Time for some TRAFFIC!

[MattusMaximus]

This is the first poll I've seen on the matter, and it looks bad for Christie...

Likely N.J. voters think Christie knew about bridge plans

Fifty-six percent of likely New Jersey voters think Gov. Chris Christie should resign if he knew in advance about politically motivated George Washington Bridge lane closings that caused massive traffic jams in the norther part of the state, a new poll shows.

More than half, 54%, of likely voters believe the governor did know about the closings before they occurred and knew of their political nature, according to the Rasmussen Reports poll, released Friday. ...

It's the only poll I've seen so far, so take it for what it's worth. Any others?

 

[MattusMaximus]

Some on Fox are spinning Christie's news conference and firings as outstanding leadership, courage, and decisiveness, contrasting it with Obama's ....something or other. I couldn't stop laughing reading the web page.

I often wonder if they really believe what they are saying.

It's interesting that Fox News can't seem to get their story straight; you have some trying to defend Christie, likely because they see him as the GOP's only real shot at the White House in 2016, while on the other side you have the raving Tea Partiers who hate Christie because "he's not a real conservative" trying to take him down.

Watching the right-wing form a circular firing squad is one of the most entertaining aspects of this whole snafu.

 

[MattusMaximus]

I'm willing to say, at this point based upon all I've seen/read, that if Christie survives this whole mess politically, it will be a minor miracle.

That said, I think his chances for the presidency in 2016 are finished, at the very least.

And that really hurts the GOP.

 

[MattusMaximus]

This brought an interesting thought to mind. For 5 years Darrell Issa and his ilk have been trying to create outrage, drum up scandal, contrive corruption and nothing has stuck, because nothing was there.

When something is there, it sticks all by itself.

QFT

 

[SezMe]

This happened in September. Are we to believe Christie was so sure there was no there there that he didn't even bother to verify if a real study, even one that was fabricated as part of the plot, was done?

Scene: Gov's office: There's a pile of paper on his desk that weighs more than he does. Seven lights are blinking on his phone.
Aide: There's traffic jam on the GWB.
CC: <censored>. Water is wet. Get the **** outta here.

 

[hgc]

It's interesting that Fox News can't seem to get their story straight; you have some trying to defend Christie, likely because they see him as the GOP's only real shot at the White House in 2016, while on the other side you have the raving Tea Partiers who hate Christie because "he's not a real conservative" trying to take him down.

Watching the right-wing form a circular firing squad is one of the most entertaining aspects of this whole snafu.

Given how much hope Fox News chief Roger Ailes has invested in C. Christie (not to mention a just-published bio of Mr. Ailes that has some embarrassing stuff), this has got to be his worst January ever. He's already searching for a new great white hope. Look for a concerted Fox News image boosting campaign on behalf of a) Paul Ryan or b) Jeb Bush very soon.

 

[Regnad Kcin]

What I read somewhere was that the rumor was put out, apparently as a part of the ruse, that Mayor Sokolich was at fault for blocking the lanes. People were blaming him I guess.

There was something on TalkingPointsMemo (or ?) that said the people involved were telling people the mayor was to blame.

So a couple of the governor's top aides are junior high schoolers?

Maybe they also considered a potato in the mayor's tailpipe. Or maybe a flaming bag of s*** on his front doorstep. Y'know...sophisticated retribution tactics.

 

[Craig4]

I think his real problem is going to be all the sound bites of him calling people stupid, jerks and idiots and looking very unpresidential in press conferences and in public. There is a lot of sound and video out there making him look like someone we don't want to give the launch codes for the nukes to. He's going to have to convince people that he can behave himself and his angry outbursts are behind him.

 

[Caper]

I think his real problem is going to be all the sound bites of him calling people stupid, jerks and idiots and looking very unpresidential in press conferences and in public. There is a lot of sound and video out there making him look like someone we don't want to give the launch codes for the nukes to. He's going to have to convince people that he can behave himself and his angry outbursts are behind him.

Good post.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

I saw a bit on MSNBC yesterday morning, they had "America's 9/11 Mayor" Giuliani on briefly. He said it was a good press conference and slammed Obama because "Christie's out ahead of this, taking charge unlike Obama who learns about scandals from tv news" (paraphrase).

 

[mumblethrax]

I don't buy the Helen Hoens story at all. You'd think Christie would have at least fought for her appointment if it meant that much to him, and it's impossible to square with the fact that the mayor of Jersey City got the same silent treatment from Christie's office as the mayor of Fort Lee.

A much more plausible account of why this was done when he didn't need those endorsements to win re-election--he did need them to bolster his image as someone with broad bi-partisan support, which would have been valuable to his aspirations in 2016.

 

[Olowkow]

I don't buy the Helen Hoens story at all. You'd think Christie would have at least fought for her appointment if it meant that much to him, and it's impossible to square with the fact that the mayor of Jersey City got the same silent treatment from Christie's office as the mayor of Fort Lee.

A much more plausible account of why this was done when he didn't need those endorsements to win re-election--he did need them to bolster his image as someone with broad bi-partisan support, which would have been valuable to his aspirations in 2016.

Aspirations in 2016, and the fact that Cuomo won with 58%. Possibly, Christie wanted to outdo Cuomo's landslide and become a "bigger than life" legendary persona.

