See the future?

A soldier walks into a bar. He's off duty, wants a drink, but doesn't want the company of his War buddies. He wanders into the local bar normally shunned by warriors. He expected privacy and deferential treatment from the locals.

In the middle of his first drink, some one speaks to him, 'I can tell the future.'

Without looking, he says, 'No one can tell the future. Especially someone like you.'

'Oh but it can be done. Has been done. Once to a guy like you.'

The soldier turns and looks at the speaker. Nothing remarkable about the little man. Yesterday's clothing style. Collar frayed at the corners. The shirt clean but a dingy look as if some old food stain added to the darker shadows.

'You think I'm going to buy you a drink after you tell my fortune. Is that your deal? Buzz off. No one has ever been told their future.'

'Oh,' the little man replied. 'It has only been done once before. To someone like you. Younger than you now. He had two possible futures. In one, he could be a farmer, have children, even grand children. He would die happy as an old man in his bed.'

'Or, he could give in to his ambitions to be famous. Become a soldier, then a General, a great leader of men.'

'But, if he became a soldier, his country would follow his example. More and more men with ambition would try to become rich and famous as soldiers. To do that, they would need wars. Small ones. Easy to win. Little chance of dying.'

'That would work for his country. For a while. Then, the country would be hated as the oppressor is always hated. The wars would get bigger and last longer. Eventually, all the country's natural resources would be used up. Then, the wars would become occupations. War for resources.'

'The country, and all it's people, would become hollow, empty. Like you right now.'

The soldier finished his drink. Stood up. Paid. Looked at the little man. 'There ain't never been a man like that.' He looked at the little man for the last time and walked out.

The little man slid into the soldier's seat and picked up the drink glass. With a finger, he wiped inside the glass. Then, he sucked on the finger to get the last of the alcohol.

Looking at the glass, the little man said, 'Yes, there was such a man. His name was George Washington.'

Christie bridges evidence gap

George Washington has a lot of things named after him. Legends abound. He threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River, perhaps the first step in becoming President. The ability to throw money. He had two of his father's slaves cut down a cherry tree then he lied to his dad saying, "I take full responsibility." Another step in political growth, taking credit when minor things go wrong.

But the real George Washington story connects Chris Christie with a couple slaves. Although Christie would call them lackeys behind closed doors, the Ubernator went to high school with one of the lackeys.

That lackey controlled the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River, the busiest traffic bridge in the United States. And he says, my high school buddy knew all about the bridge. He left his fingerprints on it. He's going down.

So what?

Christie could have said, http://wonkette.com/538682/chris-christie-takes-full-responsibility-for-underlings-terrible-vengeful-bullying. But, instead he held the O.J. Simpson Press Conference of all time. And, blamed the National Weather Service, the GDOT, Georgia Govenor Nathan Deal, the 1969 Mets, and two slaves for the bridge closing which killed somebody. A heart attack victim who died waiting for the EMTs.

But, he didn't create a culture of hatred in New Jersey. It blamed that on union thugs, teachers, and his namesake, Christie Columbus.

So what?

He will run for President on the G O T party banner. He will win the nomination. He's a sure bet to win the White House by 11 votes in Florida. The embargo will be the favorite tool of his foreign policy.

And he'll throw some money across a river or two. His slaves will cut down obstacles. He'll take responsibility. Then, fire another friend when 'minor' things go wrong.

Bridge to Nowhere

In all kindness, bridges in New Jersey usually provide escape routes. Since not everyone has escaped from New Jersey, all the bridges are bridges to Nowhere.

The intrepid Gubernator Chris Christy proved the Bridge to Nowhere theory about a year ago.

'He' shut down one bridge. The George Washington Bridge at Fort Lee.



Now the Gubernator didn't personally order the closing. His office did. Sort of like Obama's daughters didn't build the healthcare website. Only the girls really didn't build the website using iPhones. Some one else in private industry, possibly with help from North Korea, neglected to perform their duties.

We should applaud the Gubernator's staff. They intended to screw things up for the residents of Fort Lee and the Mission Accomplished banner hangs over the N.J. capital today. Perfect backdrop for the massive I didn't do it and I don't know how it happened and 'Why can't we all just get along' speech by Christie.

Better than Nixon's Checkers Speech, Christie doesn't get any points for good speech writing. He had a year to prep.

Unlike Bridget Anne Kelly and David Wildstein whose spontaneous text message will be required reading in PoliSci classes for several days.

Here's a couple classic lines. "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee," Bridget Anne Kelly.

When school buses were stuck, Wildstein chirped, "They are the children of Buono voters."

Ah, poor Barbara Buono. It's impossible to win an election without the power to close bridges.

Three heart attack victims painfully waited for EMTs while traffic delays ambulances. Ironic that Ms. Kelly texted one of her messages while attending a wake. Oh well. I guess she didn't cause the heart attacks.

Ironic the Gubernator's office started their political terrorism on ... 9/12. A day after the anniversary of the largest terror attack on U.S. soil. Same day as the Bengazi attacks.

Who knew.

My thanks to the NYT story.