Is Bridget Kelly telling the truth?

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2016

Maddow's latest play:
What did Bridget Kelly say yesterday during the "Bridgegate" trial?

If you watched last evening's Maddow Show, you pretty much didn't find out. For the report in the New York Times, you can just click here.

Maddow devoted eight minutes to the topic last night. This morning, the Washington Post gives the topic eight paragraphs, drawn from an AP report.

That said, you learn some essential facts in the Post's first three paragraphs. We refer to some basic facts which weren't spelled out last night:
WASHINGTON POST (10/22/16): New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s former deputy chief of staff testified Friday in her criminal trial that she told him about a traffic study on the George Washington Bridge before sending an email that it was “time for some traffic problems,” which prosecutors say started a political revenge plot.

Bridget Kelly is accused of plotting with two other former Christie allies to close lanes on the bridge that connects New Jersey and New York as revenge against a Democratic mayor who wouldn’t endorse the Republican governor’s reelection effort in 2013.

Kelly maintained Friday that she believed the lane closings to be part of a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey traffic study. She is on trial along with former Port Authority executive Bill Baroni.
We've highlighted some extremely basic facts; another extremely basic fact is found in that third paragraph. Let's get clear on what those facts are, and on the way they should affect our assessments of Kelly's claims.

First, Bridget Kelly was testifying at her own criminal trial. She's a defendant in the trial, charged with criminal conduct. This essential fact was never made clear on last night's Maddow Show.

More specifically, Kelly is accused of plotting to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge as an act of political revenge. Because of that alleged nefarious motive, she faces possible years in prison.

This brings us to something else we learn in the Washington Post. This concerns what Kelly says she told Governor Christie in August 2013, one day before she sent her famous "time for some traffic problems" email.

According to Kelly, she had been told that the lane closings were being planned as part of a legitimate traffic study. She testified that she didn't know that there was a nefarious political motive behind the proposed plan.

She also testified that this is what she told Governor Christie.

According to Kelly, she told Christie about the proposed lane closings weeks before they occurred. But she also testified that he was told that it was a legitimate study with an innocuous purpose. Few people watching Maddow's program would have grasped this fact.

Like you, we have no way of knowing if Kelly's claims are true. It's possible that her claims are all true. It's also possible that she is lying about every point.

That said, viewers of Maddow's program were given a highly selective account of the facts. It isn't clear that a viewer would even have realized that Kelly is the defendant in this trial and might, therefore, have an incentive to lie. On several occasions, Maddow seemed to present Kelly's claims as if they were established facts.

Did Bridget Kelly ever have that conversation with Christie? Like Maddow, we have no idea. It's possible that the conversation occurred, but it's possible that Kelly is lying. Here's the lay of the land:

Kelly is trying to explain, or explain away, a raft of emails she wrote during the course of this episode. On their face, these emails seem to suggest that she knew about the nefarious motives behind the lane closings.

She is being charged with crimes on the basis of those emails. To avoid conviction, she must explain, or explain away, the appearance of guilt those emails seem to convey.

Yesterday, she was explaining why she wrote the famous email which said, "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee." She said she made a poor choice of words concerning a traffic study she believed to be legitimate. She said that she had run the proposal by Christie the day before, telling him that it was legitimate. According to Kelly, this explains why she sent that email the next day.

Is that what actually happened? We have no way of knowing! But Maddow's viewers were given little understanding of these basic events. Instead, they heard about Kelly's (unsubstantiated) claim that Christie once angrily threw a water bottle which hit her on the arm. (Shades of endless claims about Hillary Clinton!) They also heard utterly pointless piffle about the way Christie allegedly scattered some f-bombs around. They also heard about the way Kelly sobbed on the stand.

Have you ever heard the term "more prejudicial than probative?" Maddow's selection of facts was a tribute to this propagandistic, Hannityesque approach, an approach in which our corporate TV hosts display their contempt for their viewers.

Alas! As our "liberal" news sites have proliferated and grown, they've increasingly become propaganda organs, along the lines of Fox. Maddow's program has become much sillier, and more propagandistic, in the past several years. All too often, this is what happens when relatively unstable people are afforded vast wealth and fame (and power).

As of now, no transcript of Maddow's program is available. At a later date, when a transcript appears, we may show you some of what her viewers were told. (Beyond Kelly's testimony, there seems to be a substantial point of dispute about what one other witness said.)

That said, the propagandizing of gullible liberals proceeds apace at our pseudo-liberal profit-making sites. Sadly but inevitably, here's how the news report about Kelly's testimony starts at TPM:
KIRKLAND (10/21/16): In bombshell testimony Friday, Bridget Anne Kelly said that she told New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) that access lanes to the George Washington Bridge would be closed for a traffic study a month before the plan actually was carried out in September 2013.

