Christie Q&A Takes a Strange Twist

NJ gov fields unusual, awkward questions at Middlesex Co. town hall

The next time someone accuses Gov. Chris Christie of planting questions at a town hall meeting, he may send them a copy of the transcript from one on Wednesday in central New Jersey.

Questions and complaints at a town hall in Spotswood ran the gamut, and raised eyebrows. The forum was his 24th of the year and his 58th since taking office nearly two years ago.

One woman asked him to find her a job and said the Education Department got her fired nine times in four years. A retired teacher refused to stop interrupting him and suggested teachers needed tenure because they were sleeping with principals for job security. And a 12-year-old accused of bullying at school asked the governor what he thought of the situation, then threw in a few anti-Semitic remarks.

Christie acknowledged that the questions caught him off-guard: "This was one of the most unusual town hall meetings I have ever had."

"That's good, " he said. "It's good to keep me on my toes."

At a town hall event earlier this month in West New York, a man accused Christie's staff of using plants in the audience, prompting an angry response from the Republican governor known for his candid and brash remarks. "If I planted (questions), why the hell did I call on you? Give the microphone back," Christie said.

During the Spotswood event at a Knights of Columbus hall, Jean Charte, 53, of Red Bank pointedly asked the governor to get her a job and accused his Education Department of sabotaging her previous nine jobs.

"I found nine jobs, I have my resumes, I just can't find a 10th one right now. I was wondering if you could help me just find a job," she said, practically in tears.

Patricia Noxon, a retired teacher from Millstone Township, took on Christie's stance on teacher tenure -- he wants to eliminate lifetime job protections that come with it -- and suggested a new reason why teachers think it's important: "Teachers do need tenure so teachers don't have to sleep with the principals to get what they want," she told the governor.

Christie responded: "I don't want teachers to have to sleep with the principal."

Noxon went on to say she was really there to talk about using dogs to help soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder. "Because if you have a golden retriever by your side, you will never commit suicide," she said. But when she wouldn't stop talking, the governor tried to cut her off -- unsuccessfully.

"You have to not be so rude," he said. "They didn't come here to listen to you interrupt me."

After an hour, Christie seemed relieved to have picked a 12-year-old boy from Springfield to ask the last question. When the boy started reading from prepared remarks, Christie seemed even more delighted: "I made a good choice. He is reading the question!" Christie exclaimed.

The boy went on to ask the governor to decide if he really bullied another student, but Christie's amusement was visibly lessened when the boy went on to suggest he was singled out by the Jewish community that he said controls his town and school board.

At one point, Christie asked the boy if he had punched anyone, then said it didn't really sound like it was bullying. But he added that he wanted to look further into the situation.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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