes. Then about 45 min. later a reporter asked him if he was given a subpoena when he testified. His answer I'm not going to get into that. The second inconsistency I find strange is that the beginning of his press conference he said that he had not been able to sleep for the last two nights. But then in the next sentence he tells us he only heard about the scandal the day before. And in that news conference nearly the whole thing was about he the governor was the victim not anyone else. I personally believe he did give the order to shut down those lanes. and all the scapegoats hes firing one of them will talk the first one if you watch the other hearing 1 already said if they get immunity from prosecution they will give the real story. You can bet the prosecutors are going to give one of those three people immunity from prosecution. They're just waiting to see who has the most damaging paper trail that leads back to Chris Christie. And that's the one who will get. That's the way federal prosecutors work
obama could take some lessons in leadership from the governor.
sadly he won't.
the president has been allowed to skate by on all of his scandals, the press keeps giving him a mulligan. they grade him on a curve just like they do with inner city school children in Newark and Camden, they just pass him along to the next grade. this is pathetic.
when will the press apply the same critical fervor to our president that they are using against nj's govenor?
"what difference does it make at this point" is a stunning lack of responsibility and a great example of poor leadership from hillary clinton who the liberal pres has already coronated as our next president. they have already elected her.
"I didn't know about this till I saw it on the news"; President Obama embarrasses himself and the nation time after time by not knowing anything about what goes on with his team, and the press lets him skate away freely time after time.
yep, they grade Obama on a curve because they have very low expectations for our president. I wonder why that is?
the critical role of a truly free press is an essential element to defending our freedoms as Americans.
agreed?
So Christie is a bully. So what. That's what you want in office, especially in tough times. If he was a weeny, everyone would jump all over him for having no backbone. You know where he's coming from and people don't like it.
What do you want, David Dinkins?
mg,
Could you please tell me WHO, exactly, took responsibility for Benghazi, and HOW, exactly, they took responsibility?
Lip service is NOT responsibility.
BDog: I think after some time you will find exactly the opposite is true. It is Chris who will be going to the woodshed fer some remedial. And while Chris might use other words, JD2 is correct that that is the only path out. And no Meister, we want to "walk softly and carry a big stick" not shove it to you in the back because you disagree. There's a difference in being tough and being a bully. Likewise, Obama's deal-making "sneakiness' is a lot a what's behind the Tea Party House's mantra that it is better to do nothing than try to work together on compromise. I know he has troubles getting anything done, but should have made sure folks read the bills before they vote.
As far as the press and a mulligan, cut me some slack. There's enough right-wing and radical right press out there to fill your void of venom against the President. If not, you wouldn't have all those nifty stereotypical sound bytes to fall back on.
Meanwhile, Chris Christie's strength is he is not a stereotype politician. At least he used to be. How do we know? Because...........
Unlike a politician, Chris closes down lanes instead of working across them.
Unlike a politician, Chris gets a lap band not a lap dance.
Unlike a politician, Chris does not filibuster, instead he fills up at Busters.
For all that think that the Christie set the tone for vindictiveness think about this:
If your kids planned to drink underage, is it because you created a tone of recklessness and no respect for the law in your family?
People will take it upon themselves to plan and anyone who manages people knows this. I have had to terminate employees for willful and unauthorized actions against policies and procedures.
"Could you please tell me WHO, exactly, took responsibility for Benghazi, and HOW, exactly, they took responsibility? Lip service is NOT responsibility."
Really. What are you looking for over Benghazi? Obama took responsibility, he launched investigations, increased security, and began the process of hunting the bad guys down. And what is Chris doing with his lips that you like so much better? Firing one person is not exactly a house cleaning, not exactly an investigation, not exactly attacking the root cause.
As far as Benghazi: Obama took responsibility, he ordered a security increase at all U.S. diplomatic locations, he began investigation to find cause, and continues to determine who did it in order to hunt them down and bring them to their final justice.
FYI, his hunting record is pretty good.
Thus far, we have determined the culprit organization and are making plans for our next steps although stymied by the Libyans. Follow the Post and Times links inside the NPR piece to read more: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/11/221340050/one-year-after-benghazi-attack-huge-gap-in-investigation
As far as people getting fired, going to jail, etc. not sure again what you are looking for. Is it the Republicans who shorted the protection budget you want? Obama for not getting them to change their minds? The defense department for not having more troops everywhere. Clinton for being there in the first place? I agree with youi Clinton will never be President, is that enough punishment? Her political career is over. Her time as Secretary as State is a less than zero. She basically was forced to retire. What else would you like? Jail time? For what crime?
For the rest, yes, the investigations show that more should happen. So far, four mid-levels at State have been fired which in state-talk means placed in administrative limbo but then they were returned to active service. That is wrong. 3 generals and an admiral have "retired." Clinton has "retired." Obama did bring damaging facts to light that did get people fired (and then rehired) but much more should be done, sounds like it should go higher up and the case continues: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/15/congress-hillary-s-benghazi-investigation-let-top-officials-escape-blame.html
Remember, the report was around 9/13, time marches slowly at the Fed.
But is that markedly less than firing one person who was caught red-handed via an email? Not one person relating to Benghazi has been in such flagrant contempt. So who do you want, and what do you want?
And I listed the IRS firings so far, in case you want to dredge that up again.
"when will the press apply the same critical fervor to our president that they are using against nj's govenor?"
are you kidding me?
I find it interesting that whenever something of note occurs in one camp, the majority of responses are in the line of "well, he/she is not as bad as your guy/gal" are we really that immature that we cannot discuss ongoing issues without reducing it to middle school nah nah nah?
Here's what I don't understand. Christie was up in the polls by 24 points and the mayor of Fort Lee is a Democrat. Of course he would endorse a Democratic candidate. Why the need to do something so reckless?
Lady Jayne Who would vote for Hillary just because she is a woman? That's like voting for Obama just because he is black! Yeah look where that got us. ;)
Christine
So what you are saying is that before Obama, every white person voted for the candidate that won the election, since Obama is the first non-white Prez? OR to answer your comment, maybe the same people who didn't vote for Obama because he is black.
Clyde Potts Clyde - I bet lots of people didnt vote for him because he is black and thats the only reason. And others voted for him only because he is black. Btw - he is only 1/2 black
mg,
For you to think Obama or anyone else took any REAL responsibility for Benghazi, once again shows hows how eager you are to believe what you WANT to believe.
Pmnsk, I agree with you; it would be nice to keep the conversation on the subject at hand.
And yet....everything is relative, isn't it? Compared to the ideal, everyone is found wanting. So, in a way, Christie's actions have to be compared to the norm.
Frustrating world we live in.
Bob Braun's Ledger
Watch what happens to Bridget Anne Kelly. Christie has good friends on Wall Street (Goldman Sachs) and the pharmaceutical industry (Celgene)--everywhere, really, where there is a lot of money. If this alleged liar--Kelly, that is--ends up with a cushy job to help support her large family, then you know she took the fall for The Big Man, allowing him to play the contrite poor victim, and she will never flip on him. It is just beyond belief that, for months, Christie took no interest in a story roiling around the state and only read about the emails in the newspaper. This is a guy who notoriously watches his press clippings.
Of course he is guilty until proven innocent by the overly aggressive media who is too saturated with personnel and air time. I don't believe he knew about this and would vote for him again.
justwondering Thats right, its all relative.
Kelley probably took a bribe because it doesnt make sense that she would jeopardize her job just because Ft Lee mayor didnt endorse Christie.
Well, in the way that Christie "took responsibility" by throwing others under the bus at least doled out consequences (for right or wrong). More than Obama has ever done.
If Christie does make it through this scandal, I think it will have a lasting affect on his future years in the public eye or in government...for the better. Humble pie isn't the most popular choice on the menu, but it sure can be instrumental in curing a number of ills...
Christie has enough problems even in his own party well before this debacle. Thank you JD2, my thoughts exactly. Only JR knows what "REAL" is. An example is that silly picture byte. If you don't agree, you get branded some name.
Why do most of you lemmings accept lying from any elected official as norm?
And, once his immunity deals are in place with both the feds and the state, Wildstein will likely have more to say about that. Same goes for Ms. Kelly, whose gmail account will likely be even more interesting than Wildstein's, and whose recollections about her conversations with the Governor and his chief of staff will ultimately sink the fatboy.
The more I think about it, the more I believe it's possible that Christie *was* in the dark about it.
Number one, the whole plan is a passive-aggressive tactic that would be more likely to be hatched by a woman than a man. It's the political equivalent of keying somebody's car.
Number two, only a woman would take offense at something like this. Christie won in a landslide; what does he care about the endorsement of the mayor of Fort Lee. She was probably the one actively seeking it and was pissed that she didn't have the political "muscle" to get it done.
I still think it's a black eye on Christie and it speaks volumes that his underlings think that he would approve of such tactics, but I'm beginning to doubt that he had any prior knowledge.
justintime What evidence is there of Christie lying?
The last prominent politician caught lying was Clinton. How about that liberals?
the press grades Obama on a curve because they have very low expectations for our president. I wonder why that is?
the critical role of a truly free press is an essential element to defending our freedoms as Americans.
RUNS down to the light at 57 & 182 puts up cones to direct traffic though golden skillets drive though new traffic study in place
Is this all we have to complain about any more is a small traffic tie up
opps there I go again
Caged Animal Depends Willy on how you stacked the deck. Depends on your definition of "prominent" Willy. And depends on your definition of "caught lying." Because if it take Congress to tell you who the liars are I think we can sell you the GW Bridge, clogged or open.
But once again Willy, you are probably wrong and should check your facts before putting up the post.
And thanks for letting Obama off the hook as a political liar. Nice.
"JR, we all believe what we want to believe."
True, but how many of us challenge our own beliefs versus how many of us lock our minds and throw away the key?
Anyway, IMO this is a ridiculous distraction. If anything can be taken from this it's that this is the NORM for politicians. Well, not this exact event but the lying, manipulation and obfuscation of information and events to suit the picture that we choose to believe. Certainly Obama and the others mentioned have done the same; if you believe otherwise I have a Gold Mine to sell you!
Clyde - I bet lots of people didnt vote for him because he is black and thats the only reason. And others voted for him only because he is black. Btw - he is only 1/2 black
botheredbyuu
bby, that was my point I was making to Christine .As for the 1/2 black thing had we not known his background, he would be (by looking) a black man, technicality or whatever aside
I can't claim credit for this theory, BUT:
What if this wasn't aimed at the Mayor of Fort Lee at all? What if Christie was angry at Fort Lee's State Senator, Loretta Weinberg, who is also NJ's Democratic Senate Majority Leader & a Judiciary Committee member.
The day before the Bridget Kelly's email was sent, Senate Dems rejected the Governor's Supreme Court nominee. It made Christie crazy, and he held a press conference that day denouncing the Democrats and the Judiciary Committee.
This makes a ton more sense than him being angry at a Democratic mayor. The mayor just happened to be in the way.
Vous, oldred's post above, a utube clip, explains this theory in detail. Not saying it's true, but the reporter did a good job of explaining it...
All I saw was a corrupt politician pushing people under a bus while sidestepping his own obvious complicity in the scandal.
Christie set the whole thing in motion
He sad-clowned for 2hours about his mistakes and yet brutally eviscerated Kelly, his loyal worker of 5yrs, for her mistakes to save his own career.
no problem bby, sometimes hard to put into words or read into what one is writing.
Typical HL thread, going off topic. Thread topic is: Chris Christie Traffic Jam Scandal
Yet somehow Hillary & Obama somehow were included here on HL, even though not once did their names come up in yesterday's presser Christie held (unless it got pass me). If it goes any longer keep your eyes open for George Clooney lol
The most disgraceful part of this entire thing is, in the words of Charlie Daniels....
"Media is treating this Christie thing like the third world war, and treated Benghazi like a speeding ticket."
The point of the lawsuits is to get Christie et al under oath in a federal court. Thats the desired outcome and these civil lawsuits are no joke for Christie.
Mr Negative "All I saw was a corrupt politician pushing people under a bus while sidestepping his own obvious complicity in the scandal."
vous, you have to be more specific. You could be talking about any one of a dozen of Obama's press conferences, lol. Do you mind if I copy that statement to my clipboard to use after Obama's next one? It's been a couple weeks; I'm sure the next one isn't far off...
No Clyde that is not what I am saying at all. Don't make my phrase a racial phrase.
If what I said above does not explain it then I am sorry. Cannot explain it any better.
"Oldred stated his wife will vote for Hillary just because she wants a woman as president. I think that is DUMB! Yes its her right but again that would be like voting for Obama only because he is black. One has nothing to do with the other. Vote for them because they can do the job and are qualified and you have confidence in them not because of race or gender."
Loretta Weinberg is from Teaneck. If he really wanted to get her, he would have had NJDOT shut down Route 4, LOL. As far as conspiracy theories go, that ones not even interesting.
JIT --- It's one thing to say it, it's another to prove it. So prove it.
I think Vous is seeing what is beginning to unravel today as the plot goes wider and deeper. There's seems to be a trail of events from the Senate to the Senator and the Fort Lee mayor may just be a red herring.
I mean think about it: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” says Kelly. Wildstein says “Got it" and goes into action. Yeah, like there was nothing else said nor planned nor anyone else involved. Sounds to me like someone called the "code red" and everyone knows what that means.
Then later:
“You did great,” Wildstein wrote to Baroni.
“Trenton feedback?” Baroni asked in response.
“Good,” Wildstein responded.
“Just good? Shit.” Baroni replied.
Yeah, a big thumbs up from Trenton and Baroni expected even a bigger payoff.
I think as this one unfolds it unravel Christie's run towards the sun. We're about to see a much more intricate set of events testing the mettle of the man and the bully-boy culture he espouses.
"Christine, people didn't "just sit in traffic" . . .emergency responders were delayed. It gridlocked the city. It was dangerous - and they laughed about it" states Challah
So what do they do the other times the GWB is clogged. Because its like that ALOT!
All lawsuits for this should be thrown out of court IMO. Its all about lets see how much money we can get.
Just to clarify something - the GWB wasn't clogged. The town of Fort Lee was grid-locked because of all the people trying to get on the bridge who were not able to because of the lane closures.
he fired people only for lying to him, not for closing the lanes on the bridge
Doesnt make any difference what they suffered, Christie will be under oath and thats the entire point.Perhaps Kelly and Wildstein were orchestrating a mutiny and plotted the shutdown in order to scandalize Christie, disgrace themselves, and lose their jobs.
Or perhaps Christie is just a thug and liar.The email exchanges show a conspiracy that was well established within his office. Why else would Wildstein just say "on it" when Kelly never said what she meant about Fort Lee.
And Wildstein never had to ask
Or maybe they figured they'd never get caught? Weren't they using gmail and yahoo email addresses? It's obvious that it had been discussed between them before.
Christie doesn't strike me as a "key your car" type of guy. He's more of a " shit in a bag, set it on fire and ring your doorbell" kind of guy. Something as lame as a traffic jam didn't start at the top.
Per JIT above: "True, but how many of us challenge our own beliefs versus how many of us lock our minds and throw away the key?"
"Anyway, IMO this is a ridiculous distraction. If anything can be taken from this it's that this is the NORM for politicians."
On the first point - true. We believe what we want, but some are more open to change over time than others. Wasn't it the king in "The King and I" who discovered we can be wrong about some things we absolutely know?
On the second point, I think you wrong to poo-poo this. I've never seen anything quite like it. Not a norm. The chances are 50-50 (?) Christie's political future is wrecked. We'll have to see how it plays out.
What would Kelly and Wildstein have to gain by doing this? Part of the puzzle is missing but it will all come out.
I think CC is really an Obama supporter. First he slobbers all over Obama when he comes to NJ after Sandy for a photo Op, then he gives the keynote speech at the RNC and never mentions Mitt Romney by name, now he commits political suicide with this act of childish retribution and gets Obama's failings and Gates book out of the news. He is Obama's best political hack.
sam people who are late for work lose money, at least one had a panic attack and the 91 year old lady who was delayed getting to the hospital died
It certainly matters. They deserve any money they can get.
So I can sue every idiot who gets into an accident on I-78 and makes me late? I should start keeping records, lol.
Why did Christie call Cuomo on Dec 12 to get him to back off the investigation by Cuomo's man on the PA? I thought Christie just found out about this problem? LOL!
I love how people try to deflect this to the President, what does he have to do with this, um nothing, but some how beating him up will make it better, thats the problem with this country this issue is what fat boy did, and then blamed it on his staff, what a real nice guy he is, funny when i ran a department if one of my employees did that i would have been fired. But lets focus on Obama
hello1 ianimal, come now, I know you are more intelligent than that.. I know you know the difference between an accident and this deliberate act....
Every "accident" begins with a deliberate act. Surely you're smart enough to know that my boss doesn't care what the reason for my tardiness is, right? I need to make up the time regardless.
Using your logic, hello1, Obama would have been fired a long time ago and bringing him up wouldn't be relevant. IRS, NSA, Libya... Funny, I don't remember you calling for his head on a platter any of those times. And since you point out Christies weight, shouldn't you refer to Obama's abnormally large misshapen Dumbo-like ears when you refer to him?
It's a class action. If any employers were affected by the loss of their employees due to the , they should join it too.
"people who are late for work lose money, at least one had a panic attack and the 91 year old lady who was delayed getting to the hospital died "states Leroy
Most people would not lose money for being late they just work later. When you commute that way its part of life. One woman had a panic attack? Seriously I get them everytime I go over a bridge can I sue the state because I have to go that way? the daughter of the 91 yr old woman is on record as saying her mother was ill and it was her time to go. Waiting in traffic had nothing to do with her death.
Look sue if you want to sue BUT I will bet my last dollar that they are just out there to gain a few bucks and that's all. It has nothing to do with what Christie's administration did or did not do.
This whole mess is like an onion that we will be painfully peeling for days and weeks. And for every layer that's peeled we will have to suffer through the political extremes - Christie did this; yea but Obama did this and then let's not forget Clinton and how about Bush with his weapons of mass destruction. Painful!
For me there are two issues the lying and underlying offense. I can move beyond the lying which I firmly believe Christie is already doing. There is no way he handled the “investigation” the way he said he did during his press conference. He would have investigated this more thoroughly and demanded answers weeks ago. As for the lying, I get it he’s trying to protect his career and deflect the fallout – not great but it’s not the end of the world. What I can't get over is the original act because it is firmly against our democratic principles. This is about using your position to punish a person for not endorsing you. You let this go and it’s a real slippery slope. PROVIDED that Christie actually asked his people to retaliate and I’m reserving judgment until there’s more information or the damn onion shrivels up!
5catmom and christine keeps missing the point, it isn't that they were late, it is that they were late because of a deliberate act by a bully politician who did not care about the impact of his retaliation...
it is NOT about the traffic, it is about the act...
just don't want to see it do you...
I am not talking about the act pmnsk.....I was referring to the lawsuits that follow.
Do YOU get it?
a deliberte act,
you mean like canceling tours of the white house?
closing the national parks?
locking the wwii vets out of their own memorial?
closing down airports?
are those the overt deliberate acts you just can't get past?
Why isn't the press just as interested in these other deliberate acts as they are with the lane closures? how come you aren't? it bothers you, yes?
and the president does have big dumbo ears and a nasty penchant for vindictiveness. he is not a nice guy.
but i do agree with you and i am appalled at the acts of those who closed the lanes. really bad, should never happen and if laws were broken then let them face the consequences.
5catmom- I'm with you....you can try Tylenol or bubbly. I choose the later and I also choose to stay way from political threads. Lol
positive Arkansas lt. gov. says he'll resign over ethics case
http://news.msn.com/us/arkansas-lt-gov-says-hell-resign-over-ethics-case
Well said Brother Dog, people have blinders on when it comes to Obama, putting up fencing around the World War II Memorial when hundreds of Veterans many in wheelchairs were there to visit wasn't a deliberate act. Funny how they already assigned a Federal Prosecuter today to the Bridgegate but they are just getting around to assigning one to the IRS scandal.
Why did Christie fire Bridget Kelly instead of putting her on leave and ordering her to testify under oath? Or why didnt he at least ask her, yes or no, if she actually wrote the emails in question before firing her.
Something is wrong, very wrong, with this. He never asked Kelly why did what she did because getting that answer would open him to perjury.
The most important thing that must happen on Tues or Wed is Speaker Prieto must give Chairman Wisnewski unlimited subpoena power.Anything short of unlimited subpoena power for Chairman Wisnewski will be a deal between Christie and Dem power brokers.The press must ask
here is the list of Christie donors working with Port Authority and taking tax payers' money
http://dng.northjersey.com/media_server/tr/2012/01...
Northjersey
http://dng.northjersey.com/media_server/tr/2012/01...
Vous, I guess you don't know how the PA works. Whichever Governor that has control (they change NY & NJ) they give out plum jobs to donors or people who worked hard to get them elected. This has been going on for at least 40 years. This is no surprise.
my goodness brother, I thought this thread was about christie... didn't know that I could not be upset about christie AND acts of others... didn't realize that if I responded negatively about christie's actions it automatically meant that I was positive about the president, didn't realize that if we just divert attention away from what this thread was initiated about, then we wouldn't have to look at what really happened... wow brother I guess you really are a "black and white" kind of guy..
It may surprise you to know that some folks are able to look at events regardless of the political party involved, and have independent responses... I know, you are not one of them, but please don't assume that everyone's mind is as open/shut as yours is....
Why do all you people who are infected with Obama derangement syndrome. Have this obsession trying to link Obama Benghazi IRS fast and furious to the bridge closure together. I would say you would have a point if there was an e-mail from Obama's deputy chief of staff. Telling someone to do something and they write back got it. Your obsession with Obama cannot be healthy. And as far as the veterans not being able to go to memorials it seems like you all forgot the Republicans shut down the government. And unlike most of you I am a veteran and I think it was sickening for those teabagers using veterans as props that's the only time they care about veterans is when they can use them for their own political gains
imal... from websters - Accident: "an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause"
That's pretty much what you need to prove to collect insurance for something.
Insurance companies don't stay profitable if they pay on claims for things that were deliberate. Illness, injury, damage, is not insurable if it was self inflicted.
The spin going on here is incredible. Politics is poopadoodle.
Can we let the details become availble and then make an informed decision? Lots of other threads available for the Obama haters among us.
yankeefan Prove what misterg? If you are asking me to prove that many politicians use their power to punish their "enemies" then all you need to do is listen to the news. Heck, there have probably been hundreds of posts on this site alone that describe some sort of retributive action by politicians.