The former deputy chief of staff testified that the governor approved the study, which prosecutors allege actually was cover-up for a revenge plot against a local Democratic mayor.

Christie has long maintained that he knew nothing about the lane closures that brought traffic in the town of Fort Lee, New Jersey to a days-long standstill until he read about them in the press in late September or early October 2013...
Exciting! But, despite that opening clause, Kelly's statements constitute "bombshell testimony" only if they're true. And because she's on trial charged with a crime, Kelly has an obvious incentive to spin, misremember or lie.

Did Governor Christie know about the lane closings in advance? If so, did he know that they were being planned for nefarious reasons, as an act of revenge?

Everything is possible! For ourselves, it has always seemed implausible that Christie would have concocted or approved such a hair-brained, open-air scheme—a hair-brained, open-air scheme which basically destroyed his shot at the White House.

Plainly, Bridgegate "mastermind" David Wildstein is dumb enough to enact such a scheme. It seems to us that Christie isn't, although that could be wrong.

Like you, we have no way to know what actually happened. We do know this:

Bridget Kelly is on trial, charged with serious crimes. The claims she's making may be true. But she also has a major incentive to lie.

Unless you watch the Maddow Show! There, you'll generally hear a reliable tale about matters like this, a tale you will enjoy.

In our view, Maddow has been damaged by the wealth and fame bestowed upon her by the suits. As has been proven again and again, we humans tend to respond to vast wealth and fame in uninspiring ways.

In the course of the past two years, Maddow's program has become increasingly propagandistic and silly. In the course of all that clowning, her ratings have only grown.

24 comments:

  1. Kelly has 4 kids and certainly wants to stay out of jail. She also wrote an e-mail after hearing of the traffic congestion saying, "Should I be smiling?'

    Why would she react this way if she only believed it was a basic traffic study?

    I still have to believe that CC is arrogant enough to approve of the plan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, I am Theresa Williams After being in relationship with Anderson for years, he broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring him back but all was in vain, I wanted him back so much because of the love I have for him, I begged him with everything, I made promises but he refused. I explained my problem to my friend and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring him back but I am the type that never believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all he said was that he was so sorry for everything that happened that he wanted me to return to him, that he loves me so much. I was so happy and went to him that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem. email: drogunduspellcaster@gmail.com you can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or any other Case.

      1) Love Spells
      2) Lost Love Spells
      3) Divorce Spells
      4) Marriage Spells
      5) Binding Spell.
      6) Breakup Spells
      7) Banish a past Lover
      8.) You want to be promoted in your office
      9) want to satisfy your lover
      Contact this great man if you are having any problem for a lasting solution
      through drogunduspellcaster@gmail.com

      Delete
  2. Strong Love spell to get your ex back fast.
    I’m extremely happy that my broken Marriage has been restored…
    "We recently made up, even though it was difficult. It's been more than a month now, and everything feels like it’s returned to normal. He has begun to treat me better, and it’s been a healing process for both of us. The nightmare that had lasted for almost 2 years before we broke up is finally over. It’s like we fell in love all over again! We’ve both put the past behind us, and are trying to move forward – and for the first time in a long time, the future looks a lot brighter.
    I can’t express in words how grateful I am Dr Unity! It’s like we’ve finally rediscovered those things about each other that made us fall in love in the first place. All of the worrying and stress has simply vanished. Thank you Dr Unity for saving my broken Marriage and brought my husband back to me!".
    Me and my husband are living together happily again.. All thanks to Dr Unity. If you have any problem contact Dr.Unity now and i guarantee you that he will help you.Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com ,you can also call him or add him on whats-app: +2348071622464.
    Sarah, 26 years, Texas, USA.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Maddow does.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "As has been proven again and again, we humans tend to respond to vast wealth and fame in uninspiring ways."

    Bob Somerby, proving himself correct once again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Actually everything we know about Christie suggests he is a hateful bully who relished power over others and would relish abusing his positions. Kelly obviously needs to implicate Christie (and he had to know) but then wants to pretend she didn't know the truth while her contemporaneous words and and acts show full knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "For ourselves, it has always seemed implausible that Christie would have concocted or approved such a hair-brained, open-air scheme—a hair-brained, open-air scheme which basically destroyed his shot at the White House."

    For myself, it has always seemed Somerby has hated Rachel Maddow since she was paraphrased saying one nice thing about Chris Matthews.

    That said, he has been as deranged about her ever since that day as others seem to be about Hillary Clinton. Who has also gotten rich. And has two nice houses in Politician County.

    But I could be wrong. Everything is possible! Including I could be plural. Like you, we have no way to know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somerby has described plenty of valid criticisms of Maddow so it seems implausible to suggest his comments arise from derangement. It is a joke to compare Maddow to Clinton, who is actually as smart as Maddow pretends to be.

