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Democratic governors give Obama their priority listJune 21, 2008 By Abdon M. Pallasch, Sun-Times News Group U.S. Sen. Barack Obama started the day Friday with a Chicago gathering of 16 Democratic governors who all pledged to work hard to get him elected president - even those who backed Hillary Clinton in the primary races. Obama then flew to Florida to warn that U.S. Sen. John McCain's plan for off-shore drilling could corrupt the coastline and won't help American drivers for 22 years. **SNIP** Missing from Friday's gathering of 16 of the nation's 28 Democratic governors in Chicago was Illinois Gov....

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday will join governors from both sides of the border in Mexico City to push for more action on crime-fighting and border security, a visit that comes as Mexico is facing unprecedented violence. Schwarzenegger will offer support to Mexican President Felipe Calderon for his crackdown against the drug trade, in which he has deployed more than 20,000 federal troops across