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Romney Praises Christie At NJ Fundraiser, Earns 1.7 Million For Campaign

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mitt Romney left New Jersey with cash for his campaign and a prediction from Gov. Chris Christie that the state is going to be "Romney country.''

About 200 people attended a fundraiser for the likely Republican presidential nominee at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel Tuesday night, an event that raised 1.7 million dollars for Romney's presidential run.

Tickets ranged from $2,500 to $50,000.

Christie, who endorsed Romney in October, criticized President Barack Obama. He said Obama is running a campaign based on "pessimism, cynicism and division.''

Romney told the crowd Christie,  "really is something.''

Despite the positive remarks, Gov. Chris Christie says Mitt Romney didn't ask him to be his running mate.

Christie also told a town hall audience in northern New Jersey on Wednesday that he has no inside information on who the likely GOP presidential nominee will pick as his running mate. He said he doesn't expect it will be him.

In Christie's words, Romney "did not ask me last night to run for vice president while I was with him.''

A Rutgers-Eagleton poll released earlier this month showed Obama with a 23-percentage point lead over Romney in New Jersey.

Christie began campaigning for Romney last year. Leading up to the Iowa caucuses, he told voters that if they disappointed him by not supporting the former Massachusetts governor, then he'd be back - Jersey style.

(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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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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