as long as we are appetizer appropriate ie; bloomin' onion..crikey, maite!
Mr Feder From Ft Lee NJ Writes In...Hey! Roseanne Roseannadanna..
- Thread starter schuylaar
- Start date
well, well, well..the stench of new jersey politics..still permeates chris christie..can you believe that this might literally be what takes christie down for 2016?
Top Christie Staff Sought Lane Closings as Revenge
By KATE ZERNIKEJAN. 8, 2014
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In December, Gov. Chris Christie announced the resignation of Bill Baroni, a Port Authority official, as the controversy threatened Mr. Christies political fortunes. Mel Evans/Associated Press
A series of newly obtained emails and text messages shows that Gov. Chris Christies office was closely involved with lane closings on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge in September, and that officials closed the lanes as retribution against the mayor whose town was gridlocked as a result.
Mr. Christie has insisted that his staff and his campaign office had nothing to do with the local lane closings, and said that they were done as part of a traffic study. The bridge scandal highlights one of his biggest vulnerabilities as Mr. Christie steps out onto the national stage as a potential presidential candidate: the accusation that he is a bully who retaliates against the smallest slights.
The emails show that Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Mr. Christies office, gave a signal to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close the lanes about two weeks before the closings occurred.
Related Coverage
After the emails were released on Wednesday, Mr. Christie canceled his one public event for the day, which had been billed as an announcement of progress in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. His office had no immediate comment.
Mr. Christies handpicked chairman of the Port Authority, David Samson, was also involved in the closings, according to the emails, which describe his efforts to retaliate against New York officials who had not been told of the changes and sought to ease the gridlock.
The emails indicate that Mr. Christies staff and his associates at the Port Authority were closely aware of the political context. Mr. Christie, a Republican, was leaning on local Democratic officials to endorse his re-election bid so that he could then seek his partys presidential nomination in 2016 by arguing that he was the candidate who could attract bipartisan support in a blue state.
Mr. Christie won re-election in November by 22 points, and instantly became a leading candidate for his partys presidential nomination by winning across many demographic groups. His campaign boasted that he had been endorsed by more than 50 local Democratic officials.
During the campaign, as Mr. Christie and his associates leaned on Democratic local officials for endorsements, many mayors whispered that they feared the governor would withhold money or favor if they did not go along.
Even Republican lawmakers who have supported Mr. Christie tell stories of being punished when he perceived them as not supporting him enough.
The mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, is a Democrat and did not endorse Mr. Christie. In the obtained emails and texts, Mr. Christies staff and appointees appeared gleeful when the abrupt lane closings gridlocked the town for four days, beginning with the first day of school and including the anniversary of Sept. 11. Mr. Sokolich, who had not been informed of the closings, texted Bill Baroni, the governors top appointee at the Port Authority, asking for help because the lane closings were making children on buses late to school.
Is it wrong that I am smiling? Mr. Wildstein texted Ms. Kelly.
No, she texted back.
I feel badly about the kids, he texted.
They are the children of Buono voters, she said, referring to Mr. Christies Democratic opponent, Barbara Buono, who was trailing consistently in the polls and lost by a wide margin.
Ms. Kelly is one of three deputy chiefs of staff in Mr. Christies office, and a close member of his team. Her Twitter timeline included a photograph, before it was taken down Wednesday morning, of her celebrating her 40th birthday last year with the governor and other members of his staff.
Yes, unreal. Fixed now, he emailed.
Mr. Sokolich texted Mr. Baroni later that month seeking to understand why the lanes were closed, and said that people were saying it was punishment.
Try as I may to dispel these rumors I am having a tough time, he wrote.
Mr. Baroni, Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein showed some alarm, swearing and discussing how they could avoid Mr. Sokolich while also quieting the growing controversy.
Earlier this week, the Democratic mayor of Jersey City, Steve Fulop, said the governors office had canceled meetings with him after he informed them he would not endorse the governor for re-election.
Mr. Christies associates had been pressing hard on Mr. Fulop, a rising star in the Democratic party who took office in July, but he resisted before finally endorsing Ms. Buono.
The emails, obtained by The New York Times and other news outlets Wednesday, show that Mr. Fulops decision did not sit well with the governors office. Mr. Christies aides and the Port Authority officials talked about how they were refusing to return the telephone calls from the Fort Lee mayor. Radio silence, Mr. Wildstein wrote to Ms. Kelly in an email. His name comes right after mayor Fulop.