In this case, the first thing that comes to mind is gerrymandering. Certainly that falls in line quite closely to the "goal" many are saying Christie had here, to punish non-supporters. Would you suggest otherwise? Or are you OK with gerrymandering because that particular form of punishment is done "legally"?
Lol, this is a side show. It's a testament to the sad state of what we collectively choose to see as "reality" (or lack thereof) in our society. If you truly don't think this kind of thing happens all the time (in varying degrees, of course) then I really don't know what else to say.
pmnsk - maybe you missed my posts (see above) where i said to hold them all accountable, my mind is open, not black and white,
the press needs to hold accountable all of those in power who abuse their positions.
that includes obama, and hillary,
christe and his team need to be held accountable for what happened here (i said so multiple times above) you and i and vous are on the same page here.
i would like to know why the press keeps giving Obama a mulligan on all of the scandals and resulting abuse of power that he continually gets away with. Why aren't they pursuing all of Obama's scandals with the same vigor that they are examining this Bridge Lane Closure issue?
where are they when those things happen? why are so many out there ok with the press asking Obama softball questions like "What's your favorite thing about being president?" instead of pressing him on where he was during the Benghazi meltdown?
4 Americans dead, many more wounded and the truth has been hidden by a power drunk administration.
it is a truly free press that is an essential part of protecting our rights as individual American citizens. The MSM has abrogated their responsibilities on this as regards our current failed president.
the MSM needs to hold President Obama as accountable as they are holding Christie and his staff accountable. Does that make sense?
i like your posts pmnsk, on this and other threads, and generally agree with what you have to say, and i would like to emphasize that we are on the same page on this issue,
no more mulligans for Obama, agreed? (and no mulligans for Christie and staff and whoever else may be involved)
You could prove "Certainly Obama......... have done the same"
Or you could question me about me being OK with gerrymandering, another weird question/ascertain.
The MSM should go after this with the same vigor that they are pursuing christie:
Rep. Gardner: Udall ObamaCare controversy raises concerns about abuse of power
Udall, a Democrat, is under fire following reports that his staff pressured the Colorado Division of Insurance to walk back its claims that 250,000 people in the state had their health insurance canceled due to the health care law.
Gardner, R-Colo., said on “The Kelly File” that emails in which an insurance agency employee said the workers were “standing strong” indicate they were receiving hostile inquiries from Udall's staff.
“This was clearly an attempt to use an office, to use a staff to pressure a public policy maker into changing the numbers of people who’ve had their insurance cancelled,” he said. “I think it raises a big question about the abuse of power.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/10/rep-gardner-udall-obamacare-controversy-raises-concerns-about-abuse-power/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29
You can bet he asked Kelly before he fired her why she did it. He asked her months ago, when this first came out, if she had any knowledge of it and she lied and said NO.
Tounge-in-cheek advice for Christie for managing this bridge closing problem: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/a-defense-of-chris-christie-courtesy-of-the-nsa/282971/
RAD Once again I agree with Christine. I get a panic attack when I drive over a bridge too. Dont know why! Maybe Christine and I should file a suit to sue the state because you know they "deliberately" built bridges. Any lawsuit filed because of bridgegate is ridiculous
This thread is too funny. There's been a serious breach of ethics and law at the top levels of the Christie administration. This is not a conspiracy theory. It actually happened. And all the conservatives here can talk about is Obama? Wow! Way to turn a blind eye to corruption in your own camp.
Gadfly And this business about lawsuits not being valid..... Government officials intentionally broke the law and as a direct result, private parties suffered financial losses. You could hardly invent circumstances that were more likely to result in a successful civil suit.
"imal... from websters - Accident: "an event that happens by chance or that is without apparent or deliberate cause""
Yes, pmnsk... That is the definition of an "accident". However, it bears no relation to 99.9% of motor vehicle collisions. Most collisions happen not by chance, but by deliberate negligence. The cause of the collision is just as frequently apparent and deliberate. Someone doesn't text and drive due to chance; it's a deliberate action. Same thing with just about every other "accident" that occurs on the highway.
Once again, the Obama kool aid drinkers attack a (so-called) republican for what is minuscule compared to what Obama and his cronies get away with.
I'm no real fan of Christie but I would vote for him over any democrat any day. I find it hysterical that anyone would make such a big deal over this. Far worse happens in Washington every day.
Many organizations, including NYPD, are changing their terminology from "traffic accident" to "traffic collision" in honor of the Iman.
Meanwhile, I think it's time for Christie Presidential Bumper Stickers.
VOTE CHRISTIE: he can bridge the gap between the parties
VOTE CHRISTIE: unblock the Congressional log jam
SUPPORT CHRISTIE: or he will get you my pretties.......and your little dog too
Gadfly, everything's funny. When people bring up serious breaches of law and ethics in the upper levels of the Obama administration, Obama supporters point at Bush. Everyone's a hypocrite and I'm surprised that this surprises you in any way.
As for the lawsuits, you know who's going to be signing the checks, right? Not Christie, not Kelly... every single dollar paid out will be at the expense of the taxpayers of NJ. So, bearing that in mind, you would hope that juries would have a clue and if anything award punitive damages in the amount of $1.
Otherwise, a handful of lawyers will get huge paydays and the actual people affected will get next to nothing each. Gotta love our class action system.
GC Ianimal. I think you're a little confused. I'm happy to talk about the President in another thread, but this one is about the criminal activity of Christie's top people and the likelihood that he was also involved. That's got nothing to do with Obama or anyone else.
And yes, the state is likely to be at risk, but so are the assets of any of the individuals involved.
No individual involved is going to pay a dime in all likelihood. These are much more easily proven ethical violations than broken laws. I doubt this ever goes to trial. And if no criminal conduct is proven, government employees and elected officials are shielded from lawsuits, as far as I know.
Question: does anyone know if the traffic study was performed during those four days? If it was, then the timing can be shown as vindictive, but the act of closing the lanes is certainly not a criminal offense.
Gadfly, if one's goal is to isolate and discuss this one, single instance and make a huge fuss over it then OK, that's the goal and it should be stated as such. Of course by doing so and forgetting that this same type of thing (lying and making decisions that are harmful to the folks politicians oppose) happens regularly as a matter of policy then IMO perhaps you should not be commenting on the bigger picture. I mean, if all you want to do is focus on the narrow view then maybe you should stick with that narrow view. Yes, this was a stupid, bone headed, idiotic thing to do by Christie's administrators (regardless of whether or not he himself was in the know). I think everyone would agree. You win. Score one for your side. Hurray! OK?
Ianimal is doing what people should do, which is attempting to put this fiasco into context. But that's not what politically motivated people do, is it? Politically motivated people (the my team vs your team folks) *want* glaring instances like this that they can use to say "Hey, look what (insert your enemy's name here) did!". They *want* the narrow, emotion-focused discussion so that people are left with the impression that suits their needs. They want sensationalism, because the response to sensationalism, letting our emotions take over, is to turn off the logical parts of our brains.
The reality is that this is SOP for both major political parties (and likely all minor ones as well). This really is just another distraction, or rather a punctuation mark about the current state of politics in our nation.
disclaimer: I am NOT defending Christie, did not vote for him the last election, and am scared as hell of him being voted into the Presidency if that's his goal. He's responsible for the people in his administration and must deal with the consequences of their choices. If that means his political career is dead, then so be it.
And misterg, it always amazes me that so many having the R vs D mindset are completely hypocritical when these kind of stories emerge. Your guy bad, my guy good! Surely you are not saying the your hero, President and God is the model of perfection and has never, ever played the political retribution game? (I'd do some serious googling if I were you before you answer that question ;-)
Good thing we seasoned liberal spinners are here to help these clueless Republican Conservatives spin, lie, and mislead their way out of a proper scandal. However, they can't even get that right. Everyone knows that a proper spin comparison must be like for like; you can't jump-shift and expect the spin to hold.
I mean if we were going to start allowing those types of non-aligned comparative slams, where would it stop????? Hitler and Pol Pot would be back on the table :>)
So for this one, the proper deflection point for accurate scandalization comparative slams would be either Corzine, Codey or McGreevey. Probably the most relevant would be Corzine since you want to try to keep it close in time too. And especially since Codey is already building his case for being bullied for years by our favorite pit bull: Christie. I think his quote is "why not, what else can he do to me and my family. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ex-gov-codey-victim-christie-pettiness-article-1.1571833 . Although McGreevey might be appropriate since both gents got outed more or less.
Second. Generally when there is ample evidence it is better to just admit it and take your lumps. I mean an email that says "do it" followed by an email that says "OK by me" followed by one that says "Trenton says Thumbs Up, Mission Accomplished" usually signals defeat. Especially since they will be hard pressed to hold the "Chris really doesn't not know what's going on right outside his office" line of reasoning for too long. I mean as President, we might expect him to actually talk to his cabinet so acting stupid like this gonna cut both ways.
Oh yes, the storm clouds are gathering and it will be some time before the sun comes out for Chris. But in the mean time, please get your comparative "but what about what that guy dids" right. Mixing them up between Fed and State at different political levels just ruins it for all of us.
jd, I think the "concept" of hypocrisy gets utilized way too much; way more than the word gets used, certainly.
Perhaps jd2, but it was only myself and iAnimal who've used it in this thread so I'm not sure how that translates to "too much". I can't speak for Ian, of course, but I used it specifically to rebut misterg's assertion that his God is not infallible (above where he asked me to prove that Obama has not committed political retribution himself). On the contrary, his hero has been involved in plenty of political scuffles over time and, while each is different, the one constant is his never-ending defense of the man. IOW Obama can do no wrong in his mind. Is that not hypocritical? I think it is, for obvious reasons.
"Question: does anyone know if the traffic study was performed during those four days?"
ianimal:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhearings2014.asp
You might find what you need there. Too much info for me to pour over though...
If someone defends on the one hand, and condemns on the other hand, the same type actions from different people, then that is probably hypocrisy - although I think they have to realize they are doing it.
I don't really see much of that here. I don't see anyone here is says or thinks that Obama, or anyone else, can do no wrong. What I see in these political threads are many charges of wrong-doing that are probably unfair, or go too far (or way way too far). Such unfair charges then have to be refuted, or put into context, etc. Such defenses do not go so far as to claim all is well!!
I see a lot of mis-reading and misunderstanding of what people are saying.
In the case of the bridge scandal, I can hardly remember a case of wrong-doing that deliberately targets the public at large where no justification can even be pretended! (Let's say for now that this wrong-doing is at the Christie staff and Port Authority level. We'll understand it better by and by.)
There is just no talking to these people with Obama derangement syndrome. They live in a bubble and nothing can get through it. Even if you can 100% prove they are wrong. They are so blinded by hatred they refuse to believe it. I finally realize that I while ago when I was at the VFW and this guy with Obama syndrome started spouting off about Obama ordering flags lowered to half staff for Whitney Houston. I showed him on my smart phone that it was only New Jersey that did that and it was ordered by Chris Christie. And he still did not believe it. They live in an alternate universe where they see the Obama bogeyman are around every corner. And everything is a conspiracy leading that to Obama
Points well taken jd2.
Back to the story, the more I read about it the more petty it becomes. I think this one might stay in the limelight for a little while.
bby, those who would vote for BHO a third term if they could despite the IRS scandal, Benghazi, etc....yet want to make a huge deal out of some bridge traffic because there was a republican in charge.
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy...yes I said it:)
Read the story in the link mg provided regarding Christie's treatment of Codey. That's how he rolls. He'll cut off the funding for your pet projects and fire your relatives. Not exactly admirable, but certainly not the passive-aggressive pettiness that was shown here. When Christie sticks it to you, he wants you to KNOW that he did it.
I heard on the news that the Kelly woman's marriage went south last year. Maybe that plays ino this somehow. Possibly she was having an affair with Wildstein (more likely Baroni) and they hatched the plot between the sheets.
==> oldred, you are right on with those comments. Here is a paper from Dartmouth that looked at why our political views resist evidence to the contrary. Once we get an idea in our head, we don’t like to change our minds. The paper uses political views because these tend to be strongly held. This research finds that the effect is strongest with opinions that are strongly held, important to our self-image, or important to our world view.
The paper is at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~nyhan/opening-political-mind.pdf
N.J. mayors who did not endorse Chris Christie question whether they've also been targets
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/nj_mayors_claim_chris_christie_exacted_retribution_after_they_chose_not_to_endorse_govs_re-election.html
Of course these documents are interesting and it certainly demonstrates Baroni & Wildstein's attempt to justify the Act by fabricating a Study however, The Committee and the Feds will dig deeper. This was ordered by Bridgette Kelly - Deputy Chief of Staff and involves others.
The focus will be on communications of :
STEPIEN
DREWNIAK
MCKENNA
O'DOWD
SAMSON
GUANDAGO CHRISTIE
Former Chief Counsel to Christie - Charles B. "Charlie" McKenna was the tool for Christie's communications with the Actors in BridgeGate.
McKenna is to appear before the Committee by Subpoena to testify under oath.
Apparently McKenna's meeting in Short Hills was relative to his obtaining an Attorney.What is currently unknown is the involvement of the Lt. Governor "LiL Kim" in the matter.
The emails - text messages will be reviewed by the F.B.I. and the Justice Department.
Apparently communications were conducted on non State emails and phones.
Several of the Actors used pre-paid mobile devices. The issue is what Christie - Drewniak - McKenna knew and when they knew it. The Three Diablos as they are called had a "Playbook" to work the cover up. This Playbook was poorly crafted and as we will see poorly executed.
Most likely next week, they will start to hint at Executive Privilege through their supporters and finally when Wisniewski subpoenas documents from the whole staff they will not turn over any materials nor agree to testify, asserting their privilege. At that point, there will be a full blown effort to discredit Wisniewski as a partisan only looking to do damage to Christi and claim he's the victim here. Among the first orders of business for investigators is how to deal with people in the controversy. Alan Zegas, an attorney for David Wildstein, who gave the orders to close the lanes, said his client is seeking immunity from federal and state investigators before testifying before New Jersey legislators.
"If they would like to speak to Mr. Wildstein and offer immunity, that would help make him available," Mr. Zegas said about investigators. Mr. Wildstein has things he wants to share regarding the closures, but doesn't want to be threatened with criminal prosecution from his testimony, he said.
Once again another JITism masked as calm logic: "but I used it specifically to rebut misterg's assertion that his God is not infallible (above where he asked me to prove that Obama has not committed political retribution himself)."
Uh, actually I made no assertion that Obama is my God. Nor do I make the assertion that Obama is infallible. You just made it up that I did. Then instead of proving your assertion that Obama has committed political retribution himself which apparently you are incapable of, you make up what I think and then after fabricating my thoughts, you toss the hypocrisy card based on what you said. Nice.
Incidentally, my God, God, is infallible but I have called Obama on a number of topics and issues, most recently, the "you don't have to change your doctor" lie. You just gotta keep up before you blatantly accuse and brand others.
And Oldred: "deranged" says it all. I mean if one guy at the VFW mouths off, well we must just all be exactly like that. Just keep those stereotypes and generalities rolling. Whatever floats your boat.
The blatantly obvious difference is that an accident, by definition, is not a planned action designed specifically to cause problems.And his vicious attack against Bridget Kelly without even personally confirming her role in the scandal reeks of coverup as well Just a note to the GOP flunkies:
If the Christie administration hadnt sunk to the lowest levels of stupidity and recklessness there would be cause for liberal glee.
Christie must positively prove (or be very convincing) that he was completely in the dark about this.
If he can do that, then he must turn this into a positive: every President since Johnson has been dragged through mud by over zealous flunkies; I've been inoculated.
It gets worse. Ms. Kelly is also the subject of an investigation regarding the Governor's Office use of Law Enforcement resources to obtain Look Ups i.e. Internet ISP Addresses and the Email Identities of many individuals who post negative comments regarding the Governor. These include individuals who have commented on NJ.com. In one instance a commenter who made numerous comments regarding the Governor's Weight was subjected to these Look Ups under the guise of "Security". The Governor at one time had two full time staffers scouring the Internet for comments and stories, The Justice Department under AG Holder will appoint a Special Prosecutor as was done in the Skooter Libby matter,
There is no doubt that Federal Laws were broken, Patrick Foye PA Director was quite explicit in his remarks regarding this matter.
I looked up "Non-apology apology" in the dictionary and there was a picture of this tweet:
https://twitter.com/GovChristie/status/421366624688410624
The "study" was in fact the coverup story for the revenge traffic jam. Christie is hanging his future on the study.
Any questions, class?
I'm surprised at the "what's the big deal about some bridge traffic" comments.
Clueless, clueless.
If Christie has any future in politics, he's got to show he's a changed man from all this and that will take time, just saying "I'm not a bully," won't do it.
Since I wasn't there, this is only speculation, but it seems to me that his underlings did this, thinking the boss would be pleased and this would gain favor for them.
Stuff like this does not just happen without a certain culture and expectation, a certain "way of doing things," being in the mix.
The worst thing is the total disregard for public safety.
As I put in an earlier post on this thread I believe Rachel Maddow's theory on why the access lanes were closed are the most plausible and make the most sense
Blackcat And the democratic politicians in New Jersey that bowed to the unions over the years. Agreeing with underfunded pension models from the very beginning and agreeing with legislation to hold the state (...taxpayers) accountable for any future shortfall however it may become (above average inflation, underperforming financial markets, increased longevity of the pensioners).
And the 8 billion "lost" through the Schools Construction Corporation...
Now a traffic jam is such a big deal?
How about I individually sue people who are doing obviously wrong things such as texting and driving, causing accidents, and backing up major highways for hours?
"I am not a bully" sounds familiar like "I am not a crook."
This is from Right Side News but we covered much of this on HL as well.
Once in 2010 NJ was trying to get $400M in Federal aid to support new concepts in education. The program was called Race To The Top. We filled out a form, met to discuss in some meetings, and lost to Ohio I think by five points because we filled out the form incorrectly and did not provide all the requested information ---- a typo. If I remember correctly, as I related the story on HL, many HLers said, good, we don't need to spend more money on education which was funny because we still spent the money and much of it was NJ taxpayer dollars to the fed. It just went to support Ohio, improve their education system, and create $400M in new jobs there. But, as usual, I digress.....
At first Christie publically blamed the Obama administration calling them "petty bureaucrats" and "mindless drones" for missing the information to begin with. Then he said the man in charge, Schundler, provided the info when requested by the fed in a meeting and the feds wouldn't take it.
Then the tape came out from that meeting that showed that Schundler did not have the information; Christie was wrong.
Christie then turned on Schundler, saying that he had been lied to, and he fired the man.
Later, Schundler showed reams of emails showing that he was not a liar and that Christie's staff had known the truth from the beginning. His personal conversation with Christie remembers the governor being angry but saying "but nobody will lose their job over this."
Sound familiar?
http://www.rightsidenews.com/2014011133724/editorial/us-opinion-and-editorial/new-scandal-same-old-christie.html
IJay --- need to research before foot goes in mouth.
Both Republicans and Democrats responsible for pension contracts and shortfalls on funding. There's a long history on this.
And the 8 billion "lost" through the Schools Construction Corporation was actually less that 4B; we basically got charged double. Corzine is the one who closed it down. Assemblyman Joseph Malone (R-Burlington) was the original senate sponsor of the program and Whitman was the gov. who be in charge when they were hired.
So what were you saying about them Democrats?
Andy, the political culture across the board is one of self-absorption, lack of responsibility, finger-pointing and diversion.. one event after another, and the amazing inability to actually accomplish anything positive... remarkable how they can hold their heads up - so much money and time wasted....
Maddow's theory makes sense, but so do the theories of other mayors around the state who say they were retaliated against, too. Maybe he retaliated against Democratic politicians on all levels.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/nj_mayors_claim_chris_christie_exacted_retribution_after_they_chose_not_to_endorse_govs_re-election.html
"You just made it up that I did. "
Yup, based on your *trends*. When the trend is 99% for and 1% against I think it's pretty clear my statement is pretty closely represents the truth of the matter.
It doesn't matter anyway. It was an analogy to show your trends, wordplay if you will (something you definitely know a lot about) to make the point that you defend the President at nearly every turn.
Andy, I'm surprised at your "clueless" comment. Traffic backups occur every singe day, often times impeding emergency personnel. The problem here isn't the traffic backups, it's that they were implemented will little warning and without communicating to them to the local towns (Ft Lee) that would be impacted. I suspect that if proper communications had occurred there would be no scandal, just another traffic snafu that was a pain in the arse.
The question is: Why was the traffic study not fully vetted before implementation? So, contrary to what I wrote yesterday I did read several of the exhibits shown on the NJ State Legislature site and did find that yes, a study was being performed, and that despite it's miserable failure the first day, Wildstein, when asked if the study should continue, said yes. In fact, the emails show that he even went to the area to see for himself what was happening.
The traffic study, and the resulting traffic jams that resulted, are a normal phenomenon of traffic engineering. What is not normal is the intention to create the traffic jams in the first place and to keep them in place for political reasons.
There's nothing clues about distinguishing the two Andy.
Remember the old phrase, two wrongs don't make a right?
It's funny how people think that dredging up bad stuff about Democrats makes Christie look good.
The old joke still applies ... the term honest politician is an oxymoron.
Power corrupts.
Yes, not letting the people be warned in advance, makes it just that much worse. Obviously, the intent was to cause as much mayhem as possible.
What usually causes traffic jams? An accident, a broken down car, a sudden storm, things that are unexpected that happen suddenly. When there are lane closures due to construction, or "a traffic study," guys like Tom Note on the radio are letting us know about it before we go out the door, or even the day before. Police are usually assigned to the area to direct traffic and warning signs are posted miles in advance.
Case in point, I make a lot of trips into PA and they give you all kinds of warning about the bridge construction and suggest alternate routes, etc. ... people got plenty of opportunity to plan another way to go.
... and Abbott School financing... most of the SCC money went to them... liberal democrats and judges behind this.
How can Hoboken receive Abbott money as of late? Yes, over 3 decades ago Hoboken was a nightmare but today it is an affluent town overall.
JIT says: ""You just made it up that I did. " Yup" OK, I agree with you. You are making it up.
