On Fox Business today, Chris Christie is a little reluctant to talk about his firing of NJ Dept of Education Secretary, Bret Schundler, because, well, Imus has a history with pink slips, but Imus pulls it out of him.
IMUS: Your education secretary -- what happened? You fired him or explain that to me. Tell me what happened.
CHRISTIE: All right, listen, since you don't know anything about it, I want to tread carefully on this 'cause the whole firing thing, Don, that's an issue -- do we really wanna talk about that, 'cause I mean, you've gone through that?
IMUS: It's all done.
CHRISTIE: Yeah, it's a sensitive issue. But you're okay with it?
IMUS: I'm fine with it.
CHRISTIE: Here's the bottom line...
IMUS: [interrupting] I have cancer, you know, I don't care.
CHRISTIE: Oh, you care. You care!
IMUS: I care a little bit.
CHRISTIE: You're here.
IMUS: Well, I like it here.
CHRISTIE: So listen, the bottom line is that when trust breaks down between the governor and a member of his cabinet, then someone's gotta go, and the governor's not going.
IMUS: So did he lie to you?
CHRISTIE: I do not believe that what he told me was the truth regarding what went on. I told him that, and he obviously disagrees, but you know, now we gotta move on.
It's my choice. It's my responsibility, ultimately, let's be clear. You know, I'm the governor. What happens on my watch is my responsibility. I stood up the first day and said that.
It was a big screw-up.
[Christie then describes the screw-up, which he claims is Schundler's fault. Read more about the case here]
IMUS: He did that personally?
CHRISTIE: It was in his handwriting.
IMUS: That's not good, huh?
CHRISTIE: No. Bad news.
IMUS: Well, he claims there's evidence or emails and so on that support his theory, his contention that he was truthful with you.
CHRISTIE: I've heard that.
IMUS: There are not?
CHRISTIE: Listen, I did what I thought I needed to do, and I don't think I need to go a whole lot further. I'm not a guy -- listen, when he stood up and the mistake was made, I didn't fire him then, and I think I had every right to, given that that mistake was made.
I'm not the kind of guy who throws his people under the bus, so you may wanna come work for me, 'cause I stand up. When people make mistakes, I stand up for 'em. Just make sure you tell me everything I need to know. That's all.
And that's what the root of the problem was.
