Christie: Paul should ‘start cutting pork barrel spending he brings to Kentucky’

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Tuesday escalated his feud with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) by portraying the Tea Party favorite as a big-spending Washington establishment figure.

“Maybe he should start cutting the pork barrel spending he brings home to Kentucky,” Christie said at a press conference announcing monetary grants for homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy. “But I doubt he will, because most Washington politicians only care about bringing home the bacon so that they can get reelected.”

{mosads}Christie was kicking back at a claim Paul made on Monday, in which he accused the New Jersey governor of being too eager to accept money from the federal government. Christie argued that New Jersey receives just 61 cents back from the federal government for each dollar it pays in taxes, while Kentucky receives $1.51.

It’s the latest incident in a public spat between the two GOP heavyweights, who are both likely 2016 presidential contenders.

On Thursday, Christie singled Paul out while warning of a creeping “strain of libertarianism” within both parties on national security issues.

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Paul hit back Monday, saying Christie was “sad and cheap” for using the “cloak of 9/11 victims” to shield his position and accused Christie of having a “give me, give me, give me all the money” approach to fiscal issues in Washington.

When Christie’s most recent comments were repeated to Paul on Tuesday’s Sean Hannity radio program, Paul said, “Oh, you start trashing my state. Now he’s really going to be in trouble.

“Don’t start trashing Kentucky, buddy.”

The feud could continue if Christie wants, Paul said, and he would win because of the GOP’s fiscal conservatism.

“I didn’t choose this fight with the governor,” Paul said.