We have a lot of news to cover today and it seems as if the New Jersey Star-Ledger has devoted its entire news team to cover Governor Christie today. Thanks as usual to a2nite who sent me 3 of these articles.
Tony Kurdzuk speaking for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, seems to be growing suspicious of that Governor Christie's memory lapses of key moments in the Bridgegate scandal occur at remarkably convenient times.
Kurdzuk reviews David Wildstein's claim that he told Christie about the lane closings on September 11. We've just heard Michael Drewniak's testimony that David Wildstein told him of this conversation on December 4, and that Drewniak told Christie of Wildstein's claim as well as telling him that Bridget Kelly and Bill Stepien were also involved when Drewniak met with Christie in his office on December 5.
Governor Christie claims he remembers none of this. Randy Mastro reports this is understandable because Christie is such a busy man. Yeah right. A political animal like Christie is no going to remember personally handling the management of David Wildstein's resignation for executing the GWB bridge closings which is already a major scandal which could bring down Christie's career and Drewniak reports that not only Wildstein is involved but so are is campaign manager Bill Stepien and Bridget Kelly who works in his office! "Oh, gee, well I was so busy with Christmas coming up, and all." Give me a break, folks, does Christie think we are stupid?
Michael Drewniak also testified that during that December 5 meeting Governor Christie "wondered aloud whether Stepien was deceiving him by hiding what he knew" about the GWB land closings" But, wouldn't this be an odd thing to do if Governor Christie had no idea that any of his staff were involved as Christie asserts?
“I always wondered if Stepien knew more about this,” the governor said, according to Drewniak. ...
That revelation is potentially damaging to the governor. For one, he claimed unequivocally during a Dec. 13 press conference that no one in his inner circle knew about the lane closures. Drewniak’s testimony indicates that the governor had his suspicions, but decided to keep them secret. It is also revealing, and a bit revolting, to note that Drewniak watched the governor make this misleading statement without making a peep.
Again, Tony Kurdzuk asks how does Governor Christie explain his one? He reminds us of Christie's response when "(a)sked about it on his 101.5 FM radio show Tuesday night, the governor said he has 'very little recollection of that conversation.'"
Perhaps we finally have our explanation for why Stepien was really fired. The governor claimed that the tone of Stepien’s emails was offensive, and that it caused him to lose faith in Stepien's judgement. Please. In one of Drewniak’s emails, he discussed his desire to claw out Wildstein’s eye, fill the sockets with gasoline, and light it on fire. If you are going to fire someone for the tone of their emails, surely Drewniak would have been first in line.
Kurdzuk notes sarcastically notes that polls show peoples don't believe Christie's implausible stories and its not hard to figure out why.
Brent Johnson, also of the Star Ledger, who seem to have a whole Chris Christie team, reports, challenges Governor Christie's recent assertion that his 2016 presidential chances are alive, well, and as strong as ever by reporting that Christie's 2016 chances questioned by Republican donors, report says.
TRENTON — Some top Republican donors from the business world don't agree with Gov. Chris Christie's assessment that the George Washington Bridge scandal will be a "footnote" on his record by the time he decides whether to run for president in 2016, according to a report by the Associated Press. ...
"I think it will have none, because I didn't do anything," he said. "My future is going to be based upon (my) record and how people in the state feel about me. And if I decide to do something more, it's going to be how people in the country feel about me. I think this will be a footnote by the time any of those decisions need to be made."
But shortly after his comments in the nation's capital, Republican donors gathered for a hedge fund conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Even fans of Christie said the scandal has probably damaged his political brand permanently and that they have been forced to consider another presidential contender who is friendly to business, according to the AP's report.
Governor Christie's bad day continues below the orange squiggles.
Susan K. Livio of The Star-Ledger reports Feds rescind NJ's $7.6 million unused Obamacare grant. to launch the health care exchange which Christie declined to create
TRENTON — With a simple accounting adjustment, the Obama administration has rescinded a $7.6 million grant Gov. Chris Christie left unspent when he declined to create a health exchange to carry out the Affordable Care Act, a federal spokeswoman confirmed.
In 2012, Christie chose to let the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, create the exchange for New Jersey 's uninsured population. That kicked off nearly two years of private negotiations over how the state would use the money intended to launch the exchange — the online insurance marketplace people would shop for coverage.
Insurance Commissioner Ken Kobylowski has said he asked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who oversees CMS, to allow more flexibility in how the state could use the $7.6 million grant.
HHS refused Kobylowski's request.
Tony Kurdzuk reports that Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley has called for the SEC to investigate a $25 million investment of the NJ pension fund in Massachusetts Democrat calls for SEC investigation into NJ pension fund investment
In May 2011, Baker donated $10,000 to the New Jersey Republican State Committee. He is listed as a partner in General Catalyst Partners, a venture capital fund, according to the fund's website. Seven months after Baker's donation to New Jersey Republicans, Catalyst Partners received a $25 million investment from the state of New Jersey.
As a result of Baker's affiliation with General Catalyst, the contribution, made during a Boston fundraiser headlined by Gov. Chris Christie and first reported by the website Pando Daily, may have violated New Jersey's rules governing pay to play. The rules are designed to limit contractor influence on politicians.
Today, Democratic Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, who also is running for governor, demanded the federal Securities and Exchange Commission look into the investment.
Darryl Isherwood of the Star Ledger reports Christie trails Clinton in swing state poll of presidential contenders
Gov. Chris Christie trails Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton by
eight points among Ohio voters in a head-to-head match up of potential
presidential contenders, a new poll shows.
According to the latest poll from Quinnipiac University, Christie sits in the middle of the pack of potential GOP hopefuls. Like Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul trails Clinton by eight points among Buckeye State voters, while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush trails Clinton by nine.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich performs the best against Clinton among his home state voters, trailing by just five points.
Oddly enough in the February Quinnipiac survey Christie trialed Clinton by 13 points. Apparently for people on the right Christie's troubles in New Jersey do not matter. That may change if he has to campaign from behind bars.
Being a dog of few words, I will leave to readers to analyze our stories tonight. Thanks again to a2night for sending me three of these articles. I lost track of which three they were. Happy trails.