General Political Thread

[Winston Legthigh]

And, why aren't there any stories coming out of Washington yet? Is their D-Day delayed?

[Hixter]

So anyone care to discuss "Bridge-gate?"  

 

It is interested because of the nature of who it involves, the current GOP front runner.  Personally I see this in a context of of the Benghazi thing.  A politically motivated story trying to discredit a presidential front runner.

I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary's people were behind it, but I can't stand the guy and I hope it costs him his job and his political career. It'd be nice to see the same thing happen to other politicians who pull similar stunts.

 

One of my New Year's resolutions is to just not engage in nastiness, so I will do my best here especially.

Repubes

[bleedorange]

2) Gates' new book is not exactly a beat-up-on-Obama tome, but that aspect of it got covered in the press. I think his timing is shitty. For one, it was an honor to be asked to be Sec. of Defense by your rival party and to serve in that capacity. Two, Obama has been nothing but gracious (at least publicly) about Gates' service. Three, it's not really possible to accurately judge a President's term when it hasn't ended yet. He should have waited until 2015 at the earliest. The right may love it, but I think both Dems and independents will think he looks like a douche.

 

 

Here's a good piece in Slate about the book and how even-handed it is despite the cherry-picked quotes from both sides:

[KevinG]

And, why aren't there any stories coming out of Washington yet? Is their D-Day delayed?

 

I don't think it is delayed but it is scheduled for a later date.  I couldn't find an exact date, but it will be sometime this year.  

[KevinG]

I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary's people were behind it

 

That is kinda a weird thing to say.  I doubt Hillary's people have infiltrated the inner circle of Christie's administration and purposely closing a bridge to ruin Christie's political career.  This ain't house of cards.  It is a legitimate news story.  The media is pressured to find a scapegoat and it is sexier with Christie.  I believe it is politically motivated to an extent because the left wing media is salivating over this and wants to bring Christie down.  In the way the Right wants to bring down Hillary over Benghazi.  

 

Christie in generally is a funny sort of candidate.  He is the sort of candidate that has a chance in 2016.  However he is really disliked by the far right.  I wouldn't be surprised if the far Right keeps this going more.  Which is silly, because a far right candidate has little chances of beating a moderate democrat in 2016.  It really is unfortunate that such a small group has so much power in the GOP.       

[calvino]

That is kinda a weird thing to say.  I doubt Hillary's people have infiltrated the inner circle of Christie's administration and purposely closing a bridge to ruin Christie's political career.  This ain't house of cards.  It is a legitimate news story.  The media is pressured to find a scapegoat and it is sexier with Christie.  I believe it is politically motivated to an extent because the left wing media is salivating over this and wants to bring Christie down.  In the way the Right wants to bring down Hillary over Benghazi.  

 

Christie in generally is a funny sort of candidate.  He is the sort of candidate that has a chance in 2016.  However he is really disliked by the far right.  I wouldn't be surprised if the far Right keeps this going more.  Which is silly, because a far right candidate has little chances of beating a moderate democrat in 2016.  It really is unfortunate that such a small group has so much power in the GOP.       

 

 

I listened to a couple of minutes of Rush this afternoon and he was all over Christie. It is a fun listen when he goes after a Republican for about 2 1/2 minutes that I can muster up to listen.

[Winston Legthigh]

Dems would target Christie for not hugging Obama tightly enough?

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Repubes

Ha! That was a typo. Was supposed to be "Repubs."

The laziness of abbreviating everything can cause so much damage...

[Hixter]

That is kinda a weird thing to say.  I doubt Hillary's people have infiltrated the inner circle of Christie's administration and purposely closing a bridge to ruin Christie's political career.

I never claimed that they had. You called it "a politically motivated story trying to discredit a presidential front runner" and I merely threw out the name of another presidential front runner who would stand to benefit by bringing the story to light.