What can I say. "pretty closely representing the truth" as you say you have done here does not even apply in horseshoes and sounds one small step away from a weasel-worded lie. Sorry if that sounds harsh but, to use your logic: 'well, I pretty closely represented the truth there, didn't I?' Just stop it.
Meanwhile if you read this thread, you will see I zing Obama as well as support him over his actions and reactions in a number of the current "scandals." Get a grip on it and quit overreacting without reading.
Meanwhile, JIT adds: "The problem here isn't the traffic backups, it's that they were implemented will little warning and without communicating to them to the local towns (Ft Lee) that would be impacted"
That's your takeaway about what's wrong in all this? And you're "surprised" that someone uses the word "clueless?" Tell me you think there might be more wrong here than that?
I just can't believe you keep attacking me like I am Ed from MSNBC and you're using some sort Spock-logic to unemotionally rise above it all. These are petty attacks you are launching now and even you say you're making things up. "Yup" I believe was the term you used. Time to move off and move on.
" and Abbott School financing... most of the SCC money went to them... liberal democrats and judges behind this."
Which ones? Got any names, examples, citations or just wingin it?
Christie was supposed to be BETTER than all those "liberals."
Honesty and doing things the right way was sold to us as his brand.
That's why we feel so betrayed by this episode.
here's the docs that came out Friday
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_a.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_b.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_c.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_d.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_e.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_f.pdf
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/pubhear/exhibit_g.pdf
I think Christie was "set up" by the Democrats to "derail" his chances for the White House. Why in this day and age would his staffers send an email when they knew it would lead to their demise by doing so if they weren't being generously paid off to do so?
Duncan i phone im sorry, im still puzzled how this relates to Obama, did he cause this traffic thing
No attacks at all misterg. Just replying in kind. It's not my fault that you are completely clueless about your own so called "logic" which 99.99% of the time ignores anything beyond what some Joe Schmoe reporter wants you to think. Take a step back once in a while, you might be surprised.
"Honesty and doing things the right way was sold to us as his brand.
That's why we feel so betrayed by this episode."
I completely understand that Andy, and agree 100%. I had high hopes when he was elected but quickly realized he's just another same-old same-old.
One of the things I was trying to do is point out the obvious, which is that this retributive mindset isn't all that uncommon - it has happened more than just this one time, and it most certainly isn't a partisan act. The Blue team has done it, the Red team has done it, and it will, with 100% certainty, happen again. This particular case is excessive, but that does not diminish the fact that the mindset doesn't permeate certain individuals in power. I don't believe we will ever be able to get rid of it, human nature being what it is.
Is it wrong for me to say this isn't a Republican or Democratic thing, this is a human being, societal thing? IMO anyone who says that their team never does this kind of thing is either out-right lying or extremely ignorant of the world we live in. I'm specifically referring to those who post that this is just another reason to hate, hate, hate their enemy, to drive a stake into their hears, and when I provide the mirror of reality even more animosity spews from them. Casting stones and living in glass houses, I think, is the typical analogy. Today it's a Republican, tomorrow it will be a Democrat, and so on.
Let's clean the mess and stop arguing about it.
Obama causes traffic jams wherever he goes. Can everyone sue him? Lol, j/k...
Impeach Christie, impeach Obama, impeach all 535 scumbags on Capitol Hill. This type of thing is neither rare, nor specific to any party. If you're going to impeach Christie for sending the Port Authority against Fort Lee, how do you justify not impeaching Obama for sending the IRS after the Tea Party? This is politics; everyone is a scumbag.
For starters misterg:
Don't have the time to delve further now but there was a thread on HL about this:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/3/pruden-the-cheap-tricks-of-the-game/
1000 foot view versus 1 foot view, that's what I'm saying...
You got to be kidding: that's the best you can do? I will give you credit for scope; Obama tackles the entire Tea Party and Republican Party for retribution. However, you seem to be missing the "who's on first" part where Obama was not responsible for the actual action that closed the Parks.
Ok, we will let you go on the fact that the Tea Party closed down the government causing many things to be shuttered. I mean I guess Obama could have ordered some things to remain open or to tell the government just to close the things that don't matter. Then we will let you go on the fact that you don't have one piece of actual evidence linking Obama directly as ordering the parks to be closed down after the Tea Party shut down the government. And, of course, after accusing me of ignoring anything "beyond what some Joe Schmoe reporter wants you to think," you pull a story from The Washington Times. Beautiful. The author Pruden also wrote: "Empty promises, warmed-over Marxism seduce NYC,"Waiting for Nelson Mandela without the tears," and "Obama's full grovel to Iran," one of my favorites lean as far right as you can pieces.
I guess you are saying that Obama was taking retribution on the Tea Party by closing the Parks after they closed the government. But you have no direct action linking him to this; many things in government were closed after the Tea Party closed the government. And exactly how do you feel he was to decide what to leave open, and what to close? All Parks? Just the small ones. Just DC. Just those accessible to WWII vets?
How about some facts:
1. Before the Tea Party shut down the government, there was one National Park Service employee for every 3,400 acres of national parks. That's like each employee covering about 1 1/2 times the size of Hackettstown. And, of course, there would be those who would say that's not enough. In Hackettstown, our police force is larger than that. BID is larger than that.
2. Post the shutdown that number went to 26,000 acres per employee; that's like having one employee to cover each major US metro; you know like Chicago, NY, Miami........ 21K out of 24K employees were furloughed. So how do you determine what stays open after that?
3. These employees take care of over 300 million visitors so during the shutdown that's like saying we will cover up to 2.4 billion visitors with the same number of employees.
4. The park closing was signaled by the OMB; no direct order was given by Obama or his administration.
5. Over 330 Park Rangers covering the National Mall were furloughed leaving only the Park Police. To keep the monuments open without any coverage would be a risk to all future generations.
The Park closure is not without precedent; it occurred during the 95-96 government shutdown also. 81% of the Department of Interior employees were furloughed leaving essential services only like wildlife enforcement officers.
Can you actually show an Obama order to do this? And what would you have done? How would you have managed this differently?
I give you credit for taking all that time to set the record straight on Obama.
My attitude is, he won re-election without all these people's votes, anyway. HL is hardly an indication of how the majority of Americans see things.
I'm not so sure that many people had a huge problem with national parks being closed during the government shutdown. The "outrage" was more with spending money to erect fences and add security to keep people away from open air monuments. It came across as more punitive in natural than practical from a spending standpoint. Same as the bridge closing comes cross as punitive. Politicians and their cronies seem to be cut from the same cloth. Different ends of the cloth, I guess, but the pattern looks the same.
Obama's approval rating is currently 42% according to polls, so the "majority" of Americans disapprove of the job he's doing, apparently.
Christie also won re-election in a landslide. Does that mean HL's current opinion is meaningless?
mistergoogle, again with the obfuscation? Really, it is sooo tiring.
The point, as was made multiple times by sensible people in this thread, is that a decision was made by the Christie administration to take an action that would cause an uproar by the people. I responded by saying that it happens all the time irregardless of political affiliation. You say prove it. I give you an example. You deflect and go on another hey, I better change the subject rant by BLAMING your political enemies (your typical response, btw).
You really don't have a clue, do you? I've known for a while that talking to you is an exercise in futility because you don't want to talk. You want to dictate not only your views but also the subject matter, and you want to spin it politically every chance you get. You are so consumed with pushing your views that you just can't stop long enough to listen to anyone, can you?
"Can you actually show an Obama order to do this? And what would you have done? How would you have managed this differently?"
No, I can't show an Obama order closing the parks. Can you show a Christie order to perform the traffic study at the bridge and keep the study going even when it was an obvious failure?
But since you completely missed the point - yet again - I'll go even more slowly and try again: Reread my posts and you will see that my intent and my words were to point out that this type of thing IS DONE ALL THE TIME to sway public opinion. Different circumstances, certainly, but the end goal is the same, to cause discomfort to one or more groups in order to achieve a political outcome. If you don't believe that you are even more naive than you let on. Seriously, take a breath and step back for a moment. We're agreeing here with the sole difference that you are making it sound like it's a Republican only thing when that is 100% completely untrue. You're politicizing this while completely ignoring that "your team" does the same exact thing. Get it?
"mistergoogle, again with the obfuscation? Really, it is sooo tiring." says JIT as he launches into 500 vindictive off-topic allegations of things I have never said in his dialogue laced with passages having the sole intent to incense creating his own special brand of obfuscation. I just love it when people write things they would never say face-to-face. Apparently it pleases him to write:
"Really, it is sooo tiring"
"You really don't have a clue, do you?"
"talking to you is an exercise in futility "
"You want to dictate"
"you want to spin it politically"
"You are so consumed with pushing your views that you just can't stop long enough to listen to anyone, can you?"
"But since you completely missed the point - yet again"
"I'll go even more slowly "
"If you don't believe that you are even more naïve (sic) than you let on."
"Get it?"
But seriously, can we talk?
If you want me to admit that people take retribution on others OK, sure. And if you want me to admit that politicians are people, a little harder, but OK, sure as well.
Happy now?
Because that's not what you and I have been talking about, but hey, if it stops you from kvetching in this unseemly manner, I am more than glad to admit to your obvious epiphany. Eureka!
Blunt enough?
Additional subpoenas to go out Mon or Tue to Bridget Kelly and Michael Drewniak. Tick-toc tic-toc......
No Christie on the Sunday morning shows? That's bad. He knows he could implicate himself. I predict resignation by the end of the week.
The only polls that count are the ones in November, occasionally in October in NJ, LOL. I don't "approve" of the job Obama's doing, either. He could do better.
Not sure what the alternative is, though.
The real showdown will come when Christie invokes Executive Privilege to ignore the subpoena's.
Unlike the US Spreme Court in the Nixon case, the NJ Supreme Court is unlikely to enforce the law on the Gov., viewing this as a "political dispute".
THe Dems on the Legislature will then have to decide whether to impeach on the basis of failure to honor the subpoena's.
That's where this is going.
Chris Christie facing federal investigation over use of Sandy funds
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/chris_christie_facing_federal_investigation_over_use_of_sandy_funds.html
Hey Vous, get a life, let the process play out the way it is supposed to. You vindictivness towards Christie is amazing. Why would he go on the Sunday morning shows when he just held a two hour press conference 3 days ago.
If you want to think really Machiavellian about all this, then the Dems will give Chris the mulligan to clear him for the Presidential primary and let him gum up those works wasting both Republican time and money.
Just bloody him up as grist for the Tea Party mill where he has few supporters to begin with.
I mean so far using the same strategy and putting up a lame Corzine-buddy Buono who could easily lose against the guy with one of the worst state economic records in America seems to be working :>)
After the election, Christie was on every single Sunday morning show. It was a record. He loves to talk to the press. After that two hour press conference, you'd think he'd want to go on at least three of them this Sunday.
Vindictiveness is not really the right word to use in this situation. Schadenfreude is better.
looking into use of the Sandy funds --interesting considering some people still don't have a home back---still waiting for funds ---let the frolic continue
For anyone interested, here is a detailed and pretty good (IMO) behind-the-scenes-type article about the traffic mess. Note: there is NO speculation in it about Christie's involvement or non-involvement.
http://nyti.ms/1cbCPp4
And what happened in Roxbury to make the town stink so bad?
From what I've read about that situation, that had some Sandy implications, too.
Well, I watched the story about A-Rod on 60 Minutes.
Oh my, how things can get tangled and messy. What a world we live in. People ask me if I miss covering major league sports. Not when it's like THIS!
"You want to dictate not only your views but also the subject matter, and you want to spin it politically every chance you get. You are so consumed with pushing your views that you just can't stop long enough to listen to anyone, can you?"
I have found this to be true about the googler man who keeps trying to tell us he is the smartest guy in the room
and this is true about his personal style for sure and i have a problem with the way he uses these 'strawman' techniques, and then declares victory and himself the victor over something that was never expressed and not in evidence, and then using twisted logic as if it was unassailable. not good.
weird how some people have to be 'king of the hill' all of the time.
and it's sad because i know he is a smart guy who cares about making the world a better place. I just find these techniques counter-productive to a useful conversation,
conversation is an exchange of ideas, a conversation is not a 'can i dance on your head and let everyone see me as the brightest light in the room' thing.
a true conversation is an exchange of ideas, not a drunken wrestling match.
go ahead flame me back, i know you want to, so get it out of your system.
btw, just where was obama the night 4 Americans were killed in Benghazi? please urge the free press to pursue that with he same vigor they are pursuing Christie.
both are important to vet out completely. and yes, for the record, this is bad for Christie and will hurt him now and in the long term. So why keep giving Obama a mulligan on IRS and Bengahzi, Why? (and the Obamacare disaster) He didn't know? come on!
I'd say mistergoogle is among our best posters. Obviously he enjoys pushing some buttons a little too much. All in good fun?
But we digress....
Hmmm, "schadenfreude".? You're right, LeRoy. Not a positive quality, but hard to resist sometimes.
ok, i admit, had to look it up, didn't know what it meant.
schadenfreude
The literal English translation is 'Harm-Joy'. It is the feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune.
Imagine being in Bridgette Kelly's shoes.
She has been called a scheming liar and brutally thrown under the bus.
Christie showed her no loyalty whatsoever.
Her career can never recover from this, so quiet loyalty in expectation of a soft arranged landing place is not a realistic possibility.
She has 4 young kids - and I think she is a single mom. She's a Catholic girl.
I really hope she honors her subpoena and testifies fully.
BD, It was not long ago that I had to look it up too. It's an excellent word for which the english language should have an equivalent, but does not.
LOL... I'm sure she became a Deputy Chief of Staff because she was an innocent doe-eyed babe in the woods. After all, that's how politics usually works.
If she's a divorced mother of four, doesn't that throw the whole "Catholic" thing out the window? Besides wasn't "Bloody Mary" a good Catholic girl, too? Didn't stop her from killing almost 300 of her enemies, many by burning.
From above: "What a world we live in." Andy Loigu
Common ground! I'm guessing no one disagrees!
O dogman, you crack me up. I only "dance on the head" of those silly enough not to show their work, not to do their work, or those just flinging mud against the wall.
"btw, just where was obama the night 4 Americans were killed in Benghazi? please urge the free press to pursue that with he same vigor they are pursuing Christie." Oh Crikey, like you vetted this to see how many Benghazi news pursuits versus Christie new pursuits. That's exactly what I mean. If you're going to toss the mud, just make sure it's gonna stick.
And, way back in the beginning, I said Obama, based on his scandals, will be a lame duck until his term expires. And so it seems to be. He can't get anything done, his legacy is ruined, even if his signature legislation ObamaCare ultimately works, the rollout will always be remembered as a joke, how much more do you want?
But that shouldn't stop me from correcting mis-statements of the facts. As for Benghazi, there's a thread for that. Try it.
Well Iman, not always and not in Christie land do those tossed under the bus "became a Deputy Chief of Staff because she was an innocent doe-eyed babe in the woods. After all, that's how politics usually works."
Poor Bret Schundler, the last guy Chris tossed under the bus has not faired as well. From Newsworks: "The parent calling was concerned about what size school shirt to order. "I can help you with that," said the gentleman answering the phone at Jersey City's BelovED Community Charter School -- who happened to be the former mayor of the city, the former state education commissioner, and a two-time Republican candidate for governor.
As a do-everything-and-anything consultant to BelovED, Bret Schundler took the order for two extra-smalls."
He makes less than $60K a year but I think is very happy helping out the school, education being his passion.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/new-jersey/53461-where-they-are-now-former-nj-education-commissioner-brett-schundler
Isn't it obvious that the reason Christie fired his "stupid" aide without even speaking with her is that, as a former prosecutor, he knows that if he spoke to her he'd have to ask the common-sense question of "why did you do this?" -- and that her answer would undoubtably implicate him? Under normal circumstances, when an underling does something completely insane, possibly criminal, impeding interstate commerce and messing with the lives of people in your state, you would think a governor would want to get to the bottom of why something so appalling occurred. Clearly Christie knows exactly what lies at the bottom of this cesspool - it's him.
He's on record as having had asked her if she had anything to do with it months ago. Apparently, she lied to him at the time, which was why she was fired recently. Hell, I haven't wasted even two hours on this whole thing and even I know that much. Your putting time in like it's your job and that little tidbit escaped you?
Mistergoogle, I'm missing your point. What does Bret Schundler hawking tshirts have to do with the type of person it takes to ascend politically to a status as lofty as Deputy Chief of Staff at the gubernatorial level, Machiavellianly speaking?
" I just love it when people write things they would never say face-to-face."
What makes you say that misterschadenfreude (nice word for you, fits well)? Of all the people on this board I'd think that it's you who readily slips into name calling. Is that typical behavior in your neck of the woods? Doesn't matter anyway as you are the only person that I speak to that way - for obvious reasons. Maybe change your ways? ;-)
"O dogman, you crack me up. I only "dance on the head" of those silly enough not to show their work, not to do their work, or those just flinging mud against the wall."
This coming from the poster who used to regularly cut and paste without attribution, passing off the work of others as his own? OMG that's funny right there. Sorry jd2, if that's not hypocritical then I don't know what is! misterg might be very skilled at regurgitating everything he reads, and he deserves kudos for information and fact gathering, but none of that matters when his MO is to be a smart ass to his fellow human beings all the time. Closed minded is what he is. What a waste of talent.
Andy, are you serious, 60 Minutes, he would fit it as Ed Schultz's sidekick on MSNBC.
Chris threw Bret under the bus for lying (even though that's a lie, Bret told the truth) even after allegedly telling Bret "no one will get fired over this" and this is his current job.
Thought you were saying, she would be OK, be taken care of, and get a good job for her "sacrifice." My bad.
Ed on MSNBC ---- now there's a guy who can only turn left. Makes me look like I drink tea.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/timeline_of_the_port_authoritys_george_washington_bridge_lane_closure_controversy.html#incart_river
here's a timeline
Keep digging and I'm sure you'll find in the end that an anti-bridge Youtube video is actually to blame for all that traffic.
60 Minutes is equal opportunity dirt digging.
Someone accused me of being a "lefty" when I said I'm a CNN guy.
I let him know I've been a registered Republican since the Nixon days.
But, like most people, I split that ticket in November. It's guys like me who decide elections. Rather than insult me, the Guardians of Privilege (GOP) should give me royal treatment, like they gave Kevin Costner in that movie Swing Vote.
Anybody see that? A fine commentary on the direction that 21st century politics is going.
Ms. Kelly being brought through the Garage Entrance at F.B.I. HQ Newark instead of Front Door - Priceless
Wildstein and Kelly face serious Federal Charges. They will Sing...Sing...Sing
Who says Hillary will run? 2016 is too far away for me to speculate at this point.
I nominate the mayor of Baltimore. She's up and coming.
Iphone -thats what I said days ago. He asked her in Sept and she lied to him and said NO. She was fired for lying and for doing the road closures
Well, I think we all know now what Wildsteins job was created for and what his job description really was.
Get control of the bridge and use it as a political sledgehammer.
After Christie moves on (hopefully to the White House LOL) do you think that you and your public sector coworkers will have clear sailing? No, someone else will come in and bring the reforms.
So far Regina Egea, Christie's chief of staff, knew the lane closures were illegal. New Jersey Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye knew. All sorts of people at the PA flagged Wildstein, Baroni, and Kelly, who all knew.
And nobody thought to give Chris a heads-up.
Now we add the question whether Christie used Sandy funds to make a self-serving Jersey Strong tourism ad where they paid an extra $2M to make sure Chris was front dead center in the ad which played before his re-election. That's $2M above the next bid of $2.5M......
So we have state and federal investigations of the bridge scandal and now a federal investigation into the ad scam.
Like I said, starting to get deeper and wider: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/13/christie-scandals-what-you-need-to-know/
Illegal? Foye said that it "violated agency policy". It's a far stretch from there to illegal.
As for the ads themselves, that's a State problem, not a Christie problem. He was the face of Sandy and it made sense to use him in the ads trying to get people down the shore. Who should they have used, the mayor of Fort Lee?
"This hasty and ill-advised decision has resulted in delays to emergency vehicles. I pray that no life has been lost or trip of a hospital- or hospice-bound patient delayed," he wrote. He added: "I believe this hasty and ill-advised decision violates Federal Law and the laws of both States."
"To be clear," Foye declared, "I will get to the bottom of this abusive decision which violates everything this agency stands for; I intend to learn how PA process was wrongfully subverted and the public interest damaged to say nothing of the credibility of this agency."
Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye of New York testified that he was not aware of any study. And Robert Durando, the manager of the George Washington Bridge, told the committee that Christie crony David Wildstein had specifically ordered him not to warn Fort Lee officials the test was coming.
Coach I lost all faith in Chris Chistie after his bear hug with Obama during the few days after Sandy and the few days before the 2012 election. He was instrumental in Obama's reelection, and for that deserves whatever the powerful Obama forces dish to him as payback for his spineless "bipartisan" support. This guy is anything but a bully, just a slippery wuss, not to be trusted for having any solid political positions, and like most politicians, full of dirty tricks, lies and corruption. The majority can offer up so much better than the likes of Chris Christie in 2014 and 2016.
dannyc Iman: You're right, no proof on illegality ---- yet. That's what she said so allegedly at best.
As for the ads, well, it was Sandy relief money so a Federal issue. And the question revolves around basically doubling the ad price with an extra $2M just to feature Christie. It's a procurement and use of funds issue but you ask who we should have used like the mayor of Fort Lee. I think the answer would be to have produced the ad saving $2M and let that money be used for Sandy relief. The flip side would be, do you feel having Chris in the ad increased NJ travel revenues by $2M?. But in either case, frankly, while valid to investigate, one could seriously question the timing itself as political in nature. Ya think?
And for your update on the IRS scandal, or lack thereof: "The officials said investigators didn't find the kind of political bias or "enemy hunting" that would amount to a violation of criminal law. Instead, what emerged during the probe was evidence of a mismanaged bureaucracy enforcing rules about tax-exemption applications it didn't understand, according to the law-enforcement officials" Wall Street Journal
Fair: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303819704579318983271821584?mg=reno64-wsj&url= http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303819704579318983271821584.html
and Unbalanced:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/13/officials-say-no-evidence-criminal-charges-warranted-so-far-in-irs-targeting/
So the criminal investigation winds down and the conspiracy theories ramp up.
Ready to work some more teachers (ton of them posting here LOL)?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/christie-proposes-longer-school-day-amid-scandal-21522788
Or, are you going to back off?