      Delete
    2. I for one, don't care for her or her show. Your results may differ.

      Delete
    3. maddow is a hack, and an annoying one at that

      Delete
  7. Are lane closings a normal part of traffic studies? No one says. Not Maddox, not the Times, not Somerby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, the very idea of closing lanes as part of a traffic study is absurd. As a practicing civil engineer, I can speak with some authority.

      You highlight one of the great failings by the media in coverage of this farce. I don't recall Maddow or anyone else on MSNBC inviting a professional civil engineer on to explain how preposterous that notion is.

      It would be analogous to a doctor cutting off a limb to study bleeding.

      Delete
  8. How to Get Your Ex wife/husband Back..My wife and I have been married for 4 years almost 5 on November 11th. She recently told me she wasn't in love with me that she loved me more like a friend. She said she wants a divorce that she has been unhappy fora year now. I've been not so good as far as making promises and not keeping them but I have been trying to change and it doesn't seem to work. I love my wife to death and I took my vowels very seriously. I asked her to go to marriage counciling and she said no.we have 3 kids. We agreed to a 2 month break and try to work things out after that. Some of the problems we face are not having or own place to live and may be debt pile up. I really want things to work. The hurt that I feel is killing me and I’m to the point where I don’t eat and rarely drink anything.one day i was online and there was one particular testimony I saw, it was about a woman called Sonia ,she testified about how Dr.Unity brought back her Ex lover in less than 24 hours and at the end of her testimony she drop Dr.Unity e-mail address. After reading all these,I decided to give Dr.Unity a try. I contacted him via email and explained my problems to him. In just 23 hours, my wife came back to me. We solved our issues, and we are even happier than before.Dr.Unity is really a talented and gifted man and i will not stop publishing him because he is a wonderful man…If you have a problem and you are looking for a real and genuine spell caster to solve that problem for you. Try the great Dr.Unity today, he will be the answer to your problems. Here’s his contact:
    Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com .
    Call him or add him on whats-app: +2348071622464 .
    His website: http://unityspelltemple.yolasite.com .
    Tom Irwin, Manchester, United Kingdom.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I used to like maddow when she was in airamerica. Since then not so much

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too. "All too often, this is what happens when relatively unstable people are afforded vast wealth and fame (and power)."

      Delete
  10. Getting ex boyfriend back after a breakup,I’m extremely happy that will are living together again. Am Maria 21yr from England, my boyfriend of a 4yr just broke up with me and am 30 weeks pregnant.I have cried my self to sleep most of the nights and don’t seem to concentrate during lectures sometimes I stay awake almost all night thinking about him and start to cry all over again.Because of this I end up not having energy for my next day’s classes ,my attendance has dropped and am always in uni and on time.Generally he is a very nice guy ,he ended it because he said we were arguing a lot and not getting along.He is right we’ve been arguing during the pregnancy a lot .After the break up I kept ringing him and telling him I will change.I am in love with this guy and he is the best guy I have ever been with.I’m still hurt and in disbelief when he said he didn’t have any romantic feelings towards me anymore that hurt me faster than a lethal syringe.He texts me now and then mainly to check up on how am doing with the pregnancy,he is supportive with it but it’s not fair on me, him texting me as I just want to grieve the pain and not have any stress due to the pregnancy.i was really upset and i needed help, so i searched for help online and I came across a website that suggested that Dr Unity can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and so on. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a spell for me. 28 hours later, my bf came to me and apologized for the wrongs he did and promise never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. I and my bf are living together happily again.. All thanks to Dr Unity. If you have any problem contact Dr.Unity now and i guarantee you that he will help you.Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com ,you can also call him or add him on whats-app: +2348071622464.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Getting ex boyfriend back after a breakup,I’m extremely happy that will are living together again. Am Maria 21yr from England, my boyfriend of a 4yr just broke up with me and am 30 weeks pregnant.I have cried my self to sleep most of the nights and don’t seem to concentrate during lectures sometimes I stay awake almost all night thinking about him and start to cry all over again.Because of this I end up not having energy for my next day’s classes ,my attendance has dropped and am always in uni and on time.Generally he is a very nice guy ,he ended it because he said we were arguing a lot and not getting along.He is right we’ve been arguing during the pregnancy a lot .After the break up I kept ringing him and telling him I will change.I am in love with this guy and he is the best guy I have ever been with.I’m still hurt and in disbelief when he said he didn’t have any romantic feelings towards me anymore that hurt me faster than a lethal syringe.He texts me now and then mainly to check up on how am doing with the pregnancy,he is supportive with it but it’s not fair on me, him texting me as I just want to grieve the pain and not have any stress due to the pregnancy.i was really upset and i needed help, so i searched for help online and I came across a website that suggested that Dr Unity can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and so on. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a spell for me. 28 hours later, my bf came to me and apologized for the wrongs he did and promise never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. I and my bf are living together happily again.. All thanks to Dr Unity. If you have any problem contact Dr.Unity now and i guarantee you that he will help you.Email him at: Unityspelltemple@gmail.com ,you can also call him or add him on whats-app: +2348071622464.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for sharing the information! Have a look at my website zoxy club, myfrog.io, wheely, wormax, happy wheels, fireboy and watergirl Nice day

