Chris Christie: Santorum’s Satan Comments Are Relevant
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Ramin Talaie/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Rick Santorum says his 2008 comments that, “Satan has set his sights on the United States of America” are “not relevant” to the 2012 presidential race, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday that Santorum is wrong.
“Listen, I think anything you say as a presidential candidate is relevant. It is by definition relevant. You’re asking to be president of the United States. I don’t think [Santorum’s] right about that. I think it is relevant what he says. I think people want to make an evaluation, a complete evaluation of anyone who asks to sit in the Oval Office,” Christie said.
Adding to the religious discussion on the campaign trail, on Tuesday, Santorum said he would “defend everything” he says and Mitt Romney said the Obama administration has “fought against religion.”
But Christie doesn’t think a debate over religion is a conversation the Republican Party wants to engage in.
“Do I think it’s the things we should be as a party talking about and emphasizing at the moment? No,” he said.
“I think the idea of the fighting against religion piece of this goes to more to Obamacare issue and the invasion of Obamacare into maybe some religious freedom issues. I think that’s an interesting conversation and an important one to have in the context of overall Obamacare and what’s that going to mean for the country if it goes forward after the Supreme Court arguments this spring,” he said.
Christie — an outspoken supporter of Romney — partly blamed the former Massachusetts governor’s lack of traction on the Republicans changing the rules from winner takes all to awarding delegates on a proportional basis.
And in his blunt style, Christie outright said Republicans are still asking him to enter the 2012 race, as Politico first reported.
“What I say back to them is I’m supporting Mitt Romney and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he wins the nomination and is going to become president come January 2013,” he said.
He added, regarding his own rumored 2012 run: “I don’t know how many times I have to say it. The answer is no.”
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