Shades of Nixon

[H2O Man]

The late president Richard Nixon is certainly looking down from his office in hell with pride, as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie pays tribute to him. The "official" report authored by a gentleman from the law firm that will defend Christie in the 2015 federal court trial actually has less substance, than the investigative report on Watergate that Nixon tasked John Dean with writing. At least Dean had the insight to abandon ship, and deal with those investigating the series of crimes known collectively as "Watergate," and not write the report that was intended to "prove" Nixon bore no responsibility.

This resulted in Team Nixon turning the focus onto Dean, who had played a central role, much as Team Christie now blames Bridget Anne Kelly. The ugliness of their anti-Kelly campaign ranks with the essence of a Nixonian smear campaign: attempt to fully discredit an "enemy" -- often including someone that the top dog had recently promoted as worthy of the public's trust. The truly repulsive, sexist assault on Ms. Kelly really do not differ much from the Nixon camp's attempt to smear Dean with "hints" that tied his wife to a call-girl ring.

Being offended by the Christie whitewash does not translate into being a Kelly supporter. However, even if one disagrees with her on virtually every political belief she holds, it is important to defend her from the type of vicious attack she now faces. More, in doing so, one needs to highlight that not only is the sexist attack not acceptable, but two other extremely important facts: first, it is a blatant attempt to take focus off of the reall issues at hand; and second, it illustrates the character of Chris Christie and his pals.

I've never met Bridget Anne Daul (and certainly never want to). However, I do have a fair share of Kelly relatives in New Jersey. I understand that Bridget used to be young, and that the "slut-shaming" campaign is ready to "leak" some photos that the puritan strain of republicans will find so gosh-darned shocking that they will have to stare at them for hours.

I'm old enough to remember that John Dean was a shithead before he joined the Nixonoids; that he was a criminal while serving Tricky Dick; and that he was a jerk throughout the 1970s. But he changed. In the years 2002 to 2004, he was actually one of the best critics of George W. Bush and especially Dick Cheney. While not necessarily someone you'd want to be friends with, definitely a person that would be worth talking to.

Maybe, in time, Bridget Kelly will undergo a similar transformation. As a religious person, I am convinced that God eventually forgives republicans -- at the very end, of course. A tiny percentage of even the most foul of republicans have been redeemed while still living.

Like Dean, I think Kelly needs to be faced with criminal prosecution. However, I am not convinced she needs to be incarcerate. Certainly not, if others -- including Christie -- do not face far, far more significant punishment.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. I think she needs to come out with the truth about Christie, though.

What was expected of her by Christie in order to maintain her job, why did she break the law, did she agree with the closing, if so, why, and if not, why not, etc.

[H2O Man]

4. Yes, exactly.

If a person has done something wrong, including breaking the law or unethical actions in office, they need to come clean. In this instance, Kelly needs to admit to everything that she did, and to be fully honest about the roles of her associates. In exposing Christie, it's important -- at least to me -- that she needs to still take full responsibility for her own actions, and not try to blame others. But that requires that she be honest.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

7. Exactly! nt

[GiveMeMorePIE]

2. The man is a brilliant liar/obfuscator.

If he's being this brazen knowing that there's a smoking gun out there, wow is all I can say.

[H2O Man]

5. Perhaps.

I used to work as part of a forensic team at the county mental health clinic. I think Christie is an educated liar, and a self-righteous, spoiled brat. And I think he has a legal team advising him. But I don't see anything brilliant there.

Of course, I might be a cranky old fart, caught up in generational pride, insisting that men like LBJ and Nixon were the last of the brilliant liars in American politics, and that today's champions couldn't have competed in the Good Old Days!

[spanone]

3. k&r...

christie brings a new evil to the nixon character.

[H2O Man]

6. Right.

A new evil, a plastic sophistication. A vile man.

