Chris Christie in hostile interaction on Jersey Shore
(CBS News) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is regularly mentioned as a potential running mate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, was caught on camera last night in a hostile interaction in Seaside Heights, on the Jersey Shore.
The video, which was obtained by TMZ, is below. It shows Christie, who is wearing a short-sleeve shirt and holding an ice cream cone, pointing at someone on the boardwalk and saying, "you're a big shot. You're a real big shot."
"You're a real big shot shooting your mouth off," Christie continues, walking in the direction of the person to whom he is speaking.
According to TMZ, the person Christie is confronting had "fired off some snide comments about Christie's policy on education." The man reportedly responds to Christie's "big shot" comments by saying, "Nah, just take care of the teachers."
As the man walks away, Christie tells him to "keep walkin'." The governor then walks off in the other direction.
Christie's confrontational manor has delighted many Republicans while angering his critics. Videos featuring Christie have been viewed more than five million times on YouTube; the most-watched video is a 2010 interaction with public school teacher Marie Corfield, to whom he said, "If what you want to do is put on a show and giggle every time I talk, well then I have no interest in answering your question." Christie has been in an extended battle with teachers unions in his state, and last year called New Jersey teachers union leaders "political thugs."
Just a few days ago, Christie asked a reporter who asked what he deemed an "off-topic" question during a press conference, "are you stupid?" A spokesperson for Christie did not respond to a request for comment on last night's confrontation.
