Gov. Christie has foot in mouth disorder in trying to ‘clarify’ remarks:

In a Statehouse press conference today, he expanded on the statement: “The political climate in the South didn’t give them the option to have a referendum back then,” he said, adding later: “They wished they would have had the option, but the political climate did not permit it, meaning they would not win.”

Christie signaled out Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), one of two openly gay state lawmakers, as “numbnuts” for comparing him to infamous segregationalists.

“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,” Gusciora said Thursday in a statement.

Christie also likened Democrats’ reaction to his original statement to what he called politically motivated overreactions to his comment last year that the press should “take a bat out” on Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen). “It just shows how politically desperate the Democrats are,” he said.

This afternoon civil rights leader U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is scheduled – along with U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex) – for a press conference to discuss the original comments.

Holt in a phone interview today called Christie’s comment a “big blunder.”