Christie uses CPAC to draw contrasts with Bush

“Because I consider Jeb a friend,” Christie said. “And he’s been a wonderful friend to me.”

Today, the New Jersey Republican finds himself needing to draw a contrast with the former Florida governor as they both compete for business-minded Republicans and similar donor pools — a segment of the Republican coalition that, so far, seems drawn to Bush.

READ: Hat trick: Jeb Bush to travel to South Carolina

He offered an early clue to his approach on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Asked during a question and answer segment with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham about how he plans to combat Bush’s vast political network and family connections, Christie painted Bush as an elite Washington insider.

“Sometimes people need to be told to sit down and shut up,” Christie said Thursday, defending his outburst against a protester in the fall.

Christie was given another chance to pit himself against Bush. When Christie began touting his town halls — a 90-minute format where he stands in the center of a room as people pepper him with questions — Ingraham asked if he was critiquing Bush, who has taken pre-screened questions from audiences and a moderator at two recent speeches in Chicago and Detroit.

“Everybody who aspires to high positions of leadership in their state and in their country should be willing to take unscreened, unrehearsed questions from the people who pay their salary,” Bush said, again getting some applause.

CNN