Chris Christie Took His Sweet Time to Find the Truth About of Bridgegate

[DonViejo]

Evidence was mounting for months that it was no mere “traffic study” that snarled things on the George Washington bridge. Christie’s two-hour Thursday’s press conference didn’t answer why he looked away.

At a press conference that blended political stagecraft with a psychiatrist’s couch, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie addressed the growing scandal around what has become known as Bridgegate. “I come here today to apologize to the people of New Jersey,” Gov. Christie began. “I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution and I am stunned by the abject stupidity that was shown here.”

Christie announced that he had fired Bridget Anne Kelly, his deputy chief of staff who sent the email saying “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” that led to bridge closures. And Christie asked his former campaign manager Bill Stepien to withdraw his nomination to run the Republican Party in New Jersey as well as cease his consulting projects with the National Governor’s Association, which Christie now runs.

Beyond that, though, Christie spent the bulk of the press conference—including the Q&A with reporters—pondering how anyone on his team could lie to him about the incident. “I’m sick over this,” Christie said. “What did I do wrong to make these people think it was OK to lie to me?” What Christie did not ponder, however, was what he might have done to make members of his senior staff think it was okay to engage in this sort of politically motivated retributive action. Christie said he hadn’t thought about that at all.

more (It's a good article-DV)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/09/chris-christie-took-his-sweet-time-to-find-the-truth-about-of-bridgegate.html

[yellowcanine]

1. Christie also seemed to skirt the issue of what other retribution might have been carried out.

The emails suggest that at least one other mayor was being punished. Hopefully any federal investigation will address that issue also.

[DURHAM D]

2. He didn't need to "find the truth" from staff because

he orchestrated both the bridge closing and the cover up. Firing Kelly and others is just more of the cover up.

[DonViejo]

3. “What did I do wrong to make these people think it was OK to lie to me?”

I'm the victim here...feel sorry for me...sniff, sniff.

[jaysunb]

4. I was struck by this particular passage

Part of the reason this story is blowing up is that it fits with Christie’s image as a bully,—a characterization that story after story shows is justified. So while Christie seems to think nothing in his behavior or character might have implicitly approved of his staff acting like partisan bullies, the outside world sees the obvious connection.

“I am who I am, but I’m not a bully,” Christie said in his press conference. If you have to say it, though, it’s not a good sign.

because, there's a large portion of our population that actually admires bullies and blowhards.