On Wednesday night's "The Daily Show", host Jon Stewart took on the Bridgeghazi scandal that's destroying New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's presidential prospects, the Wire reported.
What started with days of traffic jams in an obscure New Jersey town has now become a major scandal for one of the most prominent U.S. politicians. Back in September, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed two of the three lanes that lead to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, across the Hudson from Manhattan. That caused days of massive traffic jams in Fort Lee, according to CNN.
This is the sort of gallingly petty political scandal that's practically written for Stewart's show.
But there's another connection. Stewart grew up in New Jersey, a little over an hour south of Fort Lee. So, for some perspective, he introduced the show's "Senior New Jersey Correspondent" as himself, the Wire reported.
"I'm disappointed, I'm ashamed of the state I grew up in-to see New Jersey sink to such a piss poor, third-rate quality of corruption," the host griped in a mock mobster accent. "This is New Jersey, a state renowned for its piss rich, first-rate quality of corruption."
According to the Wire, he sailed his audience through the state's rich history of corruption, graft, and general seediness, from the convicted state politician who faked his own death in a scuba-diving accident to "The Sopranos". "Have you seen our state flag? There is literally a severed horse's head on the state flag!"
Referring to the less-than-discreet gmail conversation prompting the bridge back-up, Stewart mocked Christie for not living up to the standard of Jersey crooks. "You're an embarrassment to dialogue," Stewart scolded.
So he imagined a more effective exchange, "Ay, did you take care o' that thing?" "Yeah, that thing? I took care o' that thing. Our good friend Lee? Yeah, he's constipated alright. He's gonna be backed up all week."
The host closed off by quoting Christie's one idol, Bruce Springsteen, "It's a death trap / It's a suicide rap / You gotta get out while you're young / So don't block the bridge / Cuz there's not that many ways out."
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