Despite the fact that there is no front runner for the 2016 GOP Presidential Nomination, I had always believed that Chris Christie was the odds on favorite due to his being re-elected Governor in a blue state by a landslide last November. His victory was due in part by inroads among women and minorities, constituencies that Republicans desperately need to reach out to if they want to remain a viable presidential party in the near future.
But in the wake of e-mails and text messages released today that reveal that some of Christie's top aids closed down George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey last September because Fort Lee's Democratic Mayor declined to endorse Christie for re-election, Christie's own political future in New Jersey may be at stake more than his presidential ambitions.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" said Christie's deputy chief of staff Anne Kelly in an e-mail to one of Christie's old high school friends David Wildstein, who was appointed at the Port Authority that controls the bridge.
When Wildstein texted Kelly that he felt sorry for the kids of Fort Lee, Kelly texted back that they were children of Barbara Buono voters, referring to Christie's Democratic opponent last November.
"Is it wrong that I am smiling?" Wildstein texted Kelly. No it's not, Kelly replied.
Today might go down in history as the day that Christie's political fortunes changed dramatically, the day that a storm as big as Sandy washed away any hope of Big Boy ever occupying the Oval Office. The closure of George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, led to a delay in an ambulance response to a cardiac arrest. So not only did the lane closure lead to inconvenient traffic problems for many residents of the Garden State, but it also could have lead to the death of an individual just because he lived in a city where the mayor was of a party different from that of Christie's.
Ever since taking office, Christie was seen as a bully by many in the media. But his victory just a few months ago was in part due to New Jerseyan's believing he was a bully that was on their side. Before Christie can entertain any thoughts of sitting in the Oval Office chair, he's going to have to answer to the people of Fort Lee about why his office retaliated against them for political purposes.
But in the wake of e-mails and text messages released today that reveal that some of Christie's top aids closed down George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey last September because Fort Lee's Democratic Mayor declined to endorse Christie for re-election, Christie's own political future in New Jersey may be at stake more than his presidential ambitions.
"Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" said Christie's deputy chief of staff Anne Kelly in an e-mail to one of Christie's old high school friends David Wildstein, who was appointed at the Port Authority that controls the bridge.
When Wildstein texted Kelly that he felt sorry for the kids of Fort Lee, Kelly texted back that they were children of Barbara Buono voters, referring to Christie's Democratic opponent last November.
"Is it wrong that I am smiling?" Wildstein texted Kelly. No it's not, Kelly replied.
Today might go down in history as the day that Christie's political fortunes changed dramatically, the day that a storm as big as Sandy washed away any hope of Big Boy ever occupying the Oval Office. The closure of George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, led to a delay in an ambulance response to a cardiac arrest. So not only did the lane closure lead to inconvenient traffic problems for many residents of the Garden State, but it also could have lead to the death of an individual just because he lived in a city where the mayor was of a party different from that of Christie's.
Ever since taking office, Christie was seen as a bully by many in the media. But his victory just a few months ago was in part due to New Jerseyan's believing he was a bully that was on their side. Before Christie can entertain any thoughts of sitting in the Oval Office chair, he's going to have to answer to the people of Fort Lee about why his office retaliated against them for political purposes.
