An upbeat, defiant and feisty Governor Phil Murphy today continued to try to brand the NJ legislature as a bubble of establishment brain trust rust, disconnected from real people and himself as a popular vanguard.

“This is stone cold crazy stupid to not fund this program,” said Murphy, referring to community college grant funding.

“The gap between 120 folks and the people,” Murphy said. “I’ve never seen a gap like this. I’m standing for the people in the state asking for tax fairness.”

He doubled down.

“It’s inside of a bubble used to doing the same business for decades,” he added of the legislature.

He noted that the people didn’t make him governor to roll over and surrender.

Then he asked repeatedly, “Who’s side are you on? Who’s side are you on? Who’s side are you on?”

At the press conference in Paterson this morning, the governor also said that his people continue to have discussions with legislative leaders but legislative sources deny the occurrence of meaningful discussions since both houses passed an alternative budget with veto-proof majorities.

“I’m going to find common ground with the people who brought me here, and I hope to find common ground with the people down the street,” Murphy said. “There’s no question where the heartbeat of the state is.”