You know how the right wing has always despised New Jersey Governor Chris Christie as a RINO, someone who’s willing to make deals and compromises; in other words, a total loser?

Well, suddenly Christie is back in the good graces of the right, and all it took was a massive corruption scandal: Bridge-Gate: Why Conservatives Are Now Embracing Chris Christie.

After being snubbed last year, embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has been invited to speak next month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC - the biggest conservative confab of the year.

Governor Christie, under intense pressure over the ongoing “Bridge-gate” scandal, was also embraced over the weekend by top Republicans appearing on Sunday talk shows. On ABC News, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin called Christie a “fantastic governor.” And both he and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) of Louisiana (appearing on CNN) said Christie should stay on as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

Even some of the most conservative lights, who typically ridicule Christie as a “RINO” - a Republican in Name Only - have managed at times to come down on Christie’s side since Bridge-gate broke last month. Fox News host Sean Hannity has defended Christie’s use of hurricane Sandy relief money.

Just more evidence that the overriding principle driving the conservative movement in 2014 is a sort of base, mean-spirited contrarianism.