This Is a Smoking Gun

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2014/1/8/124654/5501

This Is a Smoking Gun

by BooMan
Wed Jan 8th, 2014 at 12:46:54 PM EST

snip//

The revelation today in the bridge scandal is "that one of the governor's top aides was deeply involved in the decision to choke off {Fort Lee}'s access to the bridge," according to emails -- evidence that this was a political vendetta against a mayor who wouldn't endorse Christie. Yeah, but if there's never a smoking gun linking Christie directly, people who want to dismiss it will say it was the aide's fault. Aides can be fired. This still seems as if it will be contained sooner or later.

In this case, it's not that there is evidence that Chris Christie directed Bridget Ann Kelly to close the bridge. It's that it is now clear that Christie has been lying about what happened for months and months. In the case of Watergate, the crimes were worse than the cover-up, but the reverse is the case here. Closing a bridge as petty revenge is kind of ugly, but it's actually not much of a big deal in the context of New Jersey politics, which are always played with clubs and baseball bats. But, prolonged and extensive prevarication and elaborate lying about an issue destroys your credibility. This cannot all be laid at the feet of an overeager staffer. Bridget Anne Kelly serves as the governor's deputy chief of staff, and she directed David Wildstein of the Port Authority to close lanes on the bridge: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

We know that she initiated the closure, possibly on her own initiative, possibly not. But we also know that Christie decided to cover up the role of his office and to deny any knowledge about the closures. And the coverup has been extensive.

snip//

I think a good precedent is to look at how Sarah Palin's destroyed credibility in Alaska undermined her, led to her ultimate resignation, and finished her as a politician. If you are weak at home, you have no foundation to build on.

[malaise]

1. Picture of the day

[CTyankee]

13. "I like your style, honey!"

[malaise]

16. Ha

[JustAnotherGen]

2. I really want the Feds eyes on this

Their lying is just as bad - and the lie impacted interstate commerce and created a public safety issue.

What I'm about to write may be construed as pure evil but try to understand why I write the question . . . "Did anyone die on their way to the hospital that day? "

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Not that we know off

And Feds are looking into it.

[CTyankee]

14. I thought I read that there was a patient with a cardiac problem in an ambulance

trying to get across into NY...but I didn't see that there was an actual fatality. Still, the possibility of loss of life was very real, indeed...it doesn't take too much imagination to get horrified by the prospect...

[JustAnotherGen]

22. There are now

4 medical incidents out there. 90 year old woman died because 1st responders couldn't get to her in the traffic.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. 61 Democrats endorsed Christie for re-election

The list of these 61 should be posted and they should pay the price come next election.

[JaneyVee]

6. I read somewhere before the election that the reason they endorsed Christie

Was for this exact reason. Citing that the poll numbers for Buono didn't look good they decided to endorse Christie knowing they would have to work with him and out of fear he would retaliate against their towns in terms of education funding and infrastructure etc. what a bully POS.

[Kelvin Mace]

18. Do they seriously believe he will work with them?

Do they seriously think he will help them?

Are they that stupid/naive?

[JoePhilly]

21. They expected him to be vindictive if they crossed him not

that he'd be nice if they did. Very different.

[Kelvin Mace]

23. So, aside from supporting the enemy

and endorsing him, they are spineless cowards to knuckle under to bullies?

At least the Vichy Government had guns pointed at them when they sold out their people, these people betrayed their principles for political convenience.

Just the traits I want in my elected officials.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Endorsement of a pol who is ahead

In the pols is Tuesday in American politics. Now closing bridges after an election is not, not even in Jersey.

[unblock]

4. i don't understand the lying. thugs want their thuggish behavior known, so that others cower in fear

ok, sure, maybe the actual politician personally wants clean hands, but he can always say, hey, i've got enthusiastic supporters and i can't help it if they take it on their own to do something like this that i naturally, uh, completely disapprove of.

i mean, the entire message is lost if everyone thinks the lane closings were an innocent decision having nothing to do with politics.

[jeff47]

9. They want other politicians to know. They don't want the general public to know. (nt)

[unblock]

11. yeah how's that work? hurt a politician, let the word get out to other politicians,

and expect everyone who you've pissed off and scared to not leak it to anyone?

[randr]

8. Awaiting evidence of harm

Somewhere in this mess a real victim will emerge. A hospital trip delayed with dire consequences is what I expect to hear before long.

[leftieNanner]

12. So far

there has only been a report of a missing 4 year old child whose search was impacted and delayed because of the traffic.

But I keep wondering whose email identifier was under the redaction from the released documents that came out today. Could it be the Blubber Boy himself?

[randr]

15. He is damned whether he knew or not

He has had ample time to get to the bottom of this.

[msanthrope]

19. The 91 year old who died....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024300652

[Martin Eden]

10. Christie is a petty tyrant

and it's coming back to bite him in his big fat ass

[okaawhatever]

17. Christie either used the time since the emails were first reported to hide any evidence, or make

sure there wasn't any evidence. He's been at this for too long to have it mentioned in his daily calls/emails/texts but they probably did a due diligence to make sure he wasn't referred to in the third person in any communication.

Romney's crew found out a lot about Christie's behavior that's why
Romney didn't pick him as his running mate. I hope the gop didn't hide it all, or if they attempted to they missed some of it.

Remember, Chris Christie was a federal prosecutor on bush's list to be fired. Once he issued a subpoena for Robert Menendez a month before the Senate election he was mysteriously taken off the to-be-fired list. It was clearly a smear job as no charges were ever filed, no further investigation took place, etc. The bogus claims about Menendez hiring hookers in the DR came up not long after Hurricaine Sandy when Christie was mentioned as a strong candidate for 2016. I think they are working very hard to discredit Menendez since Christie's smear job of him will be a topic of discussion in the next election.

[Cha]

20. I think the crime and the coverup are just as bad as the other.

thanks for booman babylonsistah

Bridget Anne Kelly is a piece of demonic work.