[John Smith]

It seems obvious by the email steam what happened, but what would make these guys think they could pull a stunt like this? Firing the trigger men won't answer the question.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

One good thing about Christie: he's really a uniter and not a divider. I can't stand him, Hixter can't stand him. See, he really brings together people who are not ordinarily like-minded.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/john-boehner-chris-christie_n_4569341.html

 

Hey, when someone as popular as John Boehner speaks out on your behalf, you know you're having a great week.

[John Smith]

I never claimed that they had. You called it "a politically motivated story trying to discredit a presidential front runner" and I merely threw out the name of another presidential front runner who would stand to benefit by bringing the story to light.

But you threw it out in a total bs manner. He was merely theorizing how this impossible bs theory could even be plausible. The democrats including Hilary had nothing to do with this, and a half assed attempt at balance simply helps to illustrate the absurd lengths people will go to in an attempt to attain balance.

[KevinG]

I never claimed that they had. You called it "a politically motivated story trying to discredit a presidential front runner" and I merely threw out the name of another presidential front runner who would stand to benefit by bringing the story to light.

 

Oh I am not saying she is not benefiting.  I am sure she is pleased as punch that this happening.  But I don't think her people brought it to light.  It is a legitimate news story.  The left media loves it, the far right media loves it.  They are keeping the story going.  The quick statement he gave last night should have been the end of it.  "I am sorry it happened, I will find the people responsible, they will be fired."  That is it.  A two hour presser really was not the way to go.  But it is a sexy story.  But really in the grand scheme of things it is much ado about nothing.

[ih8music]

Stewart's take on it last night was very funny - how as a Jersey guy he was offended at how lame the scheming was.  You don't come out and say "time for a traffic jam in Ft. Lee" or whatever it was, you need to be more discrete about it -- "you remember that thing?  yeah, time for that thing."

 

But unless something new comes out directly linking Christie himself with this mess, this will all blow over in a matter of weeks, and certainly in time for the 2016 race.  People have been fired, apologies have been made, it's only a matter of time for something new to take the national attention away.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Oh I am not saying she is not benefiting.  I am sure she is pleased as punch that this happening.  But I don't think her people brought it to light.  It is a legitimate news story.  The left media loves it, the far right media loves it.  They are keeping the story going.  The quick statement he gave last night should have been the end of it.  "I am sorry it happened, I will find the people responsible, they will be fired."  That is it.  A two hour presser really was not the way to go.  But it is a sexy story.  But really in the grand scheme of things it is much ado about nothing.

It should be a tempest in a teapot, but I am a little concerned that people on the left will try to turn it into a huge scandal ("My child almost died because the ambulance couldn't get there on time," etc., bs like that.) The press should not hammer away at it as much as they are, but if he perversely benefits from it, a lot of us will be disgusted.

[Hixter]

But you threw it out in a total bs manner.

I'm not sure how saying "I wouldn't be surprised" can be described as "a total bs manner.'

 

The democrats including Hilary had nothing to do with this

Democrats are driving the investigation. Democrats demanded the subpoenas. Democrats (including a group tied to Hillary) are jumping on the bandwagon. It's politics as usual.

 

The quick statement he gave last night should have been the end of it.

Not if he knew about it -- and he probably did.

 

It should be a tempest in a teapot, but I am a little concerned that people on the left will try to turn it into a huge scandal

People need to lose their jobs, political careers and possibly freedom over this abuse of power.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

People need to lose their jobs, political careers and possibly freedom over this abuse of power.

I don't really care about him losing his job or not - I suspect he will weather this little storm and come out stronger - I just don't want him to be our President. It's bad enough that much of the world already thinks of Americans as fat, obnoxious, loudmouthed and/or bullies.

[John Smith]

I'm not sure how saying "I wouldn't be surprised" can be described as "a total bs manner.'

 

 

Flame throwing , tossing bullshit out with no evidence, bringing focus on something that does not exist. If none of this makes sense then I have nothing left to say.

 

Oh wait I'll bet it was dirty dick starting shit against a perceived moderate (he's not) as revenge for moderate republicans handling of his daughter. That's got to be it. I have no proof I'm just offering it as a possibility.nothing wrong with that, is there?

