because she didn't say anything right away. Or didn't stand up to the bullying like SHE would have done if she had been wearing Zimmer's shoes.

Fucking Mika Brezinski.

shit.

He sits next to her every morning!

is treated as just a face on T.V. or a character in this soap opera you can get away with character assassination. When she is a real person and when you look at this in the perspective of reality, those attacks on her character are exposed for the vacuous nonsense that they are. The problem is that we put blathering idiots in positions to comment on things they know nothing about as if they're experts. And people believe it based on whose "team" they may be on. We're doomed.

depressing element of our current situation. I'm afraid I have to agree with your final sentence.

My impression is that she sits there making contorted, unattractive faces & isn't assertive enough to get more than one or two snarky words in between others talking.

to the empty black hearts of the commentators than those they cover. These soulless creeps are so used to dealing with people whose main motivation is self-promotion and self interest, that they don't understand it when they actually run across somebody who is serving the interest they were elected to serve. Its a foreign concept to them. Probably because they know nothing about acting in the public interest themselves. They are cut from the same cheap phoney cloth as the people they cover. When they run across somebody like Dawn Zimmer acting in the best interest of the people who elected her it doesn't compute in their warped view of the world.

where THEY were in their not reporting Christie's bullying and corruption. I mean, some reporters have been covering it all along, but they're not national media journos with a huge TV stage, like Mika.

She gets on the mayor with her "why didn't you come forward?" when she's ignored the Christie story for a couple of years herself.

Also Christie had a 70% approval rating at that time who the fuck was going to believe her if she did come forward back than.

Political situations has the depth of a kiddie pool. I guess she's buying job security with her blind support of CC.

She's the reason I stopped watching MJ about a year ago. I expect this tough talking shit from him. But she's fucking clueless about political realities, like being caught between a rock and a hard place, like the mayor said she was.

She's a team player, not afraid of retaliation. And she's stupid enough to not understand why a bully like Christy would be nice to her. Mika, you have a national audience, Christy only bullies local women, but that's okay to you. He's nice to you. Go pose in your little black dress for your commercials, obviously that's your calling card, not your intellect.

promoting their cluelessness and/or "I would'a ..." B.S., this morning on the Morning Joe Show. But what caught my attention was their exchange with Robinson ... He practically laughed at their "failure to understand" why Zimmer wouldn't have just (in the words of Joe) "told the Lt. Governor, 'I'll give you 5 seconds to take that back or I'm gonna tell."

but your piece is very compelling, Laxman.

Plus I by now know the history of the Christie Crime Family and what they're capable of doing if someone isn't bowing to their wishes.

who is in charge-Christie or Samson, (and it doesn't really matter) but this kind of pressure and immoral action is how they, and the people who work for them, operate. Its thoroughly discouraging and thoroughly disgusting.

piece. I always thought Guadagno was representing Christie when talking to Mayor Z in the parking lot but either way.. they're both bullies and Samson was up past his neck on the GWB Lane Closures, too. It seems the viper culture of the PA will be getting some major scrutinity, also.

there's soooo much to digest.. but, it will all come out who did what when and where.. eventually. We have brilliant people on the case. In the meantime it's a national mystery of politics at its worst waiting to be solved.




Director of Interstate Capital Projects David Wildstein, Port Authority Chairman David Samson, Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni, Gov. Chris Christie, and Mary Pat Christie, arriving at the site of the Sept. 11 Memorial, Sept. 11, 2013, in this photo obtain by The Wall Street Journal

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/01/14/christie-official-who-arranged-bridge-closures-together-during-fiasco/

What an epic movie this will be.. I hope they do it justice. Weinsteins?

a mystery waiting to be solved. And it will make a great movie some day. I wasn't going to write this but I was getting ready to go to bed last night and I saw Guadagno's press conference. I'm glad I took the time. I can't believe it got 3500 views and nearly 100 recommendations. Never can tell what will get people's attention. I'm glad it was this because its important to understand that there are real people involved in this with real motivations. Knowing what they are is the key to knowing who to believe and who not to believe (for actual reasons-not just because) and to understand why things happen. Because everything happens for a reason.

all those Recs it got!

And, Bully Karma is B****!

Thanks Laxman!

Just like in the movies, the villain has good, and does what it's nature tells it to do, it's nature having been formed by our society and previous experience.

