<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Chris Christie spent 107 minutes on Thursday publicly apologizing for his staffers' orchestration of a huge four-day traffic jam in Fort Lee, N.J. Two lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge were closed, causing the jam \u2014 an alleged act of retribution against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee after he refused to endorse the Garden State governor's bid for reelection.\nThough Christie took responsibility for the incident because it happened under his watch, he distanced himself from any actual knowledge of or involvement in the scandal. The governor insisted he was duped by several aides and his appointees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; he has since fired his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, cut ties with others connected to the plan, and visited Fort Lee personally to apologize.\nSee also: Christie and the Bridge: A Political Scandal Made for Netflix\nPort Authority officials have resigned, but plenty still believe this episode's roots run much deeper. Below, we rounded up how that tone was captured across the web.\nAfter Chris Christie's Performance, the New York Times\nThrough his 108-minute news conference, Mr. Christie insisted over and over that he knew absolutely nothing about this illegal scheme. He was \u201Cblindsided\u201D with the news on Wednesday morning, he said. That was the first time he said he saw emails showing how his aides gleefully plotted to shut down traffic lanes to punish Mayor Mark Sokolich of Fort Lee, N.J. For that reason, he said he is \u201Cembarrassed and humiliated.\u201D This version of reality simply does not add up.\nHow Hard Did Christie Push For the Truth?, The Bergen Record\nBut as hard as Christie tried, the take-charge governor, a former federal prosecutor who left no stone unturned when pursuing corrupt politicians, failed to come across as someone who is all that eager to get to the bottom of the fiasco.\nMy Time With Chris Christie's Scandal-Plagued Aide David Wildstein, Politico\nHe was a big, forceful presence \u2014 someone who made the floorboards rattle when he walked and gave the impression of a guy who you didn\u2019t dare mess with. He wore fancy suits, expensive shoes and a big, shiny watch. And he was hard to read. After I answered one of his questions, he would stare at me for what seemed like an eternity, then his eyes would shift away into the distance. I worried I had said something wrong.\nFiring of Stepien Deprives Christie of a Key Counselor, The Washington Post\n\nIn Chris Christie\u2019s circle of advisers, few were as close to the governor as Bill Stepien. He managed both of the New Jersey Republican\u2019s winning campaigns for governor, helped shape Christie\u2019s tough-guy-on-your-side image and was expected to take a top role in an eventual White House bid.\nBut when Christie cut him loose Wednesday evening, the governor didn\u2019t so much as speak to him.\n\nFor Now, Scandal Not Seen as Fatal to Christie in 2016, Reuters\n\nThe scandal could dent Christie's carefully cultivated image as a get-things-done leader who puts the people ahead of politics - an image enhanced by last year's easy re-election in heavily Democratic New Jersey.\nBut without proof that Christie lied or knew that an aide was behind the lane-closure plan, Republicans said it is unlikely to be a factor by the time voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina begin to weigh in on the presidential race in early 2016.\n\n\n\n\nImage: New York Daily News\nGov. Chris Christie\u2019s Load of Bull: Fired Aide Bridget Kelly Merely a Patsy in Attempt to Shelter Port Authority Cronies, Himself, New York Daily News\nNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie\u2019s one-hour-and-forty-seven-minute self-serving, self-pitying display of contrition on Thursday was a climactic act in a brazen cover-up that threatens to further unravel his political career.\nMeet Fired Christie Aide Bridget Anne Kelly, New York Post\nChristie said Thursday he was \u201Cembarrassed and humiliated\u201D by Kelly\u2019s actions \u2014 and he isn\u2019t the first man blindsided by the cutthroat blonde, sources said.\nState Sen. Shirley Turner Alleges Governor Christie is 'Part of the Cover-Up' in Bridgegate, The Trentonian\n\u201CIt seems as if he\u2019s in full cover-up mode,\u201D the state senator said. \u201CI don\u2019t know if he initiated it, but I think he\u2019s part of the cover-up. As they say the cover-up is worse than the crime.\u201D\nChristie's Apology, Done His Way, the New York Times\nHe said \u201Csorry\u201D the Christie way: excessively, vaingloriously, in large, vivid and personal terms. At times, he divulged oddly intimate details and reactions \u2014 the 8 a.m. home workout session after which he discovered the \u201Cheartbreaking\u201D news of his aide\u2019s misconduct, and his late-night chats with his wife about the episode.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\nImage:\u00A0Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/01/10/media-christie-apology/>