stuck in the mittle

Romney Heaps Praise on Christie, Can’t Make Up for Fat Jokes

Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are interviewed on television after a campaign rally at a Hy Vee supermarket December 30, 2011 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Christie, a popular Republican governor who was urged to run for president earlier this year, appeared with Romney just days before the
Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Winning reelection in the blue state of New Jersey, and winning by a huge margin, appears to be so integral to Chris Christie’s plan for 2016 that he scheduled a special election for the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s seat two weeks ago just so Cory Booker wouldn’t boost Democratic turn out. But with Double Down: Game Change 2012 being released on Tuesday, Christie’s big day will be marred by talk of Mitt Romney calling him fat. While Romney mainly used his appearance on Sunday’s Meet the Press to rail against President Obama’s “dishonesty” in selling health care reform, he was far more generous with the New Jersey governor, saying “Chris Christie stands out as one of the very strongest lights of the Republican Party.” 

Despite the book’s report that Romney “marveled at Christie’s girth,” he said he provided health records and “His health is very solid, it’s very good. There’s not an issue there.” Romney also denied that several legal issues uncovered during the vetting process led to Christie being crossed of his list of potential running mates. “Frankly, there was nothing they found that wasn’t already part of the public record and that hadn’t already been dealt with effectively by Chris Christie. So there was nothing new there,” said Romney. He added, “Chris, by the way, could easily become our nominee and save our party and help get this nation on the right track again. They don’t come better than Chris Christie.”

Christie didn’t seem as eager to compliment the guy who supposedly “cackled” about his weight. When asked about Double Down over the weekend, Christie dismissed authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann as “just two guys trying to sell a book.” As for whether he’s intends for Tuesday’s election to send a message beyond New Jersey, he said, “I’m not planning for it, I just think it’s inevitable.” People like to analyze elections, “And I think that what people are going to see is so unusual for what our party has created in the last couple of years that invariably people are going to draw lessons from it and I hope they do.” He’s not trying to be the light of the Republican Party, he’s just that good.

Romney Praises Christie After Making Fat Jokes