We have a very good hero here, and luckily she keeps a diary! Otherwise she might be easier to dismiss. There's just no way she would have invented all of that.

is the key to knowing how and why things happen and who to blame. Blaming Wolff & Samson or Rockefeller is like blaming a lion for eating a gazelle. It's just what they do. They will do whatever it takes to try to get their way. It's government's job to try to keep them within the bounds of what is good for society as a whole. So the reaction of the government-here it's Christie and his inner circle- to the pressure is where the morality lies. They chose the path of crossing moral (and perhaps legal) boundaries to please the lobbyist. They've never been called on this behavior before. It took the GWB incident to embolden Mayor Zimmer enough to expose them.

This makes a lot of sense, on many levels. Occam's Razor works here.

this is the answer because this is the answer that makes sense and is the simplest reason. The "x-factor" is always what the public official will do in response to the lobbying. Most of the time, extortion is not the answer, just finding a way to accommodate them is the solution. Christie, the heavy-handed bully who is used to getting his way, chose to use what was at his disposal to please his friend/master Samson. He thought he would get what he usually does-compliance. This time, someone stood up to the pressure and actually pushed back.

Great OP, Laxman. These are the days of our lives in Disaster Capitalism.

If it does not make sense, then you must acquit

By the way the Lt Governor said she doesn't know Zimmer from a hole in the wall

SummerSnow found a photo of them at post 30
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024363022#post30


Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

But I thought it was someone else who said that?:

www.democraticunderground.com/10024362989

It's a Chris Christie Feeding Frenzy on DU. A few misbites are bound to happen.

and so was especially disappointed . . .

It was the Holly Assembly lady.

oh so "holier than thou" attitude about what they would have done, ergo, she could not be telling the truth or she has a bad character flaw, or was condoning illegal acitivty - I . Could. Scream.

Today they said she was being "propped up by our own network".

I think she is a woman of courage in a horribly impossible.. IMPOSSIBLE.. situation, trying to do the best for her constituents in a scary situation. She had to play it with kid gloves and she knew it. Nobody would have believed her then, just as these two dipshits don't believe her now.

Wonderful piece !

if she came out and made this claim out of the blue she would have been met with the same denials, although they wouldn't ring as hollow as they do now. She would have been in a bad position-but more importantly her city would have been in a bad position. Protecting Hoboken is her main goal and why she acted as she did. That's what a mayor is supposed to do.

The idiots on T.V. are so used to people whose main motivation is self-promotion and self interest, that they don't understand it when somebody is serving the interest they were elected to serve. Its a foreign concept to them. Probably because they know nothing about acting in the public interest themselves. They are cut from the same cheap phoney cloth as the people they cover. When they run across somebody like Dawn Zimmer acting in the best interest of the people who elected her it doesn't compute in their warped view of the world.

That you may be connected to her . . . If so - tell her just one woman in NJ believes every single word she says. For all of the reasons you outlined. And she appears to have real steel in her spine - as well as having mastered the greatest combact tactic of all - Bide. Bide Your Time.

I hope the dust settles and she goes to Trenton in the near future. We need more like her down there.

and your assessment of her is accurate. She was forced to keep her mouth shut until the GWB mess gave her the opening to reveal what had taken place. My strong belief, based on my contact with mayors across the state, is that she was not the only one who was paced in a similar position. Hopefully others will also have the courage to come forward now, but I'm not holding my breath.

besides the journal, she has emails.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/21/how-msnbc-s-steve-kornacki-broke-the-latest-christie-scandal.html

I believe her every word. Period.The RW leadership in that state, with the help of so-called democrats, are a corrupt vile bunch that represent what american politics has always been. Money drives our politics, not high principle, ethics or even truth. Her honor, Ms. Zimmer has shown principle in finally telling the truth about the RW leadership/party of that state. I hope she is successful in gaining the funds needed by her constituents.

like staying quiet or even, God forbid, admitting they were wrong. Smearing the accuser, unfortunately, is the default option. Here, we shouldn't allow them to do this without a healthy dose of shame. Of course, these are people who are immune to such measures.

Its funny, I made a mistake, I screwed up, I'll try to make this right and do better next time is an answer that will often end a scandal.

