MORRISVILLE, Pa. - Gov. Chris Christie's lavish praise for President Obama in the days since Hurricane Sandy has raised eyebrows across the Republican establishment.
Mitt Romney had a message of his own on Sunday night: It does not bother him.
Not publicly, anyway.
At a rally here, Mr. Romney seemed determined to play down any hint of tension between his campaign and Mr. Christie, the New Jersey governor, whose kind words have given the president an unexpected bipartisan credential in the final days of the campaign.
“He's giving it all of his heart and his passion to help the people of his state,†Mr. Romney said. “They're in a hard way, and we appreciate his hard work. Thank you, governor.â€
Mr. Romney drew a giant crowd of about 25,000, among his largest of the year. Despite polls showing an Obama lead in Pennsylvania, Mr. Romney predicted victory there.
“The people of America understand we're taking back the White House becau se we're going to win Pennsylvania,†he said in Morrisville, near the New Jersey border.
Mr. Romney ran about an hour late, prompting hundreds of people who had stood out in the cold for hours to ask security officials to let them leave while Mr. Romney was still speaking.
After some negotiations, the Secret Service allowed them to leave.
“It's just too cold,†said Rob Boyson, who walked out just as Mr. Romney was asking the audience, as he does at most rallies: “I want you to walk with me. Let's walk together. We're taking back America.â€
