Sen. Menendez: Christie, Obama visit to NJ 'not about politics'

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez (D) said Thursday that he did not believe that President Obama's tour with Republican Gov. Chris Christie of areas damaged by Hurricane Sandy in his state was a politically calculated event for either man.

"I don't think there's politics here at all," Menendez told CNN's "Starting Point." The senator said the visit was for a genuine assessment of what federal resources were needed in the aftermath of the deadly storm.

"If I was the governor of the state of New Jersey, I would want the president of the United States here. I would want to tell him what I need. I would want to ask him what he's going to do for me on behalf of the nearly 9 million people in the state. That was the right thing to do."

Adding that "as far as I'm concerned, it wasn't about politics, it was about delivery," Menendez said it made sense for Christie and Obama to forge a working relationship in the days following the storm.

"I would want all those federal resources and I would want the man who can make those federal resources happen," Menendez said.

The New Jersey lawmaker added that Christie seemed genuinely pleased by the president's willingness to offer federal resources.

"He had given the president several other requests while they were in the ride from their tour to the place where the press conference was held and that the president got on the phone and started working right away at having those things delivered," Menendez said. "I got a very clear message from the president when I said to him we need the strongest medical response we've ever seen."

Christie, a prominent supporter of GOP nominee Mitt Romney, has praised the president’s response to Sandy as “outstanding.”

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