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Chris Christie dealt serious blow by a plot too far-fetched for The Sopranos New Jersey turns on its tough-guy governor Chris Christie after bridge fiasco threatens his ambitions
(about 5 hours later)
From The Sopranos to Boardwalk Empire, Frank Sinatra to TV personality Snooki, it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction in New Jersey. Not least in Fort Lee, a dormitory town almost in the shadow of the George Washington bridge, where the ambitions of New Jersey governor and 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie have been dealt a serious blow. From the Sopranos to Boardwalk Empire, Frank Sinatra to Snooki, it is often difficult to separate fact from fiction in New Jersey. Not least in Fort Lee, a dormitory town that lies almost under the shadow of the George Washington bridge, where the ambitions of New Jersey governor and 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie have been dealt a serious blow.
A few miles to the west is a roadside bar proclaimed as the original home of Tony Soprano's Bada Bing! club. The fictional Sopranos boss may have provided a template for the tough-guy style of leadership that Christie embodies, but even Tony would probably never have dreamed up a scheme for petty retribution like the one that Governor Christie's office implemented last September. A few miles to the west, on Route 17, is a gritty roadside gentleman's club proclaimed as the original home of Tony Soprano's Bada-Bing club. The fictional Sopranos boss in his strip-club headquarters may have provided a template for the tough-guy style of leadership that Christie embodies, but it's improbable that even he would have dreamed up a scheme for petty retribution like the one Christie's office introduced last September.
In a bid to punish Fort Lee's Democrat mayor, Mark Sokolich, for his refusal to endorse Christie's re-election bid, Christie's aides caused four days of traffic chaos. The George Washington bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, was in gridlock last September, with thousands of commuters inexplicably delayed. Emergency services caught up in the chaos reported that the hold-ups had contributed to the death of one patient in need of emergency care. In an apparent bid to punish Fort Lee's Democrat mayor, Mark Sokolich, for his refusal to endorse Christie's re-election bid, Christie's aides caused five days of traffic chaos on the George Washington bridge to Manhattan, with thousands of commuters inexplicably delayed. Emergency services caught up in the chaos reported that the hold-ups had contributed to the death of one patient in need of emergency care.
In damning email and text message correspondence made public last week, Christie's aides and political appointees merely congratulated each other on their handiwork. "Is it wrong that I am smiling?" asked one. Those smiles are now grimaces over a stunt that appears to carry huge political costs for no discernible gain. In damning email correspondence made public last week, Christie's aides and political appointees merely congratulated each other on their handiwork. "Is it wrong that I am smiling?" asked one. Those smiles are now grimaces over a stunt that appears to carry huge political costs for no discernible gain.
On Thursday, Christie offered a meandering, 107-minute TV apology, denying any knowledge of the scheme and pronouncing himself shocked that three of his aides and appointees at the agency that administers the crossings should have engaged in such a plan. At Tony Soprano's Bada-Bing – used as a location in the series though actually named Satin Dolls – bored-looking Russian women in bikinis clustered around heavy-set Italian-American men to the sound of 70s rock. Their minds aren't on politics, pointed out the manager.
However, a daily drip of revelations suggests that efforts to cover up the stunt reached deep into the governor's circle. Christie, who has been riding high in the polls as a rare, moderate Republican drawing diverse political support, may have been badly damaged. Whatever Christie's political future, Sokolich told him last week: "You just made New Jersey the brunt [sic] of every political joke for the next 25 years." "Sure there's a connection," said one customer, Mike. "It's a local Jersey thing. They're big guys who talk a lot about respect. You could say the fictional Tony Soprano paved the way for Governor Christie." But it's not yet clear who Christie aides were looking to punish. In alternate reading, the snarl-up was not designed to punish the amiable Sokolich but New Jersey senate leader Loretta Weinberg, whose district is in Fort Lee, because she blocked Christie's supreme court nominees.
Fort Lee residents were split over whether to accept Christie's lengthy mea culpa and view the dismissal of three senior aides as a show of leadership, or to take it as a display of weakness in which loyal subordinates had been made to accept blame. "He's like a five-year-old child – an adult baby," said administrative aide Sasha Lagranskaya. "It's upsetting because it's inconceivable he knew nothing about this." On Thursday, Christie offered a meandering, 107-minute TV apology denying any knowledge of the scheme and pronouncing himself shocked that three of his aides and appointees at the agency that administers the crossings should have engaged in such a plan.
Documents released on Saturday appear to show that officials loyal to Christie went to elaborate lengths to obscure the true motivation for the snarl-up by trying to make it appear to have been part of a traffic study. However, a daily drip of revelations suggests that efforts to cover up the stunt reached deep into the governor's circle. Christie, who has been riding high in the polls as a rare, moderate Republican drawing diverse political support, may have been badly damaged. Whatever his political future, Sokolich told the larger-than-life governor last week: "You've just made New Jersey the brunt of every political joke for the next 25 years."
A local teacher, who as a state employee declined to be identified, said that even if Christie had no knowledge of the plan, it was typical of his bombastic style of politics: "There's an undertone of bad politics and corruption. It's punitive. New Jersey looks bad enough as it is." In this predominantly Korean and Japanese dormitory town, residents last week were split over whether to accept Christie's lengthy mea culpa and view the dismissal of three senior aides as a show of leadership or a display of weakness in which loyal aides are made to accept blame. "He's like a five year-old child – an adult baby," said administrative aide Sasha Lagranskaya. "It's upsetting because it's inconceivable he knew nothing about this."
