# Did Christie (or his staff) intentionally cause the Fort Lee traffic jam? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 9, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351 "2014-01-09T13:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 62
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1221 "2014-04-16T13:52:43Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Ricky Perry’s “Bridgegate”? > > [The Houston Press](http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2014/04/rick_perry_the_rise_and_fall_o.php) summarizes some of the questionable items in Perry’s past. And draws a comparison with the effect of the bridge story on Christie’s possible candidacy for President. Might Perry’s brewing trouble affect his future hopes? Ben Sargent[recognized a parallel](http://www.texasobserver.org/rick-perry-amateur/) back in February… > > As the story unfolds, it may warrant a thread of its own. Everything isn’t about Texas, Bridget. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1222 "2014-04-16T14:03:35Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Actually very little of the article was about the lane reassignment, and most was about Christie’s slimy past. It did mention that they had a list of Democratic politicians they want to get to endorse Christie, and Sokolich was high on this list. It also mentioned how Christie did not support Republicans running in southern NJ in return for the tacit support of the Democratic bosses there. And the bottom part of the article includes denials of the accusations made in the upper half. Which part is actually correct? Which part do you want to be correct? On the other hand, why wait, the tar has been on simmer for a quite a while and feathers are already plucked. It would be a shame to waste 'em. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1223 "2014-04-16T14:07:38Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The best way, perhaps the only way, that you can prove that your opinion is fair and unbiased is by a wholesale endorsement of the position offered by **doorhinge**. Finally, someone who remembers the concept of innocent until proven guilty. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1224 "2014-04-16T14:15:27Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Essentially that he’s a long-time political reporter, with a lot of connections and sources, for the state’s long-time leading daily newspaper, and does not AFAIK have any sort of reputation as a partisan. > > Now why do you give him so much less credence about Christie’s conduct than you give to Christie’s own hired lawyers? 😉 They both have a chance to back up their findings/claims with facts. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1225 "2014-04-16T14:17:07Z")
> [@MacCat](#): > > That’s why I said I evaluate the source. > Did I say that? Rizzo was the source of the article that we were discussing. Which source were you referring to? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1226 "2014-04-16T14:20:45Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Finally, someone who remembers the concept of innocent until proven guilty. Everyone remembers that. You may have noticed the Governor is not in prison. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1227 "2014-04-16T15:10:09Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Everything isn’t about Texas, Bridget. I was just pointing out a parallel story, in which a potential Presidential Nominee may have the media examining his checkered past on the strength of one news story. > [@](#): > > Will all of this rich Texas dirt hurt Perry’s 2016 Presidential aspirations? It could be, if the bridge drama of New Jersey’s Chris Christie goes badly. Once the political mobs get a whiff of a candidate’s blood, they become insatiable. One bright spot is that it may relieve the RNC of some work because the vetting for the GOP’s 2016 presidential field is being shared with grand juries. I do hope this story becomes worthy of its own thread. In the meantime, I’m sorry for violating the sanctity of\* your\* thread. (Well, actually I am not.) ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1228 "2014-04-16T22:13:33Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Rizzo was the source of the article that we were discussing. Which source were you referring to? What are you talking about? Who is “we”, you and I or you and someone else? What reference? Where was I referring to a source? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1229 "2014-04-17T16:49:56Z")
> [@MacCat](#): > > All those italics made it very easy to not bother reading any of that. > [@doorhinge](#): > > Why doesn’t that surprise me? Did you read the linked article that **ElvisL1ves** provided in post 1199? > [@MacCat](#): > > Skimmed it. But it _was_ nicely formatted, paragraphed and no huge areas of italics,_YAWN_s or triple question marks jumped out to say “Don’t waste your time reading this”. > [@doorhinge](#): > > I believe you should waste your time reading it. Only then can you analyze the article and pick the nits out of it. One side says black, the other side says white. Which side can actually support their position? Is one side resorting to rumors and innuendo? Is the author preaching to the choir? > [@MacCat](#): > > I simply don’t have the time to read everything about topics that may interest me. I rely on evaluating what those whose job _it is_ to do that. I respect some sources more than others by their track record and take it from there. As I’ve said, I have my thoughts on Christie’s involvement, but it’s the evidence I’m interested in and will then judge accordingly. > [@doorhinge](#): > > (underline added) > > OK. Are you saying you rely on evaluating someone else’s opinion of the article based on your assumption that they actually read the article or were/were not providing bias of their own? > [@MacCat](#): > > What I mean to say is I rely on reporters and journalists, etc. to interpret and evaluate these things and I use my evaluations of those people to form my opinions. > > For example, I really do not know about, nor care to learn about, electricity. I have great respect for those who do, but it is not my area of expertise. When I need to find out about electrical work, I will not attempt to learn it, but rely on those I’ve spoken to in the past that have logically explained the important issues to me as well as considering those highly recommended by others and I will dismiss those whose explanations are obviously not as competent or well informed. > [@doorhinge](#): > > I have found that “reporters” and “journalists”, as well as media outlets, sometimes have a bad habit of rushing to judgment, repeating rumors, starting rumors, and pursuing political agendas. > > What is it about Salvador Rizzo of The Star-Ledger that you find so trust-worthy or accurate or un-biased? > [@MacCat](#): > > That’s why I said I evaluate the source. > > Did I say that? > [@doorhinge](#): > > Rizzo was the source of the article that we were discussing. Which source were you referring to? > [@MacCat](#): > > What are you talking about? Who is “we”, you and I or you and someone else? What reference? Where was I referring to a source? I was under the impression that we (you and eye) were discussing the linked article listed in post 1199. You had said that you relied on the evaluations of others because you were too busy to read the article yourself. The linked article in post 1199 was authored by Salvador Rizzo. Repeat - \* [quote=“MacCat, post:1214, topic:678351”] What I mean to say is I rely on reporters and journalists, etc. to interpret and evaluate these things and I use my evaluations of those people to form my opinions.\* Since Rizzo wrote the linked article, I was curious if he was the reporter/journalist you were referring to when you said, “That’s why I said I evaluate the source”, followed by, “Did I say that?” ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1230 "2014-04-17T20:08:28Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I was under the impression that we (you and eye) were discussing the linked article listed in post 1199. No, I wasn’t discussing that article with you or anyone. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1231 "2014-04-25T15:02:53Z")
