ABC Making National Story of Gov. Christie Calling New Jersey Reporter an 'Idiot'
ABC's Jake Tapper is promoting his Nightline interview with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie tonight by noting he expressed no regret for calling a local reporter he was "stupid" and apologized for the reporter being an "idiot."
Tapper insisted Christie addressed a special session of the legislature Monday, but he made national headlines not for the speech, but for the “idiot” talk over the weekend. Asked if he’s ever “concerned” that some of his “rhetoric is too much,” he answered plainly: “No.”
“I don’t worry about that,” Christie said. “I’m not monochromatic. You know, I can walk and chew gum at the same time. And the fact of the matter is sometimes to get people to the table, you have to be blunt and assertive, or else they’d all come to the table with the right kind of attitude. You know, you have to read the situation and, and that’s part of what leadership is all about. Sometimes people need a pat on the back and an arm around them. Sometimes they need a kick in the rear end. You have to be able to read that; experienced leaders can do that. And I think I have the ability to do that.”
He said he doesn’t regret calling the reporter stupid because “when someone acts stupid, I’m going to call them stupid.”
Chris Harris from the Bergen County Record asked Christie about state business: whether he was planning on addressing the legislature Monday. Christie said reporters were told to stick to the topic at hand, an emergency at a water treatment plant, and “if you don’t have a hearing problem, you should be able to follow the rules. Those are the rules.”
“If you don’t want to follow the rules, leave the press conference,” Christie said. “I mean, I’m not going to put up with stuff where I’m dealing with a serious situation, where people are having a crisis in Monmouth County regarding a lack of water. I’m down there to talk about that. I’m not going to talk about other stuff.”
Harris tweeted that his "feelings were not hurt" by the governor's retorts. While local reporters were unfazed by the business-as-usual bluntness, CNN's Ashleigh Banfield was snooty about the exchange.
GOP consultant Cheri Jacobus compared this to Neil Munro's much-scorned yammering at President Obama in the Rose Garden. Clearly, when a New Jersey reporter goes off the governor's ground rules, he should not be surprised with the insults. Harris must have wanted to draw Christie's ire to see how extreme it would be. Media consumers should suspect Harris wanted attention for himself and perhaps some bad press for Christie, and not so much an answer to his question.
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Comments
It is about time our
Submitted by John21 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:14am.
It is about time our ledership told the third world press to to STFU when they are out of line.
I wish we had some federal authorities to do that to the national propaganda media. Instead they play the little "gotca Games" and act like they were just asking innocent questions and it is the politicians politically incorrect response that is the problem.
The national media loses more credibility (those that still have any left) daily, they have more than shown their bias and want us to believe that they are giving honest (as if they knew what that is) reports. They only thing that is still believable on the nightly news is the weather and that is questionable.
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A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves - Edward R. Murrow
Doubt the weathermen, too.
Submitted by richflanj on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:09am.
It is getting more and more common that they are getting in on the act, too. Almost nightly, I hear some c=== about how "global warming" is the cause of some flood,fire, storm, tornado, yadda, yadda yadda..... followed by the usual condesending nod by the moron at the anchor desk.
So true....look at the Drudge Banner
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:09am.
"AP: This Summer is What Global Warming Looks Like"
As Col. Potter used to say, Horse Hockey!!!!
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
That is so true
Submitted by texusmc on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:33am.
The Earth is warming up. It is returning to its normal state. a jungle. just before another ice age will ensue. natural occurrences hot then cold then hot again. Ask one of these kool-aid drinkers if they can explain the petrified jungle flora and fauna (that is leaves and plants) in the deserts of AZ or in the bad lands of Montana? I bet they can't.
how are ya today Ms. Blonde?
Yup, solar minimum coming
Submitted by RESTLESS 1 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:31pm.
Better break out you Trayvon Martin signature hoodies, people.
Global Warming is REAL! Don't take my word for it. Gov. Christie
Submitted by Rush Fan on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 12:33am.
has said emphatically that Climate change is real.
Christie: "There is undeniable data that C02 levels and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere are increasing"....
Christie must be serious about Global Climate Change, as he has banned new coal plants, and is phasing out all coal production in New Jersey.
Personally, I believe Global Warming or whatever the Left is calling it these days is a another redistribution of wealth scheme of the Left. Let's hope Christie realizes soon that he, as well as millions of others, have been deceived by the Left.
Harris asked the OT question on purpose
Submitted by c5then on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:17am.
And he along with the liberal media are trying to make it a scandal moment for Christie.
Not gonna happen. The only way Christie loses here is if he appologizes. He told them the ground rules and he followed them.
Anyone trying to heckle or fluster Christie should look at some old films of Don Rickles or Redd Fox doing their standup routines and see what happens to their hecklers. They can expect the same treatment from Christie.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Considering that a large
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:21am.
Considering that a large percentage of 'news reporters' ARE 'stupid idiots', I don't see what the problem is - other than Christie laying it on the line, and the media getting their collective panties in a bunch about it.............
