Christie: I'd 'Answer the Call' If Asked to Be Vice President  By Jeff Cox | CNBC – 13 minutes ago
Outspoken New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in a CNBC appearance Tuesday, opened the door to a vice presidential run should Republican candidate Mitt Romney choose him.
While many of those thought to be in contention for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket have been coy about whether they would accept the nomination, Christie told " Squawk Box" that an offer would be hard to resist.
"This is an election with one voter, Mitt Romney. He gets to decide who he thinks should be the vice president of the United States," Christie said. "I love being governor of New Jersey, you can tell. But the fact is, if Gov. Romney picks up the phone and calls, you have to answer the call and listen at least."
Christie's name has been prominent in the speculation derby over who will get the nod as the former Massachusetts governor's running mate.
Other leading candidates are Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, among a host of other leading Republicans. Christie had toyed with the idea of a presidential run but ultimately became one of the first GOP governors to endorse Romney, a move made while the party's primary remained hotly contested.
Christie said he feels confident about Romney's prospects, even though some polls show President Obama got a boost from last Thursday's Supreme Court ruling on his health care reform plan.
The court ruled that the law's individual mandate, which requires all Americans to carry health insurance, is constitutional, a decision that Christie called a mistake.
"In the end, if you look at most of the polls this is a margin-of-error race," he said. "It's going to be a close election, but I think Gov. Romney is in a really good position now as challenger to make the case over the next couple of months that he should win." |
