New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie isn’t getting an invite to the Conservative Political Action Conference this year, but he’s taking the diss in stride.
The Republican governor said, “that’s their prerogative” when asked about it at an event in Montville, N.J., on Wednesday, according to the Wall Street Journal. “They get to decide.” He added, “I wish them the best.” He found about the snub when he heard about it through the news two days ago.
Christie spoke at the event last year, but his praise for President Obama’s leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy right before the 2012 election (and his sharp words towards House Republicans over delayed Sandy relief bills) didn’t win him any friends with CPAC organizers.
“CPAC is like the all-star game for professional athletes; you get invited when you have had an outstanding year,” said American Conservative Union Chairman Al Cardenas, explaining CPAC’s decision. “Hopefully he will have another all-star year in the future, at which time we will be happy to extend an invitation.”
That invite may get lost in the mail next year, at the rate things are going now. On Tuesday, Christie announced he would accept federal funds through Obamacare–enemy number one of conservatives–to expand Medicaid in his home state.
Invite or not, he remains one of the most popular Republicans in the country and currently out-polls President Obama according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll.
msnbc’s Lawrence O’Donnell recently joked “it would be better named the Losers Political Action Conference” because “losing vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will be there, as will losing presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and CPAC got the not-so-hard-to-get losing presidential candidate Rick Santorum.” He noted they also snagged “the biggest loser of them all: Mitt Romney.”
CPAC reconvenes next month.
Sarah Muller