Whitney Houston: N.J. governor defends lowering flags for singer
(CBS/AP) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has strongly defended his decision to have flags flown at half-staff Saturday for Whitney Houston, despite receiving emails and other messages disparaging the singer and criticizing him.
The Republican governor said Wednesday that he rejects complaints that Houston “forfeited the good things that she did” because of her struggles with substance abuse.
“What I would say to everybody is there but for the grace of God go I,” he said.
Christie ordered flags flown at half-staff at state government buildings on Saturday, the day funeral services are held for Houston at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church, where she sang at as a child.
Twitter was abuzz Wednesday with reaction to the decision by Christie, whose home is in Mendham, a wealthy town where Houston also had lived.
In online postings, there were two main arguments against the honor for the Grammy Award winner who died over the weekend in California at age 48: One was that it should be reserved for members of the military, first responders and elected officials. The other was that it’s wrong to honor a drug addict.
Christie said he was not saying that Houston, who was born in Newark and was raised in nearby East Orange, is a role model. Instead, he said, Houston deserves the honor because of her huge cultural impact and as “a daughter of New Jersey.”
“I am disturbed by people who believe that because her ultimate demise - and we don’t know what is the cause of her death yet - but because of her history of substance abuse that somehow she’s forfeited the good things that she did in her life,” said the governor during a briefing in northern New Jersey. “I just reject that on a human level.”
The governor noted he has ordered flags flown at half-staff for all 31 fallen New Jersey soldiers and every fallen police officer during his time in office. He also ordered flags lowered last year for Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
Full Story Here:
Whitney Houston: N.J. governor defends lowering flags for singer
Gov Chris Christie noted he ordered flags flown at half-staff for fallen New Jersey soldiers and every fallen police officer during his time in office and also states that he ordered flags lowered last year for Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
I didn’t know that, apparently, the death of Clemons wasn’t broadcast and publicized as widely as that of Whitney Houston. I never did listen to Springsteen anyway.
If I had known that Christie had ordered the United States flag flown at half staff for some musician, a sax player for Bruce Springsteen, I would have launched then.
This is my opinion, and mine only; for the Governor of New Jersey to order flags flown at half staff for a person like Whitney Houston, and Clarence Clemons for that matter, is a travesty, and only cheapens the act of flying the flag at half staff to honor the deaths of our police, firefighters, soldiers and national heroes.
Houston was a washed up, drugged out HAS BEEN, she was NOT a national hero.
Chris Christie has shown himself to be what many Conservatives have long suspected him to be, nothing more than an oafish RINO and a buffoon!
Chris Christie can KISS MY TEXAS ASS!
His 15 minutes are now down to a nanosecond of fame. He never signed on to the Supreme court case to stop Obamacare. Case closed.
He’s a RINO from HELL… Plain and simple…
He just crapped in his own mess-kit … politically.
Indeed he has. Chris Christie was thought to be a rising STAR of hard line, tough talking Conservatism, in truth, he’s a f*cking IDIOT!
Christie sure cheapens the honor of flying the flag at half staff for Houston. She was a great singer but her lifestyle didn’t justify anything close to that honor.
I don’t know how much of a back-lash Christie will see in New Jersey, from voters there, it IS New Jersey after all, but on the national scene, Conservatives everywhere need to make that son of a bitch feel like he’s in a living HELL!
I had some respect for Christie, not now, I had even enjoyed a few of Houston’s songs. I heard yesterday about how Houston was a victim of drugs and turned to drugs because of her relationship with Bobby Brown, her relationship with the doper Bobby Brown was a CHOICE, yes I Choose to be with BOBBY BROWN or no I do not choose to be with BROWN because he CHOSE DRUGS OVER ME AND HE BEATS ME UP. This was a lifestyle choice for Houston.
For Chris Christi to lower the Flag for a DOPER, is a Disgrace, Christie. Chris Christie has just took a screwed himself it will not take Christie too long to figure this out.
I think he will recover, but not anytime soon.
I don’t know if Christie WILL recover, and honestly, I hope the SOB doesn’t…
I wouldn’t piss on his head if his hair was on fire…
Yes, I AM PISSED THE HELL OFF!
Only a handful of Hollywood types ever deserved (and gotten) this honor. (Bob Hope is the first to come to mind.) But to honor a drugged out, washed up, junkie just because she is a black singer is too much.
Yes Katie, Bob Hope and a few other celebrities who sacrificed their safety to visit and entertain our troops on the front lines on a continual basis like Hope.
Christie’s words, “I am disturbed by people who believe that because her ultimate demise – and we don’t know what is the cause of her death yet – but because of her history of substance abuse that somehow she’s forfeited the good things that she did in her life,” said the governor during a briefing in northern New Jersey. “I just reject that on a human level.” One’s “history” is what makes one worthy of the flag being lowered to half staff!!!
That’s like saying “The Menendez brothers weren’t bad guys, (oh, except for the fact they MURDERED their parents for money!!!)
What would the goofy asshat do if Snooki died? 😕
Whitney Houston? Please. . .
BZ
Conservatives like Christie because he’s not afraid of the public unions and takes them on and that’s the only good thing I can see about him.
Christie is for gun control and a supporter of illegal immigration. He needs to stay in New Jersey.
Chris Christie: A Conservative Myth - Part 7 Conservative New Jersey
Chris Christie a conservative..? This action is only icing on the cake proving that he is not. Taking on the public unions is only an example of broken clock politics. Sort of like Ron Paul and economics. Then you take a closer look…