Bruce Springsteen hugs it out with Gov. Chris Christie

Bruce Springsteen and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie finally have made small steps toward reconciling their long-simmering standoff.

Springsteen, a lifelong liberal, has for years given the outspoken Republican governor (and huge Bruce fan) the silent treatment, but he has unqualified praise for Christie’s work in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and said so at several concerts.

At a news conference Monday, Christie hinted that they made the making-up official during a recent call he made to President Obama, when the president passed the phone to Springsteen, who was traveling with him on Air Force One.

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“It was great to talk to the president, and even better to talk to Bruce,” Christie joked.

But the love-in didn’t stop there. During Friday’s telethon to raise funds for victims of the hurricane, Christie and Springsteen reportedly had their longest conversation yet, ending with a Jersey-style bear hug.

“The hug was great, and when we got home there was a lot of weeping because of the hug,” Christie said. “The president asked why, and I said, ‘Well, to be honest I was the one doing the weeping.’”

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