 

[hgc]

More and more. Drip by drip. With the new document release, I don't see how Christie will ever be able to talk his way out of this. With every new revelation of his people participating in this cover-up, at the same time he was laughing it off (sure, I worked the cones), he has tougher questions to answer about how this rogue operation was happening under his nose and who was the ultimate authority in the affair.

There should be a Christie Retirement Countdown Clock. I would set it to 2 months.

 

[Olowkow]

So a couple of the governor's top aides are junior high schoolers?

Maybe they also considered a potato in the mayor's tailpipe. Or maybe a flaming bag of s*** on his front doorstep. Y'know...sophisticated retribution tactics.

The rumor was spread by the bridge cops, whatever they are called. Christie's 5th amendment pleader guy was on the scene chortling. Try imagining the guy who was unemployed for a year, and going to his first day on a new job. Try imagining the lady who was having a panic attack not knowing if there was a terrorist plot or not. Imagine kids in school buses having to go to the bathroom. Imagine someone running out of gas on the bridge. Imagine, you're at work and your wife/husband and kids are on the bridge frantically and tearfully calling you on their cell phone.

If you are a Christie fan, fine, but please don't attempt to reduce this to a schoolboy's prank in your attempt to bail him out of a horrendous act of idiocy. It wasn't a prank, it was very close to a terrorist act.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

More and more. Drip by drip. With the new document release, I don't see how Christie will ever be able to talk his way out of this. With every new revelation of his people participating in this cover-up, at the same time he was laughing it off (sure, I worked the cones), he has tougher questions to answer about how this rogue operation was happening under his nose and who was the ultimate authority in the affair.

There should be a Christie Retirement Countdown Clock. I would set it to 2 months.

If insulated by fawning underlings with plausible deniability, he could survive just fine.
It's the sort of "How could he have been unaware" thing that gets thrown about... But... unless someone talks, smoking gun is found, he'll skate by.

 

[Monketi Ghost]

It wasn't a prank, it was very close to a terrorist act.

It was neither.

 

[eeyore1954]

The rumor was spread by the bridge cops, whatever they are called. Christie's 5th amendment pleader guy was on the scene chortling. Try imagining the guy who was unemployed for a year, and going to his first day on a new job. Try imagining the lady who was having a panic attack not knowing if there was a terrorist plot or not. Imagine kids in school buses having to go to the bathroom. Imagine someone running out of gas on the bridge. Imagine, you're at work and your wife/husband and kids are on the bridge frantically and tearfully calling you on their cell phone.

If you are a Christie fan, fine, but please don't attempt to reduce this to a schoolboy's prank in your attempt to bail him out of a horrendous act of idiocy. It wasn't a prank, it was very close to a terrorist act.

From my point of view this is certainly not a schoolboy prank but it is far from a terrorist act either. And there is no real evidence that he had any knowledge in this "horrific act of idiocy".

Try imagining the lady who was having a panic attack not knowing if there was a terrorist plot or not.

Has she never crossed a NYC bridge or tunnel before. I have been stuck unmoving many times.

I am not really a Christie fan although I liked the way he seemed to speak his mind.

 

[Olowkow]

It was neither.

I said "close" to a terrorist act since there are national security implications since the closing of all tunnels to trucks after 9/11.

I don't see how one can argue that an act creating fear among the public at large with a potential for disaster, whose sole purpose is a political statement by zealots, is not coming close to act of terror. I suspect the people stuck on the bridge who lived through 9/11 may have considered this scenario. Had I been a New Yorker who lived 9/11, among my first thoughts as I sat stuck on the bridge, since radio announcements had no news otherwise, would have been, suicide bomber right in the middle of the bridge in that semi in front of me with 80,000 lbs of semtex.

 

[Olowkow]

From my point of view this is certainly not a schoolboy prank but it is far from a terrorist act either. And there is no real evidence that he had any knowledge in this "horrific act of idiocy".

We shall see. As many of us have said, it's possible, as with Watergate, that he had no prior knowledge of this particular act, but created an atmosphere which made such behavior by his minions inevitable.

Has she never crossed a NYC bridge or tunnel before. I have been stuck unmoving many times.

For hours without any information? Are you subject to panic attacks? I am.

I am not really a Christie fan although I liked the way he seemed to speak his mind.

I had a generally favorable opinion of him as well, particularly in the way he seemed able to work with Obama and willing to take flak from TPers for dealing with him. Given his outspoken nature and popularity, I actually thought he could be good for the republican party considering the alternatives such as Cruz, Paul or Rubio.

Stressing that I don't believe they committed an act designed to kill or maim, I still think an argument can be made that whoever did this is coming dangerously close to the use of terror to alter a political scene. Just because they or others of their ilk can chuckle, doesn't mean it's funny.

 

[Regnad Kcin]

I saw a bit on MSNBC yesterday morning, they had "America's 9/11 Mayor" Giuliani on briefly. He said it was a good press conference and slammed Obama because "Christie's out ahead of this, taking charge unlike Obama who learns about scandals from tv news" (paraphrase).

The nicest thing I can come up with to say about Mr. Giuliani is that he's a silly clown. With all apologies to clowns the world over.