Nukky Thompson's Revenge

++Remember on Boardwalk Empire Nukky always having to negotiate the road to Philadelphia for the booze? He even invested in a scheme for a highway to be built across the Pine Barrens. Well, it seems we are back there again.

++Think Progress wrote yesterday about the so-called pipeline that the Christie Administration pushed  to run across the sensitive environment of the Pine Barrens. They managed to shove aside a member of the Planning Commission to obtain approval. The week before it was rejected for environmental reasons. But the kicker is that Port Authority Chairman David Samson,the co-partner of New Jersey's largest real estate firm, had a piece of the action.

++Rachel Maddow began his coverage of the GWP closure speculating that the refusal of the Fort Lee Mayor to endorse Christie was the reason. Then she created a dateline that suggested maybe it was because of Christie's tirade against the New Jersey Senate about his Supreme Court nominations. Then Steve Kornarcki appeared on her show to speculate about the $1 billion real estate project that needed funding as the cause. 

++Turns out the losing developer on this project has as its lawyer David Samson's firm.

++And we know that the Rockefeller Project in Hoboken also had as its lawyer the Samson firm.

++Las night David Samson hired old Guiliani friend Michael Chertoff as his attorney. 

++Speaking of which Rudy showed up on the Sunday talkshows to call for the Democratic Assemblyman heading the investigation to resign and blasting the whole show as the Democratic machine getting even.

++One of the more interesting pieces on the whole Jersey affair appeared in Talking Points Memo, which analyzed the three different Democratic machines and how they supported Christie. In fact,the issue was whether or not they would allow the investigative committees power of subpoena. It turns out that pressure was put on the Northern Jersey machine to allow this to go forward. It's just the opposite of what Rudy said.

++Of real interest is the articles in the Daily Mail of the UK, which has supported the allegations of Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and gone further to bring in Michelle Brown,Christie's appointee as head of the State Development agency. They allege there is more than business in the Brown connection with Christie.

++The attacks on Dawn Zimmer have geared up. The Christie camp yesterday issued a non-denial denial, claiming she received $70 million in aid. ABC this money reported the same but didn't report whether the town had received the money. Others point out that FEMA funds from the Federal Government would account for $40 million of it and the rest came from private insurance on the buildings destroyed. 

++Dawn Zimmer is sticking to her story and says she will take a lie detector test. She believes the Lt. Governor would tell the truth under oath. I doubt it.

++In previous reporting by Rachel Maddow, it was pointed out that a large number of those subpoenaed had served on Rudy's aborted campaign for President. Now it appears that the major players are lawyering up with other colleagues associated with Rudy.

++The David Sampson connection is important because he serves as Christie's chief adviser to the Republican Governors Association,his campaign and was thought to be a major player in upcoming Presidential campaign. A former Attorney General of New Jersey, he has served as an adviser to Tom Kean, Jim Florio and McGreevy. He has emerged as the number one name which links everything together.