"Sir, Chris Christie. How are you doing Chris? Good to see you. Nice to meet you. Yes sir. Thanks for having me sir."
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Governor Phil Bryant weaved their way through Primos Restaurant stopping to shake hands and chat with the lunch crowd. Pam Harkins of Brandon, saw Christie as he passed by her table.
"I've always liked him. You know exactly where he stands." said Harkins.
Christie says he's standing with Bryant to support his reelection bid and raise money for the Mississippi Republican Party. But there's speculation Christie's getting out ahead of an announcement he's running for president.
"When do you plan to announce that you're running? First I have to decide that I'm running. Have you decided? I have not." said Christie
This is Christie's first trek out of New Jersey since a grand jury indicted three of his allies for their involvement in the 2013 George Washington Bridge Traffic Scandal. Some lanes of the bridge were allegedly shutdown to punish the Fort Lee Democratic mayor for not endorsing Christie's re-election. One person has pled guilty. Two have pled not guilty.
"It's always sad to see people who have been charged with a crime. Now we'll let the justice system take it's course." said Christie.
Christie says he hasn't been linked to the case.
"An internal investigation, an investigation by a very partisan Democratic legislature and an independent investigation by the United States Attorneys, all come to the conclusion, that I had nothing to do with this." said Christie.
Rickey Cole, Chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party says, "birds of a feather flock together," Governor Phil Bryant is using the same heavy-handed style of politics used by Governor Chris Christie. Cole says, it's no surprise Christie is here to support the governor.
