The GOP candidates vying to run against New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine in the next election had an interesting debate last night. Not only was it the last debate before the primary, but it was also off-camera. Steve Lonegan, who is now trailing former New Jersey U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie by 23 points, showed up to the debate almost 7 minutes late. Had he shown up a few seconds later, he would not have been allowed to participate. The debate offered some details about the candidates; for example, Lonegan bought liverwurst last time he went to the supermarket and Christie drives a Lincoln Navigator.
And here’s some quotes from the debate, courtesy of The Star-Ledger:
“This is the type of foolish hyperbole we’ve come to expect from you,” Christie told Lonegan after Lonegan called Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, who once worked for Christie, “the most liberal state supreme court chief justice in the nation.”
“I’m sure that you like to hear that coming out of your mouth,” said Christie, a former U.S. attorney and Morris County freeholder. “You just make things up as you go along.”
Lonegan, the former mayor of Bogota in Bergen County, snapped back during later segments, talking over his opponent’s answer with “cute, cute” and questioning why Christie kept silent when Lonegan opposed a plan to raise tolls on state highways.
“Chris had nothing to say whatsoever,” Lonegan said.
