This story proves what many of us knew all along. Chris Christie is a liar, a thug, and petty.
A top aide to Gov. Chris Christie told an executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" before the authority closed lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in September, triggering a week of massive traffic jams, documents show.
The aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, sent the email, dated Aug. 13, to David Wildstein, a political ally of the governor who was the authority's director of interstate capital projects.Imagine, for a moment, what else a complete examination of Christie administration emails might uncover. Something to think about while you're deciding who to support for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election.
Mr. Wildstein, replied: "Got it."
The email exchange is the clearest sign that a series of lane closures on the bridge in September were carried out at the behest of high-ranking members of Mr. Christie's administration. It is in contrast with the original explanation for the closures — that they were part of a mishandled traffic study by Mr. Wildstein, a career political operative and friend of Mr. Christie's for years.
Democrats have suggested the lane closures were a political gesture from allies of the governor, aimed at Fort Lee's Democratic mayor, who had declined to endorse Mr. Christie for reelection.
The email exchange is contained in a trove of documents subpoenaed from the authority, Mr. Wildstein, and others as part of a Democrat-led investigation of the incident by the New Jersey Assembly Transportation Committee. The documents were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
In the past, Mr. Christie has dismissed the inquiry and the traffic incident, once joking that he himself had moved the traffic cones to close off the lanes usually dedicated for local traffic coming onto the bridge.....
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39 comments:
This was in the news today. The DEMOCRAT speaker there is really after Governor Christie, and so is RW.
cimbri, but it's hard to refute what happened. Plus, Christie has not fired her, making him appear connected.
-Martha
I noticed that every election cycle, we have right wingers working closely with Democrats to destroy this or that Republican presidential nominee. I don't see left wingers do that. That's why they win, unity of purpose. What's to stop other people on the right from working with more Democrats to destroy yet more Republican presidential candidates? You see, it works both ways and always ends the same - defeat for our side.
I think it's funny that the guy everyone thought was the savior of the party a couple years ago, is not quite living up to the hype. That's the trouble with hype.
-Martha
Indeed readers, with a dictionary beside me, what word do I need to search for that could describe one whom very frequently uploads features constantly targeting one singular person?
Cimbri, yes that's true. I even vowed a few days ago that I wouldn't participate. But the candidates need to prove their worthiness. This looks pretty bad for Christie right now.
-Martha
Martha,
Let's say Christie closed the bridge, a hardball tactic. Is that as bad as Cruz's deliberate partial shutdown of the US Govt, costing the economy $24 billion? Based purely on scale, Cruz's maneuver was at least a 1000 times worse.
In any case, this story won't last until 2015/16.
Wow, Martha and I on the same side on something for once?
RW, ha ha. Probably not for long. But I already told you I'm no fan of Christie.
Abuse of power is abuse of power. Nearly every politician is guilty. Except Romney. :-)
Cimbri, good point. While I wouldn't consider the Cruz attempt to shut down the gov as abuse of power exactly, it was very self-serving and without justification.
-Martha
I think the story does have staying power, no matter how Christie deals with it. The longer he waits to fire her, the more problematic.
-Martha
"I noticed that every election cycle, we have right wingers working closely with Democrats to destroy this or that Republican presidential nominee. I don't see left wingers do that" What are you talking about.
Like I said, I wonder what else a thorough vetting of Chrisite would uncover? Just ask Team Mitt. I don't believe for a minute that the worst stuff was disclosed to the Game Change authors.
"Let's say Christie closed the bridge, a hardball tactic. Is that as bad as Cruz's deliberate partial shutdown of the US Govt, costing the economy $24 billion? Based purely on scale, Cruz's maneuver was at least a 1000 times worse."
First of all the $24 billion figure is bogus. Second, even if that figure is correct, it is peanuts compared to the cost of ObamaCare. Third, What political end was closing the bridge suppose to accomplish????
Pass the popcorn. Christie says he was misled by his staff.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/chris-christie-responds-to-bridge-gate-allegations-im-outraged-to-learn-i-was-misled/
No internal investigation was conducted, despite multiple people involved resigning from their jobs? Bullshit.
Cimbri -
Your government shutdown comparison is PURE NONSENSE.
You're just repeating Democrat & RINO talking points that "Ted Cruz was responsible for the government shutdown."
Cruz did not shut down anything except Obamacare.
He and his conservative colleagues FUNDED EVERYTHING ELSE.
It was Obama who threw a temper tantrum and shut down 17% of the government because he didn't like Cruz's funding proposals.
Facts are stubborn things.
Nice try. Try again.
The Savior's in the chair on Special Report soon.
Think about how ridiculous it is for Christie to claim he's just hearing about this for the first time today.
-Two Christie appointees, one a childhood friend, have resigned.
-The administration was ordered by a court of law to turn over emails. Those emails were heavily redacted. Obviously, someone from the administration, along with an attorney, read them before turning them over. Wouldn't it make sense to warn fatso of what was contained in the emails? C'mon.
-Chris Christie is a former federal prosecutor, and presumably no dummy. No internal investigation ordered, despite having the emails, the resignations, etc.?
How stupid does he think we are?
I can assure you we haven't heard the end of this one. Not by a long shot.
Very fluent and exhaustive foreign policy chops from the Savior. Compare that to Paul in the seat before.
RW, exactly! But people think we should all move on, nothing to see here. Sure.
-Martha
Rubio's as sharp as a dart on this.
Excellent all round display from Rubio. Very thorough. Seemed very much in control amongst the panel (pity Krauthammer wasn't there)
Great manner. Talks fast but that's his nature, just as Cruz pauses. Compare that display to Paul. Very intelligent guy- on to complex questions like a leopard.
Cimbri -
BTW, that $24 billion figure you cited is hogwash.