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello, I'm here to introduce someone to you all, his name is Dr.Ekpen Temple a spell caster that help me restored my broken relationship, I saw an article on the Internet someone talking about him how he help her in her relationship, today I'm a beneficial of that article, so that is why I'm also talking about how he has helped me so that someone out there that is facing the same challenge can also contact him for help. Here is DR EKPEN TEMPLE contact info: ekpentemple@gmail.com or on Whatsapp number +2347050270218.

    ReplyDelete
  14. BE SMART AND BECOME RICH IN LESS THAN 48 hours....It all depends on how fast you can be to get the new PROGRAMMED blank ATM card that is capable of hacking into any ATM machine,anywhere in the world. I got to know about this BLANK ATM CARD when I was searching for job online about a month ago..It has really changed my life for good and now I can say I'm rich and I can never be poor again. The least money I get in a day with it is about $30,000.Every now and then I keeping pumping money into my account. Though is illegal,there is no risk of being caught ,because it has been programmed in such a way that it is not traceable,it also has a technique that makes it impossible for the CCTVs to detect you..For details on how to get yours today, email the hackers on : (securehackers01@gmail.com ). Tell your loved once too, and start to live large. That's the simple testimony of how my life changed for good...Love you all ...the email address again is securehackers01@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello, I am Miller Smith I’m the most happiest person on the face of the earth, after 6 months of sadness and sorrow without being with the one i love, i tried all my possible best to make sure i make my lover happy but it never seems to work out well it was like am doing everything in vain but all thanks goes to Lord Jaja for coming to change all my worries and sadness to Joy. i knew the great man when i read some wonderful testimony about Lord Jaja how he has helped lots of people on their relationship problems i was reading a magazine when i saw great testimonies, as well my predicament then i decided not to waste time because i have missed my lover so much i decided to contact him and share all my problem with him which he told me not to worry that he is assuring me that within 48 hours everything would be sorted out i believed Lord Jaja so much because of how he has been helping many people, my boyfriend who left me for good suddenly replied my text and returned my calls and asked me to please forgive him i was so happy am so grateful to Lord Jaja for what he has done for me and i promise to testify his goodness all through my life. If you are there passing the same problem or any kinds of problem contact this great man on his email address: lordjaja147@gmail.com
    1. Getting your lover or husband back
    2. Money spell/ good luck spell
    3. Prosperity spell
    4. Protection spells
    5. Get a job spell
    6. Promotion spells
    7. Getting your money back
    8. Freedom spells
    9. Love spell
    10. Avenging spell
    11. Lottery spell

    ReplyDelete
  16. Davidbenjaminltd@outlook.com is indeed the right place to get your blank ATM card. Much has been said about this company which i saw online about their reliability and certified services am reaffirming this because i have tested them too and they are trusted. I got my card 4 days ago and it took just 2 days for it to be delivered to me after i made all necessary payments. If you are tired of wasting your money an time on fake companies then davidbenjaminltd@outlook.com is the right place

    ReplyDelete
  17. I want to thank Dr.Agbazara for his job in my family, this is man who left me and the kids for another woman without any good reasons, i was pain and confuse,till one day when i saw Dr.Agbazara contact, then i contacted him and he help me cast a reunion spell that help my situation with 48hours, since I then the situation has changed, everything is moving well, my husband who left me is now back to his family. reach DR.AGBAZARA TEMPLE via email if you have any problem at:
    ( agbazara@gmail.com )
    OR whatsapp or call him on +2348104102662

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hello Everybody,
    My name is Mrs Sharon Sim. I live in Singapore and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of S$250,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 3 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of S$250,000.00 SG. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs Sharon, that refer you to him. contact Dr Purva Pius,via email:(urgentloan22@gmail.com) Thank you.

    BORROWERS APPLICATION DETAILS


    1. Name Of Applicant in Full:……..
    2. Telephone Numbers:……….
    3. Address and Location:…….
    4. Amount in request………..
    5. Repayment Period:………..
    6. Purpose Of Loan………….
    7. country…………………
    8. phone…………………..
    9. occupation………………
    10.age/sex…………………
    11.Monthly Income…………..
    12.Email……………..

    Regards.
    Managements
    Email Kindly Contact: urgentloan22@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete