Sen. Rand Paul is ready to bury the hatchet with Gov. Chris Christie over the oldest of summits---a beer at the local pub.
The Kentucky senator tells Fox News that he wants to put an end to his growing feud with the New Jersey governor over their conflicting views on the NSA's surveillance programs and government spending.
"I think with Gov. Christie it's gotten a little too personal, so we're ready to kiss and make up," Paul told Fox News' Neil Cavuto.
The war of words between the two Republicans, both of whom have been mentioned as possible 2016 candidates, began when they differed over warrantless surveillance programs last week. Paul is against them, while Christie says they are needed for national security.
Paul upped the rhetoric on Sunday, when he said Christie and Rep. Peter King, R-NY, "are the people who are bankrupting the government and not letting enough money be left over for national defense," over their push to bring Superstorm Sandy aid to their respective states.
Christie fired back on Tuesday, accusing Paul of bringing home "pork barrel spending" to Kentucky.
"I find it interesting that Sen. Paul is accusing us of having a 'gimme, gimme, gimme' attitude toward federal spending when in fact New Jersey is a donor state and we get 61 cents back on every dollar we send to Washington. Interestingly, Kentucky gets $1.51 on every dollar they send to Washington," he said at a news conference to announce homeowner grants for northern New Jersey residents affected by Sandy.
Paul defended himself against the allegations Wednesday, calling himself one of the "most fiscally conservative members of Congress" and denying he was bringing government funds to his home state.
However, he said he does not dislike Christie, and that he wants to air out their differences over a drink.
"Anytime he would like to come down and sit at a pub right around the corner from the Senate. We'll have a beer," Paul said.
When asked on his monthly call-in show Wednesday if he would be willing to have a drink with Paul, Christie said he is too busy to make it a priority but will "look him up" if he is ever in Washington.
Paul says he plans to offer Christie a written invitation to join him for a drink.
Paul's invitation is reminiscent of President Obama's 2009 so-called "beer summit" at the White House with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and police Sgt. James Crowley to quell a national uproar over a racially-charged dispute between the two.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
0 comments:
Post a Comment