[Hixter]

Flame throwing , tossing bullshit out with no evidence, bringing focus on something that does not exist.

No flames were thrown, an offhand "I wouldn't be surprised" is only bullshit in the eye of the beholder and requires no evidence to back it up, and a Democrat-lead campaign to roast Christie's nuts most certainly does exist. One would have to be pretty naive to believe that none of the people involved with the inquest have neither allegiance nor affinity for the 2016 Democrat frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.

 

Oh wait I'll bet it was dirty dick starting shit against a perceived moderate (he's not) as revenge for moderate republicans handling of his daughter. That's got to be it. I have no proof I'm just offering it as a possibility.nothing wrong with that, is there?

Feel free to offer any musings or opinions that you like; I won't call you a bullshitter.

[IRememberDBoon]

whats worse? Christie's Chief of Staff making a bridge one lane for a week or President Clinton getting a BJ in the Oval Office?

[KevinG]

 

Flame throwing , tossing bullshit out with no evidence, bringing focus on something that does not exist. If none of this makes sense then I have nothing left to say.

 

No flames were thrown, an offhand "I wouldn't be surprised" is only bullshit in the eye of the beholder and requires no evidence to back it up, and a Democrat-lead campaign to roast Christie's nuts most certainly does exist. One would have to be pretty naive to believe that none of the people involved with the inquest have neither allegiance nor affinity for the 2016 Democrat frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.

 

I think it may be a matter of semantics, or not trying to understand what they other person means and projecting what you think they mean.  The GWB closing was purely a result of someone in Christie's administration doing something wrong.  Now if Christie was culpable remains to be seen.  There is no doubt in my mind there is a machine within the Democratic party that is doing everything in their power to take down Christie at every chance they get.  As well as a machine in the GOP that is doing the same to Hillary.  This Democratic machine is doing their darndest to keep this going, and probably behind the federal investigation.  But the GWB closing is not the result of some nefarious trap to get Christie.  He or his administration did it to themselves.    

 

What is striking to me is that Hixter you have condemned Christies actions, but also decry the investigations as politically motivated.  You have said that he is probably guilty and should go to jail, don't you think that there should be an investigation?  Isn't that right thing to do?  If you are so sure there is wrongdoing how are you not the first person to say a Federal investigation is warranted and proper?  Just because you may not agree with the politics of the people conducting the investigation doesn't mean the investigation is politically motivated.    

 

          

[John Smith]

whats worse? Christie's Chief of Staff making a bridge one lane for a week or President Clinton getting a BJ in the Oval Office?

One is a sexual encounter outside of his marriage, the other is abusing his office for political retribution (Nixonian?). I'm going to guess the answer is...irrelevant because neither has anything to do with the other and the question is a mere diversion. Though Clinton was put through the ringer, I am going to guess that the present situation will quiet down and fade away.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

... a Democrat-lead campaign to roast Christie's nuts most certainly does exist.

I would not be surprised if a Tea Party led campaign to roast his nuts exists too. He's certainly not far enough to the right for primary voters, from what I have read.

 

Well, it turns out this is a much bigger story than I'd thought. Not surprisingly, Christie is getting whacked with a lawsuit today, as a lawyer said her clients had a panic attack as a result of the jam. Looks like the six plaintiffs want it to be a class action suit, which will be no fun, at best.

 

The bigger story, I think, is that this clown Wildstein is now pleading the 5th. That looks bad no matter how you slice it...but I think many people will interpret it as him covering up for Christie. I really hadn't followed the story this week, just been too busy, but it's everywhere now. If nothing else, he looks like a typical politician now, not just Mr. Straightforward. I was wrong before: his status as a "national figure" may decline significantly after this.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/david-wildstein-contempt-chris-christie_n_4569680.html

[Radiant Witch Face]

being someone that lives in New Jersey I can tell you that Christie sometimes has his good moments, but he's also a bully jackass and has a tendency to scream at people whether he's willing to admit it or not. that's not a conspiracy, it's reality.