>>> chris christie's lawyers issued a 344-page report today saying that their client chris christie had nothing to do with the george washington bridge scandal. how do they know? they took his word for it. the latest breaking news tonight, one of the people accused of wrongdoing in this report responds. >> we're getting our first look at the report. >> chris christie-commissioned report. >> the report that chris christie says clears him in the george washington bridge scandal. >> our findings today are a vindication of governor dris christie. >> paid for by the taxpayer. >> taxpayer money well spent. . >> points the singer solely at bridget kelly and david wildstein. >> david wildstein went to bridget kelly for approval. >> why? >> we're not able to answer every question today. >> everyone is asking questions like what did you know and when did you know it? >> please let me answer this question first. we're not going to interrupt each other. >> this is not a federal investigation or a legislate i have investigation. >> this is chris christie's lawyer. >> this is from the governor's offi

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christie's lawyers today.eport i was describing in our opening statement. mr. stepien's statement asserts he is innocent. it says the governor's lawyers offered, "not a jot of evidence to support governor christie's decision to sever ties with bill stepien." this is interesting. "interesting that somebody has pointed out the weird tabloid distraction that governor christie's lawyers put in the report over and over again about personal matters. this is from bill stepien's statement which came out moments ago. listen to this. "the report's inclusion of a gratuitous reference to mr. stepien's brief dating relationship with bridget anne kelly which began after he left the governor's office, ended before the lane closure debacle began and took place when he and ms. kelly were single is a regrettable distraction that has no place in this report." it's true there's no purported explanation for the repeated references in the report to bridget kelly and bill stepien having a relationship. governor christie's lawyers ju

he refused to cooperate with christie's -- the investigative team that christie selected. that law firm. he refused to cooperate. if this report was so meaningful to him, why wouldn't he answer their questions or share his own thoughts about what was going on at the port authority? why wouldn't he want to turn over documents they might want to see? why wouldn't he want to do his part to make this a more thorough, more complete investigation and more thorough and more complete report? yet, he's completely missing. his input is completely missing from this report. >> also, steve, this is coming amid the governor embracing the suggestion or putting it out there that he will try and move forward on the notion of splitting up the port authority into an organization that's run by new jersey and new york rather than one umbrella. one would think you would want the person who is heading up that organization to oversee it or at least stay in office until that transition is completed. seems like a major move here. >> well, we've seen the same assertion now twice when it comes to por

if christie didn't know anything in advance, then what could have been the motive of christie's aides? >> the one piece of new information that is interesting is they talk about how bridget kelly, they say in this that bridget kelly checked in with the christie campaign, with matt mauers on august 12th, the day before she sent out that e-mail we all know about, "time for some traffic for fort lee." she checked in with him to make sure that it was correct, that mark sokolich, the mayor of fort lee hadn't endorsed christie. so it suggests some kind of connection there. but then they also point out, and that is true, this has been in the record for a while now that wildstein had as far back as 2010-2011 talked about the idea of being bothered by these lanes, wanting to -- fort lee shouldn't get these special lanes. a real interesting thing in here is so -- after bill baroni, the other appointee at the port authority testified in december, he goes on and on of the injustice of fort lee having three deindicated lanes, the report says baroni's took the authority director regina offguard. sh

christie land today. he did his first major news interview since the now famous press conference about the political payback on the george washington bridge. in a town hall earlier this week, he was reflective about what this says about his entire political career. >> when you become governor, you realize how your life really changes. i never go in the front door anymore. it's really depressing. i went to go to get my annual physical two weeks ago, and i met -- my doctor met me at the garbage dumpster behind her building. like, is this really it? we meet by the garbage dumpster? >> yes. the requirements of power can be depressing, but apparently that's not stopping the governor from heading to a key stop on the gop's preprimary for presidential aspirations. forget iowa. it's all about vegas. that story is next. >>> plus, personal news about why my colleague, chris hayes, is out tonight. stay with us. >>> welcome back. you may have noticed i'm not chris hayes. it's true. he's not here tonight because he ha

