The New Yorker Highlights Christie-Kean Chill

It was April Fools Day, but the latest edition of The New Yorker says the lack of warmth evident between Gov. Chris Christie and former Gov. Tom Kean, on the dais at a political roast, looked like no joking matter.

The April 1 event celebrated the 90th birthday of another New Jersey governor, Brendan Byrne, and according to the magazine, Christie was seated next to Kean but "did not say hello or shake his hand."

Kean downplays any rift in comments to NJ.com today but here's what he had to say about fellow Republican Christie in the rest of The New Yorker article, titled "Crossing Christie."

He doesn’t always try to persuade you with reason. . . He makes you feel that your life’s going to be very unhappy if you don’t do what he says. . .

. . . he makes enemies and keeps them. . .

. . . I haven’t decided whether I’m going to support him [for President in 2016] or not. . .

. . . there's another question [on Bridgegate] about whether he created an atmosphere in which some of those people thought they were doing his will because they were getting back at people. If you cross Christie, he’ll come back at you, even years later. So his people might have picked up that kind of thing. . ."

Kean's falling out with Christie appears to stem from the governor's unsuccessful attempt to dislodge Tom Kean, Jr. from his position as State Senate Minority Leader. The elder Kean tells the article's author, Ryan Lizza, he was blindsided by the coup attempt and felt betrayed, but he also expected Christie to eventually reach out "and say, ‘Hey, you gotta understand this, I had to do this for this reason or that reason.’ Whatever. But he never called me. The last time I talked to him was Election Night.”

Monday, the former New Jersey governor told NJ.com's Darryl Isherwood: "I got pretty mad at him (Christie) about what he tried to do to my son, but he and my son are getting along well fine now."