Christie, Letterman trade fat jokes

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (left) and CBS' David Letterman on "The Late Show," Feb. 4, 2013. / CBS

Updated: 12:21 p.m. ET

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie doesn't put up with much guff from reporters, but the famously brash Republican governor showed his laid back side last night in an interview with CBS' "The Late Show," laughing off host David Letterman's repeated questions about his weight, and answering them with fat jokes of his own.

"I love you, Dave," Christie told Letterman, shortly before taking out and snacking on what appeared to be a jelly donut. "A deep and abiding love."

Christie, who has brushed off past suggestions that his weight might impact his abilities as a politician - either in his current station as governor or, potentially, a higher office - told Letterman his health is "startlingly good" and that he has normal blood sugar and cholesterol both.

"I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life," he said.

He also insisted that he's not bothered by Letterman's relentless fat jokes targeting him, and actually brought a couple of his favorites to read back to the host.

"From my perspective, if the joke is funny, I laugh," Christie said. "Even if it's about me. If it's not funny, I don't laugh. But I've never felt like it was, you know, anything that really bugged me all that much."

Pivoting to a more serious note, the two discussed the state of New Jersey in the wake of superstorm Sandy, which Christie described as "still awful."

"We still have 42,000 families tonight who are homeless" as a result of Sandy, he told Letterman. He also said that nearly 82,000 businesses are still out of commission.

The governor stressed efforts he's making to ensure that properties are rebuilt stronger and that standards are higher.

"We can't have this happen again," he said.

As for a possible presidential bid in 2016, Christie says he's "nowhere near" making a decision.

"I think everybody understands that if you see something you think you can do and you can do it well then people give you an opportunity - a fair opportunity to do it," he told Letterman. "But I'm nowhere near making that decision yet, at all. I mean, I think anybody who tries to plan in politics that far in advance is crazy."

"I love being governor and I want to stay as governor," he said.

Plus, he says, his family remains "noncommittal" about the idea.

"They were totally against it the last time, I can tell you that," he said. "The last time, we took a family vote, and it was six to nothing against, which is a problem."

[aintfakin]

A throw back republican. One of the few left that can be respected by anyone with common sense.

[sabniz]

he's so fat, even though he has good humor about himself.

but he really should loose more weight as he becomes just too fat! if he becomes a vegetarian from now, he would have a chance to loose a lot of weight.

[judymar14]

Poor guy, he is fatter than I thought as I've never seen him sitting down. He would make a good president, being a good governor so far. If only he can learn self-control with his temper and wouldn't bring us into a WW III.

[AustinRunner]

You can't help but like the guy. He puts his State first too which I have to admire.

[chazhands]

He took off and left the d=state for at least 6 months to campaign for Romney. When he realized that that was a losing campaign, he came back, and was kind of lucky to have a crisis to deal with so he coud look reasonable on TV. Otherwise, he might be in Ron PAul territory.

[Scimajor]

He's a good man. His weight is of no consequence.

[sabniz]

please, his weight does have consequence as he got diabetes and heart problem because of that, and consequence would be early death due to his conditions.

[Scimajor]

You're making that up. He has never been diagnosed with diabetes nor has he been diagnosed with heart problems.

Yes, his weight makes those health issues more likely than slimmer people but please don't just make things up.

[Jesus_to_ground_control]

Floatability

"The governor stressed efforts he's making to ensure that properties are rebuilt stronger and that standards are higher."

Also said Christie, they will conform to my very own personal standards.
How so said Letterman?

They will have the ability to float from harm's way, just like me. Said Christy giggling while the audience LOL's.

[bobnjersey]

[the famously brash Republican governor showed his laid back side last night in an interview with CBS' "The Late Show,"]
-----------------------------------------------
him pulling out the donut from his pocket was very funny ... good for him in being able to poke fun at himself and all the jokes letterman has done about him for the last year or so.

[twmat311]

He has humanized himself in the last 6 months/year; and he has taken stands based on his own positions, not what the party has dictated. I didn't care for him at the beginning, but he's become interesting to follow.

The doomers will hate regardless, but I think he is someone to watch - and listen to. He may develop into someone that can fill the void that's been carefully created.

[TheStolenGiraffe]

@TWMAT311...How can you say that he takes stands based on his own positions, when all he's done for the State of New Jersey is toe the party line.

For the record, I'm from Jersey...

When it came time to legalize gay marriage, he refused to sign off on it, stating our domestic partnership laws are adequate.

He's doled out millions in bail-out money to Atlantic City casinos (which have all pretty much come up short of analyst estimates for the past year) and not only cut funds to public education but also allowed public money to go to privately ran charter schools...by the way NJ unemployment sits above the national average and is among the worst in the nation.

The only thing this man did that didn't follow his party's platform is thank & agree with Obama during hurricane Sandy. And for some reason, this single act paints him as a Republican that is different from the all the others. o_O MFW he's elected President in 2016 and his policies reverse whatever growth we're able to accumulate over the next 4yrs, claiming recovery isn't happening fast enough because Obama's policies didn't work.