this is the christie defense. it may or may not be credible. >> at times it looks like it's masqueradi masquerading as an independent inquiry. i want to put up a picture of dawn zimmer that appears in the report that gives people a flavor. they have her yawning then they basically write someone who was threatened, a person does not normally yawn when threatened, coerced or spoken to improperly. that in the law what we would often call conjecture. because they found a photo of her yawning, she couldn't have been threatened during that interaction. i thought that was so weird, it made them look not credible. there are, as well, some very interesting pieces of evidence in here. a lot to unpack. steve kornacki, catch more of your reporting on this on "up" weekends at 8:00 a.m. eastern on msnbc and paul butler from georgetown university law center, thank you for your time. >>> long awaited release of governor chris christie's internal separation is not the only big development in christieland today. he did his first ma

that's not the chris christie you saw today. you saw the old chris christie. to me like it was the beginning of the comeback. the attempted comeback or the real comeback, what have you. i mean, he's now going back to who he was and he's going to see what happens. he did this press conference. he fought with reporters. and tomorrow morning he's getting on a plane to vegas where there's a big republican meeting and he's going to go woo some donors. it's going to be as if this never happened. he's going to try the comeback. we'll see where it goes. >> yeah. that is what's striking, especially politically. this is clearly him saying, allow me to introduce myself. yet to a lot of eyes including experienced new jersey reporter like yourself, it does look like the old chris christie in many ways. that may be part of the message he wants to convey. matt katz from new jersey public radio. thank you for your time, spending time with us on friday night. >> any time. thanks. >> thank you. >>> national elections come down to this. which candidate will best fulfill the need

no one in the christie gang was going to do that. and chris christie knows that.nd his chairman of the port authority were very angry when patrick foye exposed what was happening at the bridge. and told the truth about it. and chris christie knows that david samson put his anger at patrick foye in writing, in the words of that threat. he's playing in traffic. made a big mistake. chris christie knew all of that when he was asked last week, do you still stand by david samson? chris christie knew that. just a week before he was asked that question, he knew that the new jersey star ledger editorial had said port authority chairman david samson should resign. samson appears to treat his port authority appointment as an extension of his legal career? or is it just coincidence that his firm's lobbying revenue, just $42,000 the year before christie was elected govrer exploded to annual revenues of more than $1 million shortly afterwards. chris christie knew all that when he said he stands by david samson. and with "the new york times" today saying chris christie should fi

chris christie wanted, chris christie needed a big chunk of those obama voters. moderates and liberals in new jersey who don't usually vote republican. he needed them to vote for him in 2013 so he could turn around and tell national republicans that he, and he alone, had the formula to shatter that red state/blue state divide and to win back the white house for the gop. to get the kind of numbers he wanted to rack up in new jersey last year, christie needed to look moderate. so cpac and the hard right conservatism that it showcases snubbed him last year, well so much better for his moderate cred. christie, did, of course, get himself re-elected by 22 points last november. that was the biggest margin for republican in new jersey in 28 years. so it seemed he was on his way. then his world turned upsidedown. days before his inauguration for that second term, the state legislature released thousands of pages of e-mails tieing members of his inner circle to the scandal commonly known as bridge-gate. deputy chief of staff apparently ordered up gridlock traffic for the

, the mojo christie.ing to put this behind him. >> i completely, completely disagree, respectfully disagree with all of you. i think he was bluffing and i think he was trying to bring back his old act to signal to people, hey, nothing to see here. i think everyone should look at that act skeptically. >> he acknowledged, too, he's calling this his exoneration and he wants to have it proceed. he acknowledged at one point this report would be tested and the u.s. attorney is looking into this. talk about the legislative committee. i keep saying the ball game is the u.s. attorney's office. we talk about how incomplete this investigation was, who they didn't get to talk to, what they didn't get to see. the u.s. attorney is not going to have a problem talking to who he wants to talk to. >> he's right, it's going to be tested, that ee's right. >> it would be fatal to him in the event a different conclusion came out. that's why, to come out and be so confident as a former prosecutor, he has to have the confidence

christie has been exonerated. but there are plenty of skeptics out there. nearly every major newspaper in christie's backyard harshly questioned the report. "the new york times" editorial report writes, quote, this glossy political answer losing cost the taxpayers more than a million dollars in legal fees. this report is an expensive whitewas whitewash. the star ledger also called it a million dollar whitewash, saying let's see what the u.s. attorneys turn up. the bergen writes the completed report raises more question than it buries. what it also buries is hope that the internal investigation might rise above the governor's self-interest. the front page of the trentonian one of christie's hometown papers, says christie begins with a headline written in all caps, saying "conflict of interest." moments ago, bridget kelly through her lawyer fired back at the report which we know pins much of the blame on her and throws in some salacious details about her personal life to boot. here is part of her statement. the repo

