Democrats tell Chris Christie to 'shut up before people actually get hurt'
DNC communications director Mo Elleithee made the remarks in an email statement titled "Christie dons his tinfoil hat on vaccinations" that accused the governor of going after the "anti-vaccination vote."
"Chris Christie isn't a scientist. He isn't a doctor. And he sure as heck isn't a leader. If his campaign is going to be about kissing up to the radical, conspiracy theory base that's wagging the dog of today's Republican Party, that's up to him and his cracker-jack team," Elleithee wrote.
Christie, who is expected to run for president in 2016, sparked a firestorm with comments he made during a trip to London on Monday where he stressed parents should have "some measure of choice" when deciding whether to vaccinate their children.
Critics immediately pounced on Christie's words as evidence he supports widely debunked anti-vaccination theories that have been linked to recent outbreaks of measles. Christie's office subsequently sent out a statement that said the governor "believes vaccines are an important public health protection and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated."
Along with attacking Christie, Elleithee's email included links to comments President Barack Obama recently made urging parents to vaccinate their children. He instructed Christie to follow Obama's example.
"But if he wants to actually be a leader, then he should stop bowing to junk science and take a cue from President Obama by showing leadership that promotes facts and keeps our children and our nation safe," Elleithee wrote. "He may be trying to walk back his latest comments on vaccinations, but it's not the first time he's courted the anti-vaccination vote. It may cause his press office headaches, but his loud mouth isn't charming. He ought to take his own advice - sit down and shut up, before people actually get hurt."