Madison Votes To Impeach Christie

Over the past two months, New Jersey’s residents have seen a tangled, imprisoning web created by Governor Chris Christie for Governor Chris Christie. His withering supporters keep repeating the same implausible story, which is worth repeating. This story being, that the governor (according to his own words) was ‘betrayed’ by his innermost staffers in September of last year. These staffers, led by the now-fired Bridget Anne Kelly, conspired to punish the town of Fort Lee for electing a mayor that refused to support the Governor’s reelection. This conspiracy led to the intentional blockage of that town’s approaches to the George Washington Bridge - an event that clearly led to delays, loss of property, child endangerment, accidents and death.

James Madison

In his press conference last month, the Governor admitted that he was completely ignorant of this conspiracy and the traffic crisis itself until it was over. He was as outraged as any of us when he found out.

Now again, to be fair, this writer along with the rest of the state electorate does not believe him. I am convinced that the governor was the prime mover of this entire crisis, and then attempted to cover it up. Since that press conference the Governor has embraced a false “traffic study” excuse, then distanced himself from it, then attempted to assassinate the character of his long-time crony at the Port Authority David Wildstein, only to claim later that he did not get the memo on that point. Christie is flailing around in political waters like the drowning man he is.

This story is rapidly expanding, but for one moment, let’s (foolishly) give the Governor the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say that, indeed, he is a victim of some strange inner office conspiracy that led to the traffic crisis in Fort Lee. He didn’t know nuthin’.

So, he’s incompetent then, and negligent. Now this is a serious matter, being an elective executive and claiming this level of negligence. I think he ought to be impeached and removed for this alone. But don’t take my word for it, take the word of the revered Founding Father and President, James Madison, on the topic of impeachment and executive removal. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Madison stated:

“[It is] indispensable that some provision should be made for defending the Community against the incapacity, negligence or perfidy of the chief Magistrate. The limitation of the period of his service, was not a sufficient security. He might lose his capacity after his appointment. He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers….In the case of the Executive Magistracy which was to be administered by a single man, loss of capacity or corruption was more within the compass of probable events, and either of them might be fatal to the Republic.”

Madison so feared a negligent, incompetent elected executive that he directly related such conditions to the very health of the nation itself. Apparently, even if such a person committed acts that were not technically illegal, there could still be grounds to impeach and remove on negligence alone.

It bears repeating that the impeachment and removal process is not judicial in nature; it is political. It is absolutely unrelated to any judicial process the state might hold against the official as a private person. Impeachment and removal is a process designed to protect the integrity of the state and its people from officials that are so flawed, so inept that, due to such qualities, horrific things can happen on their watch. And according to Christie and his diminishing circle of supporters, that’s exactly what has happened here.

Okay, so back to reality. Christie’s story is bunk. It’s nonsense. It’s evolving…badly…and this entire situation is careening towards some inevitable, dramatic conclusion. But it is worth noting that even if the guy is the honest, straight shooter he claims to be, he ought to be kicked out of office anyway.