Does anyone else think that it will be revealed that there are mob connections

[boston bean]

in relation to these Christie scandals?

We have, greasing palms, strong arming, construction, developments, pay back..... we just don't have dead bodies...(that we know of)

Seems to go a bit beyond your normal political scandal....

[WinkyDink]

1. CC is a "Sopranos" wannabe, the kind that eats the cannoli.

[napkinz]

23. did someone say Soprano?

[WinkyDink]

35. Especially the last one! Ha!

[SunSeeker]

42. These are heeelarious. Thanks!

[shraby]

2. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck............

[Fumesucker]

3. If it's the Christie Mafia you wake up with a horse's ~ass~ in your bed

[arely staircase]

6. Luaghed out loud

as opposed to LOL

[Cirque du So-What]

9. Nothing new

Christie's wife does that every morning.

[calimary]

40. OMG part 2!!!

DUzy again!!!!!

[calimary]

39. OMG!!!

DUzy!!!!!

[arely staircase]

4. I am not at the "think there will be" point, yet

But will be completely unsurprised. His arm twisting tactics are certainly evocative of such. Of course so were (arguably) LBJ's, difference being he did it to give civil (basic human) rights to African Americans. So, big moral (if not ethical) difference.

[spanone]

5. he's running his admin like a goodfella

[Drahthaardogs]

7. No.

Neither the Calabrian Ndrangheta nor the Scilian Mafia are that sloppy or stupid. Just because he is half Italian American and a fuck up does not mean organized crime is involved.

[pnwmom]

47. No, but the fact that he's being accused of using coercive tactics to influence the players in

billion dollar real estate developments -- which have a long history of attracting mob interest -- means that it is not unlikely organized crime is involved.

[Drahthaardogs]

49. Like the mano nero is the only one who does that.

You really do not know who is behind it. Why must itbe the southern italians.

[DURHAM D]

8. Yes.

Once I realized last Tuesday that the Fort Lee road closing was about development/ redevelopment I knew it involved the Mob. Or as it is called in NJ... friends of the Governor.

[spin]

10. I will say this ...

If Christie survives this scandal he will be the prime contender in the Republican presidential primary and might be a strong contender against Hillary or whoever the Democratic Party chooses as their candidate.

The investigation into this bridge scandal will expand and quite likely if Christy has mob connections or has misused his power in the past, it will come to light. In order to survive, he will have to be squeaky clean.

Chances are that Christie's political future will end shortly. If not, we best beware. This guy is not a loser like McCain or Romney.

Of course even if he does make it to the primary races, he might lose. The Republicans may feel he is far too liberal and nominate some ultra conservative who will get squashed in the presidential race.

[Cirque du So-What]

11. They wouldn't have you in the Maff-Eye-Yay

Why can't we be friends,
Why can't we be friends,
Why can't we be friends,
etc.

[MADem]

12. Gee...with the "construction industry" involved...? Naaaah!!!! Couldn't be!! nt

[Cleita]

13. If you ask me they are the mob, not the one Tony Soprano was

written about, but a bunch of thugs nonetheless who tried to use the same methods as the mob to achieve their ends.

[Squinch]

21. This is what I think too. I bet there's no cosa nostra family behind it, but these actions

we are seeing absolutely qualify as mob activities. We don't need no Three Lipped Louie, we have Tiny Christopher.

[Orsino]

53. Yeah. I think this story will help update our understanding of the word "mob."

They break budgets, not kneecaps.

[riverwalker]

14. even some sex thrown in

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/nyregion/post-scandal-future-unclear-for-port-authoritys-low-profile-leader.html?hpw&rref=nyregion&_r=1

David Samson's affair (while married) with rich GOP fundraiser Joy Silverman, who was being stalked by a judge who was threatening blackmail for an alleged sex tape of Samson and Silverman.

I couldn't make this shit up if I wanted too.

[libdem4life]

38. There are also insinuations about CC and Michelle Brown who he "loaned" $46,000 to, got caught

then turned around and made her up one of those PA jobs for a quarter of a million dollars.

Where there is power, there is sex aplenty.

[giftedgirl77]

52. This is awesome...

[Gormy Cuss]

15. Nah, it's just SSDD in NJ politics. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

16. Little Steven "The Fixer" Van Zandt has some advice for Christie

Pack your lederhosen boy, you're goin' to Norway.