This is getting ridiculous. There was talk about Sandy money and Christies commercial when it first happened, but nothing more was done about it. Now that bridgegate is out, they are looking for everything and anything to hang Christie. Pallone needs to grow up, act like a man, not a child and get a life.
Well, I went to the shore three times last summer, which is about the same number of times I went in the previous 15 years combined. So, I would say the commercials had an impact on me personally, but whether it was Christie's presence in the commercial? Probably not, but who knows? Let's just say that it seemed "right" for him to be in it, just like a post-9/11 ad would have seemed right featuring Giuliani. Politics and campaign rules aside. If there were violations, then I guess we give the $2M back. Do you think Buono would have won if the ads hadn't aired?
As for the illegality of lane closures, you first said that all these different people KNEW that it was illegal and now you're backtracking just a bit. But whatever... I think I'm approaching the end of my third hour expended on this nonsense and that's plenty, lol.
It was wrong that Christie and Obama appeared together and showed the willingness to work in a bipartisan way to rebuild after Sandy?? That's bad?? Just look at congress and see the results of lack of bipartisan work.......................gridlock from positions buried in cement- that's what we want??
I sure don't.
From above: "Do you think Buono would have won if the ads hadn't aired?"
Everyone knew Christie would win. Apparently what was going on is that Christie and/or his team wanted the win to be by the biggest margin possible, in order to help propel him to the presidency.. If true, that would help explain the reason to hold the special election for the Senate on a different date, to recruit Democratic mayors as supporters, to choose the ads in which he and his families were featured, etc.
BD, why don't you restart the Benghazi thread? It would be nice to be able to keep the focus on one topic. Hopefully the Benghazi thread won't be muddied by people bringing Christie into it. Neither Christie nor his staff have anything to do with Benghazi!
Hilarious how when shown the hypocrisy of their positions over the Benghazi scandal and the Bridgegate scandal they deflect "wrong thread! this isn't about Benghazi! Go away!"
Laughably transparent.
Let's just start over and replace everybody with people who have no previous experience... clean slate.
Of course, I'm being sarcastic.
JR, exactly. The dems like nothing more than diverting attention away from much more serious crimes. "Bridgegate", what a joke
It was intended to be transparent.
Here we go with that word "hypocrisy" again. I have taken no position about Benghazi whatsoever, yet the charge finds its way so easily into these threads. Does everything have to be a contest between two sides? Is that how you see everything, JR? Some people would simply just like to understand things better, to gather facts, etc.
I am not on a side. As stated earlier, I voted for Christie and wanted to see him do well.
"Does everything have to be a contest between two sides? Is that how you see everything, JR?"
I do see everything as two sides- the people and the government. Anyone who thinks the 2 parties mean anything anymore is woefully naive.
For the record: my position on Benghazi: the administration was wrong and should take responsibility (and has NOT); and on Bridgegate: the administration was wrong and should take responsibility (and has NOT).
At least Christie threw some people under the bus in a SHOW of responsibility; Obama hasn't even done that. The only people he threw under the bus were Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, and Chris Stevens.
Iman, you're right again: everyone knew that the lane closures were "allegedly" illegal. They all were passing and getting emails raising the potential flag.
Christie appears to be one of the few left out of the loop; after all, his office is probably a good 10 feet and a lifetime away.
Oh wait, I forgot. The previous discussion of Chris Christie can not accurately portray the governor's status unless a full and impartial listing of Obama scandals is provided. So don't forget Benghazi, IRS targets Tea Party, ObamaCare, AP snooping, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, Bill Ayers, Kenya, GSA party time, etc. etc. etc.
Oh wait, on the flip flop side and just to be comprehensive, for Chris, don't forget: ad gate, helicopters to kid's afterschool games, first-class trip-gate (investigated pre gov), race to the top flop, Madoff friendship, Defamation lawsuit, $46K Brown loan (humina, humina), Ashcroft sweetheart contract deals, etc. etc. etc. But wait, there's more: http://www.oppositionnews.org/articles/2014/q1/chris-christies-scandal-plagued-history/ With links to others. Have fun :>)
I suppose presidents (from both parties) who start senseless wars and keep them going for years, get a pass.
You can look up Eisenhower's farewell speech about the military-industrial complex, if you are not already familiar with it, to see just why such wars go on and on, while thousands of Americans get killed. After we pull out, the places we sought to change just go back to what they were before.
Hey. I'm one of those boomers who grew up during the 60s, peace brother.
With all thats going on in NJ, this is what our state govt is consumed with? That should tell you something.
"So don't forget Benghazi, IRS targets Tea Party, ObamaCare, AP snooping, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, Bill Ayers, Kenya, GSA party time, etc. etc. etc."
Yes... let's NOT forget these, shall we? To do so would be partisan at best and sheople-like at worst.
Andy, you're in a great position to offer perspective to younger generations. If I'm reading you right, I agree that our problems are unaffected by the classic R & D oscillations of power, which is why I'd love for the current two party system to fall to the wayside. The my team vs your team menatlity is a huge distraction if our true goal is to actually fix things...
He said all that and oh so much more.
But.......do oscillations of power make your lights flicker?
How about simpler terms then: both sides contribute to our problems.
Better? ;-)
so Andy and mistergoogle - please define your terms - young whippersnappers - and younger generations - am trying to figure out where I fit in....lol
There you go, misreading what I wrote. I didn't say I'm smarter than anyone else, just smarter than you think. Go back and read it.
A whippersnapper is a boy who behaves with more self-importance than is proper.
That was something MC Hammer used to say all the time, PROPER.
Yeah, can't touch this.
YO, Scott Garrett co-sponsored a bi-partisan bill in the house today, HR 801, Holding Company Registration Threshold, intended to make it easier for savings and loan holding companies to provide loans for small businesses to create jobs.
It amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and it passed the house by 137 votes. Not too often that Garrett and Rush Holt vote in favor of the same thing.
Garrett said people in his district (ours) always ask him "where are the jobs," and he said this is an effort at creating some, and he thanked several Democrats for sponsoring it alongside him.
Maybe, someday, these folks will say BYE-partisanship.
We can only hope.
I think this legislation will make it easier for savings and loan companies to separate the rest of us from our money. Most bipartisan financial legislation usually does...
Remember the USA hockey team of 1980.
Do you believe in miracles? One of the great sports calls of all time.
We don't realize how easy we have it. Back in WW I and II, the whole country really sacrificed to pull us through.
Any men between 18 and 31 (when things got desperate it became 45) who were not engaged in work considered helpful to the war effort, in the opinion of the government, were called "slackers" and were subject to the draft.
Nixon establishing an all-volunteer army changed all that.
We have forgotten all the young men who were forced to go to Vietnam against their wishes, who either were killed or came back with life-changing disabilities.
Compared to all that, and the anxiety that Vietnam War caused for so many of us,
we can deal with today's issues.
I'm too young to remember the world wars, but I read all I could about them and listened to veterans tell their stories.
Knowing history helps us deal with today's problems and avoid repeating earlier mistakes.
"There you go, misreading what I wrote. I didn't say I'm smarter than anyone else, just smarter than you think." And so? But OK. I am not a great thinker though.
Back on Jam news, Christie seems to be wearing em down since no real smoking guns seems to be popping up and folks growing weary of the 24/7. While no shoe has dropped, Chris is starting to get a bit tied up in his own words.
A number of pictures of Chris confabbing with Wildstein, the man he barely knows has surfaced. “I have had no contact with David Wildstein in a long time, a long time... I did not interact with David…. I don’t even remember in the last four years even having a meeting in my office with David Wildstein.”
Christie basically is on record as saying he has not encountered Wildstein in a very long time. The picture shows them walking together on 9/11 on the third day of Wildstein's/Kelly's traffic jam looking pretty darned chummy. Wildstein has the stripped tie on the right of Christie. So sure, he is not in the office, he probably did not have see with that man, but.........
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/01/14/christie-official-who-arranged-bridge-closures-together-during-fiasco/
A great take on the whole issue!!!!! Way tooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHV0LLvhXM
lsricc Hilarious. Bruce would fit right in here on the forum... talk about "not being partisan", yet he ONLY has a problem with republicans... for YEARS..... when Bruce decides to parody Obamacare or some other Obama scandal, I'll start valuing his political satire. Gimme a break.
And for the record, I'm a Bruce fan.
Bruce has a problem with the GOP because he cares about the regular working guy, who is not keeping up with the cost of living.
That's the guy that Obamacare is trying to help. Notice I said trying, work in progress. I know the insurance industry pretty well, I passed the test and got a license, and it is a monumental task to try and change it.
I remember someone said the night Obama got nominated, "the status quo will fight hard." And he was right, they have, with every gimmick at their disposal.
And I'm a registered Republican saying this.
"Bruce has a problem with the GOP because he cares about the regular working guy, who is not keeping up with the cost of living."
And Bruce would know about the "regular working guy"... how? He's been a star since he was 25 years old and released Born To Run. He's just as separated from reality as the hollywood people.
Like most people in the entertainment industry, he is a borderline socialist, who thinks the government should solve everything, and because HE wouldn't mind paying higher taxes he thinks NO ONE should mind paying higher taxes. He fancies himself a modern-day Woody Guthrie, who, BTW, was an avowed communist.
When Bruce drives a Honda, puts his kids in the wonderful PUBLIC school system, and starts writing checks to the treasury to help him get over his apparent guilt, then I'll start taking his political opinion with more than just a grain of salt.
Andy, Obamacare was the worse thing that could have happened to my health insurance.
As for Bruce making fun of Christie, good. Maybe Christie will think twice before drooling all over him and Obama again. It was a death trap, a suicide rap. haha
Wow, picking on Woody now. For the record, Woody was long associated with the communist party, did benefits for them, wrote a non-political column for their paper, but was a "fellow traveler" and NOT a member of the party and NOT subject to party disciplines and rules.
Woody was a man of the people, a friend of the working man, his songs show only that and nothing about support for communism or the communist party.
You should be ashamed picking on this icon. Perhaps this land ain't your land.
Meanwhile, the Bruce piece was incredible. Who's next: "Start spreading the news, I'm stuck on the GWB today........"
Andy, ObamaCare didn't affect my insurance expect that the increase was the lowest in over a decade. Perhaps a little payback retribution eh LVMOM.... You know they read everylittlebittything now don't you........ :>)
The bridge gate scandal is just another skeleton in Christie's closet. Even when Mitt Romney vetted Christie for vice president it was so bad he said no thank you
someone remind me to read the name of the poster first - and if the initials are JR, pass it by---he makes more blanket statements about things he knows little about than any of the rest of us who make blanket statements - ugh - mistergoogle - you are on the money again
"For the record, Woody was long associated with the communist party, did benefits for them, wrote a non-political column for their paper, but was a "fellow traveler" and NOT a member of the party and NOT subject to party disciplines and rules. "
I'll bet dollars to donuts if you put "JeffersonRepub" in place of "woody" and "Republican" in place of "democrat".... you'd still think I was a Republican.
It it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...
ALSO interesting, that his guitar "kills fascists", yet he apparently was very friendly with/agreed with/palled around with... the biggest fascists on the planet... communists.
That's funny... it's like the guy who has an oh-so-superior/I'm more enlightened than you opinion on all things political... then reveals he doesn't vote. "this machine kills fascists" indeed.... what a joke
Andy, a relative of mine didn't go to college and figured he would be drafted to the Army so he volunteered for the Marines. Served a couple tours and made it back in one piece, just some shrapnel in his legs.
When there are kids today that won't take out the garbage, shovel the driveway, mow the lawn, etc. what do you expect...
The Senate Bipartisan report on Benghazi that was just released states that Leon Panetta, Joe Biden and the President knew within 90 minutes that the raid on the Embassy was a terrorist attack. Two weeks later he is telling the UN General Assembly it was due to the rogue movie. Plenty of other interesting items in the report that doesn't shine a good light on the State Dept. Okay, off topic, back to Bridgegate.
Excellent editorial on some conservatives' response to the GWB scandal.
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2014/01/chris_christies_gwb_scandal_an.html#incart_most-comments
MG, you must be one of the lucky ones. Our premiums went through the roof, more than doubled.
kb, unbelievable! And here we are talking about a little traffic, like it's something new..
Rebecka Thank goodness your relative made it back in one piece, iJay. Thank him for his service for me.
That was worse than bridge gate and Watergate combined, and Ted never became president.
What it has to do with present-day Chris Christie, I have no idea.
"New Jersey voters believe Christie in dark on bridge scandal: poll"
http://news.yahoo.com/jersey-voters-believe-christie-dark-bridge-scandal-poll-155621719--business.html
"Just 41 percent of the 1,207 voters polled January 10-13, after the release of e-mails tying the aide to the scandal dubbed "Bridgegate" by local media, did not believe Christie's assertions that he did not know his staff had been involved."
"Nearly a third don't believe New Jersey's Christie on bridge scandal: Reuters/Ipsos Poll"
http://news.yahoo.com/nearly-third-don-39-t-believe-jersey-39-202327563.html
"More than 30 percent of Americans believe New Jersey Governor Chris Christie knew that his staff intentionally created traffic jams by partially blocking access to the George Washington Bridge, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday."
Both on Yahoo's main page this morning. It's interesting how headlines and verbiage can be used to spin anything in either a positive or negative light.
"We are normally proud of the Republican governors from this area. Kean and Christine Todd Whitman, both of whom we endorsed twice for election, put policy and the good of the state before the cult of personality and politics."
The above line is in this editorial, from Christie's hometown newspaper, worth reading before this thread runs its course.
http://newjerseyhills.com/bernardsville_news/opinion/editorial/editorial-the-christie-we-know/article_a0947ebc-7e5e-11e3-b73e-0019bb2963f4.html
Chris Christie is a okay Gov. when he is actually in a state. But there is no good way out for him on this scandal. If it comes out that he actually knew about it. Which I personally believe he did he will be politically finished. But if we find out he did not know about it and it was just the people he picked to help him run the state and he decides to run for president. The tea party and other Republicans will continuously pound him on his leadership ability. I doubt he would win a primary let alone the presidency
Thanks for posting, Andy. This would seem to come from a source that wants to be friendly to Christie.
Going back to the "tragedies" of ancient Greece, it just happens again and again that good and talented people have a fatal flaw that eventually does them in.
It's the way Politics are today. No one with any dignity would run for office today. I give Christy a pass till they find out other wise. The extra 2 million for the Sandy ad is closer to home and concerns me more. Just look at the way the President is using his power illegally. We never had a republican governor in NJ. They are just moderate Democrats or they never would get elected in this state. Like is said before, You vote for the lesser of to evils you sill get evil.
Old Gent It will take awhile, but if Christie really does some soul searching and changes his ways, he may make a good president yet, someday.
But this will stick onto him persistently if he enters any primaries. The Republicans themselves can't be too happy about this. The fact that someone at a very high level did something like this with premeditation, deliberately, is what makes bridgegate so bad, compared to other things that are perhaps a matter of missing warning signs.
If someone mounts a serious challenge to Hillary for the Dems nomination, she'll keep hearing about Benghazi, too. Just saw a recent report about it, spreading blame among the State Department, the military and intelligence, saying it was preventable.
You could say similar things about Bush, prior to 9/11/2001. There is no end to playing the blame game. We ask questions, investigate, because we never want to have such things happen again, but eventually we have to move on.
I just saw on the news that the DOT has shut down four of the six lanes on 287 in Bernardsville for a traffic study.
It seems like they're doing a traffic study on 202 northbound every day of the week in Bville.
Lots of democrats in Bernardsville :>)
Andy, take it from an older yet not smarter guy; we said the same thing about Nixon, another bully.... And Hillary was partly cooked before Benghazi. While not nailed on this, the decisions were made close enough and she bears the responsibility of being at the top that I honestly hope she stays off the 2016 field for the sake of the party. Amazingly, for the same exact reason, I hope Chris runs.
It will be an interesting primary season for either party. Got a feeling we will be loading up the clown car for both parties this go round.
They called Nixon "Tricky Dick" long before the Watergate scandal.
One big reason he got elected in 68 was because he convinced people he was a "New Nixon" and he promised to end the draft and get us out of Vietnam "with honor," which actually meant he'd keep it going for five more years.
If the Republicans don't become a more sensible party by 2016, I'd hold my nose and vote for Hillary, but I have my doubts that she'll get that nomination. We'll see who the GOP nominates ... I've voted for Republican winners and Democrat winners in presidential elections. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm "Mr. Swing Vote." I'm sure there are millions of others just like me.
I believe the administration has determined that the traffic study will need to continue until The Observer retracts their editorial. Please don't rely on my political commentary for real traffic updates.
Granted this 'Bridgegate' is a mess, but it has been over a week that Dems all over the country have had some kind of access to the e-mail, texts, calls, whatever, and so far there is no ground breaking news. Maybe, just maybe, Christie didn't know of this plan. The posts on here tell of traffic studies all over the state. I grew up and went to schools in Fort Lee, and believe me, it doesn't take much for the whole town to get in a knot. All roads lead to the bridge and if you think you know a short cut, chances are there are 100 others taking that same short cut. Multiply that by the 15 or 20 roads that get you near the bridge, and that's a mess.
USAfirst this adds some perspective;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQKTUrKcGjE&feature=youtu.be
Maybe Christie needs to hold off the traffic studies and work on more important things?
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101345437
Oh the wheels will turn slowly at this point. First, did anyone expect the Christie team to throw over a smoking gun in email? NBL. But we got Chris "I don't know that man" walking hand-in-hand with "that man" he doesn't know pictures, we got much of his office "in the know" as to the Fort Lee problem all subpoenaed, and we got the guy who brought down Rod Blagojevich to lead the prosecution.
The governor may have his bad-cable Obama is worse jabs, but against Christie is a great Fallon/Springsteen spot which has got to be in the viral top tem by this time.
Oh yeah, we just got one rat ready to jump ship: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541332/More-Chris-Christie-aides-dragged-Bridgegate-New-Jersey-lawmakers-subpoena-20-scandal-including-SPOKESMAN-CHIEF-OF-STAFF-plus-Christie-Governor-campaign.html
The governor has "but that other dudes worse" as his defense. I would say it's still moving forward at this time.
But you'll always have Benghazi.
Doherty: The LG cannot allow this allegation to go unchallenged
Read more at http://www.politickernj.com/70957/doherty-lg-cannot-allow-allegation-go-unchallenged#ixzz2qmNU91EA
So I guess you don't care about the 60 who died at embassies under Bush, correct? Only the four at Benghazi.
Romney, in an interview with The Washington Post here late Friday night, said he has e-mailed with Christie since the bridge scandal broke last week to compliment his handling of the episode. Romney said he told Christie in one note that “he must be frightening a lot of people because they’re giving it a lot of attention.”
Thank God, clown Romney wasn't elected.
romney would have been a much better choice for president than the clown we have in office right now.
it's a shame that the left's successful efforts at character assassination got their guy elected to a 2nd term.
If Romney was elected he would be at work everyday trying to solve the country's problems and not out on the ever campaign trail. I bet a lot of people now wish he won the election.
"Well I guess you don't care about the 60 who died at embassies under Bush. Correct?" - Vous...
I'm assuming you read that on Huffingtonpost.com?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/13-benghazis-that-occurre_b_3246847.html
Just google these particular attacks....first was on the American embassy in Kolkata India. Zero Americans killed. 2 men killed for the attack.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_attack_on_American_cultural_centre_in_Kolkata
Next was the Karachi attack on June 14, 2002....12 dead...ALL PAKISTANIS. Several arrested....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karachi_consulate_attacks
And the list goes on. I'm not saying that no Americans were killed at embassies on Bush's watch....I'm just saying that your numbers are incorrect. Kinda like Obamas numbers on how many people have signed up for obamacare. ;-/
YoumustbeaDUMBacrat 
First, he "does not have a suite for the Super Bowl." Now, an appointee has given him one.
http://www.wnyc.org/story/christie-will-have-box-super-bowl/
Hoboken mayor discussed Chris Christie, Sandy aid allegations with U.S. Attorney, she says.Can it get any better?
The Chair of the Republican Governor's Association (Christie) shunned by Republican Governors.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/scandal_allegations_dog_chris_christie_during_his_florida_fundraising_trip.html
***
MSNBC broadcast Christie's two hour press conference and his entire State of the State speech without commercial interruption. Most governor's press secretaries would be grateful for that kind of forum to speak to the entire nation. Not ours.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/christie_spokesman_lashes_out_at_hoboken_mayor_and_msnbc_in_wake_of_aid_allegations.html
Christie isn't the first NJ politician to do things this way, but he got elected because he was supposed to be better than all that.
Zimmer is so full of it. If it really happened why didn't she say something months ago? Believe me Im not a Christie fan, but it just seems like its open season on him ever since the bridgegate fiasco.
Not me. Nobody is bigger than the state or his/her party.
If need be, someone else can take over and life will go on.
vous --- I wouldn't be saying "mission accomplished" or spiking the ball. One is not true and the other is low class.
If innocent, he hires poorly, if guilty he's scum. Either way it's sad for the state of New Jersey. Likewise folks, one can say Obama has hired poorly; don't think you can get away with calling him scum except in your dreams.
Sen. Michael Doherty won't back away from cornering the Christie administration
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/jim-deegan/index.ssf/2014/01/sen_michael_doherty_wont_back.html#incart_river
I've talked with Doherty about Hagedorn and that red light for municipal profit situation on 22. He fights for what he believes and does not let party leadership tell him what to think. I like that in a politician.
Just heard an interesting segment on the radio. Christie has a hand in quashing the investigation into Guadagno's Monmouth County Sheriff pension scandal. Reporters are battling in court to have all documents released under the Open Records Act. When that sees the light of day, we'll really see some fireworks!
when you have pensions scams like the perpetrated by Kim Guadagno while sheriff of Monmouth County, what would you expect? Since Christie appoints the AG, do you really thing the administration is going to investigate itself for wrongdoing and corruption?? Read on my friend, and don't vomit while you read:
http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2014/01/21/before-br...
Does anyone remember Ms. Guadagno's other problem-"Doublegate"?As a county sheriff, Guadagno made false and contradictory statements that enabled her top aide to collect pension checks in addition to public salary. The subterfuge cost a state pension fund $245,000.
A state pension board asked authorities in May 2011 to begin a criminal investigation.
Gov. Chris Christie failed to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct the probe. Instead, a conflict-riddled investigation fell to the attorney general’s Division of Criminal Justice, where Guadagno had previously served as deputy director.
