If I understand this correctly, Governor Chris Christie canceled his only scheduled appearance today, which was supposed to be held with victims of Superstorm Sandy, and then emailed a statement to the press denying that he’s a big fat liar.
“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,” Mr. Christie said.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it, because the people of New Jersey deserve better,” he added. “This behavior is not representative of me or my administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions.”
I’m sorry, but that bullshit isn’t even near good enough. In order for Christie not to be a big fat liar, it would require a lot more than “a member” of his staff to have been misleading him. It would require that Mr. Bill Baroni and Mr. David Wildstein, the Port Authority’s executive deputy director and director of interstate capital projects, respectively, both resigned without ever informing Christie that they were acting on the orders of his deputy chief of staff. It would require that Christie’s own campaign manager (and now state GOP chairman), Bill Stepien, never clued him in. It would require that Christie’s spokesman, Michael Drewniak never told him that his own staff had ordered the closings.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Bridget Anne Kelly, one of three deputies on Christie’s senior staff, wrote to David Wildstein, a top Christie executive at the Port Authority, on Aug. 13, about three weeks before the closures. Wildstein, the official who ordered the closures and who resigned last month amid the escalating scandal, wrote back: “Got it.”
Other top Christie associates mentioned in or copied on the email chain — all after the top New York appointee at the authority ordered the lanes reopened — include David Samson, the chairman of the agency; Bill Stepien, Christie’s re-election campaign manager and the newly appointed state GOP chairman; and Michael Drewniak, Christie’s spokesman.
Of course, I don’t know what Christie can really say. He’s caught red-handed. He ought to resign.
He may have to resign. This story about the 91-year-old woman dying isn’t going away, for one thing. Who knows what else will trickle out over the next few days?
The scale and swiftness of this political self-immolation is just shocking.
Also a story about a small child who was lost is out there. The search was impeded by this stupidity.
Christie is toast. He has maxed out his potential. He is a vindictive, scummy fat bully, and his time is up.
I agree. National candidates almost never recover from stuff like this, and certainly not when they handle the fallout as badly as Christie is.
I hope you’re right. Hope he’s forced to resign in disgrace.
Christie is guilty as sin on this one.
Innocent victims died because of this crap and I want to see Republicans in jail for their crimes.
Of course, I don’t what Christie can really say. He’s caught red-handed. He ought to resign.
And that dolt of a Lt. Governor take his place? I love the egg all over the face of George Norcross and Steve Sweeney. This makes them look like the jackasses they are.
True that, Divincenzo, too.
And the Inquirer is still downplaying this…
Typo: Should be don’t know what, last line. I make enough of them so take advantage of the edit function while you can.
Anyhow, I find it amusing the person who ordered the bridge closing has the first name Bridget!
a bizarro touch yes,
If this story keeps growing he’d be better off getting the first helicopter out of Dodge. The potential for civil suits that would pull in NJ are next.
Boom. Christie is a murder.
In one instance, it took EMS workers seven minutes to get to a 91-year-old woman who was unconscious and eventually died of cardiac arrest at a hospital.
What a Joke. I mean, isn’t this kind of “in your face” behavior the stuff that you New Joiseyans seem to admire about Christie?
Oh, I know. It’s no fun when he stops up YOUR traffic. But isn’t it fun when you see him stopping up someone else’s traffic? Don’t you think “Wow, here’s a guy who doesn’t suffer fools and doesn’t back down”.
Alright, half joking. I know this isn’t what you admire about Christie – I know the difference. But there is a strong correlation between people who behave like Christie does in public and the shit behavior that was behind creating these traffic jams in private.
And I’ll tell you this … while this scandal may not doom Christie in Joisey and probably actually improves his stock with the Thugs who vote in GOP primaries, it kills Christie’s stock as a candidate who can win a national campaign for the GOP. This is exactly the sort of anecdote that the low info centrist voter will latch on to and use to make voting decisions.
