From late Thursday NY Times:
"Gov. Chris Christie repeatedly apologized to the people of New Jersey on Thursday, saying he was “embarrassed and humiliated” by revelations that a top aide and appointees ordered lane closings on the George Washington Bridge to deliberately snarl traffic as an act of political vengeance.
In a somber and humbling news conference in Trenton, Mr. Christie said he was “blindsided” when he learned of a series of emails that showed intimate involvement by close associates to punish a Democratic mayor who had declined to endorse the governor for his re-election.
Mr. Christie’s comments came after weeks of steadfast denials by the governor that his administration was involved.
“I am a very sad person today,” he said.
Just as the news conference began, the United States attorney’s office announced that it would open a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
The governor said he fired his aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, whom he called “stupid” and “deceitful.” Her deception led him to mislead the public, he said, but he did so unwittingly.
“I am heartbroken that someone I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the past five years betrayed that trust,” he said.
Mr. Christie said he had also asked his two-time campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to step down as a consultant to the Republican Governors Association and to withdraw his name from consideration to be the head of the state’s Republican Party."
Well, I'll be! A politician who actually takes responsibility for his inept, indifferent control of his staff. But this does not excuse him of not managing his staff, of giving them too much leeway to basically screw up his ambitions, if any, to higher political office in 2016.
For a man who seems to have his eye on every ball under his control, it seems suspicious to me that he lost sight of the nonsense on the GWB. It is hard to accept that he didn't have any idea that these emails were floating around, that no one told him, that he never heard any scuttlebutt in the last year or do that this was going on.
This sounds eerily like a former President claiming that he knew nothing about Watergate and never questioned his aides about it until March, 1973, even though it was front page news for almost a year in WaPo. And the Times. And then, what did he do? He accepted the resignations of two of the alleged ringleaders and fired the informer.
Or the former President who claimed not to have sexual relations with an intern, because he thought oral sex was a whole other act. And then, had his wife go out and blame a "right wing conspiracy" for his actions, until he could no longer cover up the lie to the Grand Jury. Right, it was Rush Limbaugh's and Newt Gingrich's fault.
Or the current President who had no idea that the IRS was investigating his political opponents, and then let the "culprit" resign. Or had no idea that the NSA was spying on Americans and foreign leaders, and then wants to prosecute the whistleblower. Or decided to grant his attorney general executive privilege after he was held in contempt of Congress for not disclosing involvement in a gun running scheme.
But, actually, Governor Christie needs to accept real responsibility by coming clean. By firing his deputy chief of staff and asking (or telling) his two-time campaign manager not to seek the chair of the State Republican Party, (and threatening, I am sure, with political ruin if he does) does not make his problems go away.
He had now jeopardize his chances of securing the Republican nomination in 2016. His "mea culpa" today will not make his problems go away. Nor should it.
In a somber and humbling news conference in Trenton, Mr. Christie said he was “blindsided” when he learned of a series of emails that showed intimate involvement by close associates to punish a Democratic mayor who had declined to endorse the governor for his re-election.
Mr. Christie’s comments came after weeks of steadfast denials by the governor that his administration was involved.
“I am a very sad person today,” he said.
Just as the news conference began, the United States attorney’s office announced that it would open a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
The governor said he fired his aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, whom he called “stupid” and “deceitful.” Her deception led him to mislead the public, he said, but he did so unwittingly.
“I am heartbroken that someone I permitted to be in that circle of trust for the past five years betrayed that trust,” he said.
Mr. Christie said he had also asked his two-time campaign manager, Bill Stepien, to step down as a consultant to the Republican Governors Association and to withdraw his name from consideration to be the head of the state’s Republican Party."
Well, I'll be! A politician who actually takes responsibility for his inept, indifferent control of his staff. But this does not excuse him of not managing his staff, of giving them too much leeway to basically screw up his ambitions, if any, to higher political office in 2016.
For a man who seems to have his eye on every ball under his control, it seems suspicious to me that he lost sight of the nonsense on the GWB. It is hard to accept that he didn't have any idea that these emails were floating around, that no one told him, that he never heard any scuttlebutt in the last year or do that this was going on.
This sounds eerily like a former President claiming that he knew nothing about Watergate and never questioned his aides about it until March, 1973, even though it was front page news for almost a year in WaPo. And the Times. And then, what did he do? He accepted the resignations of two of the alleged ringleaders and fired the informer.
Or the former President who claimed not to have sexual relations with an intern, because he thought oral sex was a whole other act. And then, had his wife go out and blame a "right wing conspiracy" for his actions, until he could no longer cover up the lie to the Grand Jury. Right, it was Rush Limbaugh's and Newt Gingrich's fault.
Or the current President who had no idea that the IRS was investigating his political opponents, and then let the "culprit" resign. Or had no idea that the NSA was spying on Americans and foreign leaders, and then wants to prosecute the whistleblower. Or decided to grant his attorney general executive privilege after he was held in contempt of Congress for not disclosing involvement in a gun running scheme.
But, actually, Governor Christie needs to accept real responsibility by coming clean. By firing his deputy chief of staff and asking (or telling) his two-time campaign manager not to seek the chair of the State Republican Party, (and threatening, I am sure, with political ruin if he does) does not make his problems go away.
He had now jeopardize his chances of securing the Republican nomination in 2016. His "mea culpa" today will not make his problems go away. Nor should it.
Until he truly 'fesses up, he needs to put any chance to run for President on hold. Or he will find himself at the bottom of the political has-been barrel with so many others whose careers crashed and burned because of either narcissism or stupidity, or both.
And if Ms Kelly calls him a liar, and has documentation to back up her claim, the Governor won't be thinking about 2016; instead, he will be thinking about how he can avoid impeachment.
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