
Chris Christie now appears to be denying that he was at fault in a 2002 car accident -- which runs counter to his own story in the police report at the time -- in response to Jon Corzine accusing him of abusing his office as U.S. Attorney to get out of trouble.
Christie appeared today on Fox & Friends, and was asked about Corzine's defense of a controversial ad that says Christie "threw his weight around" as U.S. Attorney, in order to get out of trouble when he hit a motorcyclist while driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Christie not only dismissed Corzine's insistence the ad's true subject is Christie's alleged abuse of his office -- and not Christie's weight -- but denied the story about the accident itself.
"I was not driving the wrong way down a one way street and the Governor knows it," Christie said. "I didn't hit someone, they hit me."
This is technically accurate, but not exactly true. According to Christie's own story in the police report at the time, Christie was turning the wrong way on to a one-way street. He told the officer that stopped when he realized what he'd done, but the motorcycle fell on its side slid into his car as its rider braked quickly. The motorcyclist's story matched up in the report, with the rider saying he was riding down the street when Christie's car turned in front of him.
From this accident -- and keep in mind that if someone turns the wrong way on to a one-way street, whatever happens next is typically considered their fault -- Christie shifts the blame to the other person: "I was not driving the wrong way down a one way street and the Governor knows it. I didn't hit someone, they hit me."
Avvocato
October 27, 2009 2:42 PM
L-O-S-E-R! That's all I know and I vote in NJ.
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Bullsmith
October 27, 2009 2:47 PM
Accountability. For the other guy! And the Governor knows it!
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QuiteAlarmed
October 27, 2009 2:48 PM
Let me guess: the good reporters at Fox and Friends then immediately pulled out the police report and quoted it to Christie, right? Because they are a true news organization.
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GTFOOH
October 27, 2009 2:55 PM
His statement has got to be a violation of the settlement and may lead to the other party coming out with addtional info.
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Ann Arbor
October 27, 2009 3:16 PM in reply to GTFOOH
Oh please please please I hope you're right.
Gotta say this for Christie: He's making it perfectly clear to voters what a tool he'll be if elected.
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KingElvis
October 27, 2009 2:58 PM
He's from the party of responsibility that is SICK... just sick and tired of masochist democrats... who...y'know... play...um...the...victim.
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verite
October 27, 2009 3:05 PM
Can't you find the motorcycle driver to tell his side of the story? A motorcycle driving the correct way on the street hit a car going the wrong way! Only a Republican would try that defense!
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_jonny_5_
October 27, 2009 3:16 PM in reply to verite
He was on Fox "News", he clearly knew he wouldn't be challenged on his BS.
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Cal Gal
October 27, 2009 11:46 PM in reply to verite
There ARE a lot of Republican motorcyclists, and the guy (or gal) might just not be "into" politics.
But I just LOVE to parse ReThuglican statements, and here is my guess: Christie saw the guy coming and put on the brakes. So did the motorcyclist, but maybe Christie swerved at the end. Anyway, he was stopped slightly before the motorcyclist, so that when the crash occurred, he was still and the motorcyclist was moving.
Hence his statement:
"I was NOT driving down a one-way street" means "I had been, but I managed to stop just before the crash."
And "he didn't hit someone" is literally correct.
As a former lawyer, I think the supposition that Christie's statement violates the terms of the agreement IS probably correct, and I would hope the motorcyclist's lawyer, at least, comes forward to say "liar, liar, pants on fire."
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Cal Gal
October 27, 2009 11:51 PM in reply to Cal Gal
Oops, sorry. The page had not fully loaded.
BTW, I have personally witnessed an automobile turning way too closely in front of a motorcyclist. Fortunately, the motorcyclist was able to stop safely. In sadder news, a friend of my husband's was killed when he was riding a motorcycle and someone turned in front of him and he had no room to stop.
The one-way street adds a special touch, but it is a big problem that so many drivers do not "see" motorcyclists. One reason why many new motorcycles automatically have the lights on all the time.
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Tombien
October 27, 2009 3:20 PM
I wonder how much the motorcyclist had to pay Christie in the settlement for running into him.
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ally
October 27, 2009 5:32 PM in reply to Tombien
Winning Response!!!!!!
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sevenless
October 27, 2009 3:46 PM
Nothing like splitting hairs! You could technically argue that he wasn't driving the wrong way because as the report notes, he was actually *stopped* in the middle of the street facing the wrong direction at the moment of impact.
Somehow I don't think that matters much in terms of fault, however.
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LFC
October 27, 2009 3:49 PM
It's ALWAYS the other guy's fault if you're a Republican.
No ability to take personal responsibility for anything, but he wants to run a state government. Hmmmm. Sounds like a putz I know of who made it all the way to POTUS, and presided over 8 full years of failure ... none of which he takes responsibility for, of course.
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pv2k
October 27, 2009 3:52 PM
And to think we, ahem, almost elected him vice president!?
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pv2k
October 27, 2009 3:55 PM in reply to pv2k
Good thing I was thinking about old Joe Lieberman and not some clutz that doesn't know how to drive.
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ally
October 27, 2009 5:33 PM
Wrong-Way Christie - that name is gonna stick!
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Cal Gal
October 27, 2009 11:57 PM in reply to ally
ding ding ding ding
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Neil
October 27, 2009 7:09 PM
wow. what a f'ing weasel. for The Daily Show this is comedy gold.
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ohyeathatsright
October 27, 2009 7:10 PM
Friend of mine went to jail for involuntary vehicular manslaughter for someone "hitting him" on a motorcycle. Fair 'nuff?
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Neil
October 27, 2009 7:12 PM
and technically, it was all legal, by which i mean following the laws of physics...
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