Impossible for me to believe that Christie didn't know about it, and approve it, given that his deputy chief of staff ordered it. This'll blow over--unless she strikes back and tells the media that he ordered it or approved it. Then it'll get really ugly.
Exactly. It is undeniable that the traffic ruses were concocted by the people, who have for years worked closest to Christie, and that it was done vindictively for political revenge. Moreover, that an act so disgustingly despicable was so cavalierly carried out with sniggering emails reveals a sick bullying and belligerent attitude within the governor's office, of which Christie can't now claim he was completely unaware.
I liked Christie and thought he was more of a thinking Republican, unlike the candidates shaped by evangelicals, Rove and the Koch Brothers, but I was dismayed that his most damning condemnation of his closest aides was that they lied to him, rather than exacting political revenge on a mayor, who wouldn't support him. He downplayed the effect and inconvenience caused by the days of endless traffic jams intentionally created from his office.
Moreover, weeks ago when he learned that there were accusations of this plan to paralyze Fort Lee, he indignantly and falsely claimed that the lanes were closed, pursuant to a traffic study. Before announcing this falsehood if he truly were being misled, he would have at the very least confirmed that such a traffic study existed and learned what role the closing of the traffic lanes had in such a study.
As for the effect this will have on a presidential bid, who knows. But the story will not be dead. There will be legal action and an investigation, which will last into the campaign years. He'll have to wear that albatross into the primaries.