The documents released Wednesday are heavily redacted by Port Authority officials, who turned them over under a subpoena from Democratic legislators investigating the lane closings, making it hard to determine in some cases who is speaking.
But they indicate that Mr. Christies staff, appointees at the Port Authority and members of his campaign staff were all intimately involved in discussing the growing scandal and how to react to it as early as October. One series of text messages between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein indicates that in early August, at the same time they were discussing the plan for the lane closings, they were trying to set up a meeting between Mr. Christie and Mr. Samson. It is not clear, however, that the meeting was regarding the lane closings, although later emails make clear that Mr. Samson was involved in those plans.
Mr. Baroni and Mr. Wildstein resigned their positions in December as the Port Authoritys executive deputy director and director of interstate capital projects, respectively, as the scandal threatened Mr. Christies political fortunes.
Top Christie Staff Sought Lane Closings as Revenge
By KATE ZERNIKEJAN. 8, 2014
In December, Gov. Chris Christie announced the resignation of Bill Baroni, a Port Authority official, as the controversy threatened Mr. Christies political fortunes. Mel Evans/Associated Press
A series of newly obtained emails and text messages shows that Gov. Chris Christies office was closely involved with lane closings on the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge in September, and that officials closed the lanes as retribution against the mayor whose town was gridlocked as a result.
Mr. Christie has insisted that his staff and his campaign office had nothing to do with the local lane closings, and said that they were done as part of a traffic study. The bridge scandal highlights one of his biggest vulnerabilities as Mr. Christie steps out onto the national stage as a potential presidential candidate: the accusation that he is a bully who retaliates against the smallest slights.
The emails show that Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff in Mr. Christies office, gave a signal to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close the lanes about two weeks before the closings occurred.
Related Coverage
- document Document: Emails Between Top Christie Aides and Port Authority ExecutivesJAN. 8, 2014
-
Clues but No Full Account of Order That Turned a New Jersey Town Into a Parking LotDEC. 9, 2013
-
Christie Views Lane Closings on George Washington Bridge as OverblownDEC. 13, 2013
After the emails were released on Wednesday, Mr. Christie canceled his one public event for the day, which had been billed as an announcement of progress in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. His office had no immediate comment.
Mr. Christies handpicked chairman of the Port Authority, David Samson, was also involved in the closings, according to the emails, which describe his efforts to retaliate against New York officials who had not been told of the changes and sought to ease the gridlock.
The emails indicate that Mr. Christies staff and his associates at the Port Authority were closely aware of the political context. Mr. Christie, a Republican, was leaning on local Democratic officials to endorse his re-election bid so that he could then seek his partys presidential nomination in 2016 by arguing that he was the candidate who could attract bipartisan support in a blue state.
Mr. Christie won re-election in November by 22 points, and instantly became a leading candidate for his partys presidential nomination by winning across many demographic groups. His campaign boasted that he had been endorsed by more than 50 local Democratic officials.
During the campaign, as Mr. Christie and his associates leaned on Democratic local officials for endorsements, many mayors whispered that they feared the governor would withhold money or favor if they did not go along.
Even Republican lawmakers who have supported Mr. Christie tell stories of being punished when he perceived them as not supporting him enough.
The mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, is a Democrat and did not endorse Mr. Christie. In the obtained emails and texts, Mr. Christies staff and appointees appeared gleeful when the abrupt lane closings gridlocked the town for four days, beginning with the first day of school and including the anniversary of Sept. 11. Mr. Sokolich, who had not been informed of the closings, texted Bill Baroni, the governors top appointee at the Port Authority, asking for help because the lane closings were making children on buses late to school.
Is it wrong that I am smiling? Mr. Wildstein texted Ms. Kelly.
No, she texted back.
I feel badly about the kids, he texted.
They are the children of Buono voters, she said, referring to Mr. Christies Democratic opponent, Barbara Buono, who was trailing consistently in the polls and lost by a wide margin.
Ms. Kelly is one of three deputy chiefs of staff in Mr. Christies office, and a close member of his team. Her Twitter timeline included a photograph, before it was taken down Wednesday morning, of her celebrating her 40th birthday last year with the governor and other members of his staff.
Yes, unreal. Fixed now, he emailed.