All those "non-essential" furloughed government workers received back pay for the time they were out, and that money will eventually be put back into the general economy, if it hasn't already.
Stop drinking the State Media's left-wing Kool-Aid, Cimbri. It's not too good for your health.
Chris Christie - 'The Great RINO Hope' - bites the dust. Next.
CC, sure the $24B is hogwash, but if Christie haters are going to rely on the msm, then so am I.
I saw the emails today. Very oblique and cannot be tied to Christie. Weak sauce.
As it turns out, the Christie Vetting might not be necessary for much longer.
"Emergency responders were delayed in attending to four medical situations – including one in which a 91-year-old woman lay unconscious – due to traffic gridlock caused by unannounced closures of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, according to the head of the borough’s EMS department.
The woman later died, borough records show.
In at least two of those instances, response time doubled, noted EMS coordinator Paul Favia, who documented those cases in a Sept. 10 letter to Mayor Mark Sokolich, which The Record obtained.
On Sept. 9, the first day of the traffic paralysis, EMS crews took seven to nine minutes to arrive at the scene of a vehicle accident where four people were injured, when the response time should have been less than four minutes, he wrote.
It also took EMS seven minutes to reach an unconscious 91-year-old woman who later died of cardiac arrest at a hospital. Although he did not say her death was directly caused by the delays, Favia noted that “paramedics were delayed due to heavy traffic on Fort Lee Road and had to meet the ambulance en-route to the hospital instead of on the scene......”
http://www.northjersey.com/fortlee/GWB_lane_closures_delayed_EMS_response_in_Fort_Lee.html?mobile=1&ic=1&iphone=1
Anyone who thinks this story is going away any time soon is either lying or stupid.
No, this is the latest. The great man speaks:
"What I’ve seen today for the first time is unacceptable. I am outraged and deeply saddened to learn that not only was I misled by a member of my staff, but this completely inappropriate and unsanctioned conduct was made without my knowledge.
One thing is clear: This type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions."
Case closed. On to the next major scandal.
Cimbri, I hate to have to repeat myself in the same thread, but.....
Think about how ridiculous it is for Christie to claim he's just hearing about this for the first time today.
-Two Christie appointees, one a childhood friend, have resigned.
-The administration was ordered by a court of law to turn over emails. Those emails were heavily redacted. Obviously, someone from the administration, along with an attorney, read them before turning them over. Wouldn't it make sense to warn fatso of what was contained in the emails? C'mon.
-Chris Christie is a former federal prosecutor, and presumably no dummy. No internal investigation ordered, despite having the emails, the resignations, etc.?
How stupid does he think we are?
I can assure you we haven't heard the end of this one. Not by a long shot.
cimbri, I fail to see how Christie's unsurprising and generic statement changes anything. This is not case closed.
-Martha
So I wonder who will be expected to take the fall, and have their reputation forever ruined?
The fact that Christie is proclaiming no knowledge of the whole thing just proves he's a liar, and in deeper than he claims. Why did he wait 8 hours to make a statement? Why hasn't anyone been fired?
-Martha
Recall the bullet point from the Christie vetting revelations, that Christie told Team Romney that they weren't permitted to fundraise in New Jersey until he said so. That was the first clue that this guy has a tinge of mafia mentality.
I can't see this happening in my state, which is why I believe this will seriously harm his chances in the Midwest. This may be business as usual in NJ, but most people around the country are repulsed by this sort of nonsense.
RW, it's going to seriously harm him everywhere. I don't get the those who believe this is nothing to worry about. It's pretty hard to believe he didn't know anything because these are his inner circle people.
-Martha
Cimbri -
You say that "Christie haters are relying on the MSM"?!?!?
Well, not exactly -
http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/01/08/NJ-Gov-Christie-Has-A-Big-Problem
http://townhall.com/news/around-the-web/2014/01/08/bombshell-documents-show-one-of-chris-christies-top-aides-ordered-george-washington-bridge-lane-closures-n1773599
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jan/8/chris-christie-aide-linked-email-road-closure-reve/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/08/chris-christie-aide-new-jersey-lane-closing
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/08/scandal-accusations-involving-chris-christie-and-abuse-of-power-just-got-a-lot-more-serious/
And those emails are the SMOKING GUN that have permanently killed Christie's pipe dream of winning the GOP nomination for president -
Top Christie Aide/Deputy - "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee"
Christie Appointee/Close Pal In Charge Of George Washington Bridge - "Got it"
Guess what happens next.
BINGO!!!
That's right. You guessed it -
LANE CLOSURES, MASSIVE TRAFFIC JAMS, DAYS OF GRIDLOCK IN FORT LEE
What a coincidence!!!
If that's not a SMOKING GUN, then the term has no meaning.
Bye Bye Christie - he's toast, roadkill, stick a fork in him.
He'll be lucky if he avoids jail time.
2016?!?!?
FUHGEDABOUDIT!!!!!
But along with his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, who appears to have plotted the lane closures, Christie press secretary 'Michael Drewniak, two-time campaign manager Bill Stepien, and David Samson, a key fundraiser for the governor, are mentioned in or copied on the e-mail chain. Stepien was tapped on Tuesday to serve as the chairman of the state Republican party in part on Christie’s recommendation, and his ascendancy to that position is now in doubt.'
Are these people stupid? Is Christie stupid? I can't believe this story is even real.
-Martha
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/367925/christies-crucial-24-hours-eliana-johnson
Exactly, and I made a point of linking to the WSJ, to avoid sending traffic to to the NYT. Every media outlet, liberal, conservative, or otherwise, is all over this story. It's big.
By he way, it looks like Christie's RINO friends will let him hang on this one. Don't expect anyone to defend this.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/rumors-of-chris-christies-demise-have-been-greatly-exaggerated/282918/
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