Ruthless Ambition
Subtitle: the Rise and Fall of Chris Christie
Publisher: Trine Day
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Walterville, OR
Language: eng
Number of pages: 396
ISBN-13: 9781937584900; 9781937584894
Subjects: Corruption investigation; Case studies; Political corruption; Governors; Biography; Politics and government; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY; Political; HISTORY; State & Local; General; Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA); New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)
Description: In this searing tell-all, former New Jersey State Assemblyman Louis Manzo recounts an extraordinary tale of political ruthlessness, corruption, and greed while also telling the story of being caught in the center of one of the most egregious political scandals in modern-day history: the Bid Rig III sting operation masterminded by Governor Chris Christie. Manzo discusses how the blind ambitions of Christie and his staff entailed capturing a governorship and the patronage jobs that accompany it, and then parlaying that office into a shot at the presidency. Big Boy then makes the convincing case for how the governor is not the champion of reform he is depicted as, but rather a sinister political figure deftly vying for a seat in the Oval Office, making this book a must-read for anyone with an interest in the 2016 presidential election.
Table of contents: title: Cover; Title page; Copyright page; Dedication; Quotes; Table of Contents; Photo: Chris Christie and Bridget Kelley; Beginning of the End; Day of Infamy; Christie's Way; Born to Run: With Help from Bush and Rove; The Pioneer; Persecuting a U.S. Senator and Other Democrats; The Giant Killer; The Senator Menendez Matter; Helping John Ashcroft and Company; The Rainmaker; A Day at the Circus; From U.S. Attorney to Almost Governor; The Almost Governor 2005: Christie's Trial Run; The Infamous Solomon Dwek; An Unholy Alliance; A Scam for All Seasons; The Plea Deal of the Century.; title: "Dwek, Seen as Loose Cannon, Angers Christie."Prosecution Passover; Here Comes the Judge; The Candidate; Judgment Day: A Fine Madness; Two Trails Converge in Bid Rig III; The Too Long Goodbye; Two Trails; Quid Pro Quo; The Merkt Matter; War Plans; Anatomy of a DOJ Sting; "Legal Alchemy"; The Public Officials; Calling All Candidates; The Manzo Conundrum; Insensitive Targeting; Mutiny and the Bounty; Linking the Sting to Corzine; No Quid Pro Quo; Corrupting Elections; A Justice Department Cover-Up, Sanctioned by the FBI; "Oops" ... Destroying Evidence; Past is Prologue.; title: Bid Rig III's 'Backroom Boss with a Badge'Election Strategy; The Shoehorn; The Second Longest Day: Election Day Comes Early; Painting Conflicts of Interest as 'An Honest Mistake'; Comeuppance; The October Surprise; Slaying Goliath; The Greater Good; Broken Promises and a Glimpse of a Christie Presidency; The Man Behind the Mirror; Out of Order in the Court; The Art of Placing the Blame Elsewhere; The Christie Pulpit; Snow White; Too Tall a Tale; Tunnel Vision; Whirlybird; The Art of Deflection; Beat the Press; Careful What You Pray For; No Mister Softy; Crowd Pleaser.; title: Nancy Reagan Launches Christie onto the National StageThe National Stage: "One for the Gipper"; Snubbing Romney and Embracing Obama; Picking up Chits; The Veep Shuffle & Hitting the Keynote; The Snub; The Announcement; Storm of Discontent; 'Ginjer' Bread Man; The Re-election; Loyal Opposition; The Storm of Scandal; The Election Year Budget Ploy; Celeb Phenom; The Weight; The War Chest; The Balancing Act; Christie's October Surprise in June; Victory and Moving On; The Coincidences of Chris Christie's Career; The Tragedy of Politics as Usual; Chapter Notes; Foreword; Chapter One; Chapter Two.