'Dreadful,' 'stupid,' 'useless': Christie lashes out

TRENTON - He's no Donald Trump, but before the swaggering real estate mogul turned presidential nominee reordered politics this year, it was perhaps Gov. Christie who held the distinction for most unpredictable tongue.

At an hour-long news conference Tuesday, Christie targeted a trio of groups (and people) he seemed to hold in (seemingly amused) contempt.

Of the biggest teachers' union in New Jersey: "I mean, this is a dreadful group of leaders."

In response to a question from a reporter for a TV news program in North Jersey: "It is unbelievable the streak that Chasing New Jersey has of stupid questions. I mean, it is an unrivaled streak of stupidity that it's almost hard to believe."

Of the American Civil Liberties Union: "Totally useless."

To be sure, the Republican governor got in his usual punches. Asked about State Senate President Stephen Sweeney's call last week for criminal investigations into the New Jersey Education Association, Christie said he welcomed Democrats for realizing what he had been saying since he took office.

"These are people who use the money of their members to reward their friends and to punish their enemies," Christie said.

Sweeney accused the teachers' union of trying to tie campaign donations to votes in favor of a constitutional amendment that would require the state to contribute more money to the pension system for public employees. The union said it had done nothing wrong.

Christie noted that he had twice defeated the union in litigation over pension funding that went to the state Supreme Court, and now the pension amendment won't make November's ballot.

"I've got to tell you this: If I were an NJEA member paying dues, I'd kick all them out," Christie said of the union's leaders. "Because either they are completely ineffective or they're total liars."

Later, a reporter for Chasing News - a show broadcast on Secaucus-based MY9NJ television and Philadelphia's Fox 29 that was previously named Chasing New Jersey - asked Christie if he was signing a pro-Israel bill Tuesday in an effort to help Trump's flagging campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

After Christie rejected the question as stupid, the reporter asked, "Do I get a rebuttal for the attack on the show?"

"No, you don't," the governor said. "The show's stupid, and there's no rebuttal."

Told by a reporter that the ACLU opposed the legislation he had signed, Christie turned to his staff and joked, "Can you put it back out there? I want to sign it twice."

The ACLU said on Twitter that the insult was a "badge of honor."

He did offer something of an olive branch to one of his targets near the end of the news conference. Christie, who has appeared regularly on a New York sports-talk radio program in recent months, was asked if he was auditioning for a job there as he prepares to leave office in January 2018 (or sooner, should Trump win).

"I'm auditioning for everything," he said, explaining that he and his wife, Mary Pat, still had to put kids through college.

"I may even audition for Chasing New Jersey," Christie said.

But he'll keep the job search "within reason," he said, adding, "I won't be a reporter."

aseidman@phillynews.com

856-779-3846 @AndrewSeidman