****** Rudy Giuliani out of contention for Cabinet
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has removed his name from consideration for a position in President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet, the transition team announced Friday.
Giuliani, who is currently a vice chairman on the presidential transition team, had been rumored to be in consideration for secretary of state.
"My desire to be in the Cabinet was great but it wasn't that great and he had a lot of terrific candidates and I thought I could play a better role being on the outside and continuing to be his close friend and adviser," Giuliani told Fox News' Neil Cavuto.
Trump met with Giuliani on Nov. 29., when the matter was discussed. He confirmed to Fox News that he had only been interested in being secretary of state.
"Honestly, the other positions I didn't have an interest in, so that really was the only one I had any real interest in," he told Cavuto.
Giuliani said he now intends to continue his work in the private sector. He also warned against the selection of Mitt Romney for the position, saying the former Massachusetts governor had "gone over the line" in previous criticisms he made about Trump.
"I will support [Trump's] decision, but my advice would be that Mitt went a little too far. You can make friends and make up but I would not see him as a candidate for the Cabinet," Giuliani told Cavuto.
Trump praised Giuliani in a statement, calling him “an extraordinarily talented and patriotic American.”
"He is and continues to be a close personal friend, and as appropriate, I will call upon him for advice and can see an important place for him in the administration at a later date."
Reince Priebus, tapped to be Trump’s chief of staff, said that Giuliani was “was vetted by our team for any possible conflicts and passed with flying colors."
On last Thursday, the Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler and Colleen McCain Nelson broke the news that Hillary Clinton is vetting Elizabeth Warren for the vice presidency — but not vetting Bernie Sanders. In the process, they provided a shortlist of candidates that Clinton is considering:
Beyond the Massachusetts senator, other prospective candidates include Labor Secretary Tom Perez; Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro; Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Cory Booker of New Jersey; Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Reps. Xavier Becerra of California and Tim Ryan of Ohio, several Democrats said.
Now, this isn’t necessarily an exhaustive list, and Meckler and Nelson note that the vetting is still in early stages, using publicly available information rather than asking candidates to submit tax returns and the like.
Nonetheless, this list is the best information we've gotten about who Clinton is considering, and it includes some names that haven’t popped up in prior media speculation. All of these candidates have obvious strengths that have put them on this list, but of course, they each have their weaknesses as well.
1) Elizabeth Warren
The case for picking her: Vox’s Andrew Prokop ably summarized the pros and cons of picking Warren here, but suffice it to say she’s one of the most famous and popular Democratic politicians in the country, with a huge social media following and passionate fans among the Democratic base.
She’s proven to be an excellent anti–Donald Trump attack dog already this cycle, and her anti–Wall Street credentials and populist approach to economic issues would help shore up Sanders supporters who might be skeptical of Clinton’s ties to the financial sector. She would attract considerable media coverage, preventing Trump from dominating the news cycle, and her reputation for fighting against corruption and corporate influence helps rebut Trump’s "Crooked Hillary" attack line.
Picking Warren would be massively important as a step for women’s political representation. Some have speculated that Clinton could easily appoint an all-woman Cabinet — Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (or Susan Rice or Samantha Power), Secretary of Treasury Lael Brainard, Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy, etc. — and having a female running mate would be a great start.
Finally, Warren’s research as a law professor gave her considerable insight into the working of the administrative state, especially as it relates to the economic conditions of middle-class families. That could translate into a skill at exploiting the federal bureaucracy for progressive ends, a skill that is more useful when in the executive branch than the Senate.
The case against picking her: Let’s start with the fact that Warren has accused Clinton of flip-flopping on bankruptcy legislation due to donations and pressure from the financial industry:
Warren was not planning on becoming a politician at this point, which helps explain her candor, but all the same it would be jarring for Clinton to pick someone who's accused her of being bought and paid for — and it's not a stretch to imagine Clinton would find it hard to work with someone who at least once thought so little of her.
Even if Clinton doesn’t find that disqualifying, Warren's independent profile suggests she might try to maintain an individual identity and avoid hewing too closely to Clinton’s message. That could prove aggravating to the would-be president, especially if Warren uses her command of the press to try to push the administration leftward.
