New Jersey Governor CHRIS CHRISTIE Speaks with 'CBS This Morning'

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie responded to President Obama's claims in a recent 60 MINUTES interview that U.S. intelligence 'underestimated' the threat that ISIS poses, telling CBS THIS MORNING that the President should have taken responsibility, in an interview that was broadcast live, today, Oct. 1, 2014on the CBS Television Network.

'His administration, he, underestimated... You know, you need to be accountable for those things. You're not always directly responsible. But you need, when you're the leader, to be accountable,' Christie told co-host Gayle King.

Christie also discussed the war on drugs, which he called 'a dismal failure,' and explained why he believes that drug addiction should be considered a disease.

'We know that treatment works,' Christie told King. 'We want to give people the tools to try to save their lives. We're not going to save every life. But we've got to try.'

Christie also commented on speculation that he'll run for the presidency in 2016.

An excerpt of the interview is below.

CHRIS CHRISTIE: He used the word 'they.' He said, 'They underestimated it.' Don't say 'they underestimated,' Mr. President. 'We underestimated.' His administration, he, underestimated. You need to be accountable for those things. You're not always directly responsible. But you need, when you're the leader, to be accountable.

GAYLE KING: Some people could say, though, Governor, that you might've used the word 'they' when the whole Bridgegate Scandal happened. You've recently been cleared. The U.S. Justice Department said, 'As of this moment, there is no evidence that you knew anything about Bridgegate,' which you said all along.

CHRISTIE: Yes.

KING: But some people could say that you might've used to word 'they' during that time.

CHRISTIE: Yeah. I stood up the day after it all came public and said, 'I am accountable. While I didn't know it happened, it happened on my watch. And I'm accountable.' And I stood up for an hour and 50 minutes and took questions-

KING: I remember.

CHRISTIE: -and never once have I skirted from my accountability. That's all I'm talking about.

Click here to watch the video clip.

An excerpt of the interview is below.

GAYLE KING: The war on drugs, you're saying, is not working. In fact, you've called it a dismal failure.

CHRISTIE: It is. It is a dismal failure. It was well-intentioned. It was absolutely well-intentioned. But we now know, after 30-plus years of it, that it hasn't worked. We know what works. It's not like we're walking around in a dark room. We know that treatment works. We want to give people the tools to try to save their lives. We're not going to save every life. But we've got to try.

KING: Is Chris Christie softening? (Laughs)

CHRISTIE: No. Chris Christie is who he's always been. The fact is that-I absolutely believe-I'm pro-life, Gayle. And I believe that every life is precious in every stage of life. We can't just be worried about them in the womb. We've got to be worried about them when they come out of the womb. And when they're on the floor of a jail cell, it's a lot messier to be pro-life then.

KING: But there have been headlines, Governor, about you. I think I saw, 'compassionate conservative,' that Chris Christie is still who he is, but there is a softer edge to him, that he's not going to necessarily take your head off because he disagrees with something that said.

CHRISTIE: I never did.

GAYLE KING: Oh, there were a couple times I thought people were walking around-

CHRISTIE: Listen.

KING: -with no heads.

CHRISTIE: Well, sure. And-

KING: After they challenged you.

CHRISTIE: And you know what, those people deserved to have their heads taken off. And I'll still do that when I need to. But I don't just have one club in the bag, for the golfers who are watching this, okay?

KING: Yes.

CHRISTIE: You have to understand as a leader that there are times where you have to be tough and direct, and times where you have to be softer and listen. And I can do both.

KING: There was speculation, though, that maybe this is-- this is laying the groundwork to prepare for 2016.

CHRISTIE: Yeah, no. Well, for the people who really know me, they know this is who I've been all along.

KING: What is going into your decision-making process, as to whether you will or won't run for 2016?

CHRISTIE: Is it-is it right for me? Is it right for my family? And is it right for the country? If I answer all three of those, 'Yes,' I'll run. If I answer any of them, 'No,' I won't. That's it-

KING: It really is that simple.

CHRISTIE: It's that simple.

Click here to watch the video clip.

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