New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul jousted over the Patriot Act at Thursday night's Republican presidential debate, with Christie standing by a previous statement that, due to his opposition, Paul should be called before Congress if America is hit by another terrorist attack.
Christie, appointed a U.S. attorney one day before Sept. 11, said he has gone before the FISA court and prosecuted and jailed terrorists.
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"This is not theoretical to me. I went to the funerals," Christie said. "We lost friends of ours in the Trade Center."
"I want to collect more records from terrorists, but less records from innocent Americans," Paul responded. "I'm proud of standing for the Bill of Rights and I will continue to stand for the Bill of Rights."
"That's a completely ridiculous answer," Christie said. "I want to collect more records from terrorists but less records from other people? How are you supposed to know" which is which, he asked.
"Get a warrant. Get a judge to sign a warrant," Paul said.
"When you're sitting in a subcommittee blowing hot air about that, you can say things like that," Christie replied.
Paul said he doesn't trust President Barack Obama with Americans' records, adding, "I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead."
"You know the hugs that I remember are the hugs that I gave to the families who lost their people on Sept. 11," Christie replied, "and those had nothing to do with politics, unlike what you're doing by cutting speeches on the floor of the Senate and putting them on the Internet within half an hour to raise money for your campaign and putting our country at risk."
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