Olympian Carl Lewis Says Chris Christie Bullied Him, Too

Because he ran for State Senate as a Democrat

Three years ago, a plan to make Carl Lewis a "youth fitness ambassador" for New Jersey was scrapped by Gov. Chris Christie's administration when the Olympic track and field star decided to run for state Senate as a Democrat, Lewis said today.

Now, with the George Washington Bridge scandal raging, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist says he sees a "strong parallel" between his own interaction with Christie and what happened in Fort Lee, and that Christie is an "insecure person."

"I felt like he was trying to intimidate me, absolutely. But I definitely didn't feel intimidated," Lewis, who recently moved to Houston, said in a phone interview.

Added Lewis: "It's interesting, everyone calling him a bully. I don't really see him as a bully. I see it more as someone who's insecure, and he's governor now and has got the power."