Drudge Report: CHRIS CHRISTIE CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE

**HAPPY2BME** · 01-10-2014, 02:08 AM

Gotta love this swift sowing of corrupt seeds. Time to sweep the whole Republican floor of these bastards!

And just think, Boner and McCain were setting this loser up to run against Hillary Clinton ..

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‘Very Sad’ Chris Christie Extends Apology in Bridge Scandal

By KATE ZERNIKE and MARC SANTORAJAN. 9, 2014

Richard Perry/The New York Times
Christie’s News Conference

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said he took no part in the lane closings at the George Washington Bridge, but acknowledged the involvement of some of his close aides.

TRENTON — In a remarkable day of swirling political drama, Gov. Chris Christie tried on Thursday to control the damage from revelations that his administration ordered the revenge-closings of traffic lanes at the George Washington Bridge by firing a top aide, cutting ties with a longtime political adviser and repeatedly apologizing in a nearly two-hour news conference.

Sounding somber and appearing contrite, the normally garrulous Mr. Christie said he had no advance knowledge of the lane closings and had been “humiliated” by the entire episode.

“I am a very sad person today,” he said. “I am heartbroken that someone I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the past five years betrayed that trust.”

His emotional news conference unfolded as the United States attorney in New Jersey began a preliminary inquiry and as — just down the hall at the State House here — a former associate who was involved in the lane closings refused to answer questions posed by Democratic legislators investigating the matter, saying he would tell his story only under immunity from possible prosecution.
Document: Emails Between Top Christie Aides and Port Authority Officials

The Democrats promised to release more documents on Friday and issue more subpoenas of Christie aides. And the national news media that has so far bathed Mr. Christie in a distant, generally positive light descended on his doorstep here with a phalanx of television cameras and harsh speculation about whether the scandal would hurt his aspirations to be the 2016 Republican nominee for president.

In the afternoon, Mr. Christie went to Fort Lee, N.J. — the borough affected by the lane closings, which tied up traffic for days — and apologized to the mayor.

At least some residents cheered him as he arrived, even after his motorcade briefly created yet another traffic jam.

During his news conference, Mr. Christie said he had been “blindsided” by emails made public on Wednesday that showed that staff members — also his close friends — had punished the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee in September by closing entrance lanes to the bridge because he did not endorse the governor for re-election.

He said he had not realized the gravity of the situation even after officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the bridge, testified a month ago that the closings had delayed emergency responders and had been done abruptly, secretively and against the authority’s protocols. His apologies were directed at the people of New Jersey and Fort Lee, and to reporters and Democratic legislators whom he had earlier dismissed as “obsessed” with finding out who closed the lanes and why.

Mr. Christie fired Bridget Anne Kelly, the deputy chief of staff who sent an email approving the lane closings, whom he called “stupid” and “deceitful.” Her deception, he said, led him to mislead the public, but he did so unwittingly.
Related in Opinion

He also asked his two-time campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to step down as a consultant to the Republican Governors Association and to withdraw his name from consideration to lead the state’s Republican Party. Mr. Christie is the chairman of the association.

Four weeks ago, Mr. Christie told reporters, he gathered his top staff members and asked them if anyone had anything to do with the lane closings. He said he gave them one hour before he publicly denied his staff’s involvement.

“They all reported that there was no information other than what we already knew,” Mr. Christie said.

He said he was “led to believe by folks around me that there was no basis to this.” But, he added, “I was wrong.”

The governor at times took overall responsibility for those who work for him, but argued that he had 65,000 employees and could not monitor them all. Still, he displayed only occasional flashes of his usual pugnacity with reporters, whispering as he said he felt “sad” and “humiliated” by the crass, mocking tone of his employees’ emails.

“I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or its execution,” Mr. Christie said. “And I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here. Regardless of what the facts ultimately uncover, this was handled in a callous and indifferent way.”

Mr. Christie’s apology seemed aimed at trying to preserve his carefully developed everyman image. His office sent out video clips of his saddest moments at the news conference. And he offered that he thought voters would forgive him, because they recognize that people sometimes make mistakes and get hurt by even close friends.

