New Jersey Feud: It's Springsteen vs. Chris Christie

(Newser) – A New Jersey feud is playing out between a man many consider to be a political rock star—Gov. Chris Christie—and a man everyone considers to be a real rock star—Bruce Springsteen. It began when Springsteen wrote a letter to his hometown Asbury Park Press praising a story on poverty. The article highlighted “the contradictions between a policy of large tax cuts, on the one hand, and cuts in services to those in the most dire conditions, on the other," wrote the Boss.

Asked about it by ABC's Diane Sawyer, Christie responded: "I mean, you know, Bruce is liberal. Doesn’t mean I like him any less. But you know, Bruce believes that we should be raising taxes all the time on everyone to do all the things that he’d like to see government do," reports the Park Press. The Star-Ledger has weighed in with an editorial calling the governor's comment a cheap shot: "It’s typical Christie: Oppose him on anything (however subtly) and, even if you’re asking the Demonizer to scrape together a few more bucks for those falling between the cracks, he’ll portray you as a villain. Springsteen has been writing and singing iconic songs for decades. He doesn’t need anyone—especially a tone-deaf governor—putting words in his mouth."