Thirty-two months later, the results of the probe remain a state secret. The Christie entourage has stonewalled inquiries, even refusing to acknowledge whether the investigation is ongoing or completed.m/2014/01/21/nyregion/in-new-...
Chris Christie Lied to Morris County in 1994
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/chris-christies-1994-ad-was-too-tough-and-inaccurate-for-jersey/2014/01/19/b69f0d86-7ef8-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/21/22384666-christies-inauguration-party-canceled-due-to-weather?lite
Apparently Chris is not stronger than the storm. Aide fired for writing positive thoughts in Hackettstown Life's "Who loves snow" thread.
Hoboken mayor offere to chip in for postponed party allegedly as long as they have it at her cousin's restaurant. Allegedly because rumor has it she whispered it to Chris.
Fort Lee mayor commits local police force to direct traffic, honest, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.
Jimmy Fallon promises to provide music dressed up as Bon Jovi.
More people are waking up to the reality of what kind of a person that Christie really is. He is done in politics. Maybe he can get a TV time slot next to Eliot Spitzer
Admit it - you guys are coming around to my way of thinking. There may be hope for you yet. Don't you get tired of being on the losing team year after year?
History is littered with the remains of arrogant politicians. And in 2014, anyone who thinks he can hide the digital footprints of a scandal is just too stupid to tolerate.
Good bye, Big Boy.
The Justice Department and the FBI are investigating.
Nobody cares in this town, though, right?
I think Christie can fight this using the same tactic that Rand Paul is using to attack the current thought that Republicans are waging a war on women. Rather than defend or rationalize their actions, he deflected the charge by blaming the press coverage and others who are worse offenders. First he took a couple of sideswipe shots at Chris, just a sampling of what we'll see in the primaries, and then he used.....wait for it......wait for it....... Clinton as an example to promote recent Republican statements about women's rights. Not Hillary..... Bill.....
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-rand-paul-bill-clinton-predatory-behavior-hillary-20140126,0,7613395.story
So, Chris, to defend your actions, here's a list of Democratic folks you can references as being worse offenders so therefore, the Chris is alright:
- Conway Cabal movement to remove Washington
- William Blount for aiding Brit Florida takeover in late 1700's
- Andrew Johnson saved from impeachment by one vote
- Harry S. Truman IRS scandal
- Adolph Hitler = National Socialist = Eurosocialist = Democrat
Very good, Mister G!
So Rand Paul thinks the media gave Clinton a pass? That's not what I remember. Sometimes I think we live in alternate universes.
jd2 - that's the same tactic that all politicians use and I'm surprised that is surprises you!
Both party's flit in and out of the same alternative universe depending on the issue. I seem to remember a lot of that happening when the R's had the Whitehouse too...
Oh, I don't think most politicians stoop quite as low as Ran. He sounds a bit more desperate than most to be going back well over a decade for his bad-Democrat example.
Of course we are talking about a guy with his own plagiarism scandal brewing who deflected that discussion a week ago by talking about cutting government benefits for unwed mothers who have multiple children.
He stooped all right.
JIT - I guess I still haven't seen it all.
Another part of Rand's comments had to do with whether Clinton engaged in "predatory" behavior with Lewinsky. This is a delicate topic, since obviously serious misbehavior took place. But I always understood that Lewinsky was the predator, although of course Clinton should have been strong enough to throw her out. In contrast it seems that Truman, when a woman appeared who was likely to be trouble for him, literally would run away from her.
Anyway, it is irrelevant in politics, 2014. Rand shouldn't have brought it up, and, I probably shouldn't have either!
Rand's got a plagiarism scandal brewing? I guess that means that VP is his political ceiling (-;
Yasireebuddy. I hear he invented social networks, blogging, and twerking too so most certainly VP material :>)
unlike Rand I do not consider a 20-year-old as a girl and I bet if you talked to any 20-year-old female they would consider themselves women. Rand's comments he made about the Clintons are to head off Hillary's eventual attack ads on the Republican Party and it's war on women.
The Republican party has a war on women? Hmm, sounds like a political talking point to me.
(see jd, that's exactly what I was referring to!)
Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes.
Too much fraternizing with the enemy. LOL
isn't intra-squad fraternizing still illegal in about 15 states?
how many lanes need to be open for that?
jd2: oldred (post before mine), repeating the rhetoric being tossed about in the media....
Todd Christie and his partners — one the owner of Ferreira Construction, a large firm that has done tens of millions of dollars of work for state agencies since Christie took office — created a company and began buying small residential lots in early 2011, about a year before the train station renovation was approved by the Port Authority.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/Governors_brother_invested_in_houses_near_new_PATH_station_in_Harrison.html
Ella's right. Get over it already! It's just insider trading!
It's not like anybody died...except the 91 year old lady whose ambulance was delayed in Fort Lee.
JIT - Okay. I haven't seen any high-ranking official make the claim though. But then, I don't watch any of the all-news stations.
Oh JD, I think there are plenty of high-ranking quotes on the topic. Not to mention all the other Republican wars-on-you-choose-the-topic fronts like science, education, environment, the poor, welfare millionaires, etc.
Not good to have so many wars on so many fronts. "Having lost sight of our objective, we decided to redouble our efforts." And thus the Tea Party is born :>)
Hey everybody, WRNJ has a show devoted to this topic coming up at 10 AM today, if you can't get to a radio it'll be on wrnj.com, too.
Michael Doherty will be on their panel, along with Rob Jennings, who covers topics political for the New Jersey Herald and keeps his head while everybody else is losing theirs, when it comes to objectivity.
Worth a listen.
That was a good show.
Was disappointed in Chuck Haytaian calling up and getting partisan on us, bringing up Benghazi and the problems of Corzine and McGrevey.
That was off-topic. This is about Christie. Other people's problems don't make him right. One has nothing to do with the other.
NJ 101.5 has the governor on once a month for "Ask the Governor". This Monday will be the first show since all this broke. Should be interesting. I think it's at 7pm.
Like Mr. Doherty said, if he's got nothing to hide he should just tell the investigators to bring it on. Christie should want all the facts to come out ASAP so he can get on with being our governor.
I never want any of our elected officials to fail, because when they do, we all suffer.
It's not the same thing as rooting against the Yankees.
I read an op-ed article recently which said that you need a little corruption in government in order for things to get done.
Why does there always have to be another side to things? :-)
So, he's got Hurricane Sandy and the GWB. If this should end his political career, maybe he can get a spot doing weather and traffic on CNN.
fitter He could play Ralph Kramden in a 2014 version of the Honeymooners, or maybe Fred in a new version of the Flintstones.
ABC, NBC, CBS and most other major print news is biased to the left because over 80 percent of employees in the MSM are registered democrats. They have a real axe to grind and are self-blinded to the failings of their own guy in the white house:
All Three Networks Avoid Fact Checking Obama Speech, But Include Biden Interviews
ABC, NBC and CBS's morning shows on Wednesday failed to fact check Barack Obama's State of the Union address. These same networks, however, made time to feature Vice President Joe Biden (who was in full cheerleader mode). It's not as though fact checks weren't available. The Washington Post and the Associated Press both produced such critical analysis. During his speech, Obama touted "the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years."
The Post's Glenn Kessler called this "cherry picking" and noted that "since the start of his presidency, about 3.2 million jobs have been created — and the number of jobs in the economy still is about 1.2 million lower than when the recession began in December 2007."
On the subject of health insurance, Kessler featured an Obama assertion and then explained:
"More than nine million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage."
Obama carefully does not say these numbers are the result of the Affordable Care Act, but he certainly leaves that impression. But the Medicaid part of this number — 6.3 million from October through December — is very fuzzy and once earned a rating of Three Pinocchios.
The ACA expanded Medicaid to those who earn less than 133 percent of the poverty line — about $15,000 for an individual — to 26 states (and the District) that decided to embrace that element of the law. But no one really knows how many of the 6.3 million are in this expansion pool — or whether they are simply renewing or would have qualified for Medicaid before the new law. Indeed, the number also includes people joining Medicaid in states that chose not accept the expansion.
The private insurance numbers — about 3 million — are also open to question. The troubled federal exchange counts people as enrolled if an individual has selected a plan, but it does not know if a person enrolled and paid a premium because that part of the system has yet to be built.
On the President's claims about the debt, "our deficits-- cut by more than half," the Post objected:
The federal budget deficit has declined in half since 2009, from $1.3 trillion to about $600 billion, but that’s not much to brag about. The 2009 figure was not just a deficit Obama inherited from his predecessor, since it also reflected the impact of decisions, such as the $800 billion stimulus bill, enacted early in the president’s term.
Moreover, the deficit soared in the first place because of the recession, so as the economy has improved, the deficit naturally decreased. The United States still has a deficit higher than it was in nominal terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product than it was in 2008 and a debt much greater as a percentage of the overall economy than it was prior to the recession.
Instead of fact checking Obama, CBS This Morning featured Biden. Co-host Charlie Rose suggested the President is building a "can-do attitude." Later in the program, Frank Luntz appeared to explain how the speech could be focus tested.
NBC and ABC allowed almost no time to the GOP response. NBC's Today managed a scant six seconds. ABC's Good Morning America offered a mere 16 seconds.
http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/all-three-networks-avoid-fact-checking-obama-speech-include-biden-interviews
Start a separate thread about Obama, then.
The president's shortcomings don't exonerate the big guy in Trenton.
"ABC, NBC, CBS and most other major print news is biased to the left because over 80 percent of employees in the MSM are registered democrats. They have a real axe to grind and are self-blinded to the failings of their own guy in the white house."
MSM employees huh? Why do you care how many male prostitutes are Democrats and how do you really think that affects ABC, NBC, and CBS? Actually the only male prostitute to go public in the White House Press Corp turned out to be shilling for the Republicans.
But hey, it's your rant.
brother dog taking in to account these studies that you quote.it's absolutely amazing that president Obama has done so well. To have 2 major political parties the Republicans and the teabaggers trying to stop everything he does and even despite that the American economy grows jobs up unemployment down just imagine how good the economy would be if he didn't have to fight to get it done and the other two parties actually helped instead of hindering progress at every turn how better off we would be.but the other two parties find it easier to criticize and stop the government then to work together for a common goal
No wonder nothing positive ever gets done, these people just spend all their time in partisan arguments.
By the way, if it matters, I'm a registered Republican, get lots of mail from Scott Garrett..
I dunno. I can follow the logic of Obama "gilding the lily" of his progress unlike other Presidents (yeah, right) and how that exonerates Christie. Of course he left out the opening that stated no major errors of fact expected.
Funny how he also left of the part of the article where it talked about fact checking the Republican response. Sort of like gilding the lily. Or maybe it's because 80%of HLifers are registered......... :>)
BD, you've got a real obsession going there.
While there is some truth to what you say, it's not as bad as all that.
MSNBC was recently interviewing a former Congresswoman about reforms to the National Security Agency when they cut her off mid-sentence because they had to cut away for breaking news... about Justin Bieber.
Unfortunately, that pretty much sums up the state of the MSM... and our society in general because after all, they're only feeding the sheep what they really want to consume.
Being a registered Republican is nothing to brag about these days. Jump ship like the rest of us, change to Independent and save face. The Republican big wigs abandoned their base a long long time ago. They are nothing more than an extension of the Democrat party. Christy lost me when he ordered flags half staff in memory of, well I won't go there. I still love her music.
Oh, I get it. MSM means Main Stream Media and not Men Sexing Men :>)
Didn't have my Bill O'Reilly Conservative Codebook :>)
That explains why FOX News just can't get their facts right. They can't find any real journalists; all the good ones are not conservative enough.
Or maybe because on the first day of Journalism101 when the teacher announces they will be studying the Inverted Pryamid, most of the Republicans go running out of the room screaming "Let the Pyramids be. I don't want to know about that pinko commie socialist inverted stuff......."
The Republicans have to be nice to me, and millions of others who are like me, they can't take our votes for granted.
I'm Mr. Swing Vote and I'm not the only one.
Mr G, everyone knows that pyramids are occult symbols; inverted ones even more so. It probably affects their born-again Christian sensibilities (-;
Heh, heh, nice one Iman.
And then on the second day of Journalism101 when the teacher announces they will be studying the 5 W's -- who, what, when, where and why, another bunch of Republicans runs away screaming "too much government control, big brother is watching......."
"it's absolutely amazing that president Obama has done so well. To have 2 major political parties the Republicans and the teabaggers trying to stop everything he does and even despite that the American economy grows jobs up unemployment down just imagine how good the economy would be if he didn't have to fight to get it done"
oldred, are we to deduce from this that you believe the government is responsible for the success of the economy and the creation of jobs? I don't think that could be any further from the truth.
Perhaps the solution is even simpler: maybe the economy is doing better BECAUSE the government is doing nothing.
Recently when someone said Obama is ruining the country, I simply said, how? What has he been allowed to do?
here's the audio archive of the bridgegate forum on WRNJ
http://wrnjradio.bandcamp.com/track/01-29-14-bridgegate-forum
Some historical chronology here .... the banks tanked in October 2008. I remember the panic phone call from my mom, afraid she'd lose her savings.
Under who's watch was it? Any explanation of what happened? Just asking.
Obama was not sworn in as president until January 2009.
"Perhaps the solution is even simpler: maybe the economy is doing better BECAUSE the government is doing nothing."
Maybe you're both wrong and the economy is getting better but it is still sucking pond water......... from the muddy bottom of the pond. Perhaps if Congress had done anything over the past, now 3+ years, our upward trajectory would be decent rather than paltry. At least one law, program, investment, something rather than nothing.
Clinton signed over the keys to the hen house to the banksters back in 2000, but it was a bipartisan effort, as most real good screwings of the American people are.
NBC, MSNBC sink to bottom of who the public trusts
NBC News and sister cable network MSNBC rank at the bottom of media outlets Americans trust most for news, with Fox News leading the way, according to a new poll from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.
In its fifth trust poll, 35 percent said they trusted Fox news more than any other outlet, followed by PBS at 14 percent, ABC at 11 percent, CNN at 10 percent, CBS at 9 percent, 6 percent for MSNBC and Comedy Central, and just 3 percent for NBC.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/nbc-msnbc-sink-to-bottom-of-who-the-public-trusts/article/2543186
Yeah, I know that the Dems had that "poof, the economy's fixed" bill in committee but the Tea Baggers shot it down baca use they hate America and want people to suffer as much as possible (-;
From the above cited article offered by Brother Dog...
"The poll also asked which news team was “least trusted;” Fox won that, too, because many Democrats don’t like it.
When all the politics are stripped out, PPP said that the one outlet that appears trusted by both sides is PBS. Some 57 percent of Americans said they trust public TV news."
wow, most and least trusted... in one poll!! really speaks to how the politics/news outlets are polarized in this country
That makes sense because there are a few left wing news outlets that chop up the favorite and least favorite votes on that side of the spectrum. Fox is the only game in town on the right.
With all these R vs D distractions where are the folks pointing out that the FED has kept interest rates practically at 0% (for the banks, that is), been buying up Treasuries like they are candy (since China isn't willing to buy *all* of our debt, someone has to), has increased the monetary base by almost 450% (from 800bn to 3750bn) and increased bank reserves by 2500% (from 100bn to about 2500 bn) since 2008.
So yeah, let's all keep pretending the figure head of our government (no matter which "party" he/she belongs to) has anything at all to do with the economy, other than parading himself in front of the cameras telling us what we want to hear and ensuring that the discussion never, ever is about the fundamentals of our economic system. Well, maybe he/she does have an influence - with spending, that is.
I wonder, does anyone read these R vs D threads and NOT think that it's all complete BS? My guy this, your guy that, blah blah blah...
BDog, that's a real funny story, is it from a comedy blog?
"The pollster said Fox won because Republicans are devoted to it" following zerO'Reilly, Sean of the dead, etc., like moonies follow self-proclaimed messiah Sun Myung Moon.
We liberals are much more skeptical.
That's why most great journalists are liberal.
ianimal I agree with you that the government cannot fix the economy by itself. But it can give it a good start. For instance let's just take the transportation bill that the Republicans refuse to even bring up for a vote . How many tens of thousands of jobs that Bill would create to fix America's crumbling infrastructure. And believe me it's crumbling my company has done work on these bridges. And sometimes you've just got to scratch your head and wonder how some of these bridges ever stayed up. A lot of them were built into teens 20s and 30s and were not meant to last forever. They are literally falling apart. And that's only a small part of the infrastructure that needs to be fixed there are tens of thousands of miles of roads sewer lines water lines electrical lines that desperately need maintenance. How many times in Hackettstown alone are there water line breaks America is falling apart literally
The Hunterdon Democrat has been around since about 1867, nobody can accuse it of having any bias ...they have endorsed a long list of Republicans over the years, we need more newspapers like it, really.
i like rachel, she *is* a fervent ideologue through and through, (wack-a-doodle progressively left of left, she is so far left she is almost right) but i always learn something new when i watch her. i like her style; she is soft spoken, well prepared, quick on her feet and very intelligent. don't agree with her much, but sometimes i do.
mr g - it's from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling
oldred - thanks for the link, where's the interview with bartlet?
I agree dog that she is very well prepared and has a great nose (or staff) for news and sleuths out many a good in-depth story.
However I also agree she is so far left she's right and wish once in a blue moon she could disagree with something the left has done, is doing, or wants to do.
oldred, as a civil engineer, I couldn't agree more that our infrastucture is crumbling and is getting worse. That's because it was neglected when times were good and no one thought to maintain things on a schedule according to the projected lifespan. Because, believe me, the engineers who designed these bridges 100 years ago that are now crumbling didn't tell the politicians that they would last forever. The deterioration of concrete and steel is not newly discovered. Most of these bridges are 25 years or more past their expected life span.
But to now spend a trillion dollars in money that we don't have to start to fix it, simply under the guise that it will "create jobs" is somewhat short-sighted.
Especially when most of the money we don't have that we will be spending will be spent on the bloat of unions and prevailing wage. That's not all bad; prior to prevailing wage, materials and "skilled" labor were grossly substandard and usually nepotism-based and roads would deteriorate after a couple years (wait, maybe nothing has changed after all, if you travel the Interstates on a regular basis).
All kidding aside, by all means, spend the $ but spend it wisely. The taxpayers need to take a hit and outlay the money to get it done, but the unions need to take a hit to allow it to be done more cheaply than is currently possible (while still ensuiring their guys a living wage). Until they are willing to make that concession, we will never catch up with the decay.
"All kidding aside, by all means, spend the $ but spend it wisely" Wiser words have never been spoken.
There's also much fat in the current budget. Currently we pay .25% interest on excess bank reserves (that JIT alluded to above). That's .25% on 2.3Trillion or $5.8B each year. I think $5.8B would build a few bridges and we used to spend $0; yeah, that's zero.
Then we spend around $680B on defense. Perhaps we could scrounge a few superhighways out of that given that's 4X what China spends, over 6X for Russia, and 10X or higher for any other country you can think off. You just have to say you could get $5 or $10B out of that.
Sorry to say, but Welfare is about half of what we spend on defense, got to be some trimming there. Maybe less than what we can get from defense, but there has got to be a sidewalk or two hiding in that mess.
And then Healthcare and Social Security where at least we need to trim the deficit spending; perhaps we can't trim the baseline expense to give people back what they paid it, but we should be movign to end the deficit spending.
Just some top line approaches to finding money in the pile of stuff we already spend it on.
Oh yeah, I forgot. This is the do nothing Congress who can't get anything done whatsoever. Never mind.
The multiplier effect ... the more people work, more money circulates in the economy ... more businesses are doing well ...they hire people ... things start getting better.
It's been done before.
More people start depositing money in banks, the banks are able to make more loans (while keeping the required amount in reserves) ... more hiring ... it's starting to happen out there.
I don't care which party takes the credit (they both will) ... AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS.
Helllllllo: Did you catch the part about the banks having 2.3TRILLION is excess reserves. That's excess, not required reserves. There ain't no money multiplier anymore.
And the effect you are calling the multiplier is really more like churn, a good thing, but not the money multiplier. That's why raising the minimum wage is good; these folks always spend what they got cuz they don't got much. And gee, getting them off welfare might be a pick-me up too both spiritually and financially. And gee, making us spend what we should for a burger rather than subsidizing McD's slave wages seems, well, dare I say it ---- fair?
But I digress.
Friday News Dump:
Bridge scandal: Chris Christie knew about lane closures, David Wildstein's lawyer says
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/attorney_for_david_wildstein_asks_port_authority_to_reconsider_paying_legal_bills.html
I listen with "filters" when I know someone will never challenge one side or the other - LOVE to listen to news/commentators, etc... when they discuss the flaws in all sides... hard to find, as we have discussed on the forum, but if you look..... maddow is interesting, easy to listen to with a direct approach... but yes, the filters are on
ianimal I have dealt with the unions my whole working life some good some bad. But they always were wailing to make some concessions. Especially when I guaranteed them steady work for years on end.
Ah but John Stewart cuts through the fog on both sides of the river. It's just that the conservative side is so, so, so much thicker.... :>)
Lets not get distracted here. This thread is supposed to be about our esteemed Governor.
BTW, Wildstein just released a statement that Christie knew about the lane closures while they were happening and that there is evidence to prove it.
Not just knew about it, Wildstein says Christie ordered it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/nyregion/christie-bridge.html
Sort of an "executive order", if you will
LeRoy... filters yes.. but you don't know me, so I understand your skepticism, you illustrate my point beautifully, thank you
I wasn't around for the Great Depression in 29, but do remember the Great Recession of 2008 ... and read about the similarities ...
Now, Watergate all over again ... an election he was going to win anyway ...
Do the Republicans ever learn from old mistakes?
Talk about a thread that's gotten out of control ... let the investigation proceed, Watergate took all of 1973 and half of 1974. It was the best daytime soap opera going, with a few Saturday Night specials thrown in.
