Prodded by 101.5 FM’s Eric Scott to discuss why he moved forward on a $300 million Statehouse renovation, a defiant Governor Chris Christie excoriated his critics, and dismissed them as approaching the issue with a politically motivated point of view.

All of them, and he called them out by name on Scott’s Ask the Governor radio program – LG Kim Guadagno, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Senator Ray Lesniak and former Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy – are candidates for governor.

Christie said they’re grandstanding, and pointed out that if they were serious they would have asked for a briefing.

he lingered in his coutner-attack on Lesniak, who filed suit against the controversial renovation.

“Senator Lesniak would have to learn to speak English before I could speak with him,” he told Scott when the radio talk show asked him if he had or would speak to the retiring senator from Elizabeth.