Christie status as post-Sandy lightning rod fades

AS NEW JERSEY settles into the "After Sandy" era, Gov. Chris Christie has put his trademark fleece jacket back in the closet.

For the last two weeks, Christie's been all over the state and in national headlines, as he toured every corner of New Jersey touched by Hurricane Sandy. His Halloween tour with President Obama of Brigantine, Atlantic County, and his praise of the president's efforts sparked debate in conservative circles, with many wondering whether Christie torpedoed any chances Mitt Romney had to win last week's election.

Christie, in typical fashion, blew off the criticism, claiming his interests have always been what's best for New Jersey. He expressed disappointment that Romney lost.

On Wednesday, Christie attended the Republican Governors Association annual meeting in Nevada and will be back in New Jersey Thursday night. He's yet to announce publicly whether he'll seek a second term as governor in 2013 or whether he's considering becoming a GOP candidate for president in 2016.

" @JasonNark