WOW !!! - 'Christie’s Waterloo' - NYDailyNews

[WillyT]

Christie’s Waterloo
The George Washington Bridge fiasco is a deeply damning window on the governor's administration.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014, 8:03 PM

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1570245.1389227760!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/traffic-mystery.jpg

<snip>

In the best possible light, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie built a top staff of lying thugs who threatened lives and safety to serve his political ends. If not, Christie is a lying thug himself.

Emails and text messages among his close aides made public Wednesday documented that in September they gleefully engineered George Washington Bridge lane closures to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for failing to endorse their boss’ reelection.

Local officials say the gridlock they caused delayed ambulances in responding to four calls, including one involving an unconscious 91-year-old woman who later died.

Christie’s presidential ambitions are all but kaput, as he will be lambasted and lampooned as a man of low character and horrible judgment — again viewing him in the most favorable way.
The Port Authority’s sudden, unannounced closing of bridge entrance lanes produced hours-long backups for four days. They ended only after Executive Director Patrick Foye discovered the shutdowns, which were later traced to rogue orders issued by Christie PA appointee David Wildstein, a high school buddy, and to a cover-up by Bill Baroni, Christie’s top person at the bi-state agency.

For months, responsibility remained clouded. During that time, Christie made light of the charges. He joked that the press was suggesting he had moved traffic cones personally. Last month, he described the affair as “not that big a deal.” He supported Baroni’s story that the lane closures were part of a traffic study.

His aides’ communications, made public Wednesday, put the lie to that...

<snip>

More: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/christie-waterloo-article-1.1570246

[Blue Owl]

1. The GOP sure has one big, fat...

problem on their hands...

[customerserviceguy]

11. I disagree

For starters, even if this hadn't happened, Christie was toast with the GOP base when he signed the NJ Dream Act giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition benefits. That's way too much for them to accept, and even if he had vetoed it, he was always a really tough sell with any Republicon voter who lives at least 100 miles away from NJ, which is to say the vast majority of them.

He'll fire a few people, and survive as governor, but he never ever had a realistic shot at the nomination after embracing Barack Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

[FarCenter]

15. ++

[rhett o rick]

16. I also disagree. Looks to me like Christie was set up. I smell Karl Rove all over this.

Those that really run the GOP, and that sure the hell aint the idiot Tea Baggers, didnt want Christie. He is a lose cannon. They like nitwits like Georgie "The Dim-Son" Bush, or Mittens Rmoney, or McCain, or Jeb "Babs Fav" Bush.

[tofuandbeer]

19. +1

[LiberalElite]

2. Even if Christie wasn't directly involved -

You're known by the company you keep n/t

[Kablooie]

27. You're known by the staff that you oversee.

[LiberalElite]

31. that too

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. That's gonna leave a mark.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. "not that big of a deal", eh?

" the sub-prime mortgage problem is contained"

"No one could have foreseen.."

"the Iraq incursion will pay for itself"

"no one is going to pay any attention to a break in"

[herding cats]

5. I find myself unable to disagree here

I think he just handed the other Republicans looking to run for president a late Christmas gift. I'm not sure if things stay as they are with him differing the brunt of the blame on his staff if he will, or wont be reelected as governor. I'm willing to bet the farm tho that Republican campaign strategist for 2016 hopefuls are already looking at ways to exploit this disaster.

[customerserviceguy]

13. He never had a shot

GW Bridge scandal or not. He's certified toast the minute the Ames poll comes out, and he's in sixth place or further down the line.

[Omaha Steve]

6. He SHOULD have worked the traffic cones

OOPS. Did I say that out loud?

[Gore1FL]

7. Is this an impeachable offense under NJ law?

I don't think sending him to St. Helena would be necessary.

[davidpdx]

8. David Gergen

and I'm paraphrasing here: If Christie replied to any of those emails it's over.

[Dawson Leery]

10. Also said if that 91 year old woman died as a result of EMS

being unable to reach her in time, or anyone else being injured as a result of this act too would end Christie's political career.

[davidpdx]

25. It appears she did

Now for the true smoking gun. Did he know about it at anytime before it became public? Oh how the mighty have fallen...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014692629

[neverforget]

9. Blood is in the water. Now will people come forward with

other stories of Christie's bullying and petty, vindictiveness?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. His fans are more upset with the pictures of him and Obama holding hands on the beach.

[customerserviceguy]

14. GW Bridge scandal or not

that's what finished him for the Rethuglican nomination, whether he's aware of it or not.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. He only went up with the Washington Villagers....

When it came out he used recovery money for champaign ads the attitude in the Beltway was a massive yawn.

They don't CARE if the locals hate him. They're all about building an image.

Hell, those idiots in DC still believe Rudy was the Hero of 9/11.

[nevergiveup]

17. Jeb Bush has a big smile on his face this evening.

[complain jane]

20. I posted an article on FB about this and about the 91 y/o woman who died

possibly as a result of this stupid fiasco Christie ordered.

I can't believe the responses from the few rabid conservatives I know. I'm very familiar with their idiocy but they completely dismissed this woman's death and called the whole thing petty.

WTF they've stopped even pretending to be human beings now?

[mountain grammy]

21. I doubt this was a set up. Teabaggers aren't that smart but Christie thinks he is..

every now and then the arrogant assholes go just a little to far and get slammed. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Time to ring up my old college roommate in NJ and have a good laugh. She hates the SOB.

[complain jane]

22. And I should add,

My job recently moved temporarily to Manhattan. My job is usually in NJ. I worked an early shift and the morning was great, 45 minutes in, but the ride home was a deal breaker. I spent anywhere from 1 - 2 hours just sitting on the Henry Hudson Parkway because of random problems including crap falling off the George Washington Bridge at one point (crap meaning parts of the actual bridge were crumbling off). Now I realize I was going the opposite direction on the bridge, but regardless, anybody who would willingly cause a massive traffic back up for four days like that and screw the fucking taxpayers who voted him into office is truly a special kind of asshole.

[WillyT]

23. Thank You For That !!!

[SCVDem]

24. Still want that Big Gulp?

How many kids on a school bus peed their pants?

Oh, the humanity!

[DonCoquixote]

26. I am surprised Murdoch allowed this

Methinks Karl Rove may be backing Paul.

[Beacool]

30. Wrong newspaper.

That would be the NY Post. This article is from the NY Daily News.

[Smarmie Doofus]

33. The difference between Zuckerman and Murdoch.

Meaning .... not much. Politically speaking, anyway.

They attend different cocktail parties, maybe.

[countryjake]

28. K&R!

[Beacool]

29. This exchange...........

A: He's toast now.

B: A bridge too far.

C: Or in Christie's case, a fridge too far.

D: Evidently no fridge is too far for him.

Governor Kramden, to the moon, Alice..........

[Smarmie Doofus]

32. So, what do we do with him/them for the next four years? n/t