christie is getting out ahead of other investigations. he's whitewashing his record before it can be tarnished any further. right now cristy's not looking vulnerable because he's winning the narrative. here's where he is vulnerable as i see it. he loves to attack unions. he doesn't like workers. he's not for the minimum wage. he's fired teachers, gone after public education, plays games with pension, he crushes infrastructure projects. i mean, and of course the guy's personality, we know he's not a bully. he's just an all-around nice guy all the time and he has the demeanor that we really want for commander in chief. this guy is not helping the middle class. he never has. christie got out ahead of the state investigative panel and i think it's time the state investigators quit dragging their feet and release their findings. get your cell phones out. i want to know what you think. tonight's question -- do you think chris christie cooked the investigation? a for yes, b for no to 67622. you can also go to our blog at ed.msnbc.com. we'll brin

with chris christie. to drag this investigation out for a year, year and a half, which will really get in the way of his presidential chances. >> push this report and went on diane sawyer trying to sort of cut through that. i will say politically you might be right. there may be some overarching. he may still do well on a national level according to the poll numbers, but this morning, i think he is waking up and looking around at the newspaper, probably looking at conversations like this and looking at his lawyer on camera and going you know what? i got to do everything myself. i can't depend on anybody any more because i do my best for myself. there is no one who speaks better for chris christie than chris christie himself. if that is the best we do in terms of a lawyer, he should just do everything himself. he really needs to just get everybody out of there and talk to people himself because that was pathetic. do you not agree? >> i don't think the lawyer paid for by the taxpayers of new jersey did chri

investigates christie. the internal review that governor chris christie ordered, investigating the george where wash bridge scandal is not yet complete. but that did not stop the christie administration from issuing a press release telling us what is in their not yet complete report. the press release said that the internal review is "comprehensive and exhaustive" and that it will give "a full airing of what happened." this press release about the internal review includes a sentence that could only be composed in christie world. "the ongoing review, which is not yet complete and therefore has not been delivered to the governor's office or anyone else yet." so here is a press release describing an internal review that it says has not been delivered to anyone. this press release was sent out by the deputy communications director kevin roberts, who can't possibly have seen the ongoing review he is describing because he says in his press release that the review hasn't been seen by anyone. that includes kevin ro

americans say christie would not make a good president by a 2 to 1 margin, and while the tide of christies may have reseated momentarily, it looks like the wreckage of a political career. that tide is not going to stay out forever. we don't know why those ft. lee lanes were closed in the ft. lee bridge scandal. the two people protecting christie by protecting themselves, brigit kelly and steppian are in the thick of a court battle over whether they can refuse to produce court documents based on their fifth amendment right of self-inkrimenation. word this week that new jersey federal prosecutors are looking into a story we've been covering extensively since this all broke. the conflict of interest between christie ally and big republican power player david sampson chair of the port authority, and the contract on two bridge contracts that sampson voted to award to construction companies with some ties to his law firm. those federal prosecutors have issued a subpoena to the port authority. and remember there? ♪ >> the jersey shore is open. >> the word is spreading. >> because we're stronger

if christie gets that all clear from the u.s. attorney, now all he's got is this partisan witch flunt the legislative committee and that's an easy fight for them to pick. he's got democrats who are pushing the narrative. his criticism all along has been the rush to judgment, the partisan attacks. if he's got two reports out there -- one being mastro's, the other being the u.s. attorney -- that exonerate him, that third front is a fairly easy one for him to take on and as i've heard a lot of people speculate, that's red meat to the right wing. that's red meat to the people he wants support from for the presidency. you know, the democratically -- the liberal media is after me, the democrats in the legislature are after me. >> so one-two punch. the liberal media mixed with the corrupt state legislature that's ruined new jersey forever, they're trying to take me down because i instituted change. it's a brilliant political strategy if the u.s. attorney one is not that bad. michael, i want to go to you on this top chick has come up whi

