Eyewitness News Speaks With Gov. Christie, Mrs. Christie At National Dine Out Day
PRINCETON, N.J., (CBS) -- Eyewitness News spoke one-on-one with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday night.
Governor Christie and wife Mary Pat Christie arrived at Witherspoon Grill in Princeton for National Dine Out Day, raising money for the state's Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.
WATCH: Full Interview with Governor Christie and Mrs. Christie
"When folks need to rebuild their homes and insurance and FEMA money is done, we will be there to hopefully fill in the gaps," said Mary Pat Christie.
Eyewitness News sat down with New Jersey's first couple and talked about the storm, the new flood zones, the spotlight and the criticism.
"I listen to the criticism and I take a lot of it in," said the governor. "But then at the end of it, the people elected me to make these decisions, so I'm going to make them."
Still in the aftermath, the governor says there's a dozen things he would have done differently.
"I would have gone to odd-even gas rationing more quickly than I did," Christie said. "I would have spent even more time out visiting places than I did at the beginning."
And on President Obama, Governor Christie says despite his help during the storm, they're still on opposite sides of the isle.
"I disagree with the President probably on 95 percent of what he's done as President," said Christie. "But what he's done here, I agree with him on, he's been a man of his word. If I stopped working with anyone who criticized me, I'd be sitting in my office by myself."
And on a personal note, Mrs. Christie says the governor's recent weight loss with Lap-Band surgery has been a role model for their household and others.
"Myself and the children are just really happy Chris is getting healthy, and I'm really proud of him," she said. "As a family, we are really hopeful that this is working and every week is really positive."
"I feel like I have some control over the situation now, which I felt kind of out of control for a long time," said the governor.
On the menu, the governor had lobster bisque and Mrs. Christie had crab cakes for dinner. So far, the relief fund has raised more than $37 million.