Let Them Pay A Huge Toll For An Open Lane
If They Ain't Got Time To Take No Fast Train
Oh ,The Open Lanes Are Gone..They Ain't Coming Home
My Gov He Wrote Me A Letter
He Don't Care How Many Votes He Got To Spend
He Gots to Get Back At Fort Lee Again
Oh ,The Open Lanes Are Gone..They Ain't Coming Home
My Gov He Wrote Me A Letter
The Gov Wrote Me A Letter
Said He Couldn't Live With Fort Lee No More
Listen To Me Mister Don't You Here Me Rantin'
Against Fort Lee Once More...Anyway
Let Them Pay A Huge Toll For An Open Lane
If They Ain't Got Time To Take No Fast Train
Oh ,The Open Lanes Are Gone..They Ain't Coming Home
My Gov He Wrote Me A Letter
Todd Christie his brother is on the oversight commitee set up by the bankers to make sure that the Sandy money got distributed to the shore towns like Bellville and New Brunswick. Hahaha. Look at a map NO SHORE there.
pampurr As a fan of the Box Tops, got a kick out of Mr. G's lyric there.
Know who really got the shaft in Hurricane Sandy aid ... the folks in Cumberland and Salem County, who had Delaware Bay wash up on them. Guess there are no "influential people" in those counties, except for Mike Trout of the Angels.
They're not getting squat, nobody cares a lick about them.
What happened to the Integrity monitoring act that was signed into law last year and now in JANUARY just implemented after this scandal broke. Christie....? ALL eyes now on new development in NJ.
oldred, prevailing wage for an asphalt laborer (the guy holding the rake) is somewhere in the neighborhood of $75/hour including wages and benefits. That's ridiculous. Other trades are similarly out of whack. That's why it costs $150k or more to repave a 1/2 mile long local road.
Somebody going down big time.
IF the letter exists, will they move to impeachment?
Meanwhile CC spotted Friday night attending Howard Stern's birthday celebration; think he is networking for future jobs? Can't do FOX for five or ten years if found guilty; it's the scandal remediation rehabilitation reformed reborn rebirther rule.
ianimal I have never belonged to a union but I did enjoy the eight hour work day and the 40 hour week. And the time and half that the union people fought for. I bet you did to. Now back to bridge gate say goodbye to Christie I believe the only person who had a chance of beating Hillary Clinton in a general election and say HELLO to Jeb Bush who I think will win the Republican nomination and then take a beating from Pres. Hillary Clinton. Well at least thats what the magic eight ball said
Oldred, you almost had me fooled there for a second; you were masquerading as a reasonable person. There's a huge difference between a standardized work week and regulated overtime (which I DON'T get time and a half for, thankyouverymuch), and the extortion that is perpetuated upon the taxpayers under the guise of collective bargaining.
Obviously, there was a time in this country where management exploited workers. No one s denying that and unions were instrumental in passing laws protecting workers. However, the pendulum has swung the other way, unions have become rackets run by the mob and politicians have gotten into bed with them because of the voting blocs that they control. The politicos can't see beyond the next election date; they don't care about the long term effects on their constituents. Sad but true, as the Metallica song goes...
Not all unions Iman. And when it comes to voting blocks, I think big business and the wealthy have a leg up on any Union when it comes to leveraging laws and political persuasion.
However if Chris leaves the clown car, even with the vacant seat, the rest of the clowns showing their faces thus far are weak at best. But I don't agree Oldred. Jeb Bush is not a member of the clown car; he is a serious contender except for the stigma of his last name which is not his fault. His father's legacy becomes stronger ever day; he is very much like his father ---- perhaps even better. And he commands the middle ground, the high ground. Versus the weak Democratic field, he stands a good chance of getting a lot of cross-overs. Depending on who the left fields, perhaps even me.
U.S. Attorney subpoenas Christie's office, gov confirms
http://www.politickernj.com/71256/us-attorney-s-office-subpoenas-christies-office-gov-confirms#.UvA_oCYNeH4.twitter
*
Firm of Chris Christie adviser hires lawyer
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/chris-christie-adviser-mike-duhaime-mercury-public-affairs-103063.html
ANOTHER TOP DEM BAILS FROM CONGRESS...
Updated 8:20 a.m | Rep. Robert E. Andrews, D-N.J., will resign from Congress this month to take a job with a Philadelphia Law Firm, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Andrews, a Pelosi ally, is scheduled to host an 11:30 a.m. press conference in his southern New Jersey district, the newspaper also reported.
The 12-term Democrat is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which was reportedly questioning whether the congressman used funds from his re-election campaign to pay for a trip to Scotland for his family.
Andrews is the second member of Congress facing an ethics investigations to resign this year. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., resigned earlier this year after he pleaded guilty for cocaine possession.
An Andrews aide did not immediately return a request for comment about the resignation.
http://www3.atr.rollcall.com/new-jerseys-rob-andrews-to-resign-from-congress-per-report/
Does Andrew's presumed guilt mean you feel Christie is guilty and should resign as well?
FYI --- the ethics probe ceases when he leave; omg there is an escape clause :>(
OK, I'll call your Andrew's diversion and raise you one Grimm one. Think he's ready for a little bipartisan action? But it's OK, he apologized (after getting caught on film).
http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/29/state-of-the-union-2014-michael-grimm-new-york-threat-balcony/
There are scoundrels everywhere you look in politics.
I'm sure there is a lot going on that somebody out there thinks he's getting away with ... it never ends.
Power corrupts and the people who seek power are usually arrogant alpha male types who think they are smarter than everybody else.
when did he know about the state trooper shoplifting? when was he told about the trooper shoplifting? how did he find out about this troopers illegal behavior? and how come he didn't already know it? and why didn't he take immediate action? will the corruption never end? how far does it go? omg, omg, omg the whole world is ending.
yet the obama/clinton disaster train gets a pass on everything, WOW! talk about fair and balanced, (not)
where's the quid pro quo in intensity and focus?
anybody?
I don't know. We seem to have a new breed of mean. In a really HUGE diversion, here's Stewart's take on the State of the Onion ---- let no politician remain unscathed but let the Tea Party and those Republicans knuckling under take the full rant. (Gee, I feel like I am not alone any more......) Enjoy --- it's pretty funny.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-29-2014/the-2014-state-of-the-union---republicans-respond
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-january-29-2014/band-of-blockers
Oh BDog --- Christie has got nothing but a bye on the Wildman revelation; everybody is standing back.
And Clinton got impeached on two counts, not for malfeasance in office (like plotting, planning and approving the GWB lane closing), but one of the counts was for lieing (like pulling a Sgt Shultz "I know nothing, I know nothing" when in truth he did know something all along.
But personally, I find a slight magnatude of scale difference between a shoplifting cop, a President tapping an intern, Obama doing nothing illegal (like he has gotten a media bye on his troubles), and prdering the partial closing, at a 106 million vehicles per year since 2007, the busiest bridge in the world, one that is way up on the list for national security protection. And if he didn't do it, then not knowing about it does seem to be something you would expect your NJgov to know anyway. Like, "hey gov-man, we're getting bombarded with phone calls and emails about closing the GWB for a fake traffic study....." And until we resolve the issue of who knows what, who did what, one worthy of investigation by press, politicians and prosecutors alike.
Of course, you're probably talking about the other Clinton in which case see Obama comment above.
"Obama doing nothing illegal"
blinded by the light of the savior are we?
Obama has changed the health care law like 15 times with the stroke of the pen, this is illegal. delayed this, wont enforce that, allow ins companies to extend the bad plans for another year, under what authority does this president operate? when Obama changes the law unilaterally like he does (and gets away with) he turns the USA into a banana republic, this is how banana republics operate, the law today is whatever el presidente says it is from the balcony. no difference whatsoever between obama's prononcements from on high and a south American banana republic. please wake up and smell the coffee, i'm begging you
call obama on it the same way you are gunning Christie down and i might start to think you are moving towards fair and balanced, and yes to reiterate, the truth should come out about the bridge lane closures,
the truth should also come out about obamacare and Benghazi, i urge you with all of your passion for politics and your personal strengths to purse those with the same fervor and intensity you are gunning down Christie with.
the press is corrupted by their own personal biases, and it shows clear in this case.
for the record, it was an entrance ramp from Ft Lee that was closed. The bridge itself was unaffected, and the 95 traffic was running unimpeded during the on ramp closing.
IOW, it was a Ft Lee backup, not a 95/bridge backup.
JIT: good point but no wonder the GWB traffic was moving briskly; two lanes of incoming traffic from a three-lane feeder were blocked. Think that still accounts for a partial bridge closing although technically you are correct. How many total lanes are we talking for the GWB; is it 8 lanes one way or do they stagger the 16 lanes for commuting like the tunnels? (I normally tunnel unless off-traffic so I never really notice).
BDog: if that was illegal you would think the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would call him on it like they did Bill Clinton.
misterg, the bridge has fourteen lanes, six of which are on the lower deck. None switch direction.
But the best feature is the walkway. It can be quite an exhilarating experience to walk from Fort Lee to Manhattan. As a bonus, you avoid both the bridge toll and Manhattan parking charges. In Fort Lee you can park by the Revolutionary War park, which is interesting in its own right.
It matters, Gadfly, when the impression people are left with is that the main thoroughfare from NJ to NY was clogged. It wasn't. In fact, IIRC reading the emails the rt95 traffic was much, much better during the test.
Tell me, do most people think the problem was specifically within downtown FT Lee or that the bridge itself was impacted? Perception vs reality.
BrotherDog wrote:
" i urge you with all of your passion for politics and your personal strengths to purse those with the same fervor and intensity you are gunning down Christie with. "
That is never going to happen, my friend.
BD and JR: I never "purse" nor "gun down" anyone. Purses and guns are your thang, not mine. I'm good in a clutch though :>)
How does he spin this? Pretty damning.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/02/10/jersey-newspaper-apologizes-endorsing-chris-christie-governor-2013.html
MikeL When a significant number of the major feeder lanes are blocked, I think it's fair to say the bridge is blocked for many people. Doesn't this include R1, 9, and 46?
Meanwhile as folks start chipping away at the story:
Christy who is on record for his claim for Mark Sokolich as "Until I saw his picture last night on television, I wouldn’t have been able to pick him out of a lineup," after dining with him and two other mayors in 2010. Not a big crowd. In bigger crowds, he was with the mayor at a number of affairs.
And the investigation committee is reviewing possible Christie's copter rides to see the bridge tie up.
Christie's staff also released that aides did not run the :"Wildstein wilding in High School" memo by him and he didn't know....... Because you know this is a guy that staffers feel free to wing it (since he has ultimate trust and, if there's a mistake, he's the guy who always has their back)
Methinks this guy should spend more time in the office watching Clinton plausible denial training tapes :>)
"justin, you are right"
Yes, in part anyway. But what about his use of the word "test"? Does anyone believe that's what it was? He probably meant to say "blockage" instead.
Overall the event is very damaging to Christie; no tears here. But so far it looks as if the worst may pass for him. He will likely remain our governor. Maybe he will be better for it.
Maybe he will be better for it. Amen to that.
I always say, I never root for an elected official to fail ... from either party.
When they do, we all suffer.
It's not like rooting against Wacha, Wacha
jd2, if I had put the word in quotes, "test", would it have made any difference? I had only intended to use the excuse that was given - a traffic study - but chose the wrong word. My bad. For what it's worth, not once in this thread did I say that no problem existed or that this wasn't politically motivated. What I said is that *exaggerations* were being made (and still are) to accentuate political motives rather than present what is factually accurate.
btw misterg, your "significant number of the major feeder lanes" is two. Two of the 23 bridge toll lanes are dedicated to that onramp. Two.
You can include a third which is shared with 95 traffic, but would have to assume that it carries only 1/2 of the third lane traffic. Is that a "significant number"? If you happen to be on that particular entrance ramp then, yes, I would think it is. But only for those on that entrance ramp. Which was my point, that this was an on-ramp problem, not a bridge problem. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less. It's akin to blocking lanes to any on ramp to any highway. The blockage affects just those on the on ramp, not the bridge or major highway itself.
JIT, yes, "test" in quotes would not have caught my attention. I thought the use of that word might have been somewhat revealing, but was not at all sure. You have a tendency to downplay problems and issues, I think, which is often justified, but at times really goes too far. In this particular issue, I recall you downplayed it a first, but then rightly came back and admitted there was indeed something seriously amiss.
As was already pointed out in this thread way back when, the issue was a four-day gridlock situation within downtown Fort Lee itself, due to the people trying to get on the bridge but were crawling, blocking many of the local roads. The blockage did not affect just those on the ramp, as you apparently surmise, but many of the residents trying to make their everyday rounds.
Quite right jd2. My feeling is that some of the followup responses didn't quite get this statement of mine:
"Tell me, do most people think the problem was specifically within downtown FT Lee or that the bridge itself was impacted?"
Many articles I've come across - specifically the politically motivated ones - seem to intentionally interchange "bridge" backup with "FT Lee" backup just for effect, I think because more people can relate to being in a traffic jam at the GWB than in FT Lee. IOW, those articles get a greater emotional response by claiming the bridge was backed up than by stating FT Lee was backed up.
Difference between what LeRoy?
In the context of what I've been talking about, the difference is how we perceive what actually took place and the level of significance that's assigned to it versus what actually happened. If a "traffic study" were to happen in Mt Olive (supposing the Governor had a beef with their Mayor) and Rt 206 traffic was backed up for miles leading to Rt 80 would the overall level of public outrage be the same as has happened in Fort Lee? Locally, yes, but nationally, no. But work in a major landmark and thoroughfare to NYC, the GWB, and all of a sudden we view the identical situation differently. All I'm saying is that the GWB has no bearing on this at all, none whatsoever, because it was a Fort Lee problem, and that the whole reason the GWB continues to be talked about is for political reasons. That's it.
Overall I agree that the difference isn't hugely significant, but when the story is used as a political football the difference becomes *very* significant for those who will stretch the truth a bit to paint their team in a better light. Being aware of that fact isn't a bad thing, is it?
why is this more important than our president behaving lawlessly? Obama is turning this country into a banana republic by changing the AHCA law any time he choses to, under what authority does he do this?
-----------------------------------------------
Obama Rewrites ObamaCare ,Another day, another lawless exemption, once again for business.
ObamaCare's proliferating delays, exemptions and administrative retrofits are too numerous to count, most of them of dubious legality. The text of the Affordable Care Act specifically says when the mandate must take effect—"after December 31, 2013"—and does not give the White House the authority to change the terms.
Changing an unambiguous statutory mandate requires the approval of Congress, but then this President has often decided the law is whatever he says it is. His Administration's cavalier notions about law enforcement are especially notable here for their bias for corporations over people.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303650204579375310934336066?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion&mg=reno64-wsj&url= http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303650204579375310934336066.html%3Fmod%3DWSJ_hpp_sections_opinion
How about posting the the Obama criticisms on a separate thread? Or, is the whole point to distract from the governor's bad behavior?
JIT: I think your point is made however I think cutting off 10% of the access to the bridge IS a bridge problem for those affected people and your own admission that the bridge itself was flowing freely seems to possible indicate an affect. Not only that but it is not just Fort Lee but any off the major highways feeding into those ramps which contain BRIDGE traffic from many places outside of Ft. Lee.
But that is not the point. The point is was the closure legitimate or a planned, predetermined misuse of vindictive power.
And if is was, then the question is who did it, who knew about it, who covered it up, and who lied. And are there more examples.
Sure the jury is still out but Christie is cementing his bully status. "I am not a bully" sounds ominously close to "I am not a crook" with no nuance like "I did not have sex with that woman." Also he is cropping up a lot of, let's call it, misstatements beginning to make him a misstater at least. Not to mention a manager who does not know what his inner sanctum is doing in his name, not some department but his inner sanctum, his first line of management, the folks outside his office door. And then the question of did he create the environment that legitimizes these activities.
So sure, the bridge flowed freely except for those bridge folks who were stuck on the on ramp. And sure, the jury is still out, he is not charged much less found guilty. But there's a good amount of smoke here.
And BD, once again, if Obama is breaking the law, charge him. Otherwise keep fishing. It is your right, but I think we can also chum the waters of the Hudson, there's a big one we will probably land.
In response to JIT, I would just say that in my opinion, having observed a lot of news reporting over the years, that referring to this particular event as a "bridge" scandal is more about
a) many reporters not understanding the facts themselves, and
b) there is some carelessness in reporting facts accurately, or
c) it involves people (the Port Authority) in charge of the bridge, some of whom were appointed by our governor,
than in
d) the truth is stretched in standard news reporting for political reasons.
I have seen very good and accurate reports though.
.
I've read that only 5% of eastbound GWB traffic uses the Fort Lee ramps, so I doubt it's the entry point for Routes 9, 46, etc. I *think* it's only Route 4, but that comes from a one-time shortcut taken many many years ago, so I'm not sure.
Proving my point that 4,234,567 commuters probably used it as a short cut that day :>)
I don't know the area but there seems to be a lot South of Fort Lee on Rt 1 and 9 where 95 is not the closest route. Likewise, 95 seems out of the way for a nice portion of 46.
Just saying that even though they didn't block the actual bridge that a lot of bridge traffic got blocked. And either 5% or 10% is a HUGE number for the busiest bridge in the world. Need JIT to run the statistical analysis and geo-mapping to be sure; hope he factors in the short-cutters like Iman.
It opened the door to investigate his administration.
He closed the biggest bridge in New York City on the anniversary of 9/11 because "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee."
He withheld Hurricane Sandy funds against Hoboken, who needed it for political reasons.
He gave Hurricane Sandy funds to Bellville, who didn't.
He fired a Hunterdon County prosecutor after that prosecutor objected to 43 counts of official misconduct being dropped on the Sheriff and the Undersheriff, who later went on to run for Warren County Sheriff.
He belittles and abuses people who ask questions at Town Halls he himself invited them to.
on and on and on
that's the significance of it
that's why it keeps going to the top of the list
no wonder y'all want to hijack the story with your vague anti-Obama talking points about executive orders, even though this has never been a problem with any president before and Obama has issued less executive orders than any other president in history
it's fun, but it's cheating
start your own thread
Erik, 95% of your most recent post has as much to do with the bridge scandal as all of the posts about Obama. It's kind of like a game of Crazy 8s... you can follow suit or you can change suit with an equivalent card. Either way, it makes your discussion of town meetings and sheriffs no more and no less off-topic than discussions of Obama's scandals.
Chris Christie's Entire Career Reeks
It's not just the bridge
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116601/chris-christies-rise-and-fall
Yeah, we should have just had another McGreevey or Corzine to bankrupt us that much quicker. What a lot of people do not want to accept is that their free-handed Democrats will drive the NJ budget over the cliff; and it will be fine just until the point we fall -- just like the 2008 crash...
Yes, that's exactly what happens.
Of course, under Christie, New Jersey is worse off, economically, than literally every other US state. Mississippi laughs at us. We have the second highest tax, a lousey place to do business: only one state is worse for business tax, the first or second highest unemployment rate, and the fourth worse funded pension system in the US.
On a bright side, NJians ain't dumb so we rank number one for folks leaving. We win when it comes to folks giving up and leaving. Actually we should all be questioning why we are still here.
But of course that's Corzine's and McGreevey's fault, they set Christie up to fail. All NJ issues are Democratic problems that only a Christie can solve.
Of course in over four years as Governor, Christie's policies have done little make things better especially for the middle class. He has not solved anything for the better and has not even held his ground. Louisiana laughs at us.
Now he's not doing the NJ image any good either and he wants to do the same for all of America. I think he's going to find that the entrance ramps are blocked :>)
It just keeps getting better - here's why it pays to be Christie's friend and neighbor http://bobbraunsledger.com/it-pays-to-be-a-friend-and-neighbor-of-chris-christie/
I thought this tear jerker retired. His wife was a teacher and he always defends teachers.
Mr. G., as you know the more "paying" folks that leave the other "payers" are further squeezed. Soon NJ will pretty much be running like NYC. In the end we will all survive, but why work hard and control expenses (save) when a lot of it will get wiped away in the end? For now, we all plug away but the smart keep one eye on the escape plan...
It would be good to run like NYC, they have an extra 1.8B in tax revenues this year for their budget.
If enough people leave then:
- housing will be cheaper, we can all afford to move to Tewkesbury
- we won't have to spend as much for infrastructure since they will be getting used by less people
- crime will go down since there's nothing left to steal
- JR will be able to target practice in his yard without fear of hitting anyone
- we'll be able to close lanes, ooops, I'm sorry JIT, entrance ramps to the GWB without backing up traffic
- no more lines at Shoprite
Lots of good things! :>)
so it's christes fault for the state we're in now, but it's bush's fault for obama's lack of success.
great myopic logic there o'liberal one.
gimme a break already,
I did not say it was his fault. Sure, he was handed a bad deck of cards.
I just said that he has not done anything about it. I think his metric of success is that in his four years we are not almost dead last economically against the metric of 49 other states.
new jersey (and other new england states) have been broken for a long time now, welcome to the party
that's why so many are fleeing Nj, and NY state. the taxes, the rules, the oppressive overbearing government structures.
people want to breath free, think freely and act freely, can't do that here and it's not the governor's fault.
Yeah, those are the reasons.... sure :>(
It is true that people are leaving NY as well, it's just that NJ is worse. However, and I am just winging it here, your reasoning is probably made up. Do you have actual surveys where people say it's "the rules, the oppressive overbearing government structures" and that they need "breath free, think freely and act freely" or was that just wishful conservatism at work again?
And why is our lack of freedom not the 4-year plus governor's fault again?
No, I'm afraid it's the economy......sorry. And Christie's lack of making any progress against it, matter of fact, doing worse than any other governor, democrat or republican.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/02/10/the-states-people-are-fleeing-in-2014/
New Jersey is a relatively small, crowded, and older, state. One would expect an out-migration compared to some other places.
Not that we couldn't do better in some of our policies, sure.
People were fleeing NJ long before Christie. I think the biggest reason is probably high taxes. And the biggest reason for high taxes is the insane number of municipalities and duplication of services we have in this state. Until that is seriously addressed, I don't see much hope for a meaningful reduction in taxes.
Mr. G., ... and then things get so cheap this area becomes another Poughkeepsie (some may argue parts of the area are already headed that way).
Not good to loose the wealthier (not saying wealthy). Many only have 1-2 kids and pay a lot of taxes while the "non-wealthier" have more kids and pay even less or no taxes.
WORK. Work has to be integral to life. This is the mantra in Germany and the yard correct. They work hard there and they also play hard in their time off.
