Christie Rep Clarifies Campaign Teacher Incident

NEW JERSEY 101.5

A representative for Governor Christie say says the woman who asked him about education spending during a campaign stop in Somers Point on Saturday is misrepresenting the tone of their conversation.

A picture said to be of Governor Christie snaping at a teacher during a campaign stop in Somers Point (@daveweigel via Twitter)

Christie campaign bus arrives at the Jackson Diner (TheLakewoodScoop.com)

Melissa Tomlinson, a teacher in the Buena public schools and a member of the Badass Teachers Association (BAT) says she asked the governor during a stop in Somers Point, “Why are you portraying our schools as failure factories?" according to the Star Ledger account of the encounter.

Christie, who was about to get on his campaign bus, turned around and snapped, “What do you want? I’m tired of you people."

Tomlinson told the Record, "I was shaking by the time we got done. I was stunned. The crowd cheered him on, all of his supporters, and I basically ran for the parking lot."

Maria Comella, a spokesman for the governor, responded to the incident, news of which spread quickly on social network sites on Sunday. "They were having a discussion about the (education) funding levels and the governor said that no matter how much money we spend, it will never be enough for you people," Comella explained to the Star Ledger. She denies the governor said he is "tired of you people."

“He was explaining how much money we’ve increased education by,” spokeswoman Maria Comella said Sunday. She told the Bergen Record, "He wasn't yelling."

Democrat challenger Senator Barbara Buono jumped on the comments in Teaneck on Sunday after the candidates spent the weekend indirectly trading barbs at each other. "I think it's very interesting that the governor is calling me angry, when in fact he went ballistic on a teacher yesterday, reverted to his true form, going ballistic on a teacher when she asked him a simple question,"said Buono.

Christie claimed Buono is running an "angry" campaign while she the incumbent is "sore" over the allegations made about him in Double Down, the upcoming book about the 2012 presidential campaign.