Some stinging comments by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about Rob Astorino's chance to win the gubernatorial election has set off a war of words within the Republican Party.

The verbal battle started Monday as Christie campaigned with Connecticut GOP gubernatorial hopeful Tom Foley. He was asked if he planned to spend any time campaigning in New York, where Republican challenger Rob Astorino trails incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo by a large margin. Christie said he didn't have plans to campaign for Astorino because he doesn't invest in candidates he doesn't think can win or lost causes.

Astorino shot back saying that if Christie is unable to help a Republican candidate for governor, then maybe he should consider stepping down as chairman of the Republican Governor's Association because that's his job.

Astorino added 'maybe it's inconvenient to come over the bridge' and suggested that Christie and Cuomo, who together help run the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, might be protecting one another over the ongoing "Bridgegate" scandal.

Christie's remark also drew fire from New York's GOP chair Ed Cox who said "Gov. Christie seems to have forgotten from whence he came. His own underdog challenge to former Gov. Jon Corzine in 2009 would not have been made possible without crucial RGA funding, which enabled him to fight an otherwise hopeless battle against the Democratic Party machine in Trenton."

There are reports that officials from the state Conservative Party are now chiming in accusing Christie and Cuomo of working together, again because of "Bridgegate."

Officials from Astorino's camp also said other Republican governors have agreed to help his campaign.