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Chris Christie owes Fort Lee and all New Jersey residents an apology for Bridgegate. Will they get it?
Chris Christie, after months and months of claiming neither he nor his office had anything to do with the all but entire closing of the Fort Lee access to and from the George Washington Bridge, today was forced to confront the truth.
Emails obtained by the New York Times and other media outlets prove that a top Christie aide was responsible for wreaking havoc on the small community that borders the Hudson River into New York City.
In short, in response to the Mayor of Fort Lee’s refusal to endorse the New Jersey Governor, for four days, including the first day of school and September 11, residents and travelers using thew nation’s busiest bridge were forced to squeeze from four lanes into one.
Christie has not apologized but did issue a statement in which he claims he is “outraged and deeply saddened” and says he was “misled.”
The statement also says the closure of the GWB was “unacceptable,” “completely inappropriate and unsanctioned,” and, he says, “made without my knowledge.”
“One thing is clear: this type of behavior is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it because the people of New Jersey deserve better. This behavior is not representative of me or my Administration in any way, and people will be held responsible for their actions.”
Note, again, no apology.
“When it’s man-made and when it was done with venom and when it was done intentionally, it is, in my mind, the prime example of political pettiness,” Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich said.
The emails “indicate what we’ve come to expect from Gov. Christie – when people oppose him, he exacts retribution,” Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz said. “When people question him, he belittles and snidely jokes. And when anyone dares to look into his administration, he bullies and attacks.”
Earlier today The New Civil Rights Movement asked:
What would a President Chris Christie do, if given a chance in the Oval Office?
Would he continue to use his power to shut down access to towns and states that didn’t vote for him?
No, been there, done that — and it would be too obvious.
But would he use his power to bully and deny access to government programs and services states badly need?
Could a blue state count on immediate FEMA help during a crisis if they didn’t vote for Christie? Would there be presidential executive orders that somehow worked to punish counties or states that voted Democratic?
The new question is even easier: Why didn’t Christie know — assuming he’s not lying now — and why didn’t he take this as seriously as everyone else in his state, and there nation?
Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr