Watch Christie’s press conference and Assembly Transportation Committee Bridgegate hearing

Courtesy of NJTV, Governor Chris Christie’s Bridgegate press conference will be livestreamed at 11am.

Following the press conference, NJTV’s livestream continues with coverage of the Assembly Transportation Committee’s hearing into the George Washington Bridge lane closures. David Wildstein, the Christie appointee who order the lane closures is scheduled to testify.

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Third-rate corruption

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Christie’s former running mate invokes Nixon in Bridgegate commentary

Former Assemblyman Rick Merkt is the first of Governor Chris Christie’s former allies and fair weather friends to prematurely dance on Christie’s political grave.

Assembly candidates Chris Christie and Rick Merkt examine the ballot in 1995

Merkt, who was Christie’s running mate for Assembly in 1995 and ran a lack luster primary campaign against Christie in 2009, compares the governor to disgraced former President Richard Nixon in a interview with former MMM contributor Olivia Nuzzi for New York Magazine.

“You know, reading the reports about the GW bridge fiasco, I recalled how similar the governor’s conduct during the re-election campaign was to that of President Nixon during his victorious re-election campaign in 1972,” he said. …

… He had no need to engage in an abuse of power to win re-election, and, in fact, he won by a landslide. But Nixon just couldn’t help himself; he did it anyway; he eventually got caught, and it cost him his office and political career. One might surmise that it was the arrogance of power that did him in, but I suspect it was really his control-freak nature and deep vindictiveness fundamental to his nature. …

Remind you of anyone we know? I doubt the comparison will long be lost on New Jersey Democrats, who already smell blood in the water. …

…. Merkt says several people he spoke with in Trenton agree with the predictions that this will be the end of the governor’s 2016 presidential bid. “Given his vindictive nature, I always sensed that Christie would implode at some point, but I did not foresee it happening so soon or over such a petty matter,” said Merkt. “By the way, my recollection is that Nixon crushed McGovern by a 60 percent to 38 percent margin, a margin virtually identical to Christie’s victory over Buono.  Funny how history repeats itself.”

Politicos with Christie envy might as well get their names in print over the next week or so.  I think Christie will land on his feet and end up being an even more respected leader before the dust is settled on Bridgegate.

Before long Christie will be compared more to Truman than Nixon.  Watch for a “the buck stops here” Town Hall Meeting in Fort Lee before the end of the month.

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Fort Lee woman died as GWB closures delayed medical help

Fort Lee woman died as GWB closures delayed medical help (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — The controversial lane closures at the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee last September delayed emergency responders from attending to at least four medical situations — including helping a 91-year-old woman who laid unconscious and…

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Christie Outraged and Deeply Saddened By Bridgegate Conduct

Governor Chris Christie released the following statement late this afternoon regarding the conduct of his staff related to “Bridgegate,” the George Washington Bridge lane closures in September.

“What I’ve seen today for the first time is unacceptable. 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. One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions.”

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4 unanswered questions from ‘Bridgegate’

4 unanswered questions from ‘Bridgegate’ (via NJ.com)

‘Bridgegate’ was cast in a whole new light today when emails came to light showing a high-level official in the Chris Christie administration knew about lane diversions at the George Washington Bridge before they were implemented. The revelations move…

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Bridgegate: Emails tie Christie’s staff to George Washington Bridge lane closures

Governor Chris Christie and Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly. Photo via facebook

Emails and text messages published by NorthJersey.com  appear to implicate Governor Chris Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Ann Kelly in the planning of the George Washington Bridge lane closures that disrupted traffic in Fort Lee for a week last September.  The documents support contentions by Democrats in the legislature and media reports that the lane closures were executed as political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for failing to endorse Christie’s reelection.

NorthJersey.com’s extensive coverage can be found here.

Prior to today’s revelations, the Christie Administration’s official story was that the lane closures were order by Christie’s top appointees to the Port Authority of NY/NJ, David Wildstein and Bill Baroni, as a traffic study regarding the appropriateness of Fort Lee having three dedicated toll lanes to the George Washington Bridge.

The documents show that Christie’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and the Governor’s chief spokesperson, Michael Drewniak, participated in conversations on how to respond to media inquiries about the lane closures.   Stepien was named Christie’s choice to replace Sam Raia as Chairman of the NJ GOP yesterday. The documents also indicate that Baroni was very concerned about how Christie’s staff evaluated his testimony before the Assembly Transportation Committee on the lane closures in November.

