I'M SICK OF REPUBLICAN APOLOGIES WHEN THEY PRETEND TO BE THE VICTIM

Fri Jan 10, 2014 at 02:41 PM PST

I'm Sick of Republican Apologies Where They Pretend to be the Victim

by PuddytatFollow



Chris Christies "apology" still makes me sicker than the flu I have and I've let an entire day pass. It's another in a series of apologies where the perpetrator plays the role of victim and nobody seems to be pointing that fact out.

Christie spoke about how "humiliated" he felt, how "sad", how "disappointed", as though HE was the victim of this scandal. He wasn't. The real victims were the people trying to get across the bridge to their jobs, appointments, or attend to other important matters who are the victims. And they weren't inconvenienced for a day, but for an entire week.

The other victims were the people of Fort Lee who found their city gridlocked as traffic couldn't move onto the bridge and backed up into their city. First responders couldn't respond in a timely matter, kids were stuck in traffic trying to get to school, people couldn't get to work or anywhere else they were going.

Outside of the apology, Christie, like others, focused on himself as if he's the victim. Barely a word about the thousands or tens of thousands that were victimized by what looks like petty political retribution.

A real and sincere apology focuses on the real victims of an event by recognizing what they've suffered, not on delivering a self-serving diatribe on how they, themselves, have been affected.

Chris Christie didn't apologize because what he was really doing was political damage control by trying to make the case that his loyal staff went completely rogue and just did this for some unknown reason. If anyone believes that, then why didn't Christie talk to his deputy chief of staff about that "time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee" memo before issuing her a pink slip by remote? I would have asked what possessed her to send something like that out, wouldn't you? But, no, Christie just fired her.

Maybe he's got a crystal ball that told him why the memo got sent and the automatic "got it" response was the reply. Or maybe his staff was just carrying out orders or a plan made previously and the best thing that can be done is just to make these folks disappear or say nothing so the web doesn't untangle.

Frankly, I'm enjoying watching Christie flail around after 4 months of denials, bullying, and sarcasm. And seeing this slow motion train wreck is even more delicious because he's too arrogant to even deliver a decent apology that recognizes the pain and suffering that was caused to the real victims.

He's not the victim. Commuters and the citizen of Fort Lee are the victims. And they deserve a real apology.