Perdido 03

Perdido 03

Sunday, February 2, 2014

David Wildstein Ruins Super Bowl Weekend For Chris Christie

Ever since the letter David Wildstein's lawyer sent to the Port Authority alleging that Christie had lied about the GWB lane closures made it into the news on Friday night, Chris Christie has been having a miserable time.

First he had to sneak into Howard Stern's 60th birthday party on Friday so as not to have to respond to questions from the press about the Wildstein memo.

Then yesterday he got booed at a Super Bowl ceremony in Times Square even as the other politicians there seemed to have such a great time:

Mr. Wildstein’s letter came as the governor prepared to celebrate the playing of the Super Bowl in New Jersey.

The governor was booed at a Super Bowl event in Times Square on Saturday, where he sat on stage with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona and Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York. 

While the other three beamed and waved, Mr. Christie looked down. Mr. de Blasio sat next to Mr. Cuomo and punched him playfully throughout the ceremony, and the two giggled.

Ms. Brewer seemed to try to cheer up Mr. Christie. At ceremony’s end, reporters pushed toward the stage and Mr. Christie stepped to the back. When coaxed to the front by Ms. Brewer to pose for a photo, reporters asked Mr. Christie a barrage of questions.

“Governor,” one shouted, “any truth to the allegations?”

Mr. Christie said nothing and walked off the stage behind a giant speaker blaring Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”

Sad Chris Christie - this should be one of the best weekends of his life, with his state hosting the Super Bowl and he serving as its governor.

Instead, he looks like this:


 And this:


Yeah, not having a great weekend, is he?

Judging by how desperate he's gotten in pushing back against Wildstein, I'm betting the next few weeks don't get any better for him.

I wonder if this guy will ever return:


19 comments:

  1. Christie has taken center stage amid the biggest media event of the year, and reporters from across the globe have flocked to New Jersey for a pile on and a football game. Who didn’t see this coming? After all, Christie’s steam seeped from his ears from the start of his administration, berating teachers and others for daring to even question him. When asked something he can’t answer, Christie either calls people “idiots”, or gives idiotic answers. Mr. “I didn’t know what I knew when I knew it” now has bigger problems than a disgruntled teacher.

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    1. It's true - when you run your administration like a thug and you treat people like garbage, it comes back to haunt you. Here's hoping some similar karma comes Andrew Cuomo's way. But if not, I'm happy with Christie's plight too. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy.

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  2. I stated yesterday it's not over to the fat man sings. It didn't take long for Christie's people to paint his former friend as a nut job. The Times has the story, and the character attack against his former BFF is going back to his time in high school.
    So if the guy was a nut job, who appointed him to the MTA, unless David has more on Christie. Didn't Christie say he hadn't really been in touch with this guy for many years???

    Sandy was a God-send to Christie (and Obama) and I am sure he was looking fwd to being a star during all the Super Bowl activities. Being booed in Times Square---priceless!!! And to all those Dems who supported him, hope their polls are going down just like the Seahawks!!!

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    1. Do you think the attempts to paint Wildstein as a nut job worked? They come across as very desperate. To have to go back to high school not once but twice to try and discredit the guy - not exactly the most effective push back in my opinion. If you're worried about Christie squirming out of this, take a look at Moran's column in the Star-Ledger:

      http://blog.nj.com/njv_tom_moran/2014/02/chris_christie_faces_the_wrath.html#incart_m-rpt-2

      Wildstein's turning means more people will turn as they try and save themselves. Who will next look to talk? Kelly? Baroni? Stephien? All of them?

      I think this weekend's events - the Wildstein letter, the Christie response, and the body language from the governor at these SB events - is a very good indication that Christie is very, very worried.

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  3. Hopefully many come out and tell their Christie horror stories...let the blood letting begin-till this thug resigns in disgrace.

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    1. Agreed. But resignation is not the only thing he has to worry about. With the Hoboken extortion scandal, he really has to worry about prison too. We're a long way from that, but the possibility does exist if Zimmer backs up her allegations against the Lt. Governor and the Lt. Governor decides to turn on Christie.

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  4. Ideally, the U.S.S. Christie is surrounded , and pelted with many slings and arrows...until finally , dramatically, nosedives into the sea.

    However, the Captains hubris will sink or save him. He's not leaving the ship unless they literally drag him out of his quarters...regardless of public opinion.

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    1. Another writer seeing the desperation in the Christie email attacking Wildstein yesterday:

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/01/chris-christie-s-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-oppo-dump.html

      Key quote:

      "There are obvious reasons for Christie to want to push back against Wildstein but this email is politically maladroit that it only raises more questions about the burgeoning political scandal and the longstanding relationship between Christie and Wildstein."

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  5. They will have to pry his hands off the wheel...this will be a long process.

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    1. Perhaps. But If Wildstein can back up the allegations with evidence, or one of the other players in this game does the same, even Rudy "I'll say anything for a Republican" Giuliani will stop defending him. And without defenders, Christie is burnt toast. Even in the reaction pieces to the Wildstein letter, Repubs backed Christie up with this disclaimer: "Don't see any evidence in this letter, just an allegation...", which means if and when evidence surfaces, they will toss Christie over the side.

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  6. Doubt he makes prison-but the career is in dire straits if Wildstein has the goods. Over and out...

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    1. I would agree BridgeGate will not put him in prison. But the Hoboken extortion threat as well as some of the Sandy slush fund (see Todd Christie, Port Authority and Harrison, for example) has potential. The problem for Christie is what they unearth as they start looking into him. That's probably where the potential is the greatest.

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  7. If the American justice system is working, this Christie thug will end up spending decades in jail. Unfortunately, the American judges, courts and prosecutors are extremely corrupt. Christie established his political career as a prosecutor. That is where he developed his passion for bullying, harassment and corruption.

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    1. Yes, but lots of people who were on the other end of that now have incentive to do him in. Same could happen to Cuomo too. Bullying works for a long time, fear works for a long time, intimidation works for a long time - but once the efficacy of those tactics end (as has happened for Christie), the bottom drops out.

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    2. Thanks for the pictures RBE. They say a lot and call to mind Jackie Gleason's Ralph Cramden Let's film.new episodes starring the very sad to be caught Chris Christie.

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    3. Just channeled that Kramden link with this post from back in November:

      http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2014/02/oldie-but-goodie-chris-christie-will.html

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  8. Another great opinion piece in TPM Cafe by Brian Murphy, former political reporter in New Jersey and now an assistant professor of history at Baruch College, who worked for David Wildstein in 2002 as the managing editor of PoliticsNJ.com. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/well-that-escalated-quickly

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