Heated Exchange At Town Hall Ends With Christie Calling Iraq Vet An 'Idiot'

By Jim Melwert and Anne-Marie Green

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Things got testy at one of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's town hall meetings Thursday, when a shouting match ended with the governor calling an audience member an idiot.

It started with a question about the proposed Rutgers-Camden and Rowan University merger from second-year law student and Iraq War veteran, William Brown.

But as Christie began to explain the reason for the merger, Brown tried to yell over him.

"What I'm doing is providing other opportunities for a bigger and better university," Christie said.

As Brown continued to try to yell over the governor, Christie stopped trying to explain his position. "Let me tell you something, I can go back and forth with you as much as you want."

And just before Brown was thrown out of the meeting, Christie gave the law student some unsolicited advice: "After you graduate from law school, you conduct yourself like that in the court room, your rear-end's gonna get thrown in jail, idiot."

Brown, who was a Navy SEAL and a former candidate for New Jersey State Assembly, was escorted out of the meeting by police without further incident.