and what i learned today is chris christie -- >> i'm doing an all-you-can-eat buffet. >> -- still in good form. if it's way too early, it's "morning joe." stick around. it's exciting. >> right here, kristen welker. >> have a great weekend! and as always, thank you. for your patience. >> thanks, guys, great to have you in washington. >>> trenton makes the world takes. breaking news this hour on the heels of his team of lawyers saying he's in the clear, governor christie plans to make the case himself at a press conference just hours from now. >>> on the other end of the country, recovery efforts continue and the death toll is expected to rise even more from the tragic mudslide that wiped out a rural area outside of seattle. >>> and across the pacific, the search area for missing malaysian airlines flight 370 shifts as even more new debris is spotted and the weather finally makes a turn to help the search. >>> and a very good morning to you from washington. it is friday, march 28th, 2014. and this is "the daily rundown." i'm kristen welker in for chuck todd, who is continuing to travel

christie exonerated. christie report, you know, exonerates christie, whatever the headline is. are focused on that as the bottom line. then when you roll out this dense, bulky report that's going to have all these details and names and dates -- >> it sounds like old news. >> they don't want people to lose sight of their bottom-line conclusion when they get this thick document and want people focusing on as they read it, this exonerates christie. that's the working theory of the talk around trenton. >> what's interesting is to see the governor's office today push out a very long, breathless press release about this information crediting "the new york times" for this incredible insightful look at how not guilty governor christie is when governor christie's office has been excoriating "the new york times" sort of above all other news outlets for the way they've covered this in the past. >> right. here's the thing. so we say nobody who's followed this at all expected the christie internal investigation would do anything other than say chris christie had no knowledge, no involvement

when chris christie was picked by president george w.tical appointment of being the u.s. attorney in new jersey, chris christie was completely unqualified for that position. christie had zero experience in criminal law and had never so much as filed a motion in federal court. no experience in federal court. and trained lawyers are very careful speakers. they don't say things like, i could make up an answer at any time that sounds convincing. a trained lawyer would never, ever say that. and the most important answers christie has given about the scandal surrounding him and his administration are not convincing. every poll shows that most people in new jersey do not believe chris christie's insistence that he knew nothing about what was happening with the george washington bridge until long after it was over. and in a new national bloomberg poll, which shows what christie would be up against if he makes the mistake of running for president, 63% do not believe him. they do not believe that christie knew nothing about the scandal at the gorg

christie's news conference is coming up.ith me right now, co-author of chris christie, the inside story of his rise to power. we were talking, guys, about questions about what happens in this investigation -- which you were pointing out actually has extensive ties beyond the governor himself. >> christie gave the interview last night and i'm assuming he will repeat it today during his press conference. people are saying this is a whitewash, you hired your own lawyer, paid for by taxpayers exonerated you, then he says no, he's not my lawyer. he says after all my years as an attorney, there isn't -- he could have picked any law firm, no, this is not christie's personal lawyer, that's absolutely correct. but it's in the report, it's in the public record, it was reported back in january this law firm was obtained not just to conduct an internal investigation, but also to defend against claims against the governor's office. this law firm was hired to represent the governor's office in any investigation. that's a huge distinction.

does christie have that?u ever been with him that he has the iron makeup that he can they can more of this crap when it comes? because it's going to come from the prosecutors and the state legislature. more coming here. >> i think that is one of his great strengths hi, can take it. >> and mark mentioned the example of bill clinton. anybody who covered bill clinton does not count any politician out if they have the act to show that resilience. and maybe he does. >> were you there in new hampshire in '92 when he was handing out videos? >> exactly. you don't want to count him out. but i don't think he is a good fit in this party. and in the end that's a bigger problem for him. >> will his ego carry him, mark? the sheer strength of his will power to fight this crap storm? >> it's attractive to people. it's attractive to donors. i'll say again. i've said this on the program before there is one qualification republican nominators across the spectrum want, who can beat hillary clinton, as long as it looks like she i

chris christie. and tonight the christie administration is saying that the pal's law firm found that chris christie did nothing wrong even though the christie administration is also saying that no one, none of them have actually seen that law firm's report yet. >>> and later, breaking news from washington state. just minutes ago officials there have announced the number of people possibly missing has gone up substantially tonight. we will have the very latest. [ male announcer ] there is no substitute for experience. for what reality teaches you firsthand. in the face of danger, and under the most demanding circumstances. experience builds character. experience builds confidence. and experience... has built this. introducing the 2014 glk. the engineering and the experience of mercedes-benz. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. i'm saving a ton of time by posting them to my wall. oh, i like that one. it's so quick! it's just like my car insurance.