Have you watched the press conference? Unless he is the best actor who has ever lived, there is very little doubt that he is telling the truth.

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Democrats argued that the increasing number of resignations and dismissals — two other aides resigned in December — and the names of the governor’s staff members on the emails made it hard to believe that the pettiness was, as the governor argued, “the exception and not the rule” of his administration.

“I find it hard to believe that Bridget Kelly on her own came up with the idea to divert traffic lanes in Fort Lee,” said Assemblyman John S. Wisniewski, a Democrat who has been leading the investigation.

David Wildstein, who quit his Port Authority job last month, declined to answer questions posed by Democrats investigating the Fort Lee traffic jam on Thursday. Ángel Franco/The New York Times

“You have an administration that is very hands-on,” Mr. Wisniewski said. “It strains credibility to say that somebody in as high a position as a deputy chief of staff, somebody in as high a position as the governor’s principal spokesperson, somebody in as high a position as his campaign manager, all of whose names are in these emails, didn’t ever communicate this to the governor.”

In the questions from reporters, Mr. Christie struggled to explain how his organization could be as close as family — they celebrated birthdays and had parties together — but would not include him in either the decision to close the lanes in September or tell him about it during the months of questions since then.

Even on Thursday, he continued to assert that he believed the lane closings might have been a traffic study in Fort Lee, and that he knew nothing about it. But one email shows him approving a Port Authority traffic study for the town of Springfield. Mr. Christie insisted that the email, from Ms. Kelly, was a misstatement of what he had said or who had approved it.

For Mr. Christie, one of the leading figures in the Republican Party and a likely candidate for the party’s presidential nomination in 2016, the scandal represents the gravest challenge to his political career. It either suggests a failure of management skills or confirms what some critics have described as bullylike behavior.

“This is not the tone I have set over the last four years in this building,” he said. “I am who I am. But I am not a bully.”

The United States attorney for New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman, opened a preliminary inquiry after the matter was referred to his office by the inspector general for the Port Authority. Some legal experts, however, said it was difficult to imagine how the scandal could yield criminal charges.

The fallout from the release of the emails, which are as brazen as they are blunt, reverberated nationally, threatening to undermine Mr. Christie’s carefully cultivated image. And political opponents were quick to seize on the governor’s troubles.

“For nearly two hours today, Chris Christie stood up and repeatedly made himself out to be the victim,” said Mo Elleithee, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee. “But Chris Christie is not the victim. The people of New Jersey who trusted him are.”

The controversy is unlikely to abate anytime soon, with New Jersey Democrats vowing to subpoena everyone mentioned in the emails. The State Assembly on Friday will release an additional 900 pages of documents turned over by David Wildstein, a high school friend of Mr. Christie’s who worked at the Port Authority, which could produce more embarrassing revelations.

Mr. Wildstein resigned on Dec. 6, saying that the bridge issue had become “a distraction” for the Christie administration.

Mr. Wildstein had challenged a subpoena from the State Assembly demanding he appear at an inquiry on the matter. A judge on Thursday ruled that the subpoena was valid, and he appeared before the Legislature later in the day. He declined to answer questions, even to confirm his employment at the Port Authority, and the lawmakers voted to hold him in contempt for his silence.

Bill Baroni — Mr. Christie’s top appointed staff member at the Port Authority and a longtime close friend who shared the same social circles with Mr. Stepien, Mr. Christie and Ms. Kelly — also resigned in December, after Port Authority officials testified in a legislative hearing that he had sought to hide plans for the lane closings from Fort Lee officials, the police and even other officials at the authority.

Both Mr. Baroni and Mr. Wildstein figured prominently in the emails released on Wednesday.

Ms. Kelly sent an email on Aug. 13 to Mr. Wildstein that called for Fort Lee’s mayor, Mark Sokolich, to be punished.

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” she wrote.

