Phil Murphy, the Democratic nominee for governor, blamed Governor Chris Christie for the mess in Trenton.

“The situation that has led to this shutdown is both disappointing and frustrating,” Murphy said in a statement this morning. “This shutdown will be the capstone of seven and a half failed years of the Christie-Guadagno administration. Families and workers across New Jersey will needlessly suffer because Governor Christie has yet again created a phony crisis to put his personal agenda ahead of the public good. It is clear that New Jersey needs new leadership in the Governor’s Office.”

Yesterday Lieutenant Governor Kim GUadagno, the GOP nominee for governor, laid the blame at the bosses in the Democratic Party.

“What is happening with the state budget is a disgusting display of Trenton politics that threatens to grind our state to a halt,” Guadagno said. “With so many problems in New Jersey from property taxes to healthcare, our leaders should be communicating with each other to pass a budget that puts the taxpayers of New Jersey first and separate the Horizon bill from negotiations so it can be thoroughly reviewed. Phil Murphy – as the head of his party – should immediately call his political bosses who are orchestrating this and tell them to stop playing politics with the lives of the people who will be hurt by a government shutdown.”