Without a work ethic, this place is going down...
mrg - you don't want to breathe free of the oppressive overbearing government/tax structure that is holding new jersey and new york (city and state) back?
doesn't your wife work in the public sector? yes? and your household personally benefits from a really generous pension and health plan that she will collect when she retires?
and isn't that part of the reason why you are a 'big governement' kinda of guy? you and your family personally benefits by being employed by it? (this is not an attack, just an honest conversation, i don't blame you for wanting to benefit from these overly generous big government pension and health benefits schemes, but it does put your running commentaries in context)
are you two going to move out of state when she does retire?
come on now, be honest with us.
christie has done a good job in a heavily democratic state in changing the status quo. both the assembly and the senate have comfortable democratic majorities. teaming up with sweeny in the senate, our Governor has proved over and over again how he has the ability to reach across the aisle and compromise to get things done. too bad your guy in the white house is tone deaf to any compromise and knows not how to broker one, this is sad for all of us as Americans, and it saddens me that a guy as smart as yourself doesn't see any of this.
Money does not grow on trees. To promise something that is unaffordable (pensions and retirement medical) and then figuratively putting a gun to the taxpayer is wrong.
If you are an insider then it is all about nothing... if you are an outsider then you see it as it is -- corruption. It is nothing other than corruption.
Ijay, BDog, jd2, have I got a deal for you.
I will invest all of your money for you and promise a fantastic return close to what your neighbor is getting. How do I do it? Even working against wall street mavens, I will change the status quo, reach across the wall street aisle, and compromise with them to get you the best deals on the best stocks.
Don't worry that you will get the worst return when compared to 49 of your friends and that your neighbor is number 49 :>( Isn't close to almost last pretty good?
You give Christie this mulligan, can I have one too?
You make no sense Mr. G.? The whole point is that the public workers have excessive pension/retiree medical that is "guaranteed" on the backs of NJ Taxpayers. If everyone could join in then the playing field would be leveled and no one could really complain other than the system will go broke for all at some point.
Public workers are isolated from market conditions via a mechanism that can tax away at the taxpayers. For example, if the market tanks over the next 10 years and my 401k is decimated then it is my problem. The public pensions are invested under-the-covers in the market and if it drops the expectation is that the taxpayer foots the difference -- NO!
You're right, iJay.
And yet, there is always another side to things, isn't there?
When the market does really well, your 401k benefits, but pension holders do not gain. The best example perhaps is when Christie Whitman took the gains earned by the pension system's investments, stopped payments into the pension system, and provided tax cuts to taxpayers. Going down this road is one reason we have pension funding problems now.
True, but from a BUDGET perspective the 401k is PREDICTABLE versus the Pension is UNPREDICTABLE.
Whether you run a local small business or a state government, you need to predict your costs. The excuse my company gave to freezing the pensions was that future costs were going to go up at a factor of 900% to 1000%. Since we are public, we cannot justify to the stockholders such a large increase in HR related costs.
From day one the pension system was corrupt as 9% was used as the AVERAGE annual return when everyone including the actuaries were saying do not go over 7%. And the pension has to be fixed like in the private sector, but the Democrats love giving COLA adjustments that (again) were not funded.
The pension was much less unpredictable when the state paid more or less fixed annual payments into the system, regardless of how well the investments did in the past year.
But basically I agree that pensions probably should be phased out in favor of defined contribution systems. But whatever system we pick, there are going to be problems.
myopical logic is not working - if it's not his fault (as said earlier today) why is a mulligan needed? makes no sense at all. esp when the analysis so so one sided and you are not applying the same measurement to your guy in the whitehouse who is behaving more lawlessly day by day.
i'll take your non-response to my questions as a yes, your wife works in the public sector and that this colors your personal approach to bigger government and more taxes because your family personally benefits from it. this puts your posts into context for sure.
are you and your wife going to retire out of state? (yes?, no?)
fed up taxpayers are leaving in droves, from NJ, and NY city and NY state.
I dunno. You guys are still arguing the positive side of being dead last in an economic comparison against 49 other states. This guy has had 4 years not to succeed, not to be the best, but to just beat ANY of the other 49 state's economies. Come on, at least Alabama..... And he has not succeeded in even that minor accomplishment. You know, second to last out of 50 would be a marked improvement over our dead last position.
And to say, "but other states are bad off too" does not diminish the fact that we are the last man. They may be bad off, but we are the worst. We are last. Why do you keep giving this guy a mulligan when the facts compel you otherwise?
And here's to BDog's latest rant without reasoning (we really need some supporting facts on some of these assertions).
"you don't want to breathe free of the oppressive overbearing government/tax structure that is holding new jersey and new york (city and state) back?"
MG - of course I would not like this and would agree NJ is highly regulated. As to oppressive and overbearing, perhaps some actual examples might help prove your point. But why do you keep comparing us to NY; they beat us on almost every economic front, albeit slightly sometimes. And at least they are trying to attract business with innovative tax deals; we are doing nothing except watching business leave.
"doesn't your wife work in the public sector? yes? and your household personally benefits from a really generous pension and health plan that she will collect when she retires?"
MG - sorry, NO to all of this; we are both in the private sector in very competitive businesses. Captains of industry we.
"are you two going to move out of state when she does retire?"
MG - We both were born in NJ but we are not from NJ. And yes, we will be leaving the state maybe on retirement, maybe not. After all, "I am a leaf on the wind - watch how I soar."
"our Governor has proved over and over again how he has the ability to reach across the aisle and compromise to get things done."
MG - Oh come on. Prove it. This is just the spin doctors talking. Next you will be telling us about his "largest increase in employment in over 1,000 years that brings us up to first place in highest unemployment in the land" accomplishment ! How do you spell success?
And to the rest:
"Without a work ethic, this place is going down..."
MG - NJ has a work ethic problem? Prove it.
"People were fleeing NJ long before Christie."
MG - Actually under Christie we have led the nation in 3 out of the 4 years of Christie's reign. So maybe there were leaving but at least we didn't rank number one for year after year after year....
"I think the biggest reason is probably high taxes."
MG - Actually the biggest reason is the economy. Taxes are second. It's noted and sourced above.
"And the biggest reason for high taxes is the insane number of municipalities and duplication of services we have in this state"
MG - Really? Prove it. However I am betting on you here since we do seem to have a lot of governments trying to do the same thing under the guise that "smaller is better." To me, it's not just the high taxes, it's also the fact that we don't seem to get back what other states have in the way of infrastructure, mass transit, roads, etc. ---- you know, the things that governments do.
MG -- On the public pension rant(s), I agree that if public pensions and health packages are out of whack, it should brought back to whack. However, you can't just look at these in a vacuum without reviewing the entire pay package between public and private to make sure the total packages are apples-to-apples.. Plus, we need to honor our contracts or re-negotiate them in good faith. We can't just bully and steal it back it we cut the deal.
But you all miss an important point and instead choose to focus on the public sector as getting a better deal. That is what "they" want you to do. Then you miss the facts that you are the ones getting screwed with a worse pay package deal every day. The private sector is the one with disappearing pensions, profit-sharing 401Ks and no profit for years, and health care plan increases well beyond inflation. And yet you castigate the public sector while saying: "Thank you sir for allowing me to share in the non-existent profits while I get no raise once again and a 20% increase to my health care contribution. Please sir, can I have some more?" Maybe it's us that needs the union.
Perhaps instead of focusing on the public sector, you should be ALSO focusing on how much you have lost over the past decade or so. That's one reason their pay packages look so good. Your's have gotten markedly worse over the years.
Sorry that much of this has nothing to do with bridges or little to do with the first tangent of NJ's economy being the WORST in the nation and the conclusion that Christie has led us to the point by not doing anything beneficial for the economy in NJ.
Charles Barkley once was asked about running for governor of Alabama.
He said, "you can't screw up Alabama, we're 49th in everything."
Alinsky play book? Do you really believe that nonsense? If anyone uses that tactic (repeat the big lie over and over) its conservatives. In spades. In fact there's a whole new name for it now in their honor..."swift boating". Obama's citizenship and religion are also good examples of this underhanded tactic.
thanks for responding, i stand corrected on your personal situation, trust that you are being honest
but your repeating the same tired diatribes over and over again do not make them any more valid. (but it is from the Alinsky playbook, repeat the big lie over and over and over again and pretty soon you make it the truth) time to give it up , it's just not working for you
Christie has worked in co-operation and compromise with an overwhelming democratic majority ever since he was governor. maybe you missed it? where have you been?
people are fleeing Ny state because of it's tax structure, just like NJeans have and continue to do so.
nothing to say about the lawless actions of your guy in the whitehouse? that's telling right there. your guy continues to behave as if the USA is a banana republic and you and the media let him get away it time and time again. Why?
you are on a hate Christie pogrom and it's just not working, your diatribes are certainly expressive (in your obsessive 'King of the Hill' gamesmanship) but they are wholly unconvincing except to maybe about 6 posters on this board who agree with you sometimes.
applying facts without using wisdom to understand them is a wrong way to live life in my honest opinion
What economic metric are you using to say that our economy is dead last?
Poverty rates? 2nd lowest in the country.
Median income? 2nd highest in the country.
The only thing I can think of is unemployment rate and that's apples and oranges. We have better jobs here and the recession caused contraction. Hardly Christies fault. And last I checked, it was the Democrat controlled Assembly and Senate that were passing laws that are unfriendly to business, not the Governor.
According to your argument, if he could just get a hundred thousand ex-management guys to take jobs at Bojangles, he'd be the best governor in the nation?
"repeat the big lie over and over and over again and pretty soon you make it the truth"
that's not Alinsky, that's Goebbels
OK, not necessarily dead last but that really depends on the month you choose. And it's a broad set of criteria.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-15/with-an-economy-like-new-jersey-s-why-the-love-for-christie-.html
Or you can get liberal: http://www.onenewjersey.org/christie-by-the-numbers/
Or you can get conservative: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/16/Study-Christie-s-New-Jersey-Least-Economically-Solvent-State-In-The-U-S
But no matter how you get it or which way you get, one thing is clear. Economically Christie just does not get it, get it done, or even match many of his peers.
Or you can listen to the boys here sing, sing a cheery song, sing it all day long...... They have choosen not to get it but to forget it. Mulligan time!
And Dogster. I am not repeating, I am responding. In NJ we respond, we discuss, we debate, we argue, and some of us present supporting facts. Still waiting on yours on so many assertions you have made but I have responded to your questions in their entirety. For which you accuse me of "hogging the ball." And changing an state economy comparison on governors discussion to one on the President's lawlessness is apple to tangerines so not going there. Especially since asked and answered many time, so just look above. And no, I don't hate Christie anymore than I hate any failing employee. I just think it's time for our employee to try something he can handle and clearly that's not the NJ economy.
This is a tough argument for you all to make since clearly the numbers are just not in Christie's favor and while not all may be his fault, it has occurred on his watch. And the fact that he has little or no success economically does not help. Maybe he needs a bipartisan effort......
leroy - (erik) - you are correct alinksky corralled goebbels very successful PR techniques and alinsky used them to further his violent expressions from his yippe/weather underground days. good call. our beloved mr g has made himself a nice second career using these very same 'big lie' techniques right here on hl. (and i acknowledge that he has been very successful in employing them)
gadfly - thank you, you are also correct, some republicans have used this 'big lie' technique themselves. i do not support or condone it, but certainly acknowledge that it does happen on both sides of the asile. not good, no matter who is doing it; goebbels, alinsky, democrats, republicans or mr.g. it's always wrong to do it.
Almost every view in this thread is reductio LeRoy. You use the phrase to insult, but I think it should be applied to all of us collectively.
(tangent)
Political and social blinders are paving the way to a structural implosion, which sadly will lead to more societal decline. So very few want to believe it, even when the proof (yes, there is actual proof Erik, so no need for additional insults) has been building and building for many years. Yet standard practice is to still believe that as a nation we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, with unlimited resources. It saddens me that this is who we are, an unrestrained nation that puts their faith in a system that provides the illusion of benefit at the expense of structural responsibility. The phrase "house of cards" isn't too far off the mark.
We talk about all the wrong things. And we take (and give) insult far too easily, which only exacerbates the blinders problem.
Very cute. For guys who j accuse of deflection, obfuscation, et al ---- very cute.
The recent topic has been the state of the NJ economy and Christie's actions and effects on said NJ economy.
I have presented many statistical and quantitative facts to assert first that the NJ economy is the worst in the nation; albeit some days only 45th out of 50 (thank you IMan for calling me on that one). Our economy stinks based on the facts when ranked against the other states. Our economy is not a "regional effect," NJ stinks in the region based on the facts. I have shown how over four years Christie's actions have not moved us significantly in any aspect from our lowly status. Our lowly economic status 4 years after he took office bespeaks that fact. Economically he stinks. At least based on the facts.
Your argument is that I am using the Alinksky method, reductio ad absurdum devolving into "reductio ad hitlerum", the goebbels method, other demeaning descriptions, and that the only real problem with the NJ economy is the underfunded overpaid pension.
To this argument I say look at the facts and see if you can honestly say that NJ's economy is OK, or a special case among the states, and that Christie's actions have benefited NJ's economy. But you have to show-your-work with supporting evidence versus branding, name calling, or merely deflecting by saying "I don't like his discussion tactics."
"and that the only real problem with the NJ economy is the underfunded overpaid pension. "
there you go again, i never said this. and you using it in your sophist style of arguing is a strawman. (and invalid)
Mr. G, the NJ economy may not be doing all that great, but no matter what stats you put up, I'll take it over a slew of others. In addition to AL, which you mentioned, throw in Mississippi, the Dakotas , WV, KY, AR, Louisiana, AZ, Michigan to name some. Where are you going to find the amount of good paying jobs that there are in NJ? Yes, there are less of them now, but still many times over than in a place like AL or North Dakota. I read the Bloomberg article. ALL of the rates they quote are for comparing states since 2010. Comparing. NJ started higher than most states in the union as far as employment, home prices, income, etc. That article has flaws. A %10 increase in personal income, on average, for Jerseyans means a lot more than the same increase for someone in RI (who NJ 'tied' with). Kind of misleading, no? Median income in NJ was 28% (2011 stat), higher to begin with. Same argument applies to home prices and tax revenue. A small percentage of a much larger number is better than a higher percentage of a small number. No? There is a bit of inertia in play.
To say NJ is the worst state economy? Not buying it.
Not exactly, but then again you are not really specific about anything (except that I cheat in discussion technique) and factual about less. You mentioned "your household personally benefits from a really generous pension and health plan that she will collect when she retires" as if our economic woes were due to the state's overly generous pension and health plan. Perhaps you were discussing something else beyond the economy.
I also was not specifically pinpointing you; others note the pension as our economic problem as if that's the only one.
But you digress from the main points......again.
for the record, i never said this either - "reductio ad absurdum devolving into "reductio ad hitlerum" , so please don't ascribe to me things that others have posted.
"Political and social blinders are paving the way to a structural implosion, which sadly will lead to more societal decline. So very few want to believe it, "
i do believe that we are hanging on by a thread in this stressed overstretched economy.
pmnsk, only for some things, especially housing and property tax. But, it's not like you can buy a gallon of milk for $0.50 in South Carolina when it costs $3.00 here.
"for the record, i never said this either - "reductio ad absurdum devolving into "reductio ad hitlerum" , so please don't ascribe to me things that others have posted"
I didn't.
Meister: Like the article said, you can cherry pick the pluses and minuses, but in general we no be doin too good economically. I agree, I will take NJ over many states but economically speaking ---- NOT. And while we might have a higher average income, and can play the dollars vs. percentage game, without jobs or growth, that does not go far since our expenses are higher too and unlike our salaries, they continue to rise with inflation and more.
And then the second point. Under Christie there has been little or no improvement while many others states are improving.
FYI, some of the states you mentioned are actually doing great economically, specifically energy states like the Dakotas and WV. Still would not take WV over NJ, I have already been there, seen it, felt it, and didn't like it. But energy is fueling growth, growth means jobs, jobs means spending, etc. etc. etc.
Mr. G, yes, you can cherry pick, but regardless, shouldn't your statement read 'NJ's economy is 45th/49th ...SINCE... the recession (on a % basis for some key indicators). That I can buy. We're not doing as well in ...recovery...compared to other states. Stating that it's the next to worst is just not correct on an absolute basis. Sure, it's lagging behind in many areas, but it's one of the largest economies in the union, so there is some inertia in play.
And yes, was going to mention the energy bump that some states are getting. That will level off. In some cases, it's already starting to.
Like I said, you can find 49th, 45th,and somewheres in between depending on the day or the criteria used. To me, close enough to call us last. Especially since we are actually lagging in most areas, and that's the real crime.
To slough it off on being large is probably not right. Sure, we are number 7 in GDP, but that's 6 states above us and 6 below that we are lagging behind (probably) as well.
We need to be taking actions and thus far Chris Christie has been ineffective in this regard. Sure, he's a maven at cutting costs, but that's only a part of building a strong economy. And frankly, while necessary, the easier part that mostly requires only a pencil and a strength of will (which our previous governors lacked).
The other aspect we have brought up in this discussion is how we spend our public money. I find it impossible to believe, given the tax revenues and federal funding coming in, that life in NJ is not better. Somewhere along the line we must be wasting a lot of bucks. And while I don't know where the waste is, it's not just the pensions and health care costs for the public section.
So economically I still say Christie stinks and he can neither trim waste nor invest in building revenues for NJ.
I would still rather live here than in many better off states however :>)
Want to see where we're wasting public bucks?
http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/lsse/hunterdon.pdf
"Can you summarize?"
Legalized-excessive-taxation from captive (as in NO CHOICE) payers to legalized-elimination-of-competition-to-keep-prices-artificially-high payees. Easy!
"zzzzzzzz"
Ignoring reality again I see ;-)
I liked what Tom Kean (a Republican) said in today's Star Ledger ... the Port Authority should just hire professional engineers, people qualified for that type of work ... and leave political hacks out of it.
The toll hike ploy was so transparent that only a rube would have missed that one. And yet even the reduced increase was a good sized percentage increase.
New York was just as guilty in this. The Port Authority has gone away from its main charter and has its tenacles in so many things that are outside of its scope. The new World Trade Center is a perfect example. It has been turned into a cesspool for political hacks by both sides of the Hudson River for way to many years. Tom Kane is a 100% correct but it will never happen.
I agree, NY shares the blame. Not for the Ft. Lee scandal, but most certainly the PR toll hike stunt. and many other things.
Not to mention the PA making many decisions against NJ.
Christie declared himself innocent.
Nothing to see here, except the $1 million bill to the taxpayers.
Hope he's not lying.
now now let's get the story right it was Christie's friend he hired at taxpayers expense to say he Christie was innocent and like Sgt. Schultz knew nothing I will sleep better tonight knowing that
You will not take my man Christie down on such as small thing... get over it Democrats...
iJay: We don't have to take Christie down over this; he has already done that to himself on a national level. No "Happy Birthday Mr. President for him."
Personally I am saddened since I wanted to see the Tea Party savage him. I like it when they eat their own.
I have to agree Christie did take himself down if you can't run the governors office without your subordinates running roughshod over the state how could you ever trust the man to run the country if this is the kind of people he surrounds himself with Christie has no one to blame but himself I don't believe Christie or any other Republican will be able to beat. Hillary Clinton even my wife who is a Republican said she would vote for Hillary, when I asked her why she said it's time to see what a woman can do even if it's a Democrat she said the Republicans will not put a woman at the top of the ticket
Christie would fit right in at the White House. How many times over the last six years did Obama have to admit that he had no knowledge of the questionable activities going on all around him?
I can't wait to see what unelectable buffoon the GOP trots up there in 2016. They are so clueless that the Dems could get a ham sandwich elected... which would actually be an upgrade over Hillary.
ham sandwich ?
Hillary ?
that is a tough decision to make,
need a little more info, how much does the ham sandwich cost?
oldred, what would the race look like if the republicans put condoleeeza rice at the top of their ticket?
could be interesting to see what happens.
While you were dawdling, Christie came and ate the ham sandwich. So it's a moot point, Hillary it is...
Definitely not going to be Christie. So, who gets the nomination? Ted Cruz? Marco Rubio? Is there another right-wing Tea Party type with a vaguely Hispanic sounding name that they will try to fool the populace with who has yet to crawl out of the woodwork? Or do they dig up Ayn Rand and give her a shot?
Hillary? Great! Just what this country needs is a shriveled up OLD hag. Billy boy never even wanted her. You think the Dems are going to put her in? Even though they "owe" her. Never going to happen. She's older than dirt compared to the whipper snapper they have in now. I can't see them going backwards.
Even if someone thinks Hillary walks on water, it will be tough for her to win unless the Republicans repeat history, again.
There is only one Republican we really fear, the Jebster, and we trust there's enough radicalism to turn him off from trying but the thought of Clinton vs. Bush is pretty funny.
Oldred, your wife's reasoning is the same reason why we have this buffoon in the White House.
Well, it's over (not really). Christ Christie's self-funded, self-directed report exonerates the bully-in-chief by calling out a jilted, emotionally unstable lying stupid filly. And even though the report indicates some guy told Christie about the troubles during the troubles, the report accepted Christie's explanation of "I don't remember."
But that woman, oh that woman, why she:
"“seemed emotional.” She was “habitually concerned about how she was perceived by the governor.” A boyfriend had ended a relationship."
"Gov. Chris Christie, seeking to stanch the damage the scandal had caused to his political fortunes, fired her as his deputy chief of staff after that, calling her “stupid.” "
"portraying Ms. Kelly as duplicitous, weeping frequently and dependent on men for approval and stability. "
Why "Even when Ms. Kelly was promoted, the report notes it was “though she lacked Stepien’s expertise and background.” So the report believed him and not her.
So, it was the jilted woman who done it, they just can't cut it, and obviously Christie has redeemed any loss to stature over his bully-boy culture of intimidating the weak, or weaker sex in this case. Methinks the whitewash did not quite get those tread marks out of the gubernor's boxers. Hopefully they have a great net job lined up for Ms. Kelly, cause if this is what she did over a break-up, I wouldn't want to be downstream after she reads this report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/nyregion/irate-friends-see-sexism-in-report-on-former-christie-aide.html?_r=0
'Exhaustive' Christie Report Failed to Interview Anyone at the Port Authority
http://www.wnyc.org/story/exhaustive-christie-report-omitted-port-authority/
I knee there was something weird when he stopped that new rail tunnel in 2010. The rail capacity to Manhattan is at 100% during peak times and the switching equipment is over 100 years old. Disaster waiting to happen, and Christie took Port Authority money for the Pulaski Skyway, which is New Jersey's sole responsibility. New York taxpayers are paying for New Jersey bridges.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/nyregion/2nd-bridge-inquiry-said-to-be-linked-to-christie.html?_r=2
In most elections people feel they have to choose the "lesser of two evils" ... many choose not to vote at all.