Mr. Sokolich texted Mr. Baroni later that month seeking to understand why the lanes were closed, and said that people were saying it was punishment.
Try as I may to dispel these rumors I am having a tough time, he wrote.
Mr. Baroni, Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein showed some alarm, swearing and discussing how they could avoid Mr. Sokolich while also quieting the growing controversy.
Earlier this week, the Democratic mayor of Jersey City, Steve Fulop, said the governors office had canceled meetings with him after he informed them he would not endorse the governor for re-election.
Mr. Christies associates had been pressing hard on Mr. Fulop, a rising star in the Democratic party who took office in July, but he resisted before finally endorsing Ms. Buono.
The emails, obtained by The New York Times and other news outlets Wednesday, show that Mr. Fulops decision did not sit well with the governors office. Mr. Christies aides and the Port Authority officials talked about how they were refusing to return the telephone calls from the Fort Lee mayor. Radio silence, Mr. Wildstein wrote to Ms. Kelly in an email. His name comes right after mayor Fulop.
The documents released Wednesday are heavily redacted by Port Authority officials, who turned them over under a subpoena from Democratic legislators investigating the lane closings, making it hard to determine in some cases who is speaking.
But they indicate that Mr. Christies staff, appointees at the Port Authority and members of his campaign staff were all intimately involved in discussing the growing scandal and how to react to it as early as October. One series of text messages between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Wildstein indicates that in early August, at the same time they were discussing the plan for the lane closings, they were trying to set up a meeting between Mr. Christie and Mr. Samson. It is not clear, however, that the meeting was regarding the lane closings, although later emails make clear that Mr. Samson was involved in those plans.
Mr. Baroni and Mr. Wildstein resigned their positions in December as the Port Authoritys executive deputy director and director of interstate capital projects, respectively, as the scandal threatened Mr. Christies political fortunes.
not this time me bucko
NLXSK1
Well-Known Member
Christie's ability to get out of this one is dependent upon several things.
1. Did he actually know it was going on?
If he did... Then
2. Is there any paper trail to him?
Unless #2 he is not going to have an issue with this.
He should already have fired the staffer and whoever else knew about it.
If he did know about it, gets caught in a lie and there is evidence then he may very well be done.
I dont think there is a great chance of that though.
1. Did he actually know it was going on?
If he did... Then
2. Is there any paper trail to him?
Unless #2 he is not going to have an issue with this.
He should already have fired the staffer and whoever else knew about it.
If he did know about it, gets caught in a lie and there is evidence then he may very well be done.
I dont think there is a great chance of that though.
schuylaar has a good eye
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to see4 again.
you've brought up an interesting point: christie is very connected to his base through daily face-to-face..yesterday he cancelled his day and did no face-to-face..instead of calling for investigation into his office..he's keeping his mouth shut..this in itself is damming for him as he's quite vocal on EVERYTHING and i mean everything..
NLXSK1
Well-Known Member
So he should be really vocal about shit he doesnt know??
Have you ever been a manager? He is going to have to have an internal investigation to see who knew what and who did what (assuming he was not involved). It would be stupid of him to say anything until he knew the results.
NLXSK1
Well-Known Member
Our current president is either corrupt or ignorant. What makes you think the next one cannot be?
Doer
Well-Known Member
I'd say the case is just opening. The case for Block Christie. I saw on CNN they already have a case going for Block Rubio, as well.
Doer
Well-Known Member
Stoners here can't debate. Debate has rules.
Doer
Well-Known Member
Hmmm....we all have that dream.my dream is that he fucks me in his garage elevator on the way up after we fucked in each and every car
But, not the Yugo.i said nothing of obama, nor anything of corruption, but looks like you covered ignorant!
Doer
Well-Known Member
That's funny that is Hillary's story also...a young PUB. Are you really sure you are Elin Maddow?
Weird because I was a young rioter at that age.
NLXSK1
Well-Known Member
You think the president is ignorant too??
why yes, yes nlxsk1, i have and he knows EXACTLY what's going on..there will be a press conference today i believe..stay tuned
Doer
Well-Known Member
That is funny, because I have been a tech manager for these last 25 years at the same company. I am responsible for anything that happens like this on my extended watch. It has been and may be in the future, a nightmare. But I am still here and the nightmares are fired.why yes, yes nlxsk1, i have and he knows EXACTLY what's going on..there will be a press conference today i believe..stay tuned