Their political battles were the stuff of legend. U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg died Monday at the age of 89 and in an impromptu eulogy at the Governor's Conference for Women yesterday, Gov. Chris Christie acknowledged the very public and long-running feud, but he also remembered Lautenberg as a fighter and praised him for the life he led. 

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
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"It's no mystery that Sen. Lautenberg and I didn't always agree," said Christie. "In fact, it's probably more honest to say we very often didn't agree and we had some pretty good fights between us over time, battles on philosophy and the role of government."

After Christie took office, right up until Lautenberg's passing yesterday, a new war of words could erupt at anytime between the two. Perhaps the most notable argument came after the governor scrapped the ARC tunnel citing cost overruns. Lautenberg ripped Christie claiming he cost the state thousands of jobs.

"Never was Sen. Lautenberg to be underestimated as an advocate for the causes that he believed in and as an adversary in the political world," explained Christie. "I think the best way to describe Frank Lautenberg is as a fighter. Sen. Lautenberg fought for the things he believed in. Sometimes he just fought because he liked to."

Political battles aside, the Governor said, "I give him praise on a life well lived."


 

 

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