Bridgegate? Chris Christie's national ambitions could be hurt by GWB controversy
 

No one has publicly accused Christie of ordering two of his top appointees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close lanes to the world’s busiest bridge to get back at a Democratic mayor who wouldn't endorse his re-election bid.

But questions about the incident have fueled a scandal that even Christie’s masterful team of brand managers can’t make go away.

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf...ntroversy.html

Not explicitly so, but we'll sure suggest the NFBSK out of it.

Also, hands up who thought this was an issue with the former President Bush?

Democrats: "Looks like underhanded tricks to punish your political enemies - Hey, get off our turf!"

I'm just surprise about this part: Now I have to look up if that's true. I once came home over the thing on Thanksgiving and it didn't take all that long.

Good demonstration of the the tu quoque fallacy.

This is the weirdest story I've heard in a long time (and New Jersey politics are plenty weird). On the radio, they keep referring to Christie's "high school friend," and I keep envisioning a 17-year-old. Of course I know what they mean and I don't know why my mind always goes there.

Wow. Based on Christie's public persona, I never would have guessed he was a belligerent, vindictive a-hole. [/sarcasm]

ETA: alleged belligerent, vindictive, etc.

:rolleyes:

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/200...ns-audit-naacp

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=14715290

http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/articl...ce-2816927.php

It's one of those things that seems silly, pointless, and unbelievable. Except they can't come up with an alternative explanation as to why the bridge lanes were closed. Originally they said something about a "traffic study" but apparently that didn't stand up under even slight scrutiny. (And of course, if it was all perfectly innocent, why have two people resigned over it...?)

No, it's hardly Watergate, but it's....weird.

*Raises hand*

I'm certainly no fan of Governor Christie, but lanes are closed half the times I go over that bridge for whatever reason, so who really cares?

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I'm still puzzled how this event was supposed to "punish" the mayor of Fort Lee, though. Are residents of Fort Lee really going to blame their mayor for lane closures on the GWB?

I don't know if this will hurt Christie much in the long term, but then I already didn't expect him to go over very well with GOP primary voters.

Emails link top Christie aide to GWB lane-closing controversy -
 

Private messages between Governor’s Christie’s deputy chief of staff and two of his top executives at the Port Authority reveal a vindictive effort to create “traffic problems in Fort Lee” by shutting lanes to the George Washington Bridge and apparent pleasure at the resulting gridlock.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/chri...es_emails.html

Christie Aide: 'Time for Some Traffic Problems'
 

A top aide to Gov. Chris Christie told an executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey it was "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" before the authority closed lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in September, triggering a week of massive traffic jams, documents show.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...08331794186904

Wow. I still have family up in the Fort Lee area too. I had no idea about this.

Stories Add Up as Bully Image Trails Christie
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/ny...ing-image.html

Wish this had come out before his re-election :(

Ah, he won by more than a 20% margin. I doubt the news would have changed much if it had come out before the election.