The best known line of the movie adaptation of All The President’s Men is, “follow the money.” Deep Throat said it in the film but it’s not in the book. It’s classic Reel History. I do believe, however, that Mark Felt wore a felt fedora on occasion…
Okay, I’m wildly off track, which happens to me every time I contemplate Tricky Dick, Watergate, and the mysteries of Bob Woodward’s accent. Anyway, MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki has been all over the GW Bridge Too Far story and he knows his stuff. He covered Jersey politics for years and knows the difference between a political boss and The Boss. Steve has added another highly plausible theory to the Fat Fuck file, it’s about a billion dollar development project in Fort Lee right near the GWB:
This sordid tale of greedy contractors, scared politicians, payback and retribution made me, of course, think of the Newark Galleria plot line in The Sopranos. The good news for folks in Fort Lee is that Johnny Sack and Ralph Ciffaretto won’t be able to wet their fictional beaks on this project. The parallels to my all-time favorite teevee show is one reason why I’m so fascinated by Gov Fat Fuck’s potential implosion, but it also has something to do with living in the Gret Stet of Louisiana for over 30 years. Another MSNC host, Chris Hayes, had a “tournament of corruption” between Lousiana, Jersey, Illinois, and Flordia. It was declared a tie by the host:
There’s a lot of competition for the corruption crown, which is why, when there’s a scandal, don’t append a gate to it, instead follow the money. Me, I’d skip meeting Hal Holbrook in a parking garage, they’re inherently creepy. Just ask Dr. Melfi.
UPDATE:More from Brian Murphy about the Fort Lee development honey hole.
Kornacki’s (and Murphy’s) weakness is the lack of a specific motive, which they honestly acknowledged. Rachel Maddow’s idea that it’s tied to the NJ judicial confirmation war has a step up on the K&M theory on motive, but seems less . . intimate like slashing your borough’s traffic access to The City. I understand why it hurts – that much is obvious – but strangling your borough’s massive development project feels very personal; to do it because you lead the immobile Senate Opposition & Fort Lee’s in your district doesn’t quite sound like it’s the same league.