Thomas Friedman: Chris Christie story ‘really sick’

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Interesting take. New Jersey shall forthwith be known as Chris Christie's New Lebanon.

Thomas Friedman: Chris Christie story ‘really sick’

Columnist Thomas Friedman called messages from a friend of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie mocking the children of Christie’s political opponent “sick,” comparing the situation to civil war in the Middle East.

The New York Times columnist was responding to text messages revealed Wednesday between a Christie ally and former Port Authority official David Wildstein and an unknown person about September lane closures on the George Washington Bridge, in which the unidentified person said they felt bad for school buses stuck in traffic and Wildstein replied they were the children of Barbara Buono voters, Christie’s former gubernatorial opponent.

“When I read that quote, Joe, about ‘who cares about those kids, they voted for the other guy.’ The first thing that came to my mind was that’s exactly how Sunnis would talk about Shiites or Shiites would talk about Sunnis in Baghdad or Beirut,” Friedman told host Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday.

Friedman drew a comparison to conditions that plunged Lebanon into civil war, saying the messages are “sick.”

“The Lebanese civil war started in 1975 when a school bus got shot up,” Friedman said. “And I think that’s a sign of how — sometimes you need to read a quote like that to realize how far we’ve descended, how deep the polarization has become. These aren’t fellow citizens, these aren’t fellow New Jerseyans: They are the enemy. That’s really sick.”

Christie has been accused by the mayor of a New Jersey town near the bridge of ordering the lane closures as political retribution for not supporting Christie in his reelection campaign.

Christie has denied any involvement in the closures, and Wednesday issued a statement that he had never before seen the exchanges that were made public.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/thomas-friedman-chris-christie-bridge-101959.html#ixzz2pxR1k628

[Pooky 3,840]

Interesting take. New Jersey shall forthwith be known as Chris Christie's New Lebanon.

Oh, the hyperbole of it!

[unsmiley 111]

_{Look what CC's staff did was inexcusable, but to make an analogy to Sunnis and Shiites is ridiculous.}

Edited January 10, 2014 by unsmiley

[Danno 1,228]

I'm not a fan of Christie but he was kinda looking presidential there.

Addressing the problem, fired those who let him down and took hardball questions until the cows came home.

If only Obama would have half the integrity, instead we get stories about Youtube videos to give Obama cover on embassy attacks.

We get a screwed up health insurance system and after all this time, not one person has had to answer for it.

Obama, are you watching how leadership is done?

[Karee 4,191]

Man the left is terrified of this guy. Next thing you know they'll be comparing him to Hitler. If they haven't already.

[TBoneTX 46,213]

Oh, the hyperbole of it!

But hyperbole is the best thing ever!

[MyLittlePony 340]

He is the next obama.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

_{Look what CC's staff did was inexcusable, but to make an analogy to Sunnis and Shiites is ridiculous.}

I'm not sure it is really, at least the language being used exposes a sort of tribalism. I wouldn't take it anymore literally than that.

The fact that a supposedly mature adult can collectively punish other citizens and their children and take a serious view that they are somehow the enemy because they didn't vote for the Governor? That's pretty amazing, and not in a good way.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Papa Lazarou

[lostinblue 1,989]

Let the RHINO go where he should be ..... join the democratic party,

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I thought it was RINO. Regardless, the fact that you disown the guy like that kind of proves the author's point.

Tribal partisan BS.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

But hyperbole is the best thing ever!

Isn't it?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Let the RHINO go where he should be ..... join the democratic party,

Just curious LIB, who's your choice for the Republican ticket in 2016?

On a side note, I think it's kinda funny that your initials spell LIB.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Just curious LIB, who's your choice for the Republican ticket in 2016?

On a side note, I think it's kinda funny that your initials spell LIB.

I think lib is going to change his name in the near future...

[lostinblue 1,989]

I think lib is going to change his name in the near future...

It is too early to tell who will be running.....No reason to have a name change..

[Teddy B 17,252]

It is too early to tell who will be running.....No reason to have a name change..

If you could hand pick someone, who would it be?