Chris Christie calls gay NJ legislator ‘numbnuts’ [VIDEO]

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie answers a question in Voorhees, N.J., during a town hall meeting Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at a fellow Garden State politician Monday, calling an openly gay state legislator a “numbnuts” in response to the lawmaker labeling him a racist last week.

A visibly perturbed Christie made the comment during a news conference on Monday, reported the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

It all started last week when Christie called for a voter referendum on gay marriage.

“I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South,” Christie said.

Those comments upset Democratic assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who responded last week by saying, “Govs. Lester Maddox and George Wallace would have found allies in Chris Christie over efforts by the Justice Department to end segregation in the South.”

On Monday, Christie called Gusciora’s words “transparently political.”

“You have numbnuts like Reed Gusciora, who put out a statement, you know, comparing me George Wallace and Lester Maddox.” (RELATED: Full coverage of Chris Christie)

Speaking to reporters, Christie said, “Come on guys. At some point you’ve got be able to call BS on those kinds of press releases.”

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