Christie's Presser

On FoxNews. I've come in late but I'm told he's been forceful. He fired his deputy chief of staff, the one at the heart of the scandal, and says he's continued to think the bridge closings were a traffic study (as they had been claimed to be) until yesterday.

I pointed this out on the podcast last night (which will be available later): Many people are taking the giggling about problems for Fort Lee as proof the closings were politically motivated. That's actually a stolen base which hasn't been earned yet: It's still possible this was indeed a traffic study, and some highly partisan aides giggled over the problems it would cause for a Mayor they didn't like.

That is: Sometimes there is a legitimate reason to do something. For example, let's say you're President, and you've decided to open the Yucca Flats nuclear waste depository. But let's say the Governor of Nevada is a complainer and a political opponent. You'd have every valid policy reason to open the Flats depository, and yet some aides might giggle about the political problems this causes the annoying liberal governor of Nevada. The aides might even say things like "Let's start makin' the Geiger counters redline."

Update: Christie says he fired Bridget Kelly over the Bridge matter, because it was clear that she "lied" to him. He did not fire a second man, but "asked him to move on," because the "color and character" of the remarks made in the emails and texts caused him to lose all confidence in his judgment.

posted by Ace at 11:35 AM

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