Chris Christie Is Running For President. But Is He Too Late? Chris Christie is running for president. The question now is if he's four years too late.
The bombastic New Jersey governor shot to national prominence on his bravado and force of personality after his 2009 election. He quickly took on the unions there and touted his ability, as a Republican, to get things done in a Democratic-controlled state. . .
Okay, seriously, how many think that Chris Christie has got any kind of shot at the 2016 presidency now? He just keeps piling up the problems and gaffes, not to mention his famous, tempestuous rudeness. Thankfully, Rocky Mountain Mike has put his latest to music, to the tune of Harry Nilsson's Coconut.
I'm an MSNBC watcher and a bonafide Rachel Maddow Show fan. But occasionally, even I will start to roll my eyes at the latest Chris Christie "Bridgegate" nugget. Kinda. I mean, I still find it interesting. But with Christie's diminishing relevance on the national stage, I wonder if it all makes any difference at this point. I'm all for getting to the bottom of it, and I like to see a big braggart get his comeuppance. But I'm getting just a little Bridgeghazi burnout.
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New Jersey lawmakers vote to reject Chris Christie staffers’ invoking of Fifth Amendment
The state legislative committee investigatingthe George Washington Bridgescandal today voted to compelBridget Anne Kellyand Bill Stepien to produce the documents they have refused to provide by citing their Fifth Amendment rights against incrimination and other objections. . .
Whether you think the whole Chris Christie "Bridgegate" story is overblown or not, there's one thing I think everybody can agree on: Christie's ex-Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Kelly knows the whole story. She's at the center of it. She was instrumental in the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge. And she could clear up almost every question about the whole affair just by talking.
But, she's not going to, apparently. Which I kind of expected. I'm not sure what is so bad that it can't be said. The damage is now pretty much done. I tell you what I'm not buying though, is that Christie supposedly didn't already get the whole story from Kelly. It would be beyond ridiculous if he just fired her, and didn't find out what happened. Well, unless he already knew what happened. . .
[Excerpt]
Fired Christie Staffer Pleads 5th, Refuses to Turn Over Documents
Gov. Chris Christie's (R-NJ) former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, said through her lawyer Monday evening that she will invoke her 5th Amendment right not to testify before a state legislative panel. She is also refusing to turn over documents subpoenaed by the panel, according to the Bergen Record. . .
Over the years, whenever a public figure has complained about FOX "News," they're met with a firestorm of poutrage from the right-wing blogosphere, and often by right wing talk radio hosts and FOX pundits themselves. Beyond an obligatory defense of the FOX "News" operation and its journalistic integrity (ha!), they'll then call it whining, and blaming the messenger, and call it a weak excuse and on and on.
But just as Chris Christie and his administration has been embodying Right Wing World's every bullet-list item that they dislike about President Obama (or rather, the cartoonish version of Obama they imagine exists), now there's the excuse that this is all the fault of MSNBC!
Now, it's true that MSNBC--Rachel Maddow and Steve Kornacki in particular--is responsible from turning this from a local to a national story. But there's meat (and fat) on this bone, and there keep turning out to be more bones! Christie may not like it, but this isn't one of those faux controversies, conspiracy theories or out-of-context outrages that FOX specializes in. And it's pretty weak as an excuse.
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Rachel Maddow to Chris Christie’s administration: You want a piece of me?
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow responded on Monday to accusations by members of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) staff that her network is out to get him, pointing out that Christie’s administration has still not explained the September 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge that has led to several Christie appointees being subpoenaed. . .
Rachel Maddow: Chris Christie may have just given up on the presidency
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s (R) appearance in Manahawkin may have turned the tiny Jersey Shore “census-designated place” into his presidential Waterloo, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said Thursday night.
“I’m not prepared to say definitively tonight that Chris Christie just announced he is not running for president,” Maddow said. “But, compare what he said with the way he usually talks about this thing, and it kind of seems today like Chris Christie announced he is not going to run for president in 2016. . .”
Rachel Maddow: Chris Christie lied about his staff’s knowledge of bridge closures
A growing paper trail continues to implicate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) with regards to the September 2013 lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow said on Tuesday.
“The governor has absolutely and blatantly not told the truth about what was going on in his office,” Maddow said. . .
FOX "News" is in a bit of a trick bag, news cycle-wise. They wanted to make it all about Robert Gates' Duty book (sounds like "doody" in news reports, which is hilarious). But then Bridgegate, Chris Christie's own personal scandal hit. And FOX is torn on Christie. Sean Hannity seems to despise the guy, but Christie could also be the nominee in 2016, should he survive this scandal. So, when the story broke, FOX "News" only spent the barest minimum of time on it.
But the story--which conservatives obviously hoped to spin as a trifle--isn't going away. What to do? Change the subject! Just this morning, Eric Holder announced that the federal government would recognize the marriages already performed in Utah during the short window where same-sex couples could marry. This isn't particularly noteworthy beyond the people affected. The federal government already recognizes the marriages of everyone else in the country, and these particular marriages have not been nullified by Utah, they're just in limbo. This was a clarification by the federal government, and not much more. But to FOX "News"? It's FRONT PAGE NEWS! And check out the next three, which includes BENGHAZI!!! but no Christie.
Rachel Maddow was instrumental in bringing Chris Christie's "Bridgegate" scandal into the mainstream. She's been bringing it to light in several segments over the last few weeks. I thought that the story was interesting, but maybe not worth spending quite so much time on. Little did I know (and no wonder I'm a hobbyist blogger, and not a paid pundit). Now, Maddow's got her usual, different take on the story, apart from what the mainstream media has distilled it down to.
On the surface, it would seem that the whole thing came out of Christie's political retribution against the Democratic Mayor of Ft. Lee, New Jersey. But it's not necessarily the reason Christie's administration went after the Ft. Lee area. Going back to the date of the email exchange that began the traffic jams, Maddow has a theory on who else may have been the inspiration for the plot.
I know, the headline's not a perfect fit to the story, but I couldn't resist.
When Rachel Maddow started reporting on this story some time ago, I was only moderately interested. The offense itself--purposefully tying up traffic for several days in the city of a mayor who would not endorse Governor Chris Christie--seemed kind of silly. I mean, it seemed like a prank that got out of hand. But when you find out the extent of the snarl, the hours of traffic for four days, stranding kids on school busses, and preventing emergency responders from getting to their calls? It became more serious.
Ack! Dude's kinda scary up close, ain't he? Image from source, New York Daily News
Then you have Christie first denying any involvement while belittling the charges and insulting those who would dare ask the question. There were developments along the way, and Christie said that he'd discussed the matter with his staff, and there was nothing to it. There were more developments, and more developments, and finally, the news comes out that it was Christie's office behind the planned traffic jams.
So, what did he know, and when did he know it? This guy's supposed to be an awesome leader, on top of everything. And we're supposed to believe his closest staff did this, let it blow up into a huge story, and Christie just found out? Really?
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Christie’s Waterloo In the best possible light, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie built a top staff of lying thugs who threatened lives and safety to serve his political ends. If not, Christie is a lying thug himself. Emails and text messages among his close aides made public Wednesday documented that in September they gleefully engineered George Washington Bridge lane closures to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee for failing to endorse their boss’ reelection. . . Read more at: New York Daily News
As CBS's headline says below, this was no surprise. Christie's re-election was so assured, Democrats barely even tried to stop him. He breezed to victory, and gave a very obvious Presidential campaign speech, so we know what's coming next. We'll see if his cult of personality (shades of Barack Obama, but with a completely different personality) can keep carrying him further than his actual accomplishments. Example: his invocation of the "spirit of hurricane Sandy," when in fact his handling of Sandy has been criticized of late. In any event, he is now exactly where he wanted to be.
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No surprise: Chris Christie re-elected as New Jersey governor
Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., was re-elected as New Jersey governor in a landslide - 60-39 percent over his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono - and virtually no one ever thought the outcome might be different. For months, Christie held a commanding lead in the polls as Buono failed to get her campaign off the ground. . .
I was listening to someone, I don't even remember who, talking about gun violence in America. It was on liberal talk radio (a rare entity indeed), and I'm not sure if it was a host, or if it was a caller or guest. But basically, they were lamenting that when there is a shooting, the media--with rare exceptions--is expected not to focus on the guns, but the violence. Any attempt to get at the problem (almost said "target") has to tippy-toe past the obvious. It's a minefield of sort of reverse political correctness. Any misstep will bring down the wrath of the NRA and all of Right Wing World.
Sandy Hook was an aberration, probably because it was so unspeakably tragic, involving so many young children. It was the closest we came to actually talking like normal people about guns, but even then, there was a lot of squawking. For some reason, it's perfectly acceptable for the right to get as political as they want about it. More guns is the answer, they say. Everybody from teachers to shop owners to every damned citizen should be armed they say. They expect strapped citizens to go all Dirty Harry on any potential threat, and that it will all work out like an action movie.
And while one side is afraid to argue, and the other side mutters inanities, armed crazy people keep shooting things up.
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Shooter on the loose at New Jersey mall
A shooter opened fire at a New Jersey mall late Monday, sending panic through the shopping center and igniting a massive police response.
The gunman inside Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, has not yet been found during a sweep of the shopping center by Bergen County SWAT, said county Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta. . .
How cool is this? The marriage equality train just keeps chugging along. On the heels of the state of Oregon deciding to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages (though not performing them, yet), New Jersey has become the 14th state where it is legal for gay couples to marry. That's in addition to the District of Columbia. And there are presently lawsuits pending in twenty more states, winding their way through the courts. We may not be able to count on a clean sweep of them (though the way things are going, who knows?), but we only need to bat slightly higher than .500 to reach half the country. Exciting times for equality.
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Image from source, Christian Science Monitor
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New Jersey is 14th state to allow gay marriage, as Chris Christie ends appeal
It is now official. On Monday, New Jersey became the 14th state to recognize same-sex marriages. The development adds momentum to a nationwide push by gay-rights
activists and supporters seeking to prepare the groundwork for what they
hope will be an eventual ruling at the US Supreme Court declaring a
constitutional right to marry regardless of sexual orientation. . .
I think Cory Booker is a pretty cool guy, and I think it's great--though expected--that he won this election. He has the potential to be a senator akin to some of my favorites (Elizabeth Warren, Al Franken, Bernie Sanders), so I have relatively high hopes. It's also nice that this caps a day when Congress' self-inflicted dual crises have come to a somewhat satisfying end. A good day for America!
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Cory Booker wins U.S. Senate election in N.J.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker won a special election Wednesday to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate, giving the rising Democratic star a bigger political stage after a race against conservative Steve Lonegan, a former small-town mayor. . .
When Senator Frank Lautenberg died this week, Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governer was on the hotseat to nominate a successor. Christie is currently doing a tightrope dance (tricky for anyone, but him?) with his image, both trying to be his brash, gruff self to some people, and a cuddly teddy bear to others. He clearly has Presidential aspirations, and he has to be weighing every decision he makes. So, rather than appoint a Senator, he's going to have it put to a vote. But not in just any election. That could be risky for a number of reasons. So, he's burying the vote in a special election (which costs millions) just a couple of weeks ahead of the real election. Some critics are understandably interpreting this move as bald fear on Christie's part. Which is amusing for lots of reasons. I couldn't decide which of these clips would irritate Christie worse, so I'm running them both. First, Rachel Maddow accuses Christie of being a wussy. Then Lawrence O'Donnell does. They're both highly entertaining.
The cold opening of Saturday Night Live was notable both for it's lampooning of Bloomberg's feisty sign language interpreter, and for the "Chris Christie" distaste for Mitt Romney.
A fine bromance. Image from source, Washington Post
It's got to be a bit irksome to Mitt Romney and his supporters* that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been so effusive in his praise for President Obama. Even worse, Christie has openly dissed Romney. So, one of their big (no pun intended) heroes seems to have gone to the dark side. I'm not fooled for a minute that Christie has become some sort of reasonable guy. I think he's usually a prick. But it is an interesting turn of events during a really bad situation.
[Excerpt] President Obama, Gov. Chris Christie touring storm damage together in New Jersey
President Obama visited one of the hardest-hit areas in Hurricane Sandy’s
destructive path Wednesday, joining New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) — one of
his most outspoken critics and a chief surrogate to rival Mitt Romney — for a
tour of the damage the storm inflicted on the Garden State. . .
