WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said both parties in Washington were a problem, but leveled his criticism at Republicans and their lack of bipartisanship.
"It's about human relationships, the fact of the matter is nobody in this city talks to each other anymore and if they do talk to each other it's not civilly," Christie said during The Wall Street Journal's annual CEO Council Conference Monday in Washington. "They don't develop relationships, they don't develop any sense of trust between each other."
"You have to compromise at times," said Christie, who was re-elected by a convincing margin and has been whispered as a potential GOP presidential contender. "If I walk away with 70 percent of my agenda, then New Jersey is 70 percent better than it would have been otherwise."
He also had blame for President Obama because "he has not developed the relationships that are necessary on a personal level on both sides of the aisle."
"What we have unfortunately in Washington on both sides of the aisle at times are absolutists," Christie said.
Concerning the government shutdown for two weeks in October, Christie said "both sides" but said, "I think there were a number of people in Congress on the Republican side of the aisle who just did not have an end-game strategy."
Christie told the chief executive officers he would serve a full second term as governor -- unless he decides to run for president and win in the general election.
"If I decide to run for president and win I won't, if I don't then I will. I don't have to make that decision now," Christie said. "If you make a decision before it's the right time to make them you increase geometrically the chance to screw that decision up, it's not something I want to screw up."