"he answered plainly: 'No.' ”
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:26am.
Good for Christie, and good for ABC to give it such wide coverage.
I'll betting that 60 percent of the voters in the country will be pulling for Christie on this one.
Now if Romney would learn how to kick some ass, we'd be getting somewhere.
Rush quoted Levin yesterday when he said, "Republicans are so used to losing on issues, that they begin to think it's winning!"
Attack, attack, attack.
Romney needs to be like Bob
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:42am.
Romney needs to be like Bob Gibson, not Hoyt Wilhelm.
Jeez, Killa!
Submitted by Newsbubba on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:57am.
You really are getting old.
Did you ever see the Bambino or Ty Cobb play?
You (and everyone else) have a great 4th of July. After all, it may be the last one we can celebrate if the RBFSOB gets re-selected.
I was an orphan in the same
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:43pm.
I was an orphan in the same orpanage as George, who we called 'Babe'...............and, boy, lemme tell ya', I learned a lot of things early on, hangin' with that boy!!! And I"m not just talkin' about baseball, either. You've heard the song 'The House of the Rising Sun'??? I think they wrote it in honor of me an the ol' Babe!!!!
I guess I could have used a more modern pitcher for my 'tough guy, hard-ass, don't dig in on me or waste my time cleanin' your cleats or adjusting your jockstrap' baseball analogy, but is anyone like that anymore??? Maybe Nolan Ryan, and I know he's not on the field these days. As you know, I just want Romney to throw high heat, chin music, brushback pitches, and dead red cheese to Boy Baraka - and strike him out lookin'!!! Then we will see DEAD RED KENYAN KOW KRAP.
My guiding light on civility...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:36am.
...is Bill "Donkeyface" Maher...
The hypocrisy of the libturd
Submitted by Scuba Dude on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:40am.
The hypocrisy of the libturd media at work.
Reporter shouts out a question to Obama about the topic he was giving a speech on - Reporter vilified.
Reporter shouts out a question to a Republican Governor - media thinks the Governor is a bully.
Allright folks, looks like we
Submitted by rwesley2.0 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:49am.
Allright folks, looks like we need a reminder here. The outrage against Christie is justified because of his political affiliation and skin color. Doesn't matter what the reporter asked him, any response he makes is wrong and subject to no less than 3 major MSM networks holding a panel discussion excoriating him.
Now, had he been at least 50% black and a liberal, then and only then is the reporter in the wrong. It is to be automatically assumed that racism is the major, if not sole purpose of his questioning. Further, fellow reporters are justified in expressing how astonished they are/were at said questioning.
Hope that clears things up.
And also
Submitted by misterbee241 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:04am.
Because of his weight. Don't forget that.
Obama is an idiot, so what is
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:56am.
Obama is an idiot, so what is the problem? Have these morons ever watched special ed?
Obama is an idiot, so what is
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 9:56am.
Obama is an idiot, so what is the problem? Have these morons ever watched special ed?
So
Submitted by KornKing on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:30am.
You can say that again
Christie does tend to go overboard sometimes
Submitted by Cappmann1962 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:03am.
But I agree with the majority of the posts here. It's refreshing to have a normal person as a state governor who calls out the media. They've had their way for way too long. Not to mention all the foul names THEY call conservatives on a regular basis. Fair is fair (at least in MY world)...
no
Submitted by almostacowboy on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:54pm.
He doesn't. :-)
delete
Submitted by RESTLESS 1 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 10:42am.
.
Reporters never
Submitted by nolefan2 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:01am.
ask the questions they should ask, like "if ObamaTax is so great for the American people, why are our leaders in DC standing in the front of the line to get signed up?"
In other news . . .
Submitted by Free Stinker on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:12am.
Gov Christie also called water "wet", and said that fire was "hot", and that Sarah Palin was "gorgeous".
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
No, he was
Submitted by killa37 on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 12:47pm.
No, he was wrong.......................water is 'wet' because of global warming, and those 'hot' fires were caused by global warming, and Sarah Palin is STILL an idiot!!!
killla,
Submitted by Agnostic on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 1:01pm.
Remember when it was the President to blame for forest fires because he didn't sign some UN treaty. No treaty for Obama but he is the great healer of nations so of course it can't be his fault.
In fairness the fires aren't his fault but there are still plenty of people out there that think the fires in 2007 and 2008 were Bush's fault but todays fires are all about Global Warming and the poor POTUS is helpless because the Republicans have control of the lower chamber of Congress.
Based on the coverage
Submitted by Suilbup on Tue, 07/03/2012 - 11:43am.
Based on the media attention you'd think Christie accused him of being a Nazi, or of being at war with women, or of hating minorities, or of wanting granny to die or of simply not caring about anyone who doesn't make a million dollars a year - which - come to think of it are ALL things that we conservative republicans have been accused of in the media for as long as I can remember.
Although I have some issues with my Governor, I do like it when he takes the trash out.