Editorial From Christie's Hometown Newspaper...

[Laxman]

The banner is the Mount Olive Chronicle but the editorial was in the Observer-Tribune, the paper that serves Mendham.

To quote Sgt. Elias in Platoon- The worm has definitely turned for you.

We are normally proud of the Republican governors from this area.

Kean and Christine Todd Whitman, both of whom we endorsed twice for election, put policy and the good of the state before the cult of personality and politics.

Their administrations were scandal-free and it is hard to imagine a scandal like Bridgegate coming out of their governors’ offices.

Their staffers could not have imagined using the busiest bridge in the world for petty partisan retaliation against political enemies, thereby blocking emergency personnel and endangering lives and inconveniencing tens of thousands of people’s lives for a week. But in the Christie administration this behavior comes as no surprise.

read the full article here: http://newjerseyhills.com/mt_olive_chronicle/opinion/editorial/editorial-the-chris-christie-we-know/article_558a4d86-7d53-11e3-afb6-0019bb2963f4.html

[malaise]

1. But JoeScum says it's no biggie and Boehner says

time to move on. I don't think these fuggers have a clue what this scandal means for ordinary people. The politicians are now the enemies of ordinary citizens. They use everything - every fucking thing to achieve power at the expense of the people.

[Dopers_Greed]

6. Except when it's a fake scandal involving a Dem

Then "Who's going to jail?"

-The Orange Boner

[malaise]

7. Well said

The sickening defense of this criminal act tells me America is in deep trouble.
What will they do next - turn off water...electricity...cut services to punish people who vote for the Democratic Party or to spite Democratic politicians?

Who defends this shit?

[Laxman]

9. Oh-my. Also From Today's Observer-Tribune....

another article with local reaction to Christie.

Cracks in GOP over Chris Christie

Comparisons to Watergate, unswerving support for Gov. Chris Christie and an example of how power corrupts were among the reactions of prominent area Republicans in Christie’s hometown to the latest revelations over the lane closings of the George Washington Bridge apparently ordered as political payback.

Just saw the author of this article in town and had the chance to shake his hand, congratulate him and pass on my regards to his publisher for the well-written editorial that led me to create this thread.

Read it here: http://newjerseyhills.com/observer-tribune/news/cracks-in-gop-over-chris-christie/article_cae47ca2-7e9b-11e3-9db2-0019bb2963f4.html also interesting. If you can stomach the few reactions that just don't want to accept that Christie is a scumbag.

[malaise]

11. Thanks Laxman

I've been reading your very informed posts

[Laxman]

16. I Appreciate The Sentiment...

but you, Pro Sense and Cha have really been on top of this stuff.

[Beach Rat]

13. Interesting tid-bit in that article!

Bridget Kelly's husband is the golf pro at Mendham Golf & Tennis club where the Christies belong. He reportedly gave the Christies golf lessons. Oh dear. I think I found a photo of one of the lessons.

[okaawhatever]

18. Too funny. nt

[Laxman]

2. I Just Picked The Paper Up...

this morning at the Quick Check and this was in there. This is the local weekly that has the usual mix of small town stories. The editor must really be "sauced" at Christie!

[Thinkingabout]

3. I am beginning to realize bridgegate is a minor problem but seems to be resulting in more

investigations and the total wrong doings is going to turn into a big problem. there has been a pattern to achieve a large percentage of the votes as shown by the special Senator election so as not to have a larger Democrat turn out for the popular Cory Booker. The wrong doings might have been by the aids to Christie but may not play well in the public eyes even if there is not a direct command from Christie. He has not had the backing of the GOP and he is blamed by some GOP member for Romney losing in 2012 but don't think this is the reason Romney lost. GOP members tend to hold grudges for a very long time and hugging Obama is reason for many to never vote for Christie.

[starroute]

4. And Watergate was a "third-rate burglary attempt"

That according to Nixon's press secretary, Ron Ziegler, when the story first came out.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/stories/graham.htm

On Saturday morning, June 17, 1972, Howard Simons, The Post's managing editor, called to say, "You won't believe what happened last night." He was right. First he told me of a car that crashed into a house where two people had been making love on a sofa and went right out the other side. To top that, he related the fantastic story that five men wearing surgical gloves had been caught breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate office building.

President Nixon was in Key Biscayne, Fla., at the time. His press secretary, Ron Ziegler, dismissed the incident as "a third-rate burglary attempt," adding, "Certain elements may try to stretch this beyond what it is." None of us, of course, had any idea how far the story would stretch; the beginning -- once the laughter died down -- all seemed so farcical.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. It's the act that exposes the underbelly of his abuse of power,

and it wasn't that small to those stuck in it.

[Laxman]

8. That Is Exactly What Is Happening Here....

This was not petty. This was not an isolated incident. This was not the work of a "rogue staffer". This was just another incident of hubris, bullying and abuse of power by someone who has operated with those principles as his core values his entire time in public life.

The person who wrote this editorial is not a liberal. She is an old school republican who is thoroughly disgusted with the direction the republican party has taken and thoroughly disgusted with Christie. One of the last of the dying breed of the Eisenhower type republicans. This is not a controversial publication. This editorial is right in there with the school lunch menu and the latest Eagle Scout project.

Just occurred to me. This is also Regina Egea's hometown paper as well.

[Cha]

14. No it was NOT a "minor problem".. just the freaking Opposite.

[hrmjustin]

10. This scandal should not be a suprise to anyone.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

12. Welcome to Christie World! Ouch!

Republicans in Morris County have never forgotten Christie’s nasty single term as a freeholder 20 years ago in which his Republican rivals in the 1994 primary filed defamation lawsuits against him. He then sued opponents after a failed re-election bid three years later. Welcome to Christie World.

The more things change, the more they stay the same!

[Cha]

15. It's the Culture of Arrogant Bullies, Stupid.

"Christie, he said, is undoubtedly the most gifted political leader since former President Bill Clinton. But his take-no-prisoner style of vitriol and vengeance and his abuse of power to tear down and personally humiliate individuals who honestly disagree with him raise questions about his fitness for the presidency, as Kean has suggested."

Thanks Laxman!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

17. Familiarity breeds contempt!

A scathing evaluation from the people who've known Christie the longest and the best. To them "...this behavior comes as no surprise".

[Laxman]

19. Yes It Does...

From Christie's running mate the first time he ran for state assembly, Rick Merkt:

Merkt said claims that the scandal was hatched by Kelly without conferring with others in the administration “really tests credulity.

“The presentation of one rogue agent doesn’t hold water,” Merkt said. “Five high ranking members of the administration, all Christie appointees. Is it credible that all knew this was going on and no one recognized the danger it posed to the governor and no one spoke with the governor?”

Merkt said the impact of the scandal on Christie’s presidential aspiration “depends on how gullible New Jersey residents will be.”

pretty harsh!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

20. After Today-The Worm Has Definitely Turned!