An all-woman ticket would be a statement, but it also might be too much for the American people to handle, and the 2008 race suggested that Clinton is pretty small-c conservative about that kind of thing. Her VP shortlist then was then-Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH), then-Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), former Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA), and Joe Biden: all boring, safe white dudes.
Clinton could also be wary of pissing off financial sector donors, and it bears mentioning that rich people all over America hate Elizabeth Warren and regard her as a dangerous economically illiterate charlatan. "The prospect of a Warren vice presidency could well drive the 1 percent straight into Trump’s arms, help the billionaire solve his fundraising problems, and make for a closer race in the end," Prokop notes.
Last but not least, Massachusetts has a Republican governor, meaning that electing Warren would give Republicans an extra Senate seat for at least a little bit. There'd be a special election shortly thereafter, thanks to a 2004 change in the law meant to limit then-Gov. Mitt Romney’s ability to replace John Kerry should he have won the presidency, but Democrats should not be overly confident about their ability to win Senate special elections in the state after what happened in 2010.
Donald Trump completed a five-state sweep in Tuesday’s Republican presidential primaries, strengthening his shot at avoiding a contested convention – while Hillary Clinton scored convincing victories but was denied the same bragging rights of a primary sweep by a surprise Bernie Sanders win in Rhode Island.
Of the two front-runners, Clinton – who won four states Tuesday – remains closer to clinching the nomination. She now has nearly 90 percent of the delegates needed to secure the party nod, even as Sanders vows to keep fighting.
On the Republican side, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich still can potentially hold Trump under the 1,237 delegates he needs. But the billionaire businessman’s Super Tuesday III run-of-the-table reinforces his aura of invincibility going into the next round.
“I consider myself the presumptive nominee,” Trump said at Trump Tower, with ex-candidate and now-supporter New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie standing behind him. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
Trump said he has no plans to change his approach right now.
In their victory speeches, both Trump and Clinton clearly were looking ahead to a general election contest each expects will involve the other.
“We will beat Hillary so easily,” Trump said, nicknaming the Democratic front-runner “crooked Hillary” and declaring “the only card she has is the woman’s card.” He continued to taunt his GOP rivals, blasting their alleged “collusion” and asking of Kasich: “Why is he here?”
Clinton likewise kept her remarks Tuesday focused on a general election audience, vowing to “unify our party,” drawing sharp contrasts with Republicans, and taking on Trump.
“The other day, Mr. Trump accused me of playing the quote woman card,” she said in Philadelphia, which hosts the Democratic convention. “Well, if fighting for women’s health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in.”
When the dust settled on Tuesday’s contests, Trump was declared the winner in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, on the heels of his victory in New York state a week ago. His dominant showing in the Northeast gives him significant momentum heading into next week’s primary in Indiana. And he’s on track to win over 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s contests, a feat he has only achieved once before, in New York.
Meanwhile, Kasich was shaping up as the second pick of Northeast Republicans so far, projected to place second in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware – leaving Cruz to finish third.
Clinton, meanwhile, was the projected winner in Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – while Sanders won Rhode Island.
Overall, Democrats were competing for 384 delegates in Tuesday's contests, while Republicans had 118 up for grabs (not counting 54 unbound delegates in Pennsylvania).
With his five victories Tuesday, Trump will win at least 105 of the 118 delegates. And he has a chance to win a lot more. In Pennsylvania, Trump collected 17 delegates for winning the state. An additional 54 are elected directly by voters -- three in each congressional district. However, their names are listed on the ballot with no information about which presidential candidate they support.
Trump suggested they have a “moral obligation” to back him, though Cruz had worked hard to get allies elected in that group.
Primary front-runners Clinton and Trump both were looking to Tuesday’s contests to bring them closer to clinching the respective nominations, or at least dispiriting the remaining competition.
As of early Wednesday, Clinton had 2,141 delegates to Sanders’ 1,321; it takes 2,383 to win. The total includes so-called “superdelegates” who are not bound to primary results. On the GOP side, Trump had 950 delegates, followed by Cruz at 560 and Kasich at 153.
But on the GOP side, an energized Cruz held out hope that he and Kasich can still hold Trump back from the nomination. Speaking to supporters in Indiana, Cruz claimed the campaign was moving “to more favorable terrain” while calling Trump the media’s “chosen” candidate.
"Donald and Hillary, they are flip-sides of the same coin,” Cruz said.
Kasich’s campaign also vowed to keep going, appealing for donations online and declaring on Twitter: “John Kasich will continue making his supporters proud.”
Whether Cruz and Kasich can prevent Trump from clinching the nomination remains to be seen. Both were also on defense after teaming up to try and hold Trump under that magic number. Kasich agreed to stand aside in Indiana to help Cruz, while Cruz agreed to stand aside in Oregon and New Mexico to help Kasich.
As Trump accused the two of “collusion,” Cruz countered in a radio interview that what they’re doing is “actually coalition-building.”
Still, Kasich appeared Monday to undercut their arrangement by urging voters in Indiana to support him anyway. And the campaign stumbled on a procedural issue in Oregon, missing the March deadline to submit information for a voter pamphlet the state distributes ahead of the May primary.
Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf stressed that Kasich nevertheless is on the ballot in Oregon.
Cruz’s best chances to undercut Trump might be in Indiana, which votes next week, and California, which votes in June.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., cast doubt Tuesday on whether a Cruz-Kasich alliance would do much good in his home state. Asked about their partnership, McCarthy told reporters he’s “not convinced” it will help in California.
On the Democratic side, Sanders also vowed Tuesday nightto keep fighting, casting himself as the candidate best-positioned to take on Trump or any Republican rival.
“This campaign is doing as well as it is with the extraordinary energy and enthusiasm we are generating across the country,” Sanders told a crowd in West Virginia, which votes May 10.
Donald Trump said Wednesday that would have room for Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) in his presidential administration.
“[He is] a very good guy,” Trump said when asked about the fellow presidential candidate, according to NBC News.
There could certainly be a place for him,” he added when a questioner floated Christie as Trump’s potential running mate in 2016.
Trump was appearing in Manchester, N.H.. for one of the Granite State’s Politics & Eggs events. NBC News said Wednesday that the business mogul addressed a wide range of policy issues.
Among the topics he discussed were education, immigration and even the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA).
“Nothing [is] more important than higher education and education in general,” Trump said. "It’s so important to our economy.
“It’s great,” he said of NASA. “You know, in the old days, it was great.
“Right now we have bigger problems,” the real estate tycoon added. "We’ve got to fix our potholes.”
Christie and Trump both spent Tuesday night in Milwaukee for the fourth GOP presidential debate.
The two men were separated into different portions of the contest, however. Christie appeared in the undercard event because he did not meet Fox Business Network’s minimum polling threshold for the main stage.
The New Jersey governor made the most of his spot by fiercely criticizing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton.
“I saw the most disgraceful thing of the campaign a few weeks ago,” Christie said. "Hillary Clinton was asked the enemy she was most proud of and she said, ‘Republicans.’
“In the world where we have al Qaeda and [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria], the mullahs in Iran and [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, the woman who asks to run and represent all of the United States says her greatest enemies are people like you in this audience and us here,” he added, citing Clinton’s remarks during the first Democratic presidential debate on Oct. 13 in Las Vegas.
Trump, meanwhile, took center stage during the Republican contest’s main card in Milwaukee. He earned approximately 24 percent of the event’s Twitter traffic, edging out the seven other competitors on stage.
Trump gained a powerful surrogate responsible for the lowest moment in the campaign of one of his last Republican adversaries: Marco Rubio.
The united Republican establishment front against Donald Trump started to crumble in a potentially profound way on Friday when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie backed the New York billionaire for president with an enthusiastic endorsement.
The move, combined with the endorsement of Maine Governor Paul LePage later Friday, adds the establishment bona fides of two sitting U.S. governors to a devoutly outsider campaign. It also comes just days after Trump’s first two congressional endorsements in Representatives Chris Collins of New York and Duncan Hunter of California.
In Christie, Trump also gained a powerful surrogate responsible for the lowest moment in the campaign of one of his last Republican adversaries: Marco Rubio.
The New Jersey governor also opened a door for other Republican Party elites, who spent recent days rushing to boost Rubio, and invited them to walk through. If beating Hillary Clinton outweighed all other factors, as the New Jersey governor argued, then other objections to Trump's campaign—such as his bombastic and nativist rhetoric—should take a back seat.
As a twice-elected governor of a blue state and former chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie could serve as Trump’s ambassador to establishment donors, lawmakers and behind-the-scenes operators across the nation.
'Rewriting the playbook'
Wasting no time in showing what he brings to the campaign, Christie seized his new role as Trump standard bearer with zeal, undermining Rubio's core pitch for his nomination—his electability—and belittling him as a performer delivering "one act after the other."
"The single most important thing for the Republican Party is to nominate the person who gives us the best chance to defeat Hillary Clinton," Christie said at a Fort Worth news conference with Trump. "I can guarantee you that the one person Hillary and Bill Clinton do not want to see on that stage come next September is Donald Trump. They know how to run the standard political playbook against junior senators and run them around the block. They do not know the playbook with Donald Trump, because he is rewriting the playbook."
The Christie endorsement comes four days before a burst of nomination contests take place on March 1, known as "Super Tuesday." After winning three of the first four states by large margins, a string of victories next Tuesday could make Trump all but unstoppable, which is why rivals Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas aggressively attacked him in a televised debate Thursday night.
Within hours of Christie's endorsement, Trump landed the backing of LePage, who praised the real estate mogul's business acumen on the Howie Carr Show, a syndicated radio program.
The final frontier of resistance
Trump has shown broad appeal within the party, as he himself explained on Friday. "I won in a landslide," he said, referring to the South Carolina primary. "I won evangelicals. I won military. I won the vets. I won everything. I won men. I won women. I won Hispanics. I won every single category."
But the one group of Republicans who have continued to overwhelmingly oppose him are lawmakers and influential consultants. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who helped lead the charge in 1994 elections that handed the party its first House majority in four decades, said it's time to re-think that.
"This Chris Christie endorsement of Trump is real signal to GOP establishment that they had better begin thinking about Trump as the future," Gingrich said on Twitter, adding in another posting, "this is a huge step for Trump" that will have a big impact on Super Tuesday.
The establishment pushes back
Meanwhile, two former aides to Jeb Bush, an ex-rival who waged bitter fights with Trump and Christie during the primary, fiercely criticized the governor. "Like Trump, Chris Christie is a pathetic, corrupt man with a tiny ego. I'm sure they bonded discussing their insecurities over a big meal," Tim Miller, Bush's former communications director, wrote on Twitter.
David Kochel, the former Jeb Bush strategist, seemed to evoke Christie's weight.
For Christie, throwing his support behind Trump could be seen as payback against Rubio after a bitter primary fight. As Christie climbed in New Hampshire, the state where he put all his chips, the pro-Rubio super PAC Conservative Solutions spent large amounts of money on TV ads in the Granite State attacking the governor.
They left a mark, and Christie never quite recovered despite landing a devastating blow against Rubio in his final debate of the Republican race.
Speaking to reporters while campaigning Friday, Rubio characterized the endorsement as an act of desperation by Trump after the debate.
"Chris is an articulate guy. You know, Donald probably needs a life-line after last night, so he called in Chris Christie. I respect that," Rubio said. "I have more than my fair share of endorsements."
ATLANTA'S BLACK VOTERS WANT
CHANGE; WILL SUPPORT GOP IN 2016 (REAL VOTERS SPEAK OUT):
LIVE
INTERVIEWS FROM BLACK VOTERS IN EAST POINT, GEORGIA.
EAST POINT, GEORGIA NEEDS JOBS & COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS.
Due to failing
"OBAMANOMICS" policies and Democrat Politicians refusing to invest
back into communities heavily populated with BLACK lower income constituents,
many BLACK voters are strongly considering casting their ballots for a GOP
Presidential candidate in 2016.
Some young Employed BLACK Men
interviewed in the video posted above explain why they will indeed vote for a
Republican President this Fall.
One of the Men I interviewed in this video is originally from CHICAGO.
*** By the way CRIME and
Unemployment in East Point, Georgia is extremely HIGH.
The quality of Drinking and
Bathing WATER in East Point, Georgia is grade Fair to Poor. Especially in
communities further away from the Camp Creek Marketplace near College Park.
Although the practice of the Federal Gov't regulating VACCINATIONS has been in effect for Decades, suddenly it appears to be a problem because the United States now has a BLACK President.
Sound familiar?
So it was perfectly acceptable for MITT ROMNEY (a WHITE Man) to enforce "ROMNEYCARE" in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, thus requiring all Massachusetts residents to have Health Insurance but...............
When a BLACK Man requires the SAME level of RESPONSIBILITY for each resident & citizen of the United States, suddenly it's an encroachment on Civil Liberties and suddenly it's a CRIME!
Get out of here!
Give me a break!
YES the OBAMACARE roll out was Dreadful & Terrible we all know this to be True.
YES there is some credible Medical Research which documents that there may be some evidence linking AUTISM to VACCINATIONS.
However to encourage Parents NOT to VACCINATE their Young Children from Contagious, Potentially Deadly COMMUNICABLE DISEASES is Politically IRRESPONSIBLE and equates to CHILD ABUSE.
Thus I repeat.
GOP LEADERS USING VACCINATIONS AS 2016 PLATFORM ISSUE TO REPLACE OBAMACARE.
Such Political Schemes reek of the GOP being Desperate to regain control of the White House in 2016.
Even at the expense of the Health of Young Children!
The New Jersey Legislature today released thousands of pages of subpoenaed documents provided to a state Assembly committee investigating the George Washington Bridge scandal.
Many of the documents were given to the panel by an attorney for David Wildstein, a former top official of the Port of New Jersey and New Jersey, and include the e-mails that emerged on Wednesday revealing a top aide to Gov. Chris Christie was directly tied to the traffic-clogging closure of local access lanes leading to the bridge in Fort Lee.
Democrats have sought for months to link the lane closures to the refusal of Fort Lee’s mayor, a Democrat, to endorse Christie’s reelection campaign.
The e-mails obtained by The Star-Ledger and other media outlets on Wednesday show Bridget Anne Kelly, Christie’s deputy chief of staff, knew about the closures months in advance and sent an e-mail to Wildstein saying, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”
Christie has vehemently denied any involvement and fired Kelly on Thursday. He also apologized for the incident at a news conference Thursday.
Wildstein, who recently resigned as director of interstate capital projects at the Port Authority amid the controversy, refused to testify Thursday before the Assembly Transportation committee, which had subpoenaed him. He said he was exercising his right against self incrimination, but the committee voted to hold him in contempt.
Numerous documents that Wildstein’s attorney provided in response to the subpoena — many of them heavily redacted — flashed on a projection screen in the meeting room at the Statehouse in Trenton.
But Wildstein refused to answer a single question about the documents, declining even to confirm that he had worked at the Port Authority, or to clarify whether one document was an e-mail or not.
Sources: AP, CNN, NY Daily News, NJ.com, NorthJersey.com
6 NJ RESIDENTS SUE STATE.....CHRISTIE.....& PORT AUTHORITY OVER "BRIDGEGATE" BUT THEY WON'T GET ANYTHING DUE TO SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY.
Documents detailing an Investigation of the "BRIDGEGATE" Scandal will be released Friday by members of the NJ General Assembly.
Can you say "2016 Politics"??
#BRIDGEGATE
BREAKING CHRISTIE BEFORE 2016 ARRIVES: DEMOCRATS & THE TEA PARTY
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 NOMINATION HILLARY CLINTON & MARTIN O' MALLEY!!
Although I still believe NJ Gov CHRIS CHRISTIE handled himself very well Thursday during his "BRIDGEGATE" Presser, it ain't over yet!
By the time OBAMA'S Election Machine (for HILLARY)........NSA "Big Brother" Surveillance......and CLINTON Loyalists, are through with CHRISTIE I doubt he'll be in any shape to ever seek Public Office again.
That's too bad.
I really wanted to see another Meat & Potatoes Campaign in 2016 between HILLARY & CHRISTIE, just as it was with OBAMA & ROMNEY in 2012.
Unfortunately for CHRISTIE even the TEA PARTY hates him.
People like LINDSEY GRAHAM and his SOUTH CAROLINA RACISM are sitting somewhere laughing hard right about now.
RAND PAUL appears to be a good guy but he's linked to the TEA PARTY.
The TEA PARTY has undeniably RACIST Roots.
I don't care if there are a few BLACKS in the TEA PARTY (David Webb), it's still by and large a RACIST Organization.
So thanks to Stupid RACIST TEA PARTY Supporters, DEMOCRATS are most likely going to WIN again in 2016.
Why??
There is absolutely NO way a TEA PARTY Candidate can Defeat HILLARY CLINTON.
NEVER!!
So when HILLARY'S name is called as the WINNER in Nov 2016, I don't want to hear a peep from the GOP.....RNC.....nor any TEA PARTY Leaders because You had someone who could have went toe-to-toe with HILLARY and You blew it!
2016 WILL BE A WALK IN THE PARK FOR HILLARY.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 NOMINATION HILLARY CLINTON & MARTIN O' MALLEY!!
I CAN HARDLY WAIT.
BREAKING CHRISTIE BEFORE 2016 ARRIVES: DEMOCRATS & THE TEA PARTY
Six New Jersey residents have filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Chris Christie, the state of New Jersey, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and others over traffic jams in September.
The suit filed in federal court Thursday appears to be the first civil claim over traffic that appear to have been caused as political punishment for the Fort Lee mayor.
The plaintiffs want it certified as a class action.
Lawyer Rosemarie Arnold says she filed it after learning this week that lane closures on an approach to the George Washington Bridge were "deliberate actions." She says that her clients were late for work and that one suffered a panic attack.
Christie has denied involvement. His spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The daughter of a 91-year-old woman from Fort Lee, N.J., who died on the day of a major traffic jam precipitated by top aides to Gov. Chris Christie said on Thursday that she did not believe the inability of an ambulance to reach her mother’s house was a factor in her death.
“I honestly believe it was just her time,” said Vilma Oleri, whose mother, Florence Genova, died on the morning of Sept. 9, the first day that the closing of local lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge set off the snarls.
A Fort Lee emergency official has said that the traffic jam prevented an ambulance from Englewood Hospital from reaching Ms. Genova’s home.
Ms. Oleri spoke inside her home in Closter, N.J. She said she had gone that morning to check on her mother, who lived alone in a two-story, red brick house on Harvard Place in the southern part of Fort Lee. Ms. Oleri said she called 911 after her mother went into the bathroom before breakfast and did not come out.
Related Coverage
Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey greeted residents after leaving City Hall in Fort Lee on Thursday.
Christie Fires Aide in Bridge Scandal as U.S. Opens InquiryJAN. 9, 2014
Paul E. Favia, the emergency medical services coordinator in Fort Lee, complained in a letter to the mayor on Sept. 10 that the traffic problems caused “unnecessary delays for emergency services.”
Just before the call about Ms. Genova, Mr. Favia wrote that it took him seven minutes instead of the usual four minutes to arrive at the scene of a car crash where four people needed to be taken to the hospital.
“I, myself, was stuck in traffic on Fletcher Avenue and had to jump the curb and cut up West Street in order to avoid the standstill traffic,” he wrote.
It took a Fort Lee E.M.S. crew seven minutes to reach Ms. Genova, after they were detoured away from the traffic accident.
“The response time was only shortened by the fact that they were heading to the accident scene to assist when dispatched” to Ms. Genova, the letter says. Ms. Genova had gone into “cardiac arrest,” according to Mr. Favia’s letter.
Ms. Oleri said that Fort Lee emergency responders tried to revive her mother at her home, but that her mother showed no signs of life.
A neighbor said she watched the paramedics rush Ms. Genova onto a stretcher inside their waiting ambulance.
Mr. Favia wrote in his letter that after an ambulance with paramedics from Englewood Hospital could not get to Ms. Genova’s house, it met the Fort Lee ambulance on a street. The hospital paramedics tried again, but failed, to revive Ms. Genova. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“We believe she died in her home, but they couldn’t pronounce her until she got to the hospital,” said Ms. Oleri’s husband, Frank Oleri. “The traffic didn’t make any difference.”
Ms. Oleri said she had no idea until Wednesday that her mother’s death had become a source of controversy.
“We want to stay out of it,” Ms. Oleri said. “It’s not political.”
She said her mother married an immigrant from Italy and had lived in the same Fort Lee house for more than 50 years. Though her eyesight kept her from driving a car for most of the last half of her life, she insisted on keeping a car in her garage even after her husband died, because she believed it would deter burglars by signaling that a man lived there.
“She was a pip,” Mr. Oleri said.
Ms. Genova was so secretive about her age — it was one of the few details that became public when the traffic scandal gave her posthumous notoriety — that she never told her family. A decade ago, she fell and broke her hip. Ms. Oleri said her mother yanked an emergency responder’s ear to her lips and whispered her age.
“She never told me; she was like that,” Ms. Oleri said. “I sneaked a look on the paramedic’s clipboard.”
Neighbors said Ms. Genova liked to sit in her dining room with the window shade open. Occasionally, a home health aide would visit, and sit her in the sunshine on her front stoop.
“That’s how we knew she was O.K.; the blind would be up,” said Connie Ciongoli, Ms. Genova’s neighbor for more than 50 years. “We would check on her.”
Ms. Genova and her husband were married more than 50 years. She loved her son and daughter and three grandchildren, Ms. Oleri said, though in recent years her memory had began to fail her.
Because of that, she did not vote in the last election of a governor. But she did in the one before.
The Assembly committee investigating the George Washing Bridge lane closures unanimously referred the actions of David Wildstein to authorities to be considered for a contempt charge.
Wildstein, the former Port Authority executive at the center of the lane closing controversy, refused to testify saying the Constitution protected him from self incrimination Thursday after a Superior Court judge refused to block the Legislature’s subpoena.
The statement came after Governor Christie gave a lengthy press conference apologizing for the lane closures and the part senior members of his staff played in the closure.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski, head of the transportation committee, asked questions during the hearing with Wildstein, who gave the order to close two of three entrance lanes from Fort Lee to the George Washington Bridge, repeatedly asserting that he is using his right to remain silent.
Wildstein’s statements came at the advice of counsel.
During an earlier news conference on Thursday, Christie disavowed Wildstein as a friend and a close colleague. Numerous media reports have said that Christie and Wildstein are high school friends.
“That conveys and emotional closeness that doesn’t exist,” Christie said.
Christie said that he met Wildstein for the first time in 1977 as a volunteer for Gov. Tom Kean’s campaign. But they did not remain friends.
“I was class president and an athlete in high school,” Christie said. “I don’t know what he was doing.”
Furthermore, he said that he could not remember any instance when he had a personal meeting with Wildstein.
Christie said that he did not want to speak to Wildstein, former Port Authority Executive Director Bill Baroni and others expected to be called to testify at the Assembly hearings because he wanted to avoid accusations of witness tampering.
On Thursday, when Wildstein informed the committee he would not answer their questions, the audience groaned.
After Wildstein asserted his right to remain silent, Wisniewski continued to ask questions about specific emails that landed in the Record yesterday connecting members of Christie’s senior staff to the decision to close lanes leading up to the bridge.
As Wisniewski continued to question Wildstein, two screens displayed their content on each side of the room near the witness table.
This morning, Wildstein’s attonery, Alan Zegas, tried to quash the subpoena in Superior Court and failed.
Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson ruled Thursday morning the Assembly Transportation committee has the power to compel former Port Authority executive Wildstein to testify.
Wildstein went to court to try to quash a subpoena compelling him to testify before the Assembly’s transportation committee at noon today.
The lawsuit was filed yesterday after emails and text messages linked the decision to close the lanes to Christie’s staff and indicated it was done in retaliation, presumably for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich’s decision not to endorse the governor for reelection.
The judge said the subpoena powers provided to Middlesex Democrat John Wisniewski’s committee were broad enough to withstand any objections by Wildstein’s lawyer.
The judge said she had the power to rule on one of the three problems cited in Zegas’s lawsuit – the jurisdiction of the subpoena, which was first issued to investigate the Port Authority’s decision to raise tolls.
“[The subpoena] certainly seems to fall within this very broad charge,” said Jacobson.
Zegas afterward said he disagreed with the judge’s ruling but would not comment about whether he would file a further appeal or whether or not Wildstein would appear at noon today.
Zegas said before a determination could be made, he would need to speak with his client.
The appeal began a whirlwind day of hearings, press conferences and media attention to what role Christie played, if any, in the closing of the George Washington Bridge in September.
Zegas questioned the validity of Assemblyman John Wisniewski's signature on the subpoena but Judge Jacobson said she could not rule on that matter.
Welcome to the BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog. (Established 2008)
My name is Laurel. (Author & Publisher)
I Blog with a focus on POLITICS, Business, and occasionally Entertainment.
FACTS ABOUT LAUREL:
Wife,
Mother of a U.S. Soldier,
Sister,
Woman of GOD,
Loyal Friend,
Creative,
Blood-related to a nationally known Charlotte Politician.
Black Female, Intelligent,
Married,
Love to Travel,
Credentialed by the RNC and DNC.
Political Blogger/ Commentator
Grassroots Activist,
PROFESSIONAL STATUS:
Credential Political Blogger/ Commentator,
Registered Independent Voter
Original Native of BROOKLYN, NY
Currently reside in CHARLOTTE, NC
I’m Nice but don’t get it twisted because my Mind is Sharp!
Since You’ve Chosen to Visit and Read the Contents of this Blog by Personal Choice, and of Your Own Free Will,
Please don’t ask me to Compensate you for Expressing individual commentary/ Posted Articles, which are protected by the First Amendment, citing Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Expression.
No Intentionally Malicious Slander, Libel or Defamation of Character content will be published and I will always Credit all Sources.
NOTE TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS & PUBLIC FIGURES:
Per the Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case: 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan………
The Public has a Right to Criticize the People who Govern them, so the least Protection from Defamation is given to Public Officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t Elected but who are Still Public Figures because they are influential or famous — like Actors, Actresses, Movie Stars, Singers & Entertainers, Journalists, TV Hosts, Bloggers, etc., — also have to Prove that Defamatory statements were made with Actual Malice, in most cases.
To the Associated Press and other Media Organizations:
When I use your Content Links., I’m also citing the Fair Use Doctrine (Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107) for further Copyright permission.
Posts and Links published on Black Political Buzz are not endorsed by Black Political Buzz Blog Author Laurel’s Employer, nor the Employers of other Black Political Buzz employees.
This includes Links, Posts and Comments posted on Black Political Buzz’s Facebook and Twitter account pages.
Comments, Links and Opinions of site visitors are Independently-Owned and not endorsed by Black Political Buzz employees, Blog Author Laurel or Laurel’s Employer.)
(No Personal Offense intended) Please know that Black Political Buzz is not responsible for nor do I endorse Requests for Donations from Third Parties on this Blog.
I will Only Endorse Requests for Donations made on behalf of BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog for Business Purposes & Operating Expenses.
I will also Only Endorse Requests for Donations on behalf of Legitimate Politicians and Legitimate Political Candidates. PERIOD!!
If anyone else or another Organization wishes to post a link to Request Donations, I am NOT endorsing ANY of those Requests!
Unless I receive a personal Request to do so and I have Professionally Confirmed that the Third Party Organization or Charity is indeed a Legitimate Entity.
NOTE: Anyone who chooses to give to any Third Party Organization NOT Endorsed by BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ is doing so at his or her own risk.
BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ does NOT Discriminate against Politicians, Political Candidates, Organizations or Charities based on Race, Color, Nationality, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Faith, Disability, Political Affiliation, Creed, Education, Social Status, Age.
This disclaimer applies to ANY and All requests for Donations on this Blog. Thanks for understanding. Again No Personal Offense intended.
For Story Tips….Corrections…….. or Requests for Endorsements:
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Thanks for stopping by
God Bless
Laurel @BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ
LINKS: POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE & INFORMATIONAL SITES
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