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Big states, big egos: Jerry v. Perry

Jerry versus Perry! The governors of the two biggest states are trading jabs this week, thanks to a radio ad campaign from Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Jerry versus Perry! The governors of the two biggest states are trading jabs this week, thanks to a radio ad campaign from Texas Governor Rick Perry. "Building a business is tough,” Perry says in the ad. “And I have a message for California businesses: come check out Texas.”

The ad hit the California airwaves earlier this week as part of a $24,000 ad buy. Governor Jerry Brown might be irked at the attempt to lure business owners away from his state, but the dollar amount spent on the ad campaign needs a few more zeroes to really attract his attention. According to the Sacramento Bee, Brown called the buy "the smallest entry into the media market of California." Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development released an official statement touting the success of businesses like Amazon and Samsung, both of which have operations centered in California.

That’s the polite version. Speaking with reporters yesterday, Governor Brown let it rip. "It's not a burp. It's barely a fart," he said.

If the idea of Jerry Brown getting into a spat with a fellow governor rings a bell, there’s a reason. At the Republican National Convention back in September, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had some choice words for Brown’s constituents, suggesting they had made a “bad choice” voting for an “old retread.”

Brown’s response: “I hereby challenge Governor Christie to a three-mile race, a push-up contest and a chin-up contest. Whatever he wants to bet, I have no doubt of the outcome," he said. (In other words, I may be old, but at least I'm not fat.)

Take a look at the Hardball Sideshow for a full account of the spat, as well as one Republican Congressman’s excuse for skipping President Obama’s State of the Union next week.