The attention being paid to the "Bridge-gate" scandal engulfing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is a case of "dramatic overkill," says Roland Martin, host of "News One Now" on TV One.
"Frankly, to me . . . [it's] dramatic overkill. Look, you can have an investigation, but folks are going bonkers over this," Martin told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
Martin, a former CNN political analyst, says Christie was completely appropriate in addressing the controversy during a nearly two-hour press conference last week.
"Gov. Christie did exactly what he was supposed to do . . . in terms of stand[ing] there and say, I'm going to take all of your questions," Martin said.
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Christie has been under fire since it emerged that his top aides plotted the closing of lanes to the George Washington Bridge in September.
The closures were reportedly political payback to the mayor of Fort Lee for not endorsing Christie's re-election campaign.
Martin says he hopes the Garden State's top lawmaker has been truthful in insisting that he was betrayed by his staff and knew nothing of the plot.
"Christie was so matter-of-fact, he was so pointed that, clearly, [I] hope nothing comes out that shows that he wasn't telling the truth," he said.
"He has put himself in that kind of position, but that's what a politician should do. You should stand there and answer every single question."
One reason Christie is meriting so much attention, Martin says, is his in-your-face, no-holds-barred reputation.
"Gov. Christie is a lightning rod, OK? He's a lightning rod for the left and for the right," Martin said.
"You've got Glenn Beck trashing him, you've got [Rush] Limbaugh making his comments, and so that's the kind of person that he is.
"He is a flashpoint for a lot of people, and that's why he's had the level of coverage."
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