christy's loss, who gains the most as christie loses among the candidates there? scotty you're first then anna. >> going to be jeb bush. if chris christie is coming from the establishment side point, you can look at rand paul, cruz, woo walker. the tea party base can work against us. the establish management not many options going into this 2016 race. you have chris christie, jeb bush and maybe a few others. the most to gain of christie doing bad would be jeb bush. >> anna? >> well darling you know i'm not going to argue with that one i don't like the -- let me just tell you, i don't like the word establishment. that's a problem we have as republicans when we try to label each other within the republican party. i like to think of people like governors who are getting things done in the state as pragmatic performers, they are conservatives if you look at their record. anyone that looks at bush's record in florida, he had a fiscal conservative, record as governor. if you don't think so, you don't know his record. i also think there are other people that benefit. it'

something christie says he has no recollection of. bob engel is a columnist for "the asbury park press." and he's the author of the become "chris christie." thanks for coming by on a saturday. bob, let me start with you. how far does this report go in clearing the governor? >> well, if you're the governor, you think it's 150%. >> okay. >> however, the rest of us who looked at it said, what's the rush? there are so many unanswered questions. why did he rush this out? and there's a couple of interesting theories about that. >> among them? >> one is that he wanted something to carry to las vegas because the word was that adelson was having questions about whether he could be elected. so here he goes. he brings in this big report. he throws it on his desk and says, here, i'm innocent, see there. that's what this report says. and the other is, when you had samson resigning as chairman of the board, the reason -- of the port authority -- the reason that christie gave him the news conference was, well, he read this report and there are recom

i've got to start with you, the chris christie bigger picture.he governor's office commission this is report. it was supposed to kpon rate him. same day he schedules a prime time television interview and then goes on a media tour. it doesn't seem to have worked. on the national level, did chris christie help himself last week or hurt himself? >> it's a bmixed bags, i talked to those in the key states when you're looking at 2016 and you're looking at the maps and the succession of primaries and caucuses there. they essentially said that it's a mixed bag, that chris christie has the defense now which his lawyers back up in saying that's nothing to say here, there's no evidence yet as to whether he had anything to do with it. i think the keyword from everyone i have talked to is yet. in some states, particularly iowa, they never really liked chris christie to begin with, and none of this held. there was some idea that there would be a rallying effect around chris christie because the press in some people's view were beating up on him over this bridg

and christie and ian?e. they had a sleeping bag, a camping stove, a tarp, a solar-powered cell phone and an emergency beacon. before dawn every morning in the meditation, christie commanded the sun to rise over the mountain and it did. and they sat silent, waiting. for what? >>> coming up -- a last retreat. >> there was a book, "hindu goddess of death" kind of laying out on the ground. >> and we sit down with michael roach. >> do you still think christie mcnally is a goddess? skin cells lose energy,as , making skin look tired. wake it up with olay regenerist. formulated with a skin energizing complex, it penetrates 10 layers of the skin's surface, revving up surface cell regeneration and bringing out younger looking skin. ♪ because energized skin is younger looking skin. the latest, from olay regenerist. ♪ it's all your favorites and a whole lot more, like a 20-piece chicken mcnuggets -- just 5 bucks. more choices than ever before. that's the dollar menu and more. ♪ [ male announcer ] our story always begi

so did christie know about it? should he have? and can he still run for president?ere's what he told diane. >> it was the scandal that threaten to derail the gor nor of new jersey, the no-nonsense tough-talking chris christie. >> you know, something may go down tonight but it ain't going to be jobs, sweetheart. >> a rising political star with national aspirations. for four days strigt drivers used to 30 minute commutes faced two to three two four-hour gridlo gridlock. children in school buses, desperate people making calls to 911. >> it's an emergency. and they are not there. >> could this all be political payback for a local mayor who hadn't supported christie's re-electi re-election? then we read text messages showing some of christie's aides seeming to be chortling. tonight, some of those who wrote those e-mails still have not talked about what they've said or didn't say to governor christie. one of them, bridget kelly. another, david wildstein, rumbling about getting immunity. but until they do, the governor points out a new report issued today clears him, and h

