Christie's Top Aide Involved in Traffic Scandal

[Dmitri]

A top aide to Chris Christie is connected to a traffic jam orchestrated a few months ago. Evidence has shown, through emails and texts, that the top aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, gave the order for the traffic jam: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." News outlets seem to be attributing the act as retribution against a mayor who declined to endorse Christie's 2013 reelection.

Really?! Causing a traffic jam to get back at a mayor? What is this, elementary school? The kid didn't support you for student council so you're going to bully him? While to my knowledge there's no direct connection to Christie (which he denies involvement or knowledge of such event), it does dishearten me that politics still manages to act like school children. I also wonder how this'll affect Christie's presidential bid, should he choose to seek such route. At least he only shut down a lane, rather than the whole government.

So what are other people's thoughts on the matter?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...d161ce-7879-11e3-af7f-13bf0e9965f6_story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...stie-aide-used-lane-closures-for-retribution/

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I also wonder how this'll affect Christie's presidential bid, should he choose to seek such route.

If I was running against it, I'd make it about his bullying attitude. Creating that kind of atmosphere breeds schoolyard tactics. Is that what you want in a president?

 

[Kiro]

If I was running against it, I'd make it about his bullying attitude. Creating that kind of atmosphere breeds schoolyard tactics. Is that what you want in a president?

Christie's Republican, isn't he? Well, to be honest, that's how the rest of the world sees the US Republican Party.

Backwards, bullies, and warmongerers.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Christie's Republican, isn't he? Well, to be honest, that's how the rest of the world sees the US Republican Party.

Backwards, bullies, and warmongerers.

That's fine, but also irrelevant to US electoral politics. Christie's attitude may play well in New Jersey, but not in other parts of the country.

 

[Fat Possum]

That's fine, but also irrelevant to US electoral politics. Christie's attitude may play well in New Jersey, but not in other parts of the country.

I'm not so sure. Both sides are pretty keen on "winning" and scoring points against the other team. Christie's rub to some Conservatives is that he's played too nice with Obama during the storms or is too centrist, but it's not like those donors and voters are going to donate to or vote for anyone left of Christie. Christie has an okay shot with large numbers of the increasing quasi-Republican "independent" bloc if he doesn't get torpedoed by crazies in the primary.

 

[Crosby]

That's pretty funny.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I'm not so sure. Both sides are pretty keen on "winning" and scoring points against the other team. Christie's rub to some Conservatives is that he's played too nice with Obama during the storms or is too centrist, but it's not like those donors and voters are going to donate to or vote for anyone left of Christie. Christie has an okay shot with large numbers of the increasing quasi-Republican "independent" bloc if he doesn't get torpedoed by crazies in the primary.

He will get torpedoed. He's not going to be the GOP nominee.

 

[BLADE]

Spoiler: INTRO

Dr. Prospero, Lawyer/Internet Asshole, searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation interacts with his unique body chemistry. And now, when Prospero grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs...

Spoiler: The Lonely Man

...

So he must let the world go on thinking that Prospero is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.

 

[Intratec]

-Slow claps.- Hulkero, you're my hero.

 

[Saul]

That's fine, but also irrelevant to US electoral politics. Christie's attitude may play well in New Jersey, but not in other parts of the country.

Not so sure. Assuming he can win out the GOP nomination against those religious whacko's, I'm giving him my vote over Hilary, and I know some other Indies and Dems (I vote Dem typically, believe it or not, though I'm Indie) who think the same.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

He's no different than any other Republican. It's just slightly better branding, with the occasional flirtation with rational thinking.

Regardless, he's probably not going to make it out of the primary.

 

[Blaxican]

He's no different than any other Republican. It's just slightly better branding, with the occasional flirtation with rational thinking.

Ha!

I'm pocketing this statement.

 

[Saul]

He's no different than any other Republican. It's just slightly better branding, with the occasional flirtation with rational thinking.

Regardless, he's probably not going to make it out of the primary.

For me, Hilary is a double-standard liberal who doesn't come across as strong on national defense and is more concerned with knocking on other people's civil rights abuses (this is the double standard, we can waggle a finger at the Russians or Ukrainians for breaking up a protest, but god forbid does Occupy sit on a lawn for more than a week). What's more, I seriously doubt she has the foreign policy credibility in the countries that matter: Russia and China, mostly because she's so busy nagging at them about idealistic horseshit and not doing realpolitik. Her actions as Sec. of State convinced me I would not vote for her; EVERY time she got in the news she annoyed me.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

So your alternative would be to vote for someone who has zero foreign policy experience at all, and who would continue to perpetuate the GOP cycle of idiotic foreign policy? Not that Democrats are much better, but Republicans are worse. I'm not a big Hillary fan either, but that doesn't mean I'd vote for Christie.