I never thought Christie would have much of a chance in those "play to the base" primaries anyway, even before Bridgegate happened. Look at what happened to Cantor, and he didn't have any scandals that I'm aware of and he also looks fit and trim (which is more important to voters than you would think).
I heard an interesting piece on NPR a couple of months back. It was an interview with a reporter who is an expert on the Port Authority activities. He talked about Christie misusing PA funds for the skyway, but he said that NY is doing the same thing, so it's sort of a mutual expansion of the use of those funds. The real problem, according to him, is that meanwhile the actual PA facilities are ancient and delipadated. He specifically cited Laguardia as an example.
So, as much as I dislike and distrust Christie, I have a hard time faulting him too much for the Pulaski business. Of course, I still fault him for shutting down Ft. Lee with a multi day, planned traffic jam as political retribution.
Gadfly,
Laguardia is going to be renovated/expanded.
http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/03/19/port-authority-seeks-architect-for-laguardia-expansion/
MB There was a great story in the New Yorker a ways back on Christie; it was a very "human" piece putting the issues in terms of personalities that make sense to you and I. Apparently, it all started when a young Christie (maybe high school) evinces desire for politics, Mom drops him off at Kean's house, and he knocks of the door to speak his piece. Kean became his mentor and his referral to get started and given CC's skills and desires, with Kean on his shoulder he could be awesome. He still failed a lot, mostly by shooting too high, too fast and getting caught playing dirty, but Kean through Bush put him in for attorney general, and even if people hated CC, even if he was inexperienced for the job, post 911 no one was going to cross Bush so he sailed into the job.
Christie had a thing for public corruption and being the AG was a win win for him to make his bones, get some IOUs from members of both parties, etc. He was quite good at nailing corrupt politicos. But as Kean notes, he was a man who holds grudges, is gruff, and when on top, he can keep the snakes at bay. But when down Kean said the snakes will be back with a vengeance.
They told a funny story about a post bridge gate roast where the comedians were digging in on the issue and his size when he basically jumped up, ripped the mic, said some edgy things, and the comedian was visibly shaken for the rest of his performance. He'd been Christized by fire.
Who did him in on bridge-gate was a grandmother-senator whose background of raising kids told her that when the kids said, "no, we didn't party," that it was time to dig in and find out the truth. And so she is.
Bottom line is I hope he runs for President because he has too much baggage, including some quid-pro-quo's as AG, to get the nomination, but I would really enjoy watching.
Thanks MB. Yes, that was mentioned in the interview. But how does a legitimate PA facility get placed in line behind a non-PA project? I think he only used Laguardia as an example bc he had been there recently and did he'd been in better airports in third world countries.
Well the skyway is a third of the price and the projects are beginning within a year of each other. I get your point, but it kind of seems like splitting hairs.
Maybe, but Laguardia is just an example. I think the point is that there are infrastructure improvements needed in legitimate PA facilities. I think it would be hard to dispute that. The mutual raiding of PA funds by both states are probably going to needed improvements and arguable serve some public good, but it's at the expense of the actual PA facilities. You don't agree?
Where does the PA get most of its funds? If Hudson River bridge and tunnel tolls are in excess of what is needed for Hudson River bridges and tunnels, then the toll payers are being taxed under a different name. A dishonest tax, one could say.
Are the tolls in excess? The PA says no, most people think yes. It's being looked into, I believe.
How about the new World Trade Center, should the PA be involved with that? Like I said earlier, the PA has long since strayed away from its intended purpose.
Gadfly,
did that NPR analyst give any specific examples of when New York does the same thing?
GWB scandal new bills to taxpayers above $4m
http://www.app.com/story/news/politics/capitolquickies/2014/08/15/gwb-scandal-cost-to-taxpayers-cracks-4m-in-legal-bills/14134167/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
You gotta pay good money for that, kb2755. Or rather, get the taxpayers to pay it.
Well, the $4M is just for three months, total bill to taxpayers, including Senate lawyers, is approaching $8M. That's enough to educate over 500 unaccompanied illegal alien children.......heh heh...
Actually they seem to get closer each day to finding the smoking gun. Sure, he can't remember, he can't recall he doesn't know what his staff was doing at all.
from 8.2 nj.com "Regina Ega, whom the Republican governor has named his next chief of staff, testified last month before a state legislative committee that she texted Christie about testimony given by Port Authority officials concerning the lane closings but later deleted the message.
Christie, though, said he has no memory of that."
"But Egea, the governor's liaison to the Port Authority, said she sent messages to Christie about testimony given by Bill Baroni, then the agency's deputy director, to a state Assembly panel in November."
""It certainly was something of no moment because I have no recollection of it," he (Christie) said."
You see the rule is, if I can't recall it then it was not important. That's the rule. Heh heh heh.
At least for our $8M we get a first hand view of Christie's ability to hire quality staff. Perhaps next time he should get people who aren't maverick cowboys who forget to tell the boss what's up.
'Actually they seem to get closer each day to finding the smoking gun. Sure, he can't remember, he can't recall he doesn't know what his staff was doing at all"
Kind of reminds me of when Hillary didn't know how the missing papers got on her nite stand.
ignatz The real scandal is that he is using taxpayer money ($6.5M) to cover himself. This money is going to his attorney friends. The GW thing is about Christie! Not the state of NJ! He has no right to use tax money for his personal defense!
EVV " He has no right to use tax money for his personal defense"
What law does that fall under?
The tax payers would be responsible only if the allegations were against the State. In that case thw State Attorney General's Office would defend the State. The allegations are against Christie personally. (Please note the key word is 'personally'. ) As such he is Personally liable for his defense. The State is not involved in these charges. They are directed to Christie as an individual.
I am sure the Democrats would be raising a stink if he was using funds he was entitled to. The taxpayers are also paying for the Legislature who is going after him. It's a lose lose for the taxpayer.
Nope, it's the law. NJ taxpayers are footing Christie's GWB legal defense bill.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/08/16/New-Jersey-Taxpayers-Stuck-with-6-5-Million-in-Christie-s-Legal-Fees
Chris Christie Backed Law That Lets Him Divert ExxonMobil Settlement From Environmental Cleanup
http://www.ibtimes.com/chris-christie-backed-law-lets-him-divert-exxonmobil-settlement-environmental-cleanup-1831558
I know a little bit about that former Exxon property and the settlement is a joke to begin with, and I am far from a tree huger.
Nothing new here with the Governments handling of money. Why else would they spend millions to get elected. They even vote there own raises, and you think they are Nobel public servants. It's a career !!!
Chris spent most of last week at CPAC in Maryland bashing Hillary and Jeb to folks who hate Hillary and Jeb. Last year, Chris was a CPAC darling, this year replaced in the front of the clown car by Scott Walker as Chris' face paint has waned. Of course, the Paul's always trump the show often by busing in supporters to vote their way. CPAC straw poll winners--- Rand, Scott, Ted, Ben, and Jeb. Everyone else under 5%. The Paul's have won three years running, guess we know how accurate CPAC is.
Some CPAC memories:
Of course Walker's "If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world" setting up the ISIS = Union protestors firestorm.
Walker later defended his statement by adding "I’m just pointing out the closest thing I have to handling this difficult situation is the 100,000 protesters I had to deal with" setting up the fact that he is completely unprepared for the world stage. Walker heads to Europe in April, oh boy!!!! http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/scott-walker-cpac-isis-union/386405/
Cruz fired a humorous missle with: "God bless CPAC. So there's not a single Democrat here. It's almost like CPAC invited Benjamin Netanyahu to speak." That's a pretty good one actually.
But Chris was in fine form with: " If what happens is if the elites in Washington who make backroom deals decide who the president's going to be, then he's definitely the frontrunner. If the people of the United States decide to pick the next president of the United States and they want someone who looks at them in the eye, connects with them and is one of them, I'll do OK if I run." It was rumored that he then said aside: "And if they don't, I'll stop traffic, heh, heh, heh"
http://www.npr.org/2015/02/27/389454355/cpac-attendees-hear-from-rising-stars-walker-cruz-christie
After CPAC< Chris glanced towards NJ, limo'd to the big silver bird, probably paid for by someone else, and flew off to California to shill for donar dollars since it might snow in NJ and Jeb has taken many of his NJ Presidential backer donations.
Anyone want to complain about Obama not being home on the job?
Yeah, I will complain about Obama not being home on the job. Big difference in being the President and leader of the free world than being the Governor of New Jersey. I'm no fan of Christie nor am I fan of politicians in general. We need term limits as these have turned into full time jobs for these buffoons.
Reggie Voter From todays Star Ledger. How sweet it is in NJ..
If the settlement is completed, it is possible that some or even none of the money would go toward environmental costs in the Exxon case, The New York Times reported.
An appropriations law in New Jersey allows money beyond the first $50 million collected in such cases in the current fiscal year to go toward balancing the state budget, a state fiscal analyst said.
Actually I believe that there are term limits on the Presidency.
And there is a difference when the President leaves town. He, and all Presidents, basically take their entire office with them. Christie ----- well, we already know he doesn't even know what his immediate staff is doing to help his rampant plausible denials.
The Twenty-second Amendment of the United States Constitution sets a term limit for election to the office of President of the United States. Congress passed the amendment on March 21, 1947. It was ratified by the requisite number of states on February 27, 1951.
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
Being elected to the Senate or the House should not be a job for life, where the senator or representative can stay in office for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, too many stay in office, amassing power and money, for way too long. Two terms, same as the president, should be the limit.
Along the same line, there should be term limits all the way down to the municipal level as well.
JerryG Jerry, you can't just say two terms since Reps are 2-year terms and Senators are 6-year terms. There is a reason for that when you look how the founding fathers envisioned both chambers.
Likewise the Connecticut Compromise locked equal representation for the Senate and proportional representative for the House. Funny story, to get to the compromise there were two factions: the Virgina Plan which wanted proportional representation, including slaves --- that's the funny part. And the New Jersey plan which called for equal representaton. Obviously you can see where the small and larges states stood as well as the south.
The concept is that the House is off the people and the Senate is of the states. Even the terms revolve around a concept; the six year term was targeting the balance between a strong senate (longer terms) and aristocratic tyranny (too long a term). Obviously the term in the House was to generate much input from the people.
So a simple two terms would defeat the purpose of the framers; one was to create a Senate of strong, experienced legislators able to navigate the incredlibly tedious process the framers set into place to make law. The House was meant more for a bit of havoc, frequent change, and subject to the temporal changes of the people. I might suggest 3 terms for the Senate and 4 for the House ---- but that's IMHO. That's 18 years for a Senator --- that's a career, and 8 years for a Rep --- that's long enough to enjoy and short enough to refresh or run for Sentate and still be living.....
But we need to take the money out of it too; having to shill for big bucks --- especially in the two year House races, is ridiculous. At the House level, I believe we should simply take the money out of the race and return the race to the people.
The idea of two chambers is directly taken from the British model of the House of Lords (Senate) and the House of Commons (House of Representatives) which derived from the Magna Carta. Unfortunately, a great many of our recent/current senators tend to think of themselves as the Landed Gentry with a seat for life -- think Ted Kennedy as a recent example -- and this is something politicians of both parties are guilty of.
I'll agree with mistergoogle as far as years in Congress vs terms, but I'd still stick with a total of 12 years for the senate; I think 18 is way too much. Since when should being elected to office be a career??
I've never checked the box on my tax returns labeled "Would you like to designate a portion of your taxes to campaign funds" BUT if candidates were limited to how much OUTSIDE money they could raise, then I'd do it. I'd also like to see a time limitation of just how long the campaign season can be since I'm sick of politicians spending half their time in office campaigning for their reelection instead of actually doing what we elected them to do.
Or...in the case of someone who never spends any time anymore in Trenton...campaigning for higher office instead of being our governor.
I dont know Le roy. Its a great way to balance a budget. Just sue the company's till there are none left.
Next to Exxon there were big fields of drums in Elizabeth rusted from the old Reichol Chemical CO. They knew it was a problem but didn't know what to do about it.
One day the field caught fire and it burned for many days. They evacuated many people for a while. Most of the smoke went over Staten Island and out to sea.They had no Idea what was in the drums but the problem was solved.
Yes, the Exxon scandal is the latest NJ sellout by President-wanna-be Christie.
The state, Christie's state, was going for $9B; the judge was close to a decision, Christie settles for $250M.
And this is the man who claims to be worthy of negotiating for us on the world stage.
Only the first $50M needs to be used for the clean-up; by law, the rest can help balance Mr. Christie's budget holes caused by Mr. Christie's economic policies. Would Chris sell NJ down the river?
Exxon contributed $500K to Republican Governor's Association in May 2014; Christie was chairman. The top level for Association recognition is $250K, Exxon was the 15th largest contributor. 2013-200k, 2012-400k, 2011-100k, 2010-625K, and under $100k per year from 2009 to 2002. 2010 was election year for 34 states including Texas, NJ was not in play. To be honest, 36 states had elections in 2014 so this is a red herring.
Of the $9B looked for, $2.6 was for restoration, mostly of water ways, and $6.3 compensatory. So NJ is only short $2.1B for the clean-up and gets zero pain n suffering for living with that sweet smell of oil our state is known for and the eyesore off the NJ Turnpike that outsiders see as NJ refined, I mean defined.
There's already $140M targeted to the state's general fund from a $190M dioxin decision; so it is clear that Christie would indeed sell NJ down the river. Another $200M makes the loophole budget plug up to half a billion. That's $500,000.
2014 budget deficit was $1.6B towards the end of year. Current 2015 budget is about $33B so stealing half a billion from the environment is a pretty good day. Pension deposits needed are about $2.4B so again, stealing from the environment is almost as good as stealing from old folks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/nyregion/exxon-mobil-settles-with-new-jersey-over-environmental-damage.html?_r=0
Breathe deep.
And exactly how, mr gman from up there on the planet krypton, would you propose balancing the budget and solving the never ending battle of the nj's financial woes??
let's all hear your plan and not just the usual dumbocrat mantra of taxing the "rich" (whoever the hell they are) and bye-the-bye, most of us with a modicum of intelligence, are fully aware chrisitie would be a worse president than governor
Oh no, OldSam with the personal attack body slam. Planet krypton, dumbocrat, modicum of intelligence, very creative.
First, unlike Christy, I would set a realistic budget which, by definition, is balanced by state law, just as Christie's is balanced......in the beginning. But I would use accurate economic forecasts. That's where Christie fails when constructing his balanced budgets. Christie's problem throughout the years is that he blue-sky's the revenue estimate and then, due to his failed economic programs, runs into deficit as the year progresses and his pipedream revenue forecasts fall short.
Second, unlike Christy, I would monitor the situation throughout the year rather than waiting to act in the last quarter when Christie traditionally has awakened to his shortfall and goes into emergency budget theft mode, thus the great pension deposit theft of 2014.
Waiting until it's an emergency works for Christie as a Christie classic since he does not have to focus on his revenue forecasts, economic failures, or other shortcomings. He does not have to have protracted debate as to what to do. Instead he just screams: "the flippin sky is falling, we have one week so show me the money ---- hand over the pension deposit I took credit for throughout the year. Show me the money or we all will die a horrible death in seven days.........."
Third, I would adopt reality-based economic programs like many other states have, most enjoying a far better recovery than NJ.
And lastly, yes I would change the tax code starting with the idiotic and unique relianced on property taxes as the major tax revenue component. That's a strategic not monetary change. I would look to make the tax rely on income, usage, and purchasing as the revenue drivers. However, no doubt the end re-engineering result would be a higher tax on the upper brackets and a lower one on the middle brackets. This is not the same as "taxing the rich" and I am not sure that re-engineering the NJ tax code would even add one extra revenue dollar to the coffers.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with Chris bending over on the Exxon negotiations, screwing the NJ environment, so he can steal a quick fix, without chance of untimely appeals, to his budget problems. That's why he crumbled, to get the cash fast rather than chance protracted appeals that would benefit NJ, but would not benefit Christie this year. He bailed to cover his really large.........budget problems.
Where do you think we will find a guy that cares simulator to your views. MG. Certainly not in NJ. We have people from both party's since Kean, contribute to this mess. He borrowed for education and it all went into teaching employees pockets. A few years later there was a big bond issue for new schools and no one knows where it went. Most leave because they see no end in site, ever, and don't want to be around when it become's Detroit with no hope, and borrowing power.
The only thing Christie did was make people aware of the problem and he is hated for rocking the boat.
I was taunted to share my views, not find a candidate.
Christie making people aware is a misdirection; anyone who wanted to know could. But making people aware is not enough even for the "Jersey Comeback"-not kid.
As far as others doing bad things in the past, that does not excuse Christie's chronic failures, especially on the economic front.
People accuse liberals of tax and spend or tax the rich programs. But Christie has continually moved to untax the rich while enacting numerous tax the middle programs.
As to his success:
http://www.onenewjersey.org/new-jersey-report-card-chris-christie/
On any scorecard, Christy comes up way short.
As far as leaving NJ, yes, people on fixed incomes should leave, financially speaking, unless things beyond finance keep them here. It's just math. But NJ is a great state still for younger people with jobs. Not perfect but pretty darn great still, even with Christy. NJ = Detroit. Not in our lifetimes.
I will be voting for Christie if he comes for president simply because it will annoy MG!
Man you sure spend a lot of time and energy trying to make the guy look bad
Darrin MG should be on the Star Ledger Editorial board. They have something every single day panning Christie and they supported him in his last Election. Go figure. I read it every day on line for the Obits.
Christie continues to make himself look bad all by himself.
Unless of course you think reneging on contractual agreements, bullying people who disagree with him, and spending the majority of his time as governor out of the state campaigning for president are good things.
i still like christe but agree he has lost his way lately,
we need to fix the property tax problem and we need strong committed leadership from the govenors office and the state senate/assembly
how come the democratic majority in trenton doesn't care to address the property tax issue? and the high cost of living here? and why aren't the democrats concerned with making NJ more business friendly? and bringing in more high paying jobs?
how come?
Darrin's comment re me obsessing; consider the source on Bergen tools, snow, guns, and the occasional rant against Christine (sorry to drag you in).
And for both Darrin and Old Gent, yes, I think NJ is important. Christie, by any metric except his own rhetoric and personal scorecard is an abject failure. His current Presidential actions are not only ridiculous even by his own party's standards, but detract from any possible chance of improvement for NJ's government.
Yes, I will continue to point out his "progress." Especially since some still feel he's the cat's pajamas.
Politicians change, the story remains the same. The older I get the more I understand how much the emotional stuff gets recycled to keep us from ever reaching true solutions. Everything is about maintaining the status quo of the underlying systems of government, "feeding the beast" I've heard it referred to.
Kinda says that something is seriously wrong here, doesn't it? Maybe time to break the duopoly of Republicans and Democrats? One could hope.
how come the democratic majority in trenton doesn't care to address the property tax issue?
Funny you bring that up mg, because all of those topics you have someway somehow been also involved in ;-)
I was just stating a observation, nothing more, never said you didn't think nj is important, just said you spend a lot of energy trying to make the guy look bad. Simple observation
"trying to make the guy look bad" gee, I guess you don't see results so I must continue. Good think he provides lots of fodder.
BDog --- my take is the complexity. Since NJ taxation's foundation is the property tax, fixing it to emulate more progressive states (and most are when it comes to tax structures) would be a sea change with great risk of an ooops along the way. Beyond that, got me, Christie has not tried it either; instead he "fixed" it with gamemanship that gave us a 20% increase through smoke n mirrors.
It's not like there aren't 40 or so examples staring us right in the face.
" Maybe time to break the duopoly of Republicans and Democrats? One could hope."
i agree JIT, what can we do to effectuate change?
why can't the NJ legislature tackle the problem of property taxes and an unfriendly business climate that is pushing employers out of the state?
Agree with MG about the term limits. That sounds about right. If there is one thing that *might* be able to stop all of the gridlock in Washington it's term limits. The founding fathers never intended for those positions to be made into careers.
ScreamingButterfly Christie appears at event hosted by Exxon-funded group hours after NJ settles lawsuit with the oil giant
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/christie-appears-at-event-hosted-by-exxon-funded-group-hours-after-settling-lawsuit-with-the-oil-giant/#.VPo5xmXx59o.reddit
Everyone can see we're together as we walk on by
(FLY!) and we fly just like birds of a feather, I won't tell no lie
(ALL!) all of the people around us they say, can they be that close
Just let me state for the record, we're giving love in a family dose
We are family. I got all my sisters with me. We are family. Get up everybody and sing (Sister Sledge)
Bridgegate Fall Guy Was Inside Man
http://www.wnyc.org/story/bridgegate-fall-guy-was-inside-man/
+1 Leroy.
Someone once said: "just said you spend a lot of energy trying to make the guy look bad."
Nah, not really any time at all; it's all low hanging fruit.
But "I will be voting for Christie if he comes for president simply because it will annoy MG!"
That may be the only reason.
"i still like christe but agree he has lost his way lately"
Ahem.....
Dear Chris Christie: Sorry We Did Our Job
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/21/dear-chris-christie-sorry-i-did-my-job.html?source=TDB&via=FB_Page
It's when they say "I am not a crook," that you know the jig is up. Need to finesse it like "I did not have sex with that woman" “I do believe there’s an absolute bias and rush to judgement,” is just too absolute.
Also re: Samson, Christie appointee as Port Authority chairman.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/business/united-ceo-port-authority-investigation.html?emc=edit_th_20150909&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=54793952&_r=0&referrer=
OnTheEdge That was all over the news last night - the United shakeup and its tie to the crusty Chris Christie continuing Corruption Crony Crew constantly coercing cash contributions.
Meanwhile in other completely unrelated news, I saw our sometimes governor on PBS news discussing how all of his time in New Hampshire was really "time well spent for everyone". I have to wonder what kind of bubble he is living in to remember he was elected to do a job for me, a tax payer in NJ.
[before anyone else even has to say it - apologies to Art Buchwald]
Breaking news New York Times :
"Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey knew that his close associates were involved in a plan to shut down lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge as it was happening and that the closings were intended to punish a local mayor for declining to support him, prosecutors said on Monday."
Ouch. Guess that Trump job is out now. No more running for President.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160920_Prosecutor__Baroni__Wildstein__bragged__to_Christie_about_lane_closures.html
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