[Laxman]

8. This Is An Interesting And Thoughtful...

evaluation Mr. H20man. Ms. Kelly must be seen as a threat by the Christie administration because of the vehemence with which they have gone out of their way to smear her. I also don't see any value to her spending any time incarcerated, especially if more powerful, more culpable actors avoid that fate. Also, as you described John Dean, Ms. Kelly was not a very nice person prior to her recent troubles. She was a part of a group of arrogant young republicans who were drunk with their perceived power. I had the misfortune of having to deal with this bunch on a professional level. Most distasteful.

I believe that she has the ability to do two things here. First is to bring the decision-making process with the GWB back to Christie's inner circle. Her position as Deputy Chief of Staff alone should do that, but there is little doubt that the GWB was discussed with her immediate supervisors. The second is to expose the entire rotten core of how decisions are made in this administration. The us vs. them mentality. The obsession with promoting Christie's career. The view of everything and every decision, including Sandy aid, through the lens of how it would help further Christie's goals or burnish his reputation will be laid bare. She will be able to confirm the pattern of bullying, intimidation and exploitation of the process of governing that has resulted in other, much more damaging, activities by this administration.

A divorced mother of four kids-all in private school- without a job or prospects. She is extremely vulnerable. Not to mention the high priced-high powered attorney representing her. (only Kelly & Wildstein have not gotten new high paying jobs) Now she has been blamed and attacked. That vulnerability alone may cause her to see the light. One thing is for sure, this entire bunch was riding high and feeling it only a few short months ago. My how the worm has turned.

[H2O Man]

9. Interesting.

Your description of her as part of a group of arrogant young republicans, drunk with their perceived power, is absolutely on target. That translated, in the context of the Christie administration, to her feeling that she was an important part of a bigger, extremely powerful, movement that was destined to take hold of the reins of power in DC in 2016. The intoxication of power is dangerous, indeed.

The hang-over is unpleasant, as she is finding out. Her thinking isn't going to be clear at this point. I'm confident that her attorney understands that, at this time, her remaining quiet while he identifies the best deal she can get is essential. That best deal will, I am equally confident, involve her revealing the information that you note. He also has to find out if those investigating can confirm -- by documents and/or other witnesses -- that which Ms. Kelly can testify to.

Thank you for your response! Much appreciated.

[Hekate]

10. Very interesting OP and thread, the kind of thing I come to DU looking for...

... and all-too-seldom find, these days.

I'm not a New Jersey-ite, never having lived East of the interior of SoCal, but I am old enough to to have watched the Watergate Hearings with rage from my then-home in Honolulu. I thought John Dean was what you would get if you gave a turd an IQ, and I didn't change that opinion until he resurfaced in the GW Bush administration and proved to be a man after all. As you say, he changed.

I hope Bridget Kelly is also able to change.

[Octafish]

11. Christie must've said he wouldn't take Jebthro as veep.

Otherwise, this story would have gotten near-zero attention and its adherents the ziggy.

Gov. Christie's biased Bridgegate report writes former aide Bridget Anne Kelly as deceitful damsel in distress

Linda Stasi
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Sunday, March 30, 2014, 3:49 AM

There hasn’t been a novel this insanely sexist and badly written since “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

No, I’m not talking about the sequels by E L James. I’m talking about “Fifty Shades of Bulls--t,” otherwise known as the report prepared by Gov. Chris Christie’s lawyer, Randy Mastro.

Mastro’s new masterpiece, released Thursday, is a lively work of fiction that exonerates the big man and blames the little woman, man-needy Bridget Anne Kelly.

While “Grey” made millions, “Bulls--t” cost a million in taxpayer dollars. Think of it as an author advance. A very big author advance.

In Mastro’s alleged non-fiction account, Christie’s former powerhouse deputy chief of staff, Kelly, is reduced from strong, decisive woman and tough single mom to the weeping equivalent of “Fifty Shades’” man-obsessed heroine, Anastasia Steele.

SNIP...

What else would you expect from Mastro, the former baseball-bat-wielding deputy mayor under womanizing Rudy Giuliani?

CONTINUED...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/stasi-gov-christie-bridgegate-report-blames-bridget-anne-kelly-article-1.1739436

Gosh. Like Walter Scott said.