Watch CBS News

Book Claims Gov. Christie Not Selected As Romney's Running Mate Due To 'Potential Landmines'

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- N.J. Governor Chris Christie doesn't seem too concerned about the way he is depicted in a new book about last year's presidential election, WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reports.

In "Double Down: Game Change 2012," authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann write that Christie was not selected as Mitt Romney's running mate due to "potential landmines."

The book says Christie's lack of physical fitness and tardiness were also concerns for the Republican presidential nominee.

At an appearance in Parsippany on Friday, the governor didn't seem interested in talking about the claims.

Book Claims Gov. Christie Not Selected As Romney's Running Mate Due To 'Potential Landmines'

"Nothing new," Christie said. "Everything that's in that book, people have read about me before. So you know that's the author's characterization, because they're trying to sell books."

The book is also making headlines for its assertion that Pres. Obama's camp toyed with the idea of replacing Vice President Joe Biden with Hillary Rodham Clinton for the re-election campaign.

Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley said in an interview on CBS This Morning that the idea "was looked at" by Obama aides -- but not seriously.

"It was never seriously looked at in the sense that there was a belief that it ought to be done or needed to be done,'' he said. "And the president, in my opinion, I believe then and I do now, not for a moment would he have ever considered that."

Gloves Come Off As Election Day Approaches

On Friday, Christ Christie fired back against the potentially damaging new book while challenger Barbara Buono took her uphill battle to a landfill, CBS 2's Christine Sloan reported.

New Jersey residents packed a Rutherford diner for a chance to get close to Governor Christie.

"The reaction the last few days has been really great. We are just going to keep working till the end," he said.

However, there was no love for Christie at a press conference where Democrat and challenger Barbara Buono met with residents who said that a smelly landfill is making their children sick.

"Governor Christie refuses to come here. But you are here and I thank you for that," she said, "If the Governor wants a New Jersey comeback I think he should come to Fenimore."

But, it wasn't the landfill that was making Roxbury Deputy Mayor Kathy De Fillippo sick.

"I find it despicable that you would use a campaign rally at the advantage of these people," she said.

The Governor was on a bus tour with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He said that the state has been working to fix the landfill.

"We're fixing the problem. Senator Buono wants to play politics, I want to fix problems and me going up there does nothing to fix the problem," he said.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.