From [Staten Island Live](http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/04/report_bridgegate_investigator.html) > [@](#): > > Investigations spawned by Gov. Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” scandal are reverberating on Staten Island, causing concern that crucial Bayonne Bridge and Goethals Bridge projects could be delayed. > > Investigators are looking into former Port Authority chairman David Samson’s votes to award $2.8 billion in contracts for the Bayonne Bridge raising and Goethals Bridge replacement projects to construction companies that have ties to his law firm, the New York Times reported. _If_ Samson is found to have to abused his connections and position he will hopefully be punished. At the very least, perhaps the whole Bridgegate Scandal will force a major fix of the Port Authority’s reeking corruption. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1232 "2014-05-07T02:11:03Z")
Ex Christie aide Christina Renna’s testimony gives some insight into the inner workings of Christie’s office. She seems candid about the weird attitude towards Mayor Sokolich. > **[Chris Christie aide testifies on Bridget Kelly’s anger at Fort Lee mayor,...](https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/05/06/chris-christie-aide-testifies-on-bridget-kellys-anger-at-fort-lee-mayor-deleting-bridgegate-email/)** > > A former aide to scandal-scarred New Jersey Gov. Christie testified Tuesday that the mayor of Fort Lee was in the doghouse with Team Christie. Christina Genovese Renna said she didn’t know wh… > [@](#): > > Renna, who quit in February — a month after the scandal broke — said Kelly was furious when she found out that one of her underlings met with the Fort Lee mayor. > > “She was clearly angry about that, though I didn’t know why,” Renna told the panel. > > Kelly’s reaction “seemed strange,” said Renna, and left her thinking Sokolich had done “something critically wrong.” > > Renna added that Kelly “was not a decision maker.” > > “She relied on a lot of people to make decisions for her,” Renna said. “She looked for guidance a lot.” > Asked why she never questioned Kelly about the mysterious lane closures, Renna answered, “I thought I would lose my job.” > > Asked whether she believes Kelly was the “architect” of what’s come to be called Bridgegate, Renna said no. > > “I think she was participating in whatever this was,” Renna said. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1233 "2015-11-20T14:57:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I don’t think he’ll be impeached, either. He’ll resign. When it is revealed, and it will be, that he approved of or conceived of the intentional traffic shutdown, he will resign. > [@](#): > > In short, I predict that he will not resign. If I think of it, I will try to find this post (perhaps with a bookmark) in a few months. Ok, can we agree that my prediction proved correct and yours wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1234 "2015-11-20T16:31:23Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Ok, can we agree that my prediction proved correct and yours wrong? Gosh, your uneducated, uninformed guess ended up being right? Well, I’m so sad for you that you had to wait 18 months for validation, so here it is: Good Job **brazil84**. This is the best thing you’ve ever done! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1235 "2015-11-20T17:32:18Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Ok, can we agree that my prediction proved correct and yours wrong? You might wait till the game is over before you start uncorking the champagne. There are plenty of shoes left to drop and hopefully they’ve got time to find an orange jumpsuit in Christie’s size. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1236 "2015-11-20T17:54:27Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Gosh, your uneducated, uninformed guess ended up being right? Well, I’m so sad for you that you had to wait 18 months for validation, so here it is: > > Good Job **brazil84**. This is the best thing you’ve ever done! Gosh, you sound bitter. Maybe if the LSM hadn’t been creating stories instead of reporting the facts, your hopes of Christie being found responsible wouldn’t have risen so high, and crashed so hard. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1237 "2015-11-20T17:56:15Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Gosh, you sound bitter. Maybe if the LSM hadn’t been creating stories instead of reporting the facts, your hopes of Christie being found responsible wouldn’t have risen so high, and crashed so hard. Again with “LSM?” I thought you realized how stupid that was. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1238 "2015-11-20T17:59:20Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Gosh, you sound bitter. Maybe if the LSM hadn’t been creating stories instead of reporting the facts, your hopes of Christie being found responsible wouldn’t have risen so high, and crashed so hard. I think your talents are wasted on the StraightDope, when you could be posting comments to YouTube videos instead. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1239 "2015-11-20T18:15:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > You might wait till the game is over before you start uncorking the champagne. Lol, I guess that means you are still confident he will resign over bridgegate? > [@](#): > > There are plenty of shoes left to drop and hopefully Well there’s what you hope for, and there’s reality. And the two are not necessarily the same. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351/1240 "2015-11-20T18:23:36Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > Gosh, your uneducated, uninformed guess ended up being right? In fairness, Brazil’s uneducated, uninformed guess appears more correct at this point in than BobLibDem’s uneducated, uninformed guess. Though, in fairness to BobLibDem, which Christie clearly hasn’t resigned, this scandal does seem to have completely destroyed his presidential ambitions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351.md?page=61) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-christie-or-his-staff-intentionally-cause-the-fort-lee-traffic-jam/678351.md?page=63)