Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley publicly stung New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on a radio interview Friday, saying Christie "delights in being abusive towards public employees."

O'Malley added that Christie takes pleasure in "acting acting like all of the world's problems are caused by the people that pick up our trash and work in public employee jobs."

O'Malley made the comments on WTOP radio as he discussed the role pension obligations play in state budget deficits. Christie has been highly criticized for his changes to New Jersey's ailing pension system.

"Some of your more ideologically hardcore right-wing governors ... are trying to take advantage of this time for their own ideological game, I suppose," O'Malley said.

O'Malley also made it clear Friday that the state's counties will not have to pay for any teacher pension costs as long as he is in office. 

"Right now the state covers all of the obligations for making the payments to the teacher pensions," O'Malley said on the show. When asked whether that should change — either now or down the road — he stated, "I don't believe that it should."

Maryland pays for all teacher pension costs out of its general fund, even though local boards of education have the collective bargaining power to promise teacher pay and benefits increases. 

State lawmakers are pushing hard this year to shift some of those costs onto the counties. Maryland is one of only three states that foots the entire bill for teacher pension costs. 

But the fight this year may be no different from last — when the Senate approved a shift and the House shelved the proposal.

"This happens every year," O'Malley said.