Gov. Christie expressed confidence in Tom Foley's chances, and dismissed charges that his friend is light on specifics.
Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey was back on the stump in Connecticut on Monday, rallying the troops for Republican candidate Tom Foley. But he also faced a few questions about an Ebola controversy in his own state.
A packed pub in Groton was the venue for this fourth visit to the Nutmeg State for Christie in recent weeks. He came fresh from a dispute in New Jersey over a nurse who was quarantined against her will and said she was made to feel like a criminal after returning from helping Ebola patients in West Africa.
Christie defended his actions.
"To me, it was not a difficult decision to make, and still is not," Christie told reporters. "I'm happy the nurse from Maine is not ill. I'm glad she can be comfortable and back in her home now, where she wants to be. But my job is to protect the health and safety of the people of New Jersey and the region — that’s the reason I made the decisions I did, and I wouldn’t make the decision differently if I had to do it again today."
Christie is head of the Republican Governors Association, and he’s in the midst of a multi-state tour in support of GOP candidates. He expressed confidence in Tom Foley’s chances, despite the neck and neck race, and dismissed charges that his friend is light on the specifics of how he’d govern.
"I know him. This is not somebody who I met last week," Christie told WNPR. "This is somebody who I met four years ago, and have kept a relationship with over the last four years as I’ve been governor. I feel very confident that Tom knows exactly where he wants to lead Connecticut, and has both the background and experience to be able to do it the right way."
No trip to Connecticut would be complete without a dig at an old rival, Dan Malloy. Christie described the governor as "an angry guy."
"Governor Malloy, every day, is trying to figure out a way to get his name in The New York Times," Christie said. "He knows that the best way for him to do it is to criticize me. That’s fine. I have broad shoulders."
With that, stopping only to fend off questions about his presidential ambitions, Christie headed to Maryland and another campaign stop.
