And yet, it seemed to work. These two certified Big Guys somehow managed to wrap their arms around one another and feel a connection. It was as if actors James Gandolfini and Kevin James had suddenly fallen in love and wanted the whole world to know about it.
But it wasn't Gandolfini and James, and these weren't characters in a movie. This was New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney.
No one is really sure how the seeds of the bromance were planted or who planted them. It might have been a close friend of one (and a sometimes ally of the other) named George Norcross.
In any event, whoever played matchmaker must've been beaming when Christie was inaugurated and promptly invited Sweeney to come to the podium, extending his hand to him.
Christie said nice things about Sweeney; Sweeney said nice things about Christie. When Christie and his lieutenant governor were out of state at the same time, Sweeney cheerfully took the reins and kept things moving according to Christie's plan. When Christie came under fire for being out of state during a blizzard, Sweeney refused to take a shot at him.
Even when the two men disagreed, they frequently managed to do so with a wink and a smile.
So Democrats and Republicans in New Jersey were not only able to adopt spending formulas but also agree on appointments and important pieces of legislation without a great deal of rancor. The grand consummation came just a month ago, when Christie signed the landmark public-employee pension and benefits-reform act that will reportedly save the state $132 billion over the next 30 years. Christie showered Sweeney with praise and added: "I'm really, really honored to be his partner and be his friend."
And then, days later amid a high-speed budget battle marred by poor communication, it all fell apart. Sweeney felt betrayed.