One month later, on Sept. 9, Mr. Wildstein ordered traffic lanes from Fort Lee closed, causing a traffic nightmare that added hours to the commutes of thousands of drivers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/ny...ings.html?_r=0

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-11-2014, 09:46 PM

Mark Levin

The BEST analysis of Christie and his bridge problem

New Scandal, Same Old Christie

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-11-2014, 11:09 PM

09 January 2014

THE OFFICIAL MARK LEVIN AUDIO REWIND

http://www.marklevinshow.com/common/...=191&is_corp=0

Mark talks about BridgeGate and Gov. Chris Christie's latest problems. He explained the original BridgeGate, which was Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-12-2014, 01:18 AM

Conservatives Against Obama's Liberal Agenda

Now All Can See Why Obama & Christie Get Along SO Well!

Both the same kind of unprincipled, vengeful, Mafioso - mentality thug that should never be allowed anywhere near the levers of power..

If we as constitutional conservatives somehow allow a Chris Christie nomination to become reality in 2016 after this latest scandal, then shame on us- the GOP Establishment golden boy's aides have been caught red-handed ordering bridge lanes closed for four days, creating traffic snarls -and causing at least one death via ambulance delay- for no other reason than retaliation against a whole town (Fort Lee, NJ) because their Dem mayor (who Christie staffers referred to as 'that little Serbian') refused to endorse his re-election campaign last fall... sound familiar?

And since the Governor -as we often get with Obama- is now lying his considerable ass off to cover up ("knew nothing, I'm appalled, blah blah blah"), if that can be proven, it will make our task of stopping this blobular egomaniac all the easier- regardless, nobody believes he didn't know what his top staff were up to -their desks were steps away- so the damage may already be done.

It's the same as with Hillary and Benghazi- if Republicans can't wrap that tightly around her neck by election time, why do we even bother getting involved in politics. The nomination is likely hers for the taking, yet some think her a 'weak candidate' in the 2016 general election, and some Democrats and advisers are even recommending against her running.

With Hillary's long-time running fear of vast, right-wing conspiracies, perhaps she has a bit more respect -read 'fear'- for the TEA Party than nominal Republican Chris Christie. But he was already rumored to have some major skeletons in his closet, so along with the new bridge-closing scandal Gov Christie will be taught to respect the constitutional-conservative right -when our candidate kicks his butt all up-and-down the field in the GOP presidential primary, if not sooner.

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-13-2014, 04:19 AM

Newsmax Headlines

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-13-2014, 04:20 AM

New Jersey bridge scandal: Assembly could impeach Christie if more evidence comes out

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/1...nce-comes-out/

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-13-2014, 04:27 AM

Krauthammer Discusses BridgeGate By Ripping ‘The Bystander President’ Who Shows ‘Incompetence As An Executive’

By Brian Carey on January 10, 2014 Subscribe to Brian Carey's Feed @brianmcarey

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer appeared on the Special Report All Star Panel last night to discuss the so-called BridgeGate controversy surrounding New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the political fallout that will result from it. He thinks that Christie might fare well, as long as he’s telling the truth.
Krauthammer noted that if Christie is not telling the truth, then “he’s toast.”

If the New Jersey governor is telling the truth, Krauthammer said, then the political damage from the scandal is not “fatal.”

Krauthammer also addressed the subject of Christie’s viability as a Presidential candidate in 2016.

“Remember,” Krauthammer said, “whoever runs in 2016 will be running in the wake of and against the legacy of Obama who showed incompetence as an executive and was The Bystander President. He didn’t know about the IRS. He read about the AP scandal in the press. Who knows? Maybe he didn’t even know there existed an ObamaCare website the way he talked about it.”

“So, you want to run as a competent executive hands-on,” he continued. “This isn’t going to help Christie in making that case.”

Krauthammer also noted that Christie’s strength is his toughness. However, if his toughness is perceived as “petty,” then there could be political ramifications if further reports trickle out that Christie has engaged in strong-arm tactics in the Garden State.

Overall, though, Krauthammer was optimistic about Christie’s future as long as the governor was being honest.