[riverwalker]

17. ha! just watched "Lillyhammer"

good show

[Brother Buzz]

20. Season two is up AND....

season three is being filmed as I type.

[Coyotl]

29. Funny show.

[Kingofalldems]

18. I have a theory--

Christie prosecuted a bunch of mayors doing the same thing. He knew the mistakes they made and figured HE knew how to do it right.

[Auntie Bush]

19. Well, we all have an idea how crooked NJ politics is so there's a good chance

he's involved in something unethical or crooked...miracle if he isn't.

[WillyT]

22. Some Think... The Entire System Is "Mobbed Up"... Legalized Bribery Rules The Realm...

I tend to agree.

[defacto7]

24. Sure...

But these thing are done "most delicately". It's not like certain politicians are actually in the mob or part of the mob... there are just things that are understood and where connections don't happen. In this case, he fucked up big time but mob connections won't show. NJ has always been shadowed by organized crime just like NY, CT, DL, Eastern PA. You don't get to be governor of NJ without some "understandings". It's not much different than the Vatican. Oh! Did I open another can of worms? Probably not.

[Baitball Blogger]

25. More like our politicians have learned from the mob.

[yurbud]

26. I don't think the Mafia is as ham-handed as Christie & Repubs generally

[elleng]

27. Sure.

Anyone seen American Hustle?

[Lint Head]

28. Personally....I have not doubt about it. I cannot say on this forum exactly why I have no doubt.

[WinkyDink]

36. You must be from Joisey (I have more than a few relatives in Bayonne and Jersey City).

[Lint Head]

43. No, but I have immediate relatives there.

[2naSalit]

30. Ha!

Is the Pope Catholic? Does Christie operate in New Jersey?

How could it be anything else?

[Egalitarian Thug]

31. What?!? Organized crime in the northeast? Perish the thought!

The entire economy of the eastern seaboard is an organized crime.

[geek tragedy]

45. Yeah, if you count voting for Democrats and good education systems a crime.

If you want a mobbed-up state, look at Nevada.

[Egalitarian Thug]

46. Despite your fantasy, when Nevada was run by the mob, we had the best schools,

the safest streets, and the strongest unions in the nation. Ask Harry about the Culinary union, or either one of mine (USW & ITPEU).

Of course you won't because it would clearly show you how wrong you are about damned near everything. At some point you will be smacked in the head by reality and then you might catch a clue.

[geek tragedy]

48. You: "The entire economy of the eastern seaboard is an organized crime"

People who excrete that kind of ignorant, moronic bullshit are supremely unqualified to judge others on their familiarity with reality.

[grasswire]

32. I asked that question last week.

Didn't want to insult any Jerseyans, but I had to wonder.

[RKP5637]

33. Let's see, NJ, hmmmmm ... n/t

[Bette Noir]

34. Reminds me of the stuff that put Blagoyovich (sp?) in prison.

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

37. No doubt about it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

41. The GOP **IS** a mob.

[geek tragedy]

44. Mob connections? They are the mob. nt

[edhopper]

50. He has very procatively help

gambling interests in NJ. I do not know how involved the mob is with NJ gambling, but that could be a connection.

BTW his push to legalize online gambling is a disgrace.

[JustAnotherGen]

51. I honestly don't

If the current mob was involved - they would never have gotten caught.

I find the Tony Soprano analogies very funny though . . .

Look up who Wildsteins pen name is based on . . . Wally Edge.

Then look at NJ politics in the 1920's. Some hinky stuff with Arthur Foran and the Port Authority, "lodge" in Hunterdon county, highways being built, etc etc.

This looks nothing like an episode of the Sopranos. Tony would have knocked them all off before it got this far.

But there's another HBO mob show . . .

[fredamae]

54. I can't speculate how this'll

end--but thinking "Big" on this and the speed at which the problems/connections are surfacing, I'd suggest this goes far and widely beyond the boundaries of the State of NJ.

This is a small peek into the greater, widespread habitual governmental/political practices across the country, imo.

It's like we "feel" things are off-we see, identify and experience how far off they are--but we can never quite put our collective fingers on it? Well, I believe the proverbial "egg is cracked".

Were these building projects going to be 100% Privately financed or are there Fed Tax Dollars invested also? Wall Street?

[L0oniX]

55. Silly! The US government IS the mob. Just ask most other countries.