Christie says he is ‘combat ready’ for Washington
Gov. Christie called himself "combat ready" for Washington and criticized Hillary Clinton's campaign speech on Saturday in New York during an appearance on ABC's "This Week."
Host George Stephanopolous took the governor through a number of subjects in their segment including former Secretary of State's speech on New York's Roosevelt Island. Christie pointed out that Clinton does not speak often to the media or to voters. "I've done 146 town hall meetings in the last five years in New Jersey and around the country. Mrs. Clinton doesn't hear from anybody," said Christie. He said she cannot know what is on the mind of the "average American."
He commented on the Democrat's call for debt-free college education, which Christie said is also available through a number of grant programs including the G.I. Bill that he said his father took advantage of. But he called for colleges to "unbundle" their tuition bills to create an a la carte system that would allow students to not have to pay for programs they don't use. He called the bills he gets from Notre Dame and Princeton for his own children "the most opaque bills you'll ever see in your life."
Christie also said he offers an advantage over Jeb Bush, who is expected to announce his own White House run on Monday, because he has worked with a legislature whose majority is from the opposite party. Christie says that makes him able to work with people and bring people together. "I've done that in New Jersey in a way that lets me get 61 percent of the vote for reelection," said Christie.
As for his own presidential intentions, the governor stuck to his stock answer about having a day job and needing to work out a budget by the end of the month. "The fact is, that this decision is now up to me. I'll make it during the month of June and then I'll let everybody know. I'm no wallflower. I'll let folks know what I'm going to be.
Christie said that his social security plan, announced during a speech in New Hampshire, that without the reforms he is proposing there are only two alternatives: "insolvency or a "massive tax increase on the American people."
Staying with national issues, Stephanopolous also asked about President Obama's commitment of 450 troops to Iraq and a plan by announced candidates Lindsay Graham and Rick Santorum to commit 10,000 troops. Calling it a failing of what he termed Obama-Clinton foreign policy, Christie said "we need to have our allies trusting us again in the Middle East who want to bring this fight -- the Saudis, the Emirates, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, they want to bring the fight to ISIS."
Stephanopolous questioned Christie about Bridgegate to which the governor pointed out there have been three investigations into the matter, all of which cleared him from any involvement. "I think it's time to move on," said Christie.
Christie said that Donald Trump, who has an announcement of his own scheduled for Tuesday, is someone to be taken seriously if he decides to run.
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