Contrast

Lois Lerner – The IRS Director who orchestrated the suppression of Tea-Party and other right-wing groups from registering as tax-exempt organizations in advance of the 2012 presidential election.  Ms. Lerner, after asserting her innocence in this matter in front of a Congressional hearing, then refused to answer any question citing her Fifth Amendment rights.  Ms. Lerner has subsequently been allowed to retire from the government with full benefits … see: Christian Science Monitor Story.  Nobody in the Obama administration has been fired as a result of this gross malfeasance.

Bridget Anne Kelly – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff who sent an e-mail to Port Authority executive David Wildstein suggesting that Fort Lee, New Jersey might experience some traffic problems after its Mayor had refused to endorse Christie for Governor in the 2013 election ... which then resulted in huge traffic jams at the George Washington Bridge. When Governor Christie was informed of her action, he immediately fired Ms. Kelly for lying to him … see: Chicago Tribune Story.  Mr. Wildstein retired from the Port Authority last December ... and is now also asserting his Fifth Amendment protection at a state inquiry about this matter in Trenton.

Toast

There is something very sinister about politics … as they say, “it ain’t beanbag.”  Chris Christie, once beloved by the media, is now a Republican presidential front runner and, therefore, experiencing the cold steel of the media assegais (an old W.C. Fields word … in “The Bank Dick” … see: The Long Knives).  Some boneheads on Christie’s staff apparently tried to take revenge on the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ for not supporting Christie in his re-election effort last fall.  They (again apparently) had a crony shut down three lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee … creating a traffic nightmare there … sees: NewYorker Story.

Now, as I have previously indicated, I am not a Christie groupie (see: Rinos), but I do feel a little pang of condolence seeing such a McCain-job pulled on yet another Republican.  This smacks very much of the tactics that have been previously used by the Democrats (the Clintons and Obama in particular) to crush upstart Republican opponents.  Of course, a key element in such take-downs is the willing cooperation of important media outlets … and somehow this always happens.  What is more unnerving is that many conservatives will not rally to Christie’s defense because of his past animosity and sins toward them.  I’m certain that these assegai attackers counted on this reaction.

I confidently predict that whatever Christie does to counter this smear in his press conference today, it will not be quite enough.  And this will be just the first round of Christie’s waterboarding by the liberal press and talking heads … while (too) many on the right stay mum.  He is now effectively toast.  Can’t you just see Hillary quietly smirking her chipmunk grin?