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Gov Christie Honors SEAL's Service But Won't Apologize For Heated Exchange

BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he doesn't regret calling a former Navy SEAL an "idiot" during a heated exchange at a recent public event.

Christie's comment capped off the two-minute exchange with 34-year-old William Brown at a town hall-style event Thursday.

Brown, a former Democratic candidate for state Assembly, challenged the Republican governor's plan to merge two public universities, Rutgers and Rowan.

Brown is a law student at the Rutgers-Camden campus who opposes the plan, and he interrupted Christie several times before being escorted out.

Christie defended his comment Monday, saying: "He acted like an idiot. He's an idiot. I don't have any regret about it at all."

Christie says he honors the Mount Laurel man's military service, but that "doesn't give him the right to be a jerk.''

Was Governor Christie out of line? Let us know what you think in our comments section below...

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

 

 

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