The Argumentum Excrementum Taurorem

Now, I've been keeping out of Bridgeghazi, as the cognoscenti are calling the ongoing kerfuffle regarding the politically motivated lane closures beaching up George Washington Bridge traffic into the town of Fort Lee, and the corollary matters that have come out since. Facts are still being developed, these are highly controverted allegations of behavior that may involve criminal behavior, and it's unwise to get ahead of the facts.

But this is simply ridiculous:

"The memo from Gov. Chris Christie's office attacking former appointee David Wildstein's credibility landed with a thud. It was a striking and deeply personal broadside coming from a chief executive of a state, and even his allies called it a mistake," Politico reports.

"But one important person hadn't seen the missive ahead of time: the governor himself."

"Christie's aides did not run the document - which took the extraordinary step of highlighting incidents from Wildstein's high school days - by the governor before they sent it out, according to two people familiar with the matter. Instead, someone tucked the high school lines into a daily briefing email to the governor's supporters, and blasted it out earlier than planned. Another round of unflattering news coverage ensued."

Forgive me, but this is, in philosophical sense of the word, bullshit.

Let's recap. A week ago, when it became clear that David Wildstein was not going to fall on his sword for Governor Christie, an e-mail was leaked by Christie's office:

Christie Email

Now, remember, Christie and Wildstein went to high school together, although Christie has sought to minimize their connection. Also, Wildstein's job at the Port Authority was created for him, "with Christie's blessing," to safeguard Christie's political interests.

So, the current story is that e-mail, using Christie's shared past with Wildstein to garner ammunition to attack Wildstein, was sent out without Christie's knowledge or participation. Because, apparently, everyone on Christie's staff is an expert on his high school classmates.

Also, the story eerily echoes Christie's claim that Bridget Kelly, whose e-mail triggered the lane closures, did so without his knowledge, and concealed her involvement from him.

The fact that Christie waited a week before leaking the new claim that he knew nothing--nothing!--about the leaked e-mail (the e-mail was not criminal, mind you, just deeply stupid), makes it that much less credible. But, really, the story also requires one to believe that Christie is surrounded by staffers willing to make the same mistake Kelly is alleged by Christie to have made--to have struck out against a political foe in a way that triggered blow-back, without consulting him. It requires Christie to be hapless, out-of-touch, not in control of his own staff, who nonetheless have a thorough grounding in the politics of Christie's high school days.