- I’m not admitting it was wrong. What I’m saying is that, if the public perceives for a moment that I’m using that for a perk of office, I want to take that away from them right away. But I would not make a different decision if I had to do it again because it was important for me as a father to be there for my son.
- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie • Speaking with Piers Morgan, in an interview to be aired tonight. Morgan asked Christie about his decision to use a state helicopter to attend his son’s basketball game. Christie replied that it’s important to him to be there for his son, which is a quality that speaks well for Christie’s character as a family man. It is, however, a strictly personal motivation to fly to watch his son play. It has no value whatsoever to the people, and it’s undeniably what he’s concerned some might view it as, a perk of his office. He also makes it clear that his decision to pick up the tab on the flight was not about a standard of ethics, just image management. Which, even though this story isn’t that major, is an odd thing to admit on national television. Maybe that speaks well for Christie, too — this seems like a pretty honest answer, if not a politically tactful one. source