Capitalism - Feudalism without the King
Tax the Rich

Knitting Friday - Oh, no it's not!

 

Let's talk about the NJ Gov, Chris Christie, a bully of a man. And I mean as a consummate bully. My theory (and don't I have theories?) is that he got elected and then re-elected in a very Democratic and Independent state because thousands of frustrated voters thought: Hey! This guy will talk back to all those bozos who are making my life miserable. And lower my taxes. Well, he hasn't done either because bullies only "bully" for their own agenda, not yours. Also, many Democratic politicians have been eerily unwilling to take him on.

 

Until now, perhaps. For it seems that the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee (the town from which the George Washington Bridge - apparently the most traveled in the world! - starts its span from NJ into NYC) did not endorse Christie for reelection last November (Mr. Mayor is not one of our spineless Dems) and the Gov was not pleased.

So in retaliation, this September the bridge had lane closures for a "traffic study" causing a myriad of stand-still traffic for days. From September to just yesterday, the Gov denied any punitive action in this: His office was not involved. It was a traffic study. I know nothing.

Even after e-mails from his top aides (and these gals/guys had to think their backs were well-covered to write so blatantly) were discovered where one top aide e-mails 3 weeks before the "traffic study": Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee., and another writes back: Got it., the Gov was in denial mode.

But only fools think that e-mails are private. And, now that the scandal is out and there's nowhere to hide, the Gov is in his best Claude Rains mode from Casablanca: Gambling is going on in here. I am shocked!, as he throws his aides on the sword by firing them and hopes his I'm so sorry mea culpa will be believed.

 

Boing Boing's picture on 1/8 says it all:

http://boingboing.net/2014/01/08/who-will-gov-christie-pick-as.html

 

Maybe this will all blow over and Christie will continue on his dream trajectory to the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 because people are so somafied (Brave New World drug: "By this time the soma had begun to work. Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles. Even Bernard felt himself a little melted.") that they won't get/won't care that top aides do the bidding of the governor. They are chosen by the governor to watch his back. They are not recruited for their rogue talents in bringing down an administration. You're looking at a vindictive administration, starting from the top; which got caught. Bullies are never your friends.

And back to other things. My cell phone is still in rice. Yesterday, it received a text message and said it was 88% charged. When DH returns today, we may turn it on. My life is Zen-like without my cell. I no longer have to worry: Where's my phone? It's in the rice! Bliss!

For next week in knitting: The frigid weather on Monday convinced me that I have to make a warm shawl, like the Irish women used to wear (still wear?) so I can run out for the mail without layers of clothes. I'll have patterns for you. Maybe pictures, but I'm such a liar about pictures. 

See you next week. Happy Knitting.