The Transmigrating Soul of Richard Nixon

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spent two hours this morning telling the national press corps how sad and outraged he was that at least one of his underlings intentionally caused two days of snarled traffic on one of the nation’s busiest thoroughfares as a political vendetta.   

Real harm was done as a result of the political shenanigans.  One elderly woman died, a search for a missing child was delayed, emergency vehicles were trapped in traffic, and thousands and thousands of angry motorists were unnecessarily stuck in the snarl – for hours.   Real harm was done, and real lawsuits will result.

On one level, I sort of like Christie – even if he is a Republican.  I particularly enjoyed his obvious slights to the Romney campaign in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  (It’s a good thing Romney wasn’t elected, or he might have closed half of the runways at Newark International for a traffic study.  Those Republicans are mean, unforgiving bastards!)

But on another level, Chris Christie represents much that is bad with American politics.    Whether he personally approved the plan to punish the mayor of Ft. Lee by causing that massive traffic jam or not, Chris Christie, by his words and deeds over several years, created a culture within his administration whereby vindictive political payback was an accepted practice.

I understand the governor did not mention his children’s dog or his wife’s cloth coat, but barring those oversights, his performance today – and in the days leading up to today – still bears the strong sulfurous stench of Richard Nixon.     So far Christie has thrown one member of his administration under the bus and appears on the verge of heaving a second – all the while denying his own culpability.  Before the Watergate scandal had run its course, Nixon had thrown most of the West Wing under the bus.

The press stayed on Richard Nixon until he eventually ran out of lies and fall guys.   Chris Christie should expect no mercy from the press or the public.  Watergate was an abstract to much of America, but we all know what traffic jams are and how it feels to be stuck in one.  Traffic jams are personal, and the people of New Jersey are likely to be as unforgiving as . . . well . . .  as unforgiving as the Christie administration

Payback can be a real bitch, Chris!