San Diego ( CNN ) -- Tom Brokaw has had enough of `` bridgegate . '' Appearing last week on MSNBC 's `` Daily Rundown , '' the veteran newsman lamented the fact that so many of his colleagues are stuck on the story of New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie 's bridge problems . They ca n't stop talking about whether members of Christie 's staff tried to harass the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee , New Jersey , by shutting down traffic lanes on the George Washington Bridge , and whether Christie was in on it . Do you ever get the sense that the media are on Mars while most Americans are on Earth ? This story confirms it . We 've known that those who spoon-feed us the news march to their own drum , but now it 's clear they have their own agenda . It 's not to pass along the information that helps shape people 's concerns , but rather to tell people what they should be concerned about . Like a traffic jam . Brokaw put it this way : `` I do think , across the country , however , when they 're looking at long-term unemployment , and they 're looking at the uncertainty of the Obamacare , they 're saying , 'You 've got to move on , guys . ' '' I 'm all for moving on . The media can start up again if it discovers evidence Christie knew about the lane closures and then lied about it . But I 'm also fond of self-awareness , especially from those of us in the media . So my message to Brokaw is : `` Newsman , heal thy own network . '' In the last couple of weeks , it has begun to look like NBC stands for `` Nothing But Christie . '' According to the conservative media watchdog site , Newsbusters , since the bridge story broke on January 8 , NBC News has aired more than 25 full reports in less than 10 days . The angry liberal talk show hosts on MSNBC are even worse , droning on about the bridge story day after day in what is a blatant attempt to smear Christie . What do you suppose is more annoying ? Being stuck in traffic for hours on a bridge -- or watching the media get stuck for days on a story about a juvenile stunt that might , or might not , bloom into a full-blown scandal ? I 'd have to go with the latter , especially when you consider that the media seem addicted to the story in hopes that it could somehow derail the plans of a Republican presidential hopeful . It 's a long walk from one to the other , but see if you can follow me there . If Christie was in the loop , then he lied at his marathon press conference . If there is one thing that our friends in the Fourth Estate will not tolerate it 's a liar . That is , at least not a Republican liar . That 's part of the problem with this , the sense that a story about partisanship run amok is itself partisan in the way it 's being covered . Left-leaning elements of the media are trying to blow it up into a scandal to help clear the way for the likely Democratic presidential nominee -- Hillary Clinton . The other problem is that too many Americans have quickly jumped to the wrong conclusion . No , not about whether Christie knew about the prank and conspired to inconvenience scores of New Jersey residents in order to bully a political opponent . I 'm talking about the other conclusion -- the one about how being a bully is a negative trait in an elected official , and perhaps even enough to end a political career . Is that so ? Who made that determination ? Think back to the great leaders who helped define the last century -- from Teddy Roosevelt to Winston Churchill to Franklin D. Roosevelt to Harry Truman to Margaret Thatcher to Ronald Reagan . You had better believe that those people had moments when they acted like bullies . That 's part of politics . Besides , it seems like just yesterday that presidential candidates like George H.W . Bush and Michael Dukakis were trying to stiffen their upper lips and overcome the so-called `` wimp factor . '' We Americans are a fickle bunch . America could use more strength on the world stage . We need n't push around other countries , but -- whether we 're talking about China or Libya or North Korea -- we also need a president who wo n't let our country be pushed around either . Who 's afraid of big , bad bullies ? Voters are n't . They keep voting them into office -- perhaps in the hopes that they 'll use their strength for good . I 'm still not sure that Christie knows how to do that . Yet , if he aspires to greatness , and to be the kind of leader that helps define this century , he had better learn fast . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette .
Ruben Navarrette : Tom Brokaw 's right -- Media should move on from Christie story . Navarrette : Media are addicted to story , hoping to derail a Christie presidential bid . He says a report about partisanship run amok is partisan in the way it 's covered . Navarrette : They say Christie 's a bully , but since when is that bad in politics ?