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Governor Chris Christie took on a number of subjects during an appearance before the Wall Street Journal CEO Council in Washington on Monday including Obamacare, his fellow Republicans, New York City''s new mayor, his own plans for a White House run and a favorite topic: teachers unions.

Obamacare

Governor Christie at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council
Governor Christie at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council (Twitter)
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The governor says the leaders of both  political parties, including Obama, are to blame for a 16-day partial federal government shutdown in October. He says the effort by some Republicans to defund the so-called Obamacare law by shutting down the government failed and "absolutists" from both parties hurt the process.

But Christie avoided addressing a question on how to fix the law, saying it was a complex issue that required a robust debate.“It was a train wreck everybody saw coming for months,” Christie said.

Christie was interviewed Monday during a forum sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. The CEO Council includes the top executives of more than 100 companies, including New Jersey-based Hackensack University Health Network, Automatic Data Processing and Campbell Soup Co according to the Bergen Record.

Incoming Mayor deBlasio

Christie took on the plans of newly elected New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio to increase taxes and believes New York is going in the "wrong direction," reports the New York Post. “You have a new mayor in New York who is aggressively talking about increasing taxes in New York City. While I feel badly for New Yorkers, come to New Jersey."

Another Republican, Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley, is also inviting New Yorkers to cross the border in his political ads. “Connecticut next year will probably elect a new governor. When it does, Connecticut once again will be the place people want to be in the Northeast," encourages Foley.

Presidential Aspitations

Governor Christie interviewed by WSJ editor Gerard Baker.
Governor Christie interviewed by WSJ editor Gerard Baker. (Twitter)
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During an on-stage interview with top Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker, wasn't confident of whether or not he could beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. “I have no idea if I could do it," said Christie. But he stressed that he won re-election with 51% of the Latino vote and increased the number of African-America voters who support him. “I think it’s because they felt like they were included, that their opinions mattered,” Christie said. “We have to stop as a party going back to all the tried and true ways of running these kinds of campaigns; they’re not working. We need someone who’s going to be clear, direct, authentic and say what they think.”

The way he went against the status quo with the teachers unions could be a positive as president. “I think they never expected any New Jersey politician to do that and the public reacted extraordinarily well,” Christie said according to the Bergen Record. “I think that was the moment that changed the conversation in New Jersey and a made a lot of the other things we did possible because we showed we were willing to take on the biggest bully in the school yard.”

President Obama will appear before the same group this afternoon.

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The Associated Press contrubuted to this report

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