I've Got A Kangaroo Straight!
There's an old Abbott & Costello routine where the boys are playing cards with their landlord, Mr. Fields. I put the video below. Giving away the punchline, Abbott lays down his cards and he's got a 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10. Costello thinks he won the hand with two pair. Not so fast! That's a Kangaroo straight! It jumps from the 2 to the 4 and so on! How dumb can you be not to see that! Reminds me of the Mastro report where his logic and analysis of the facts jumps from one fact to the other to reach conclusions based upon inference and assumptions. You can read it here yourself if you have the stomach for it:http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/politics/gibson-dunn-report-on-fort-lee-nj-lane-closures/894/ it actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here but the sheer intellectual dishonesty of the Mastro report is just downright offensive. We know about the missing key witnesses. That's bad enough. Additionally, not one person at the Port Authority was interviewed. Then he uses a legal principal to draw an adverse inference against Kelly and Wildstein for refusing to testify as part of their rights against self incrimination, but doesn't do the same with David Samson's refusal. (That's different-he's "The General"
He takes Christie's story at face value. Never gives mention to the fact that Christie has given multiple conflicting versions of his story. There's a legal principal for that as well. Its called False in One, False in All-its a standard jury charge in all civil and criminal jury trials. (Liar Liar Pants on Fire) He finds Dawn Zimmer not truthful-based I guess on the fact that he's seen a number of episodes of Dr. Phil and is an expert in reading body language and other dark arts. And speaking of Dr. Phil, there's the pseudo-psychological treatment of Bridget Kelly-scorned woman. I guess it was just the extortion time of the month. But you all know the shortcomings in the report by now.
Mr. Mastro then taunts us by refusing to release the supporting documentation. Never mind that it was paid for by the taxpayers. Never mind that his client is the "Governor's Office", not any person,and no privilege exists to justify his refusal to turn the material over. Its arrogance and disrespect for the public, the process and the right to know. And for those of you who think that Bridgegate is just about a traffic jam-think again. Its about highjacking the governing process for the personal use and advancement of a single person. It involves extortion, the misuse of billions in your federal tax dollars, official misconduct and a complete disregard for the citizens who Christie was elected to serve. Holding him accountable for those transgressions is important way beyond just New Jersey.
So forgive my rant, but I like my logic and analysis somewhat linear and fact based and I don't like being played for a fool. I also dislike what my grandmother colorfully used to describe as "pissing on me and telling me its raining". I feel like clawing Mr. Mastro's eyes out, pouring gasoline in the sockets and lighting him up-to quote Christie's recently very silent mouthpiece Mike Drewniak. Why would someone try to pull something this ridiculous? Because they can and because we've been letting people get away with crap like this as a society for a long time-so when you find something that works-stick with it. But its high time for there to be consequences for this nonsense. Mastro's laughing all the way to the bank with over a million dollars in taxpayer money in his pocket. He raked in the pot with a Kangaroo straight- a made up winning hand. Somebody needs to pay.
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and then you go crazy! It took me two sips of my coffee to figure it out-then I spit the third on the keyboard!
is neigh! I was just outside doing manual labor all day yesterday and when I get into the Zen stage my mind starts to wander. I was cutting stuff up with a chain saw thinking about the Mastro report and getting madder and madder. I don't know why I let it bug me so much!
We can get madder and madder but never when using a chain saw - did you see that guy in hospital with the chain saw stuck in his neck ? That was one weird accident.
Nothing wrong with that report bugging you - it is frightening. He should be disbarred for that alone.