Chris Christie to David Letterman: I'm 'the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen'

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Chris Christie has been the target of many jokes courtesy of David Letterman, and Monday night he proved he's a guy who can take those jokes -- and toss them right back. The New Jersey Governor appeared on Letterman's "Late Show," brought a snack (a jelly doughnut), and declared, "I'm basically the healthiest fat guy you've ever seen in your life."

He told Letterman that if a joke is funny -- even if it's about himself -- that he'll laugh. But, he added only "about 40 percent" of the host's jokes (362,000 by Christie's count) have seemed funny. He brought out some notecards and read a few of the ones Letterman had lobbed at him over the years, and then the two men got to talking about Christie's weight.
The governor said both his cholesterol and blood sugar were fine ("startlingly good"), but said he thinks about going on a diet "every day." "But I just turned 50, and so the doctor ... (said) things are going to fall off of me if I don't get it together, but up to this point it's been pretty good."
The pair later talked more extensively about the long-term effects of Hurricane Sandy, and about getting funding to rebuild on the coastline. Christie earned some applause when he noted that members of both parties have stopped talking to each other, and that's part of the problem in Washington, DC right now.
In the end, the governor displayed a generous amount of grace, telling Letterman, "I watch you all the time. You're my favorite late night show."
Talk about being the bigger man.