. >>> the chris christie commission on chris christie's role in bridgegate is out and you will never guess what it found. it is thursday, march 27th. this is "now." >> we just heard the findings from the report. >> clears him and the scandal. >> chris christie had no knowledge before hand of this george washington bridge realignment. >> this is chris christie's lawyer essentially. >> he played no role whatsoever. this is somebody chosen by christie. >> hired by the governor himself. >> represents the governor's office. >> paid for with state funds. >> it puts blame squarely on the governor's aides. >> there's a lot of blame for bridget kelly. >> bridget kelly lied to her colleagues. >> the main focus of the report is going to be quite critical of mayor don zimmer. >> mayor zimmer's allegations are not only unsubstantiated. they are demonstrably false. >> law firm hired by the new jersey governor. >> mounting a new defense. >> 1999, the number of days since two access lanes to the george washington bridge were closed. >> this is not the final word. >> an act of personal or political a

christie, it might also be in christie's interest to have her testify because how does he get beyondhis until we have heard what bridget kelly has to say? how does he convince the public that there was not more to this scandal if the key players, bridget kaeelly and bill stepie and david wildstein haven't been heard from? >> that is interesting. the interest of christie and stepien could diverge. they just used to be on the same team perhaps. to go back to your original point, chris. this is a huge question whether dragging this out helps or hurts chris christie. thus far, if we are looking at the latest polling, dickinson university surveyed released today only 41% approve of christie's job performance compared to 44% who disapprove. a 20-point drop in three months and the first time his approval has been a net negative. >> what we know, look back on from when we learned about this to now. what we know is that chris christie was interesting 2014 as an emerging front-runner and people laugh. how can someone be a front-runner in a race that is three years away. coalescing he was going

will the real christie please stand? and explain to me the difference either strategically, because you worked with corzine, you know politicians, or legally. >> i think there probably was a legal reason why he didn't ask -- why he said he didn't ask her for a reason. but what i saw today was that he clearly doesn't have an answer down. and he is sending out a lot of mixed messages. and it indicates to me that he is not being truthful. >> all right. i'm going to have to leave there it. we'll be watching as this develops. governor ed rendell and liz smith, thank you both for your time this evening. >> thanks, rev. have a nice weekend. >> you as well. >>> coming up, six million and count do you think to the wire for the affordable care act. and the right attacks keep coming. and look out, vegas. here comes jeb bush, chris christie, scott walker, and john kasich. we go inside their sin city visit with billionaire mega donor scott adelson. >>> first lady michelle obama's good will tour of china is over, but the conservative

christie and bryan.ale insisted he knew nothing about his wife's fair when bryan disappeared. dale had no criminal history but the affair gave him a motive to harm bryan, so investigators got a search warrant for his car. it was checked for blood and gunshot residue. >> none of which we found. we didn't find anything. >> in addition, dale and christie bradley agreed to take polygraph tests and they both passed. >> at that point, they kind of dropped his name from the list of suspects. >> meanwhile, investigators pursued another potential lead. two of bryan's fellow security guards had been arrested for stealing from the mine. >> they were arrested for stealing metals of kennecotte property and pawning them for junk metal shops. >> one of those guards was at the guard shack minutes after bryan was reported missing. >> bryan was one of those at the guard shack who reported some of those thefts going on. without bryan's body, police had no proof he was dead. officially, he was still a missing person. kennec

where do you think christie fits in his effort to rally moderate republican candidates? >> that's a very interesting question, because i think in large measure beyond the scope of a primary setting, i think he has a lot of influence and ability to bring those ends together, ronan and tie them up for the party. in other words, to bring those disaffected republicans and like minded democrats, independent voters and women certainly, to the table in a way that in a general campaign is not only competitive but winnable. the problem still remains though, the base is at best suspect and at worst just outright against him. and so i think that he's going to have to figure out how to navigate those waters before any real conversation of substance about a national bid has legitimacy because if you can't get past that republican primary and if you're standing on the stage with eight other republicans and you're the last man they are looking at, that's not going to be beneficial in a general campaign. so there's -- first steps first, but right now it's sort of like you said at the be

