After N.J. Governor Chris Christie used Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's image in a clip promoting pension reform, Johnson's lawyers asked the gov to remove it, causing some friendship drama for the two men of mass. Johnson asserts that no, bro, he's still buddies with Christie! And many others, too!

The original clip, in all its absolutely abysmal glory, is here. It is supposed to be a take on the 2o13 bodybuilding classic Michael Bay film, Pain & Gain, thus the addition of the muscleman himself.

After Johnson's lawyers complained, Christie's people took down the video and replaced it with one that didn't invoke The Rock as an advocate for pension reform in New Jersey, an issue on which Johnson has no immediate comment. The adjusted clip still exists, and still looks like the work of an intern after too much Mountain Dew Code Red, Rock or no Rock.

In reaction to the video's fix, The Rock wanted to assure the public that he wasn't forcing Christie to know his role. In fact, he and the governor are on good terms.

"I know Gov. Christie. We've met a couple of times," the wrestler-turned-action star said in an interview Friday while promoting his new "Hercules" movie. "But in no way was I associated with what he had going on. He had his team of people around him who kind of put that together. I saw it. I was like well, I don't have anything to do with it, so now you've got to pull it down."

To translate: what you did with The Rock's likeness was not a buddy move, Christie. But don't get it twisted: buddies or no, The Rock likes to hang around all kinds of politicians.

Johnson, 42, spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2000 but says he's "more patriotic than I am political."

"I have good friends who are politicians on both sides," he said in the interview. "Clinton is a good buddy of mine, Obama is a good buddy of mine. A multitude of people who are buddies."

One day soon we will all have our turn to be a buddy in buddyville with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Until then.

[Image via AP]