Trusting Christie

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could never get elected United States President because it is simply a bridge too far for him.  There was never a way he could outflank conservative Republicans to secure the nomination.  They don't trust him, and now it appears he has given most Americans a good reason not to trust him as well.

Governor Christie and his administration are now under investigation by state and federal officials for possible abuses of power.  The probes were triggered by lane closures on the Ft. Lee, New Jersey, side of the George Washington Bridge, which leads to New York.  The lanes were closed for four days last September and caused major disruptions for commuters, school transportation and emergency vehicles.  Initially officials at the Port Authority, which oversees the bridge, said it was part of a traffic study.  But accusations that it was a retaliatory move against the Democratic mayor of Ft. Lee, who had failed to endorse the governor's November reelection bid, surfaced at the time of the incident.

Earlier this month, the governor claimed no knowledge or involvement in the closures in a news conference.  The governor spoke following disclosures of incriminating email and text messages involving several of his key aides.  On August 13, Christie's Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, sent an email that read, "Time for some traffic problems in Ft. Lee."  The email went to one of Christie's Port Authority appointees, David Wildstein, who was also his childhood friend.  Wildstein responded, "Got it."

At his lengthy news conference, Governor Christie said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the poor judgment of his staff.  He announced that Kelly had been fired.  He also said Bill Stepien, a top Christie aide, would step down as a consultant for the Republican Governor's Association, which Christie headed, and would withdraw his bid to become the state's party chairman.   Wildstein and another Christie Port Authority appointee, Bill Baroni, both resigned their positions last December.  Wildstein, who exercised his right not to answer questions before a hearing earlier this month, is reportedly seeking immunity.

At the very minimum, the disclosures surrounding the lane closures at Ft. Lee call into question Governor Christie's personnel judgment.  That's if you believe he didn't know anything despite the fact that so many close to him were involved.  But now fresh disclosures of the governor's apparent abuse of power have raised additional questions about whether there is a pattern.

One Democratic mayor stepped forward to say he was the victim of Governor Christie's strong-arm politics.  He complained that the governor's staff had cancelled a series of important meetings between him and state cabinet officials after he said he would not endorse Governor Christie's reelection.   This weekend the mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, accused the Christie administration of withholding Hurricane Sandy relief money because she would not go along with fast-track approval of a redevelopment plan they supported.   Meanwhile, federal investigators are looking in to whether Christie's reelection campaign misused funds appropriated for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Governor Christie was thought to be considering a run for the presidency in 2016.  His blunt, aggressive and energetic style has attracted a lot of support among Republicans and independent voters according to national polls.  He has positioned himself as a strong leader, a person who can work with all parties, and a man who can get things done.  Many of his opponents call him bully, political, ambitious and a micromanager.

But some of his strongest opposition comes from within the Republican Party.  Among their most notable complaints is that Governor Christie's embrace of President Barack Obama following Hurricane Sandy hurt Mitt Romney's presidential bid.  Critics accused him of bolstering his own national status at a cost to the Republican Party.   The Conservative Political Action Committee chose not to invite him to speak to their 2013 convention.  At the time their chair said, "Hopefully next year he's back on the right track and being a conservative."

Some Republicans have voiced support for the governor's statements and actions in response to the Ft. Lee lane closures, noting that he took responsibility for what happened.  Nonetheless, the Christie administration is now dealing with 20 subpoenas from state investigators, and more may be on the way.  Those who support the governor are hoping he is not directly linked to the growing scandal.   But for those who have opposed the governor, the scandal is just further evidence that Chris Christie cannot be trusted to be president.      

Egypt 2.0

For the second time in little more than two years the Egyptian military has overthrown its county's leader in response to massive nationwide protests.  Only this time they deposed a democratically elected president, Mohammad Morsi, who had failed to live up to his promises and who had installed an authoritarian government. 

Egyptian General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi announced Wednesday evening that the Morsi government was dissolved, the constitution was suspended, and that an interim government would be installed headed by a senior jurist.  Military officers and a group of political and religious leaders joined el-Sisi at his announcement.  The announcement set off a jubilant celebration in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands of anti Morsi demonstrators had gathered.  Meanwhile, a few blocks away, a large gathering of pro Morsi supporters protested the coup. The Egyptian army had been deployed to maintain peace, but violence may not be avoided.

Former President Mohammad Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a decades old Islamic and political group founded on the belief that Islam is not just a religion, but a way of life.  Last November, Morsi granted himself unlimited powers, including the ability to legislate without judicial oversight.  His moves toward an Islamic state were unpopular with many Egyptians who took to the streets to express their unhappiness.

During Morsi's presidency unemployment skyrocketed, crime increased, the economy declined, and the country experienced shortages of gasoline, electricity and water.  Morsi proved to be a poor manager.

Nonetheless, the country is deeply divided between those wanting a sectarian government and those wanting an Islamic state.  But, following the tyrannical rule of former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak, the only political party of any consequence was the Muslim Brotherhood.  And its party members were easily mobilized when Egypt held its democratic election one year ago.  The opposition was divided and had no strong leadership.  Morsi won 51.7% of the vote, thus eking out a victory.

The sacking of Morsi puts President Barack Obama and the American government in a difficult spot.  The White House released a statement from the president Wednesday night, in response to Morsi's toppling, which reflected America's dilemma.   "We are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsi and suspend the Egyptian constitution," Obama said.  "I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters," he continued.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, is a critical American ally. Egypt has continued to live by its vital peace agreement with neighboring Israel.  Each year America provides the country about $1.5 billion in military and other aid.  But that aid can be cut off in the event of a military coup.  In his statement, the president said, "I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt."

Further complicating the situation is the fact that the Egyptian military is holding Morsi and has rounded up as many as 300 leading members of the Moslem Brotherhood.  These actions have cast a cloud of uncertainty over an already confusing situation.

While the U.S. can try to exert pressure for a quick return to a democratic state, ultimately it will be up to the Egyptian military to move the country forward.  But it promise of a roadmap for reconciliation will face great challenges because the country so deeply divided, and the Muslim Brotherhood will be more energized than ever.   

The whole world will be watching, especially Turkey, Syria, Iran and Israel. 

W's Iraq War

Ten years ago today the United States invaded Iraq with the goals of toppling its tyrannical ruler Saddam Hussein, destroying its weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and freeing its people to establish a democratic government.  Now, a decade later, Saddam Hussein is dead, but no WMDs were ever found, and the country has devolved into a de facto civil war.

In February 2003 polls showed Americans overwhelmingly favored an invasion of Iraq.  The Bush government had linked Hussein to al Qaeda, the terrorist group that launched a series of terrorists attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 Americans.   The administration had made the case to the world that Hussein was arming Iraq with WMDs, and that he was conspiring with al Qaeda to launch further attacks on the United States and the western world. 

In October 2002 the "Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002" easily passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support.   The resolution authorized President Bush to use the U.S. military to, "defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq."

In February 2003 I traveled with a Telemundo news team to the White House to interview President Bush, one month before the Iraq invasion. War fever had built to a crescendo in Washington, and the White House wanted to make its case to Hispanic Americans.

President Bush entered our interview location, a room on the ground floor of the White House, with a swagger and a smile. He was imperious and proud. During the interview he went through his justifications for an invasion, but said that no final decision had been made.

Following the interview President Bush chatted with our group. I raised the issue of opposition to the pending war from the French, asking him, "What about President Jacques Chirac?" President Bush slapped me across my upper right arm with the back of his hand, cocked his head and said, "Don't worry, he'll come around." With that, he quickly said his goodbyes and confidently departed.

I turned to my team and said, "We're going to war!"

On March 20, 2003, American forces invaded Iraq and defeated Hussein's army.  But U.S. forces were not greeted as "liberators", as Vice President Dick Cheney had predicted on NBC's Meet The Press prior to the war.  The Bush administration failed to grasp how difficult, how complicated it would be to establish a unified government and a lasting peace in Iraq.  In 2007, former CIA Director George Tenet, the man who once called the evidence justifying an Iraq invasion a "slam dunk", told CBS's 60 Minutes, "We could never verify that there was any Iraqi authority, direction and control, complicity with al Qaeda for 9/11 or any operational act against America. Period."

To date, nearly 4,500 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq, and more than 30,000 have been injured.  The Iraqi civilian deaths are estimated to be well over 100,000.  Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies estimates that the Iraq War has cost more than $1.7 trillion to date, not counting an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans.