Aha-madest thou look!

perfect.

record. She has spoken under oath. No one in Christie's camp has done that. They are trying to have the American voters minds made up before they are forced to tell the truth. Luckily for the Republicans, they now own the press and don't have accountability to anyone so they can continue their plan.

There is definitely an element of Ralphie snapping and beating the heck out of the bully Farkus isn't there.



It feels like the entire State of NJ has snapped an is on top of Christie pounding him in the face.

except we're not at the point where he's getting his just due yet. We're at the stage where "somewhere in the tiny recesses of my brain, a tiny flame was burning" is happening. It's just a matter of time.

I wish her the best. I hope that Hoboken appreciates having an honest person as a mayor.

It is a crime to make a false statement to a federal official including a US Attorney http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully—

(1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact;
(2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or
(3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry;

shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both. If the matter relates to an offense under chapter 109A, 109B, 110, or 117, or section 1591, then the term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be not more than 8 years.

(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a party to a judicial proceeding, or that party’s counsel, for statements, representations, writings or documents submitted by such party or counsel to a judge or magistrate in that proceeding.

(c) With respect to any matter within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch, subsection (a) shall apply only to—

(1) administrative matters, including a claim for payment, a matter related to the procurement of property or services, personnel or employment practices, or support services, or a document required by law, rule, or regulation to be submitted to the Congress or any office or officer within the legislative branch; or

(2) any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.

Libby was convicted of one count of obstruction, two counts of perjury and one count of lying to the FBI about how he learned Plame’s identity and whom he told. Prosecutors said he learned about Plame from Cheney and others, discussed her name with reporters and, fearing prosecution, made up a story to make those discussions seem innocuous.

you have described very accurately and clearly the way politics works under whatever local rock one happens to turn over. Great post, thanks.

Our city council was taken over by tea party types. There are 5 people on the council. All Republicans, but only the 2 tea party guys dragged a party insider along and are driving the policy to shrink the public work force and push development projects. The concerns of the city's residents don't matter to them. They got into the business of politics to promote themselves and their construction projects. Everything else is vilified - from education, to police, to local ordinances, parks and recreation, and the infamous pensions and debts. They're even suing our police department using a top priced GOP law firm in the process - Jones Day.

I'm hoping something can be learned from the New Jersey experience to help us vote out our disastrous council majority.

of 90% of the incidences of public corruption. Probably more when you factor in the element of "soft corruption"-that is undue influence and improper access that doesn't involve a quid pro quo. NJ isn't all that unique. We just lay a lot of this out for the world to see. Its actually a result of the very strong ethics and public corruption laws that exist here. (don't laugh) The problem really is as Enough stated above that this is "the way politics works under whatever local rock one happens to turn over".

I think information will end up revealing that Christie was ordering the whole thing. He's in for a rocky four years.

If you had the opportunity to see Up with Steve Kornacki this morning, you saw some e-mails about the Rockefeller Hoboken project. That was a good example of the process and the government's reaction to the efforts of the developer and their attorneys. Dennis Toth is the heavy hitter from Wolff & Samson on redevelopment projects. I had been waiting for his name to surface. You can see that he lined up meetings with the NJ DEP and the governor's office and that the state had decided to expedite the process for Rockefeller.

The meeting that was supposed to be about flooding in Hoboken. It was hijacked, not by Wolff & Samson, but by the state, trying to do the dirty work for Wolff & Samson. Again, if you understand how they work, you understand that Dawn Zimmer is telling the truth.

for consideration in light of what has been revealed in the last couple of weeks.

Really appreciate the explanation, although you certainly didn't have to prove this to me. I'm sufficiently convinced she's telling the truth. From your first point. What does she have to gain by lying? Especially if she can be found untruthful, she goes into deep doodoo. And her sticking her neck out like this - undoubtedly knowing how hardball christie and his cohorts play the game, she's already putting herself at risk. These people are vindictive. I'd bet that whenever this whole sordid business is over with, whatever the outcome, she's STILL at risk. They will try to get revenge. That, too, is how they do business. After all, part of their illusion of power is how rough it can be on you if you don't play ball with them - and the consequences and difficulties you'll face. I'd suspect that'd be enough motivation for some of the weaker targets to try to cave and "play nice." Wonder which "traffic study" might be coming down the pike with her city's name on it?