Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he's "disgusted" by a California newspaper cartoon depicting him boasting about booming business in the Lone Star State.
The next frame depicts the West, Texas plant explosion.
Perry said he wants an apology from the Sacramento Bee on behalf of the town, which suffered a huge loss of life in the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion.
Ten of the 14 people killed were first responders.
In a letter to the Bee's editor, the four-term Republican Governor said it "was with extreme disgust and disappointment I viewed your recent cartoon."
"While I will always welcome healthy policy debate, I won't stand for someone mocking the tragic deaths of my fellow Texans and our fellow Americans."
"Additionally, publishing this on the very day our state and nation paused to honor and mourn those who died only compounds the pain and suffering."
President Barack Obama was among those who attended a memorial service for the explosion victims last Thursday at Baylor University in Waco.
The feud between California and Texas - in many ways the polar opposites of the political spectrum - is not new, but this has truly stoked the flames.
The Bee's editorial page editor, Stuart Leavenworth, stood by the cartoon and its message when he responded Friday that the artist, Jack Ohman:
"Made a strong statement about Gov. Rick Perry's disregard for worker safety, and his attempts to market Texas a place where industries can thrive with few regulations."
"It is unfortunate that Gov. Perry, and some on the blogosphere, have attempted to interpret the cartoon as being disrespectful for the victims of this tragedy."
Leavenworth added, "As Ohman has made clear on his blog, he has complete empathy for the victims and people living by the [West, Texas] plant."
"What he finds offensive is a governor who would gamble with lives by not pushing for the strongest safety regulations. Perry's letter is an attempt to distract people from that message."
Who do you think is in the right here?
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