The last U.S. combat troops left Iraq in December 2011. But thousands of veterans are struggling with the after effects of war, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.  Meanwhile, a recent Gallup poll shows that 52% of Americans think the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, while 42% still support the war. 

In Iraq, American influence is low, while violence continues daily, and tensions among the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are at an all time high.  One day, maybe, they'll come around.    

Newtown's Law

The tragic deaths at Newtown, Connecticut, have once again focused attention on one of the most painful problems this nation faces, gun violence.  The nation cannot let this moment pass without some meaningful action to stem America's epidemic of gun violence.   

About 30,000 people are killed by firearms in America each year.  All too often the victims are young.  27 people were killed Friday in Newtown, 20 of them were young children.  The assailant used a semiautomatic assault rifle in his massacre, the same weapon used in the 2002 Washington area sniper shootings that left 10 people dead.  Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass murders carried out with firearms across the United States.  In a majority of these cases the assailants obtained their weapons legally.

The killings at a lower school in Newtown are inexplicable.  How could anyone commit such evil?  The deaths of these innocent children, who were robbed of their precious and promising lives, must be a turning point for this country.  It is time to act.

In his speech Sunday, before grieving parents, friends and neighbors, President Barack Obama challenged himself, and all Americans, to face this most heinous problem.  "In the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have?" the president said.  "We can’t accept events like this as routine. Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage? That the politics are too hard? Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?"

But this problem is made even more complicated by the fact that there are more than 200 million privately-owned guns in America.   The right to own guns was enshrined in the Constitution by America's founding fathers.  The second amendment to the Constitution reads, "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

But two hundred years ago there weren't any semiautomatic assault weapons or high capacity magazines filled with ammo.  There weren't any warlike computer games.  There weren't any violent movies that captivate audiences with bloody shoot outs.  Today, these are all as American as apple pie.

At this moment all Americans feel the suffering and pain that was brought on by a deranged lone gunman in a quiet village that represents the values and ideals of this great Democracy.  It is time to send a powerful message.  Congress must quickly pass a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons so the president can sign it into law before the end of the year.

And in memory of those 26 innocent victims of Friday's senseless mass murder, call the legislation the Newtown Semiautomatic Weapons Ban Act.  Give those who have suffered from this latest atrocity the comfort of knowing something has been done.     

Momorial Day

This weekend the United States celebrates Memorial Day.  Sadly, for many Americans the holiday mostly marks the beginning of summer rather than a time to remember those who gave their lives in service to their country.

All across America people will flock to beaches and backyards.  They will barbeque, picnic and play baseball.  They will boat, fish, swim and bike.  Some will watch parades in small town America, sporting events on television, while others will shop at boutiques and huge malls.  Hopefully, some Americans will visit the graves of those who died for the freedoms they enjoy.   

Since the country's founding there have been more than one million U.S. war casualties.  The Civil War was this nation's bloodiest, as the death toll exceeded 623,000.  More than 116,000 Americans died in World War 1, 405,000 Americans died in World War 2, 36,516 thousand died in the Korean War, and 58,209 thousand perished in the Vietnam War. 

Over the past decade more than 2.2 million American service members have seen active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.  In that time more than 6,300 servicemen have died in those wars, and the conflict in Afghanistan continues.   But the tragedy of war extends well beyond death.  Tens of thousands of service men and women have suffered life-altering injuries, depression and other serious problems, and many struggle to reclaim a normal life. 

Very few Americans are directly impacted by today's military conflicts.  One reason is that an all-volunteer military is fighting America's wars.  The Afghanistan War, which has grown increasingly unpopular among Americans, has continued for more than a decade and the outcome remains uncertain.  News coverage of the Afghan War, especially by cable news channels and network newscasts, is sparse.  America, still struggling to regain its economic footing, is suffering from a collective war fatigue.  Yet heroic and courageous soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen fight on every day to preserve the country's freedoms.  

Memorial Day is a day for reconciliation, a day to come together.  From sea to shining sea the American flag will be raised to the top of the staff and then lowered to the half-staff position in memory of those who have died.  Then at noon the flag will be raised to full-staff to symbolize that those who are living will rise up to continue the fight for liberty and justice for all.

Let us all take a moment during our holiday weekend to pause and say thank you to the millions who have sacrificed their lives for America, and also to the brave soldiers, marines, sailors and airmen who continue to defend this country.