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Conflicting reports on Bridgegate emails

The Star Ledger is reporting that David Wildstein, Governor Christie’s former “eyes and ears” at the Port Authority of NY/NJ sent an email to Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Ann Kelly, that read “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” on August 13, almost a month before the infamous lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that snarled traffic in Fort Lee for a week.

The New York Times says the email was sent by Kelly to Wildstein, which, if true, could be problematic for the Governor who has insisted that neither his staff or campaign had anything to do with or any advanced knowledge of the lane closures that Democrats have alleged were order as political retribution against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich for declining to endorse Christie’s reelection.

Both the Star Ledger and the New York Times say they have the email in question, and other documents, but they have not posted the documents online.

Neither publication reveals any of the content of the email or other documents other than “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

Without a more thorough examination of the documents, it is impossible to conclude if Kelly had any involvement in or foreknowledge of the lane closures.  That won’t stop the left stream media from having a field day with them today, however.

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Bridgegate: What difference does it make?

Some members of New Jersey’s press corps, along with Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblyman John Wisniewski and the Democratic National Committee seem think they finally have an issue to thwart Governor Chris Christie’s rising star.   They’re hoping traffic jams in Fort Lee will prevent Christie from becoming President of the United States.

The Star Ledger has an article this morning quoting Democrats and academics saying “the scandal” could hurt Chrisite’s national ambitions.

But questions about the incident have fueled a scandal that even Christie’s masterful team of brand managers can’t make go away.

The Record’s Charles Stile writes that “Christie won’t easily shake GWB flap.”

Stile and The Star Ledger’s reporters have it wrong.  Christie deftly accepted “ultimate responsibility” for the mistakes made in Fort Lee last September, while deflecting blame, at his press conference on the matter on Friday. As NJTV’s Michael Aron said on Reporters Roundtable, the issue is ‘fundamentally over.”   If the ‘Bridgegate’ story gets any ink at all in 2014 and beyond, it will be deep in the back pages.

It’s doubtful that the subpoenas that Wisniewski, as Chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, issued will result in any smoking gun that proves that Christie or anyone in his inner circle other than Port Authority’s Bill Baroni or David Wildstein knew about the George Washington Bridge lane closures that tied up traffic in Fort Lee for a few days is September.  Even if a smoking gun is discovered, as Hillary Clinton would shout, “What difference does it make?”

Now that Christie is a legitimate presidential contender, the front runner in the early polls, it is perfectly appropriate that the press and his opponents attempt to make mountains out of traffic jams and other mole hills as part of the vetting process for a president.  Barack Obama got a pass from the press and his opponents in 2008 and 2012. Look what that got us.

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The Buck Stops With Christie

Governor Christie: I wouldn’t characterize myself as angry Matt. It just you know, I don’t like when mistakes are made, because of the question you asked me, right? Like, are you ultimately responsible? Yeah. I mean it’s OK when I make the mistakes, you know, that I’m responsible. When others make the mistakes I’m you know, it bothers me. But I think anger would probably be a little bit too strong a word. Bothered probably would be the better word, you know? I was bothered by it but, you know, folks around here – when I’m angry you tend to be able to see it. I don’t hide it all that well. I’m not angry but I’m bothered when people make mistakes that wind up reflecting poorly on their performance, because their performance is the performance of this Administration, and so I’d rather have us all doing things well, and so I’m bothered whenever that happens. But, you know, as I said before, I commend Senator Baroni for his service, for his four years there. I know how hard that job is and he worked very hard at it. So did Mr. Wildstein at the job he had and, you know, it’s unfortunate for them that a mistake got made near the end of their tenure but, you know, that’s just the way life works sometimes and no, I wouldn’t call myself angry, but bothered, yeah. I mean, I’d rather not be doing this, but, you know, this is the job. So, you know, when you lead this is what you’ve got to deal with sometimes, but other times, you know, I’m standing behind here when the folks that work for me have done extraordinary things, herculean things, that I get to smile and stand here and put my arms around them and take credit for it. So if you’re going to do that you got to be prepared to do this too, and that’s OK. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.

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