A strong contender for dumbest political controversy of recent weeks is the criticism directed at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for his remarks on reducing the number of immigrants who illegally overstay their visas in the United States.

Speaking Saturday at a campaign event in New Hampshire, Christie noted that a large number of immigrants currently in the U.S. illegally — about 40 percent — entered the country legally but then remained after their visas expired. It’s time to have a system that can effectively track when they enter and ensure that they leave when their legal permission to stay ends, Christie said.