Democrats Pile On Christie Scandal: Governor Needs To Check His Ego

[ProSense]

Democrats Pile On Christie Scandal: Governor Needs To Check His Ego

The Democratic National Committee was quick to blast New Jersey Gov. Chris Chistie's (R) exhaustive press conference responding to the George Washington Bridge scandal by arguing that it was just an ego trip for him.

The statement, by DNC communications director Mo Elleithee, came just a few minutes after Christie's hour-plus long conference.

Elleithee said "it’s clear that Chris Christie absolutely created and fostered a culture in his office where this type of conduct was considered appropriate."

"Today’s spectacle by the Governor has left many questions still unanswered," Elleithee continued.

"But there’s one thing that was crystal clear today — Chris Christie needs to focus less on his ego, and more on the people of NJ."

Here is Elleithee:

For nearly two hours today, Chris Christie stood up and repeatedly made himself out to be the victim. He lauded himself for swift action in firing staffers for lying to him. And he argued that this was not reflective of the culture he’s created in his office.

But Chris Christie is not the victim. The people of New Jersey who trusted him are.

He didn’t take ‘swift action’. He ignored questions and responsibility for more than 120 days, until his administration was finally caught red-handed.

The fireable offense should not be that his team lied to him — it’s that they took actions that hurt the people of New Jersey.

And it’s clear that Chris Christie absolutely created and fostered a culture in his office where this type of conduct was considered appropriate.

Today’s spectacle by the Governor has left many questions still unanswered.

But there’s one thing that was crystal clear today — Chris Christie needs to focus less on his ego, and more on the people of NJ.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/national-democrats-christie-focused-on-his-ego-not-new-jersey

Christie Heading To Ft. Lee Whether Mayor Wants Him Or Not
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024305272

[ProSense]

1. Here’s Proof That Governor Christie Is Still Misleading The Public On Bridge Scandal

Here’s Proof That Governor Christie Is Still Misleading The Public On Bridge Scandal

By Igor Volsky

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) still insisted on Thursday that New Jersey officials may have closed three lanes on the George Washington Bridge in September to study traffic patterns, directly contradicting statements Port Authority officials made last year.

“What I was told was that it was a traffic study, and there was no evidence to the contrary until yesterday,” Christie said at a press conference apologizing for his administration’s role in shutting down bridge lanes and causing potentially life-threatening traffic jams. “There still may have been a traffic study that now has political overtones to it as well,” he added.

But in early December, three Port Authority officials testified that “there was no traffic study being conducted while access lanes from Fort Lee on the George Washington Bridge were closed in September.”

Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye, a Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) appointee, testified on Dec. 9 that the study did not exist. New Jersey’s top official at the authority, Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni — a Christie appointee — had claimed the closings were for a traffic study. Baroni has since resigned.

Christie, repeatedly floated the possibility of a traffic study on Thursday. “I don’t know if this was a traffic study that morphed into a political vendetta or a political vendetta that morphed into a traffic study,” he claimed.

http://thinkprogress.org/home/2014/01/09/3141121/christie/

Gov. #Christie never met Mayor Sokolich? This photo says otherwise. Mayor is far left.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024304922

[ProSense]

2. NJ Dems Not Satisfied With Christie's Answers

NJ Dems Not Satisfied With Christie's Answers

A couple of Democratic members of the New Jersey state legislature were not entirely satisfied with Gov. Chris Christie's claims Thursday at a press conference that he did not know that members of his staff ordered lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last year.

"This is beyond the pale," Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D) told the Newark Star-Ledger. "He has not asked a question in four months? He suddenly found out this was a big deal? Where was he four months ago?"

Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D), who led the assembly's investigation into the lane closures, was skeptical that members of Christie's staff came up with the plan to cause traffic issues in Fort Lee all by themselves.

&quot T)his in an administration that keeps a tight rein," he told the Star-Ledger. "It strains credibility that Bridget Kelly would concoct this plan all by herself."

- more -

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/new-jersey-democrats-not-satisfied-christie-answers

Christie: 'I Don't Know' Who Initiated Bridge Lane Closures
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024305142

[ProSense]

3. Former Christie aide takes the Fifth before New Jersey Assembly

Former Christie aide takes the Fifth before New Jersey Assembly

by Laura Clawson

As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wrapped up his epic, nearly two-hour press conference asserting that he knew absolutely nothing about his top aides' closing of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, one of them was getting set to testify before a state Assembly committee. Or not. David Wildstein, the former Port Authority executive from whom Christie so energetically distanced himself during the press conference, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights. Which is not exactly adhering to the Christie message:

Wildstein invoking the 5th here might not be surprising, but it sure contradicts Christie saying earlier there should be nothing to hide
— @mmurraypolitics

Good thing Christie barely knows high school classmate he put in charge of Port Authority who’s now pleading 5th, or this would look bad.
— @jamisonfoser

It sure will be interesting to see the results of a real, extensive investigation into who knew what when.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/09/1268390/-Former-Christie-aide-takes-the-Fifth-before-New-Jersey-Assembly

[malaise]

4. He's not just his aide

He's a close friend - a former classmate.
Pleading the 5th does no suggest openness.
Butter please