FORT LEE, N.J. Jan. 8 (DPI) – A senior aide to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie wrote in an email “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” in apparent retribution against the town’s mayor for not supporting the governor. Christie, a rising political moderate in the GOP, was seen as a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.

Readers across the web posted a wave of comments, many of them writing off the “bully” Christie as any kind of candidate for national office.

By Wednesday afternoon Christie announced he’d been misled by the aide, Bridget Anne Kelly, a deputy chief of staff.

“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Kelly emailed David Wildstein, one of Christie’s appointees at the Port Authority, which operates and collects the $13 toll for The George Washington Bridge.  Mr. Christie and some officials at Port Authority have said the closings were done as part of a traffic study.

Readers were outraged, although a few gave the Governor the benefit of the doubt.

A single line in a single email of a political aide is apparently enough of a smoking gun to bring down Christie, whose brash style in facing down Democrat-dominated public unions in the state made him popular among independents. It remains to be seen if the national GOP will continue to embrace him.

(Digital Press International was founded in Fort Lee in 2002; its offices occupied The Parker Plaza building, 400 Kelby Street, adjacent to the access lanes of the bridge until 2007. We can report – from gazing our window every day – that lane closures for no obvious reason were a fairly regular (at least monthly) occurrence during those years. Further, traffic entering the bridge was routinely backed up during both rush hours, and backups extending miles were not uncommon either. How many of those traffic problems were the result of deliberate management – and mismanagement – is anyone’s guess.)

Among the comments:

How incredibly small and petty of Christie’s staff. Not only is it dumb, it’s completely unimpressive in its childishness. I’d say it was high school stuff except I don’t want to insult high schoolers.

Why is everyone taking this out on Christie? It’s like blaming Obama for James Clapper lying to Congress. I would agree with you guys if Christie was somehow involved but this seems like a work of his idiot aides. I think these aides need to be prosecuted and fired from their job(which will happen soon). They should also face criminal charges because that’s exactly what would happen to an average citizen for closing a bridge for 4 days. Also…there needs to be a huge change in how these folks are appointed..giving ANY governer the power to choose and pick their friends is a absolute corruption.

BTW who are we kidding…NOTHING will change….People have no power to change anything….

I’m beyond disappointed in Chris Christie. As an Independent voter, I had some hope for him on the national stage. This vindictiveness and pettiness shows he is not national stage material. He isn’t fit to be a local official. Mr. Christie, how dare you inflict such an ordeal on YOUR OWN CONSTITUANCY?! Even if they didn’t vote for you, they are the citizens of the state you govern! That is despicable. I think it’s worse than what Eliot Spitzer did. And Anthony Weiner. You hurt your own citizenry. I feel you fooled me, Mr. Christie. And I won’t EVER be contemplating voting for you.

(Highest recommended on nytimes.com)

And a quick goodbye to Mr. Christie’s political future. Either he knew about this and tried to deny it, or he is oblivious to what’s going on right underneath him, or he just has terrible judgment regarding all of the people he hires. Any one of these makes him a terrible person to have in a position of power.

(Second highest recommended:)

The closing of access lanes to the GWB for four days for political reason is news indeed and should be examined to the fullest extent and the involved parties need to be held accountable. Anyone who lives in NYC/NJ understands the importance of the GWB for traffic. Paralyzing Fort Lee and traffic for four days is an abuse of power. Governor Christie and his appointees do not “own” the bridge or the Port Authority and their actions show a clear lack of an understanding of their duties and responsibilities. This is big news indeed with deeper implications than “just closing the bridge.”