“If he told the truth, he’ll put this behind him,” he concluded.

Have a look at the video below.

http://downtrend.com/brian-carey/kra...-an-executive/

**kathyet2** · 01-13-2014, 12:32 PM

January 10, 2014 Mark Levin Rips Christie For Saying “I Didn’t Know”, Plays Montage Of Dems Saying “I Didn’t Know”

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-14-2014, 07:23 AM

Mark Levin

Has the GOP become the party of Chris Christie?

http://spectator.org/articles/57419/gop-why-victory

**AirborneSapper7** · 01-21-2014, 01:16 AM

Wealthy GOP donors starting to give up on Christie for 2016?

POSTED AT 4:01 PM ON JANUARY 20, 2014 BY ALLAHPUNDIT

Contra Mediaite’s headline, I don’t think that’s what Chuck Todd’s saying in the clip below. But I’m intrigued that that’s what Bret Baier seems to think he’s saying — and that he agrees:

Todd’s point, I think, is simply that Christie’s been subdued and apologetic lately, which is useful in countering his scandal-fueled image as a bully but not so useful in impressing the people who are thinking of bankrolling his presidential run. They want the old Christie, the fightin’ RINO who’s going to get in people’s faces and not take sh*t from anyone. That’s the sort of center-right candidate, they think, who’ll be able to connect with middle-class voters on the trail in a way that no nominee has done since Dubya. The more Christie tones things down, the more he risks losing the special combative Christie charm that his fans like about him. I thought country-club Republicans would cut him a break on that for now, knowing that it’s important for him to appear contrite during the Bridgegate storm. Evidently not, per Todd — and, per Baier, their temporary displeasure in some cases isn’t so temporary. He makes it sound like some big-money GOPers are prepared to abandon ship. Maybe they’ve concluded that Bridgegate has forever poisoned Christie’s pugnaciousness: Even if the scandal passes and he returns to his old ways, his willingness to confront critics will always be seen going forward through the prism of bullying. (MSNBC and the media will see to that.)

Or maybe some of these people were never big on Christie in the first place and have seized on this as an opportunity to entice some centrist rival into the race. Some Romney donors hate the guy for betraying Mitt in 2012, other establishment donors simply prefer Jeb (or Scott Walker) and have been eager for space to open up for them in the field. Christie’s huge approval rating and landslide reelection meant they had to wait, but at the first sign that he’s damaged goods, the anti-Christie donors are now leaping into action to whisper to media pals that he’s DOA for 2016. Maybe that’s enough to finally lure a serious centrist into that race. I’ll frankly be surprised if, in the next 10 days, there isn’t a story in some major paper about Bush and/or Walker fielding calls from members of the donor class who are newly eager to feel them out for 2016. The novelty of Christie, supposedly, was that he could bring independents and Democrats (especially Democratic-leaning Latinos) into the fold like no one else in the GOP. But if Bridgegate, or Christie’s newly subdued demeanor, begins to weaken that effect, then there’s no reason to prefer him to some other centrist and plenty of reason (starting with the fact that the a swath of the base really dislikes him) not to. Which reminds me — behold the new numbers from Pew:

No racial breakdown there, and of course his numbers from January 2013 were even rosier than usual in the near-aftermath of Sandy, but he’s gone from being double-digits net positive among Democrats to double-digits net negative. How bad those numbers get might determine whether Christie’s viable or not — an unusual position for a would-be nominee for the other party to be in, but when you’re selling yourself as the bridge-building bipartisan choice, that’s life. Exit quotation from Eliana Johnson:

“The idea that he’s the prohibitive front-runner is over,” says a Republican strategist. Among the party’s money men, the reaction to the scandal that has rocked Trenton for the past week is divided. While some remain firmly supportive, others say the release of e-mails showing that one of Christie’s top aides colluded to close traffic lanes leading onto the George Washington Bridge has confirmed their worst suspicions about him. “This is one of the few moments where there’s not a pack mentality,” says the strategist.