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NICKEL.
CHASING AFTER CONSERVATIVE
GROUPS?
HOLY COW.
ANYWAY, LET US MOVE ON?
NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS
CHRISTIE DELIVERED A STRONG
APOLOGY FOR THE BRIDGEGATE SAGA
TODAY.
HE TOOK FULL RESPONSIBILITY.
FIRED HIS SENIOR STAFF WHO LIED
TO HIM.
BUT DID HE DO ENOUGH TO RESTORE
HIS CREDIBILITY AND NATIONAL
IMAGE?
JUST HOW IS THE SCANDAL GOING TO
RESONATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
FOR THAT, LET'S CHECK IN WITH
MARK LEVINE AND LARS LARSON.
WHAT DID YOU HEAR FROM YOUR
CALLERS?
>> I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF
PEOPLE THAT THEY DON'T BELIEVE
THAT GOVERNOR CHRISTIE WASN'T
INVOLVED.
I PERSONALLY THINK HE WASN'T.
HE GAVE THE COME TO JESUS
SPEECH, SAID TELL ME THE TRUTH,
THEY DIDN'T.
HE FIRED TWO OF THEM TODAY.
I THINK HE'S PROBABLY DONE WHAT
YOU WOULD EXPECT AN EXECUTIVE TO
DO.
PERSONALLY, I'D BE MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT HIS POSITION ON
GUNS AND CRAZINESS THAN JAMMING
UP THE WORLD'S MOST TRAVELED
BRIDGE.
>> MARK, I WANT TO GET YOUR SAME
TAKE.
YOU'RE ON THE LIBERAL SIDE AND I
ASSUME YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE ON
THE LIBERAL SIDE.
>> I DO HAVE CONSERVATIVE
CALLERS, TOO.
THEY SAY THIS IS THE CULTURE OF
CORRUPTION.
THIS IS WHAT WE SEE IN NEW
JERSEY WHERE THERE'S POLITICAL
PAYBACK.
YOU REWARD YOUR FRIENDS AND
PUNISH YOUR ENEMIES.
SENATOR GRAHAM SAID IF MY STAFF
DID THIS, THEY WOULD KNOW I WAS
OPPOSED TO IT.
>> WHAT DID RUSH SAY?
>> RUSH SAID THIS IS TYPICAL FOR
CHRISTIE.
THIS IS THE KIND OF THINGS THAT
HE DOES.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT
QUOTE.
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GOOD
SEGMENT EARLIER IN THE SHOW.
THE WHOLE THING KIND OF HINGES
AROUND THIS ONE HOUR -- YOU CALL
IT A COME TO JESUS MEETING.
HE HAD A ONE-HOUR MEETING WITH
HIS STAFF AND ASKED THEM IF THEY
HAD DONE ANYTHING REGARDING
BRIDGEGATE AND SO HE LEFT IT
WHERE HE IMMEDIATELY MADE FIRING
TWO DAYS AGO.
THIS MAY BE THE IF OF THE YEAR.
IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT
ONE-HOUR MEETING STORY IS TRUE
AND CORRECT AND NOBODY FESSED
UP, I THINK CHRISTIE IS A HUGE
WINNER HERE BECAUSE HE TOOK
IMMEDIATE ACTION TO FIRE THE BAD
APPLES ON HIS STAFF.
>> LARRY, I AGREE WITH YOU.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE GOT A
CHANCE TO DO IS ACT LIKE THE WAY
AN EXECUTIVE SHOULD.
TAKE DECISIVE ACTION, FIRE THE
PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE, WHICH
DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN ENOUGH TO
THE PEOPLE AT THE WHITE HOUSE OR
NOT AT ALL DEPENDING ON YOUR
VIEW AND HE DID JUST THAT.
HE DID GET A CHANCE TO ACT
PRESIDENTIAL, IF IT YOU WILL.
COULD PEOPLE HAVE DONE WHAT THE
BETTER AGAIN RECORD DID AND TELL
HIS CHIEF OF STAFF OR I.T.
DIRECTOR, GO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL
OF THE E-MAILS AND WE DON'T GET
THAT KIND OF OVERSIGHT.
IT'S A FAIR CRITICISM OF HIS
RESPONSE TO IT.
IF YOU TIED UP YOUR OFFICE DOING
NOTHING BUT INTERNAL
INVESTIGATIONS, YOU'D PROBABLY
GET TIED UP THAT WAY.
>> FOR MONTHS HE MADE A JOKE OF
IT.
REMEMBER HOW THEY GOT THESE
DOCUMENTS TO BEGIN WITH.
THEY INVESTIGATED NEW JERSEY
PEOPLE DID, AND THE
ADMINISTRATION REFUSED.
THE CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION
REFUSED TO GIVE THEM ANY
DOCUMENTS.
THEY SUBPOENAED THEM AND IT'S
POSITIVELY NIXONIAN.
AND NOW FINALLY THEY HAVE THE
DOCUMENTS AND CHRISTIE READS
THEM.
IT'S NOT JUST ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.
THERE'S FIVE OR SIX OR 10 OR 20
PEOPLE INVOLVED.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
INVOLVED.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT, MARK.
BUT THAT WASN'T CHRISTIE'S
DOING.
>> IT WASN'T?
>> NO.
THAT WAS NOT CHRIS CHRISTIE'S
DOING.
>> YOU'RE TELLING ME CHRISTIE
DIDN'T TELL HIS PEOPLE TO TURN
OVER THE DOCUMENTS?
>> THE GUYS WHO TURNED OVER THE
DOCUMENTS WERE THE TWO PORT
AUTHORITY APPOINTEESS.
>> RIGHT.
>> CHRISTIE HAS NO POWER OVER
THEM.
>> WHY DIDN'T GOVERNOR CHRISTIE
ORDER THEM TO TURN OVER THE
DOCUMENTS?
>> HE CAN'T.
>> OR I'LL FIRE YOU.
WHY DIDN'T HE DO THAT?
>> YOU HAVE TO FIRE STATE LAW,
MARK.
>> BY THE WAY, STOP YACKING AND
LISTEN TO ME.
HE CAN ORDER EVERYONE IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH IN TRENTON TO
TURN OVER E-MAILS AND TEXT
MESSAGES.
THAT HE CAN DO AND I ASKED THIS
QUESTION IN OUR EARLIER SEGMENT
AND I'LL YOU, SHOULD HE NOT DO
THAT AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO
SUPPLY THE STATE ASSEMBLY WITH
THAT NEWS?
>> YES, HE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD DO
THAT AND THE REAL TEST OF
WHETHER OR NOT HE'S TELLING THE
TRUTH ABOUT THIS IS NOW THAT
HE'S FIRED PEOPLE, SOMEBODY, IF
THEY KNOW OTHERWISE THAT
GOVERNOR CHRISTIE KNEW ABOUT
THIS BEFORE HE CLAIMS TO KNOW
SOMETHING ABOUT IT YESTERDAY
MORNING IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME
FORWARD AND SAY, NO, THE
GOVERNOR KNEW ABOUT IT, I HAVE
AN E-MAIL OR SOMETHING ALONG
THOSE LINES.
IF THAT'S OUT THERE, CHRIS
CHRISTIE IS IN REAL TROUBLE AND
HIS PRESIDENTIAL PROSPECT IS
DIM.
>> ESSENTIALLY, YOUR POINT IS
THIS ISSUE IS FAR FROM SETTLED?
>> IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?
>> YES.
AND IT'S LARGER THAN WHAT
CHRISTIE KNEW ABOUT IT AHEAD OF
TIME.
HE SET UP A CULTURE OF