 

[jpchewy01]

Why can't we all be reasonable and vote Green?

 

[Saul]

So your alternative would be to vote for someone who has zero foreign policy experience at all, and who would continue to perpetuate the GOP cycle of idiotic foreign policy? Not that Democrats are much better, but Republicans are worse. I'm not a big Hillary fan either, but that doesn't mean I'd vote for Christie.

Well, for me the big thing is that Christie has experience working with people across the table (barring the aforementioned episode with traffic jams) My fear for Hilary is that it's going to create an even more partisan Congress. For me, my ideal 2016 election would see both houses of Congress controlled by Democrats (though not a supermajority in the Senate), and Christie as President. I think then we could start working on compromises and punching through this partisan crap. I miss the days when being known as a "Great Compromiser" was a good thing. Otherwise, if everything goes in favor of the democrats, I have a feeling we're going to see the Senate shut down since the Democrats won't feel they need to negotiate on anything, and the Republicans will filibuster everything.

The worst case scenario we could have is for the House and Senate to go different ways again, and if that happens I'd have more confidence in Christie's ability to negotiate than Hilary. That's me personally. Their economic and morale stances are meaningless to me, since I don't feel President's really impact either area significantly (at least not as significantly as the general public thinks) Aside from that, the President's most important qualities are foreign policy related, and I don't care for Hilary's (not everyone has to agree with me here though)

 

[Dóiteán]

Solution- Vote 4 Miss Piggy 4 President

 

[BLADE]

Spoiler: INTRO

Dr. Prospero, Lawyer/Internet Asshole, searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation interacts with his unique body chemistry. And now, when Prospero grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs...

HULKERO REALIZE THAT YOU (THEORETICALLY SINCE HULKERO STILL BELIEVE YOURE LIKE TWELVE OR SOMETHING) JUST GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND WHILE HE NOT ENGAGE IN ACADEMIC SNOBBERY (GO GAMMA RAYS!) IT STRIKE HIM AS WEIRD THAT ANY PROGRAM WOULD LET YOU GRADUATE WHEN YOU WRITE SO POORLY.

YES THIS SITE NOT THE OXFORD UNION BUT SERIOUSLY YOU JUST SPOUT MEANINGLESS NONSENSE.

LIKE FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT IS COMPROMISE? WHAT POLICIES WOULD THAT ENTAIL? WOULD THEY BE POLITICALLY FEASIBLE? WHAT WOULD THEIR REAL-WORLD IMPACT BE? IF SOMETHING IS TENABLE AS A COMPROMISE BUT A TERRIBLE POLICY (LIKE SAY THE PERPETUATION OF RACIAL INEQUALITY POST-RECONSTRUCTION) IS THAT AN ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE? HOW DO YOU DEFINE REALPOLITIK? WHAT ARE YOUR PARAMETERS FOR CREDIBILITY? IS IT NOT A CONTRADICTION TO ASSUME THAT THE PRESIDENTS DOMESTIC POWER IS ENTIRELY SYMBOLIC AND YET CREDIT CHRISTIE WITH MORE NEGOTIATING POWER THAN CLINTON? WOULD NOT BOTH BE EQUALLY IRRELEVANT?

AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. THERE A RECURSIVE STUPIDITY TO YOUR POST THAT HONESTLY IMPRESS HULKERO JUST AS A MATH PERSON. IT LIKE THERE A PERFECT FUNCTION OF DERP DAPPLED WITH ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS OF "PLEASE NOT GIVE ME ADULT SCISSORS FOR I AM A CHILD."

AND WHILE HULKERO AWARE THAT SOUND HARSH YOU EARN IT SINCE HULKERO PUT MORE THOUGHT INTO ACTUALLY ANALYZING YOUR POST THAN YOU DID IN WRITING.

TL;DR HULKERO NOT BEGRUDGE YOU YOUR POLITICAL OPINIONS AND VOTES (EVEN OUR WORST PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE) BUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPOUT NONSENSE AT US AT LEAST MAKE IT PERFORMANCE ART OR CHOOSE A TOPIC THAT NOT ACTUALLY MATERIALLY AFFECT PEOPLES LIVES LIKE THE NEXT MARVEL MOVIE OR WHATEVER.

Spoiler: The Lonely Man

...

So he must let the world go on thinking that Prospero is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.

 

[OhNoesBunnies]

Has anyone thought about rewarding Hulk here with a coloring book every time he makes someone smile?

 

[Brandon Rhea]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/nyregion/christie-bridge.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

If proven true, then it's time for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to resign.