These made me laugh:
Nothing says authentic straight shooter like an emailed statement blaming your staff.
— @TVietor08
usually when chris christie is “outraged” he reaches for the nearest camera. not today. #CowardlyChristie
— @owillis
Maybe we could coax Christie out for a statement by dangling a teacher?
— @SamSeder
Yes, dangle a teacher. Irresistible.
Long before the Rep. primaries & convention, these will all be facts not anecdotes. It will be our responsibility to relay the facts to all voters. It should not be just low-info citizens.
There is grudging admiration for a power play well played.
This wasn’t an important power play though. Few care if the fort Lee mayor got in line.
And even in NJ people don’t really want to pay a personal price (like a traffic jam or dead grandmother) for arm twisting bi partisan support from a political hack of either party.
no, it doesn’t play well in NJ. and republicans were also caught in traffic. plus sneering at ppl’s kids doesn’t play well
Let’s see him step out onto his mile wide and inch deep support ice now. With the fundies and lefties tossing him lead filled donuts, he may sink faster than anyone could have predicted yesterday.
Indeed. Reading the comments under the 91-year-old woman story, I see he’s being flagellated as ferociously from the far right as from the left, not to mention all the ones who don’t reveal any particular political leanings in their disgusted outrage. I haven’t seen a single person come to his defense beyond a tepid “he hasn’t been directly tied in yet” sort of thing.
How satisfying it will be, to see a man who glories in bullying brought down by it.
Good point about being hit from the right and left. That’s the problem with aligning with centrist Leiberdems and Broderreps – when you go down your centrist buddies will do a Peter’s Denial of you faster than you can wash your hands while everyone else will gleefully participate in your stoning.
Le sigh, is this woman really just dumb?
“S.E. Cupp: Chris Christie can resign and win the presidency”
She’s a less smart, less controversial and “atheist” wannabe Ann Coulter. Go read her column on pot and guns.
He better resign before someone decides not to fall on the sword and he gets impeached.
Good to remember that she’s been a Duck Dynasty fan for a long time and even took the cameras with her when she went to visit with her friends. This was when she was on the MSNBC Cycle panel and Toure was NOT impressed. Shortly thereafter she moved to CNN.
Not laughing: a 92 year old woman may have died as a result.
fort lee mayor interview on Chris Hayes wants reimbursed for financial damages
This is a breathtaking scandal even by New Jersey standards. Misusing governmental agencies in order to grossly inconvenience (and apparently much worse, as in seriously harm, or even cause the death of) ordinary citizens in the cynical belief the the chaos will be blamed on a political opponent, stands the whole concept of “public service” on its head. It shows an arrogance and contempt for the people one is elected to serve that is bottomless.
Christie’s email-it-in expression of “outrage” and lack of knowledge is pathetic. I don’t think there is any way he can escape fatal damage from this scandal. HE is the one who set the governing tone and style for his staff, and even if he “didn’t know,” it is impossible to imagine they would have done this is they did not think he would approve.
Plus, it simply impossible to imagine that he didn’t know. Who does he think he’s kidding?
The son-of-a-bitch really should resign. He will never live this down, and it flat out ends his effectiveness as a governor. And I would be surprised if some of the conduct is not actually criminal. Not bad for a former U.S. Attorney for the State, what?
Redhand, Your second graph is exactly what I said to someone tonight. I can’t imagine, for example, anyone in Kaine’s admin (when he was governor) thinking he or she would have tacit approval for such behavior. The governor sets the tone and the office comportment; he hires and fires according to the ethical standard.
Yes, this has a “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” quality to it.
Good question from Richard Wolfe on Lawrence, why hasn’t the annoucement made that the aide Mrs Bridges had been “put on leave” pending the outcome of investigation or just that she had been fired?
She probably knows some things that the Christie establishment would prefer to hide. Negotiations proceed and business as usual. Bet on it.
AG
Yes, I looked for just that announcement in Christie’s e-mail. Given one death and an endangerment of a child, I would think charges will be filed.