Others, mindful that Christie represents the state's best chance for the top political office since Woodrow Wilson a century ago, said they were inclined to accept the governor's explanation. Documents released on Saturday appear to show that officials loyal to Christie went to elaborate lengths to obscure the true motivation for the snarl-up by trying to make it appear to be part of a traffic flow study. A local teacher, who as a state employee declined to be identified, said that even if Christie had no knowledge of the plan it was typical of his bombastic style of politics. His lengthy denial had served only to accentuate the allegation. "There's an undertone of bad politics and corruption. It's punitive. New Jersey looks bad enough as it is."
"I believe he had nothing to do with it," said state employee Steve Goldstein. "He promptly got rid of his overzealous underlings and issued a mea culpa. Even if people thought he had anything to do with the affair, they'd also see that he's highly detail-orientated." Others, mindful that Christie represents the state's best chance for the top political office since Woodrow Wilson a century ago, said they were inclined to accept the governor's explanation. "I genuinely believe he had nothing to do with it," said state employee Steve Goldstein. "He promptly got rid of his overzealous underlings and issued a mea culpa." Even if people think he had anything to do with the affair, Goldstein added, "then they would also see that he's highly detail orientated".
The release of emails sent in August calling for "traffic problems in Fort Lee" came as Christie, who was re-elected last year in heavily Democratic New Jersey with 60% of the vote, appears to be gaining momentum as the Republican presidential frontrunner who could win crucial Hispanic and black voters in 2016. The release of August-dated emails calling for "traffic problems in Fort Lee" came as Christie, who was re-elected last year in the heavily Democratic New Jersey with 60% of the vote, appears to be gaining momentum as the 2016 frontrunner who appeals to crucial Hispanic and black voters. With timing that political commentators describe as odd, the "Bridgegate" correspondence came to light hours after the release of passages from the memoirs of former defence secretary Robert Gates claiming that Hillary Clinton told President Obama that she only voted against the 2007 Afghan troop surge for political reasons.
With timing that political commentators describe as odd, the "Bridgegate" correspondence came to light hours after the release of passages from the memoirs of former defence secretary Robert Gates claiming that Hillary Clinton told President Obama that she only voted against the 2007 Afghan troop surge for political reasons. In a bad week for the 2016 frontrunners, both appeared to be playing into images they would sooner shed: Clinton as a political animal who will do what she needs to do for power; and Christie as thin-skinned and heavy-handed who has faced prior accusations of vindictive behaviour. But the question of why his administration constructed an elaborate punishment for a seemingly insignificant slight remains unanswered. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully," Christie said in his address. But the Republican party leadership has been notably slow to come to Christie's defence, suggesting that while he may be popular among voters, he's lacking key political support.
In a bad week for the 2016 frontrunners, both appeared to be lumbered with images they would sooner shed: Clinton as a political animal who will do what she needs to do for power; and Christie as a thin-skinned and heavyhanded man who has faced prior accusations of vindictive behaviour. Still, Christie represents a rare conservative politician able to cross the political gulf that divides America. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, President Obama came to visit and he counts New Jersey's Bruce Springsteen as a friend. But with the episode now under federal investigation, wider attention is being paid to controversies that have gone largely unnoticed beyond New Jersey.
But the question of why his administration constructed an elaborate punishment for a seemingly insignificant slight remains unanswered. "I am who I am, but I am not a bully," Christie said in his address. But the Republican party leadership has been notably slow to come to his defence, suggesting that while he may be popular among voters, he lacks key political support. Still, Christie represents a rare conservative politician able to cross the political gulf that divides America. More than 1,000 state prisoners escaped in Christie's first 29 months in office after New Jersey handed over inmates to privately run halfway houses. His administration spent from a $60m federal fund earmarked for Hurricane Sandy recovery on re-election advertising. He's been accused of spending lavishly on trips and hotels only loosely connect to state business.
But with the bridge episode now under federal investigation, wider attention is being paid to controversies that had remained largely unnoticed beyond New Jersey. Long-time Fort Lee resident and businessman Robert Sisti said Christie had betrayed his own tough-guy values with the exhibition. "If you do something wrong, apologise and that's it. Don't take up two hours of TV time giving a speech about how you didn't know. Stand up. Be a man."
More than 1,300 state prisoners escaped in Christie's first 29 months in office, after New Jersey handed over inmates to privately run halfway houses. His administration spent money from a $60m federal fund earmarked for Hurricane Sandy recovery on advertising. And he has been accused of spending lavishly on trips and hotels only loosely connected to state business. To make matters worse, Sisti says, Christie followed up with a trip to Fort Lee to apologise in person, snarling the town in traffic. "By harping on makes you look guilty. I would have more respect for him if he said, 'Okay. I knew about it. It was a vendetta.' But now he looks like a liar who doesn't even have control of his own people."
Longtime Fort Lee resident and businessman Robert Sisti said Christie had betrayed his own tough-guy values. "If you do something wrong, you apologise and that's it. You don't take up two hours of TV time giving a speech about how you didn't know. Stand up. Be a man."
To make matters worse, Sisti says, Christie followed that up with a trip to Fort Lee to apologise in person, snarling the town in more traffic.
"Harping on about it makes you look guilty. I would have more respect for him if he had said, 'Okay. I knew about it. It was a vendetta'. But now he just looks like a liar who doesn't even have control of his own people."
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