Christie: Gingrich an "embarrassment" to GOP

By: Lucy Madison
Topics: Campaign 2012

NJ Gov. Chris Christie

New Jersey Governor and Mitt Romney surrogate Chris Christie went after Newt Gingrich on Sunday, calling the newly-crowned South Carolina primary winner an "embarrassment" to the Republican party.

"Newt Gingrich has embarrassed the party over time. Whether he'll do it again in the future I don't know, but Governor Romney never has," Christie said in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"Sometimes past is prologue," he said.

The outspoken governor conceded that Saturday's Palmetto State primary, in which Gingrich trounced Romney by 13 points, was "clearly disappointing" to the former Massachusetts governor. But he said he still thought Romney would prevail in Florida, which holds its primary contest on January 31.

"You know, I'm not going to try to say last night was good news for the Romney campaign. We had a bad week as a campaign, and a bad result last night," Christie said. "So, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and you get to Florida and fight. I still believe that Governor Romney's going to win in Florida on the 31st, and then return to Florida in August as the Republican nominee."

Christie targeted Gingrich's experience in Congress as insufficient to serve as president, arguing that "we don't need another legislator in the Oval Office who doesn't know how to use executive authority."

"The Speaker has never run anything," he said.

The governor also addressed concerns that Romney, who last week suffered from back-to-back lackluster debate performances, has difficulty connecting with voters.

"He is a very reserved guy," Christie said, of Romney. "Everyone can have success in politics with different personalities and every candidate... has liabilities."

Romney recently pointed to Christie as one person he'd consider for his running mate if tapped for the GOP nomination. On Sunday, Christie said he was inclined to stay governor but that he'd "listen" if approached on the matter.

Lucy Madison
Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by Freepress1111 January 25, 2012 2:55 PM EST: I do hope that Romney gets the nomination and Christie is his running mate. With the current state of the Republican party, it'll be like watching Laurel & Hardy and the Keystone Cops at the same time. Oh, Ollie!; Reply to this comment


by mick7744 January 23, 2012 9:18 PM EST: by Mortarman291SG

And the Democrat party and its supporters are also equal embarassments!

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What a profound guy Morty is...Say anything against Neut or the GOP (Greedy Outlaw Parisites) and Mort will always reply, "Oh yeah? Well, that goes DOUBLE for Obama and the Dems"...clever guy...

A stint in the military might have done you some good, Mort...but it's obvious from your lame, juvenile, hate-filled posts that you never served a day...although you babble about having served constantly

"I would break you"...my ass! I doubt you could break a sweat on an Augest day.

No wonder you're such a Neut fan, Morter...you're both full of the same hypocritical pseudo-intellectual crap, and neither of you has the slightest clue as to what comprises a decent human being.; Reply to this comment


by noloyalisti January 23, 2012 3:49 PM EST: OMG Christie, talk about the pot calling the kettle black! What a complete moron this pig is.; Reply to this comment


by offthefence January 23, 2012 12:37 PM EST: This is the best reality TV on right now. I love it.

Tune in next caucus...; Reply to this comment


by armstrob January 23, 2012 10:55 AM EST: The real embarrassment is Christy going on CBS and promoting disunity. It's fine to disagree but to stoop to name calling is just too Progressive/Liberal. I am surprised he did not call Gingrich a racist while he was there. We'll remember this down the road.; Reply to this comment

by seenoland January 23, 2012 10:55 AM EST

I love the Lefties spewing their elitist drivel, you are so "all knowing" and arrogant. Newt is getting votes because he is exactly what this country needs. Romney is an establishment go-along-to-get-along ala McCain and the last thing we need is another "reach across the aisle" quasi conservative. Newt is exactly what is needed, a Truman/Raegan style candidate that will put the brass knuckles on and beat the political snot out of the Marxists across the aisle, not "reach out" and get hammered for it. You Newt bashers are just whistling past the graveyard, change is coming and it is coming for you!

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by stevehamilton858 January 25, 2012 1:23 AM EST: Wow! Newt as a Marine Corps drill sergeant. Hard to believe. BTW, do you know what a Marxist really is, or are you just following in the footsteps of former senator Joseph McCarthy. The only change you're going to see is a dramatic course change for the Republican party, after they lose in a bigger landslide than Goldwater in 1964. If they don't disavow the Tea Party and stop coddling and pandering to the 1%, they will become a Rump Party - in fact, they are at least half way there right now. Newt peaked when he was Speaker, and after he screwed that up, it's been downhill, except for the lobbying, where he got paid tons of money for teaching a history course to the F&F executives.


by unclebernies January 23, 2012 10:53 AM EST: Christie is an embarrassment to the human race. Christie please keep your jacket on it's upsetting the kids.; Reply to this comment


by netjunkie1 January 23, 2012 10:44 AM EST: by obwan222 January 22, 2012 10:29 PM EST
Overheard at Newt's victory party:

"What's with the bowl full of keys?"
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I just had to re post this one.....lol; Reply to this comment


by overthehill5 January 23, 2012 10:42 AM EST: Christie's already LOSING votes for 2016!; Reply to this comment


by michaelm07 January 23, 2012 10:37 AM EST: Christie is right that Newt's never done anything beyond acadenia and government - just like the guy so many people want to replace. Why, would we replace one over-confident (for no reason), professor who thinks they are smarter than you, with another over-confident (for no reason), professor who thinks they are smarter than you? The only thing I like about him is they way he slaps the worthless media but that is no reason to vote for him.; Reply to this comment