'Now, come on guys, at some point, you’ve got to able to call BS,' Chris Christie said. Christie calls critic 'numb-nuts'

It’s open war in New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie ripped a pro-gay-marriage state assemblyman as “numb-nuts” on Monday in response to the state lawmaker’s suggestion that the governor would have supported pro-segregation leaders.

“You have numb nuts like Reed Gusciora who put out a statement comparing me to George Wallace and Lester Maddox. Now, come on guys, at some point, you’ve got to able to call BS on those kind of press releases,” Christie said, according to a video posted on the New Jersey Star-Ledger’s website.


“I think quite frankly that those who say things like that like Gusciora should be ashamed of themselves, that they’re that desperate to try to change the topic on this issue that they would actually raise those folks, reprehensible people in America’s history,” the governor said.

Christie was referring to a statement released by Gusciora’s office last Thursday, in which the sponsor of legislation to legalize same sex marriage said, “Govs. Lester Maddox and George Wallace would have found allies in Chris Christie over efforts by the Justice Department to end segregation in the South.”

Gusciora, who is openly gay, said he was compelled to make the remarks in response to Christie’s comment that people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fight and die in the South – which the governor insisted on Monday was clearly not mean to be taken literally.

Christie has called for the issue of legalizing gay marriage to be put before the state’s voters in a referendum, but has said he would veto legislation making same sex nuptials legal.

Quickly following the “numb-nuts” comment, Gusciora’s office released this statement in retaliation: “The governor constantly reverts to name calling when he is unable to address issues on their merits. The fact is the governor’s opposition to the civil right of marriage equality is comparable to others who opposed other civil rights. I stand by my earlier statement. If he doesn’t like the comparison, then he should change his position on marriage equality and sign the bill into law.”