Is Chris Christie finished in the GOP?

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, still in the GOP dog house for saying nice things about President Obama's handling of Superstorm Sandy mere days before the November election, angered conservative critics once again this week by announcing that he would expand Medicaid under ObamaCare. The news came as the organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the annual enclave of the nation's conservatives, said they didn't invite Christie to this year's gathering because he has a "limited future" in the Republican Party, in part because of his backing of gun-control legislation, which is toxic to many conservatives.

Christie had criticized Obama's expansion of Medicaid, but his reversal "was a political no-brainer for a politician running for re-election in a blue state," say Maggie Haberman and David Nather at Politico. Christie may find it to be a pyrrhic victory, though, as this could make CPAC's prediction more likely to come true. Last year, Christie was a featured speaker at CPAC and a rising GOP star widely considered to have presidential potential. Even if he coasts to another term in his home state, as expected, his warming to this key provision of ObamaCare could sabotage his chances of becoming one of the party's national standard bearers.

CPAC, for its part, says Christie just isn't a real conservative. And that kind of assessment often spells defeat for many primary candidates in today's GOP. Much of the right sees Christie's Medicaid maneuver as "just one more deal breaker in a series," says Jill Lawrence at National Journal. He praised Obama after Hurricane Sandy. "He thinks climate change is real. Also he has a man crush on Bruce Springsteen, the Democrats' go-to entertainer to fire up crowds before elections." Still, Republicans should think twice before tossing him aside.

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With all the flak Christie is taking, it's tough to argue with CPAC's assessment of his future, says Allahpundit at Hot Air. Then again, this feuding might not hurt him in the long run. One of the biggest beefs fiscal conservatives have with Christie was his "cheap, demagogic" battle with the House GOP over uncorking Sandy relief funds. Conservatives think they're going to chasten him by keeping him at arm's length over this, but they're probably really just "doing him an incredible political favor."

And when it comes to Medicaid expansion, Christie is not the only Republican rolling the dice. He's joining seven other Republican governors — so far — who have chosen to go along with the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion to get health-care coverage for many of their uninsured constituents. How that plays out for them politically depends on how many other governors go along, says Jonathan Bernstein at The Washington Post.