A word of caution is in order as the investigation into the George Washington Bridge lane closure picks up steam.

I said I wouldn’t comment on the closure itself until or if we learn Gov. Chris Christie knew more than he’s let on. I’ll stick with that pledge.

The entry of the U.S. attorney into this matter deserves a brief look.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/us-attorney-bridge-closure/2014/01/09/id/546188

Paul Fishman holds the job that Christie held before Christie was elected governor of New Jersey. Fishman is now the federal government’s chief prosecutor in New Jersey.

U.S. attorneys are political appointees. They are chosen ostensibly by the president of the United States. The current president, of course, is a Democrat. Thus, so are U.S. attorneys who are appointed by him. Fishman, therefore, is an ally of sorts of Barack Obama.

Chris Christie is a Republican whose office allegedly closed some lanes of the world’s busiest bridge to get back at the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., for failing to endorse Christie’s bid for re-election as governor.

A Democratic U.S. attorney is investigating a case involving a Republican governor. Will politics get in the way of a thorough, unbiased and objective investigation? My guess is that GOP faithful will say it does if the investigation turns up some dirt on Christie, such as determining that he knew all along about the lane closures and endorsed the move to punish the Fort Lee mayor.

Democrats will say quite the opposite in trying to protect the integrity of the investigation that could harm Gov. Christie’s dream of running for president himself in 2016.

Politics. They get in the way all the time.