christie is not known for having the most genial tone, himself.idn't make sense why bill stepien's tone is the reason he was fired so quickly. that question of why chris christie fired his top political aide came at a sharper focus today, we learned not only is the governor's fired campaign manager not cooperating with the investigation into the bridge scandal, he apparently also is not cooperating with the fbi and federal prosecutors. wow. details ahead. i'm sinora and this is my son, chris. i'm a messy person. i don't like cleaning. i love my son, but he never cleans up. always leaves a trail of crumbs behind. you're going to have a problem with getting a wife. uh, yeah, i guess. [ laughs ] this is ridiculous. christopher glenn! [ doorbell rings ] what is that? swiffer sweep & trap. i think i can use this. it picks up everything. i like this. that's a lot of dirt. it's that easy! good job chris! i think a woman will probably come your way. [ both laugh ] >>> this morning i've terminated the employment of bridget kelly effective immediately. i te

mark, let me start with you, christie tape, that could have been old christie tape, but it's new christiee. the attitude and the bullishness, if not the downright bullying behavior, back on display. did you think it's high time we see this chris christie return to main stage or amid the swirl of allegations he should have a more consolatory tone? >> that's the way it goes. i've got nothing else to say. >> sorry you're a fan of obamacare. >> he's doing what he needs to do, he needs to be himself. you know, it is now cliche to say, he's one e-mail or text away fromming having bigger problems than ever with this story until and unless something comes up that makes the story worse. it's going to get worse. we know it's going to get other people around him. but until that time, until we see subpoenas, grand jury, open testimony he has no choice but to fundraise for the rga, hold town meetings with his own style and hope people like that. not if he wants to run for president but govern the state. that is his style. he cannot be a different person to effectively govern. >> the dearth, the rutger

he's been called a father figure to christie. it's hard when somebody is like that to cut them loose. on the other hand in the wake of all these revolutions emerging about did he take official action that benefited private clients? a number of questions have been raised about why the governor is standing beside him so closely. >> and if this federal criminal investigation is now under way and a full-scale way to david samson on those matters, can he continue to serve as chairman of the port authority while that investigation is happening? we'll see. andrea bernstein, senior editor for wnyc. your reporting on the samson side of this story in particular has been must-read stuff. >> thank you so much for having me. >>> lots still to come tonight, including richard engel here live. >>> a republican candidate for congress getting trashed by the national republican party. >>> new reporting tonight from texas and from michigan. we have a lot to come togethnig. day with us. weekdays are for rising to the challenge. they're the days to ta

christie is not known for having the most genial tone, himself.t didn't make sense why bill stepien's tone is the reason he was fired so quickly. that question of why chris christie fired his top political aide came at a sharper focus today, we learned not only is the governor's fired campaign manager not cooperating with the investigation into the bridge scandal, he apparently also is not cooperating with the fbi and federal prosecutors. wow. details ahead. there's a saying around here, you stand behind what you say. around here you don't make excuses. you make commitments. and when you can't live up to them, you own up, and make it right. some people think the kind of accountability that thrives on so many streets in this country has gone missing in the places where it's needed most. but i know you'll still find it when you know where to look. to prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, he's agreed to give it up. that's today? [ male announcer ] we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. i was okay, but after lunch

but christie only scowled at him.r according to nbc news, christie did apologize to adelson for using the phrase "occupied territory." i remember tom delay when he was really sucking up to ring wing people about the middle east. he said when i flew over the occupied, i didn't see no occupied territory, i just saw israel. of course it is disputed. of course it is occupied. but the fact you have to get your phrase just right in front of this crowd or you're dismissed? not everybody is on the hard right on middle east politics? thinking crowd certainly is. this is a fault line that christie should have been aware. and i think it is illustrative -- >> judea assume -- i thought it was illustrative that right after that you have martin klein go up and try to correct him. and he dismissed the guy. but a couple of hours later he apologized profusely. >> u.s. policy under w. who was certainly a hawk and very pro-israeli and right wing on the topic was for a two-state solution. sheldon adelson does not accept that even as a pre

she is very close to chris christie.tion of how does regina egee yeah ga get an like that and chris christie doesn't find out? >> christie's viability both as a governor of new jersey and how he can continue to govern and then he at the national level people are learning more about the port authority of new york and new jersey these days than they ever thought they would. this is an institution founded in the 1920s to be an apolitical bi-state model of cooperation. i'm not sure that the average republican voter is really going to pay close attention to the specific details. i think the bigger picture is what matters. and if governor christie a year from now is able to say with all of these investigations nobody has been able to lay a glove on me, then he is politically viable. >> and that begs the question with -- we have a few more to go through. we have to squeeze a break in here. he has put himself in this position where i knew nothing before january 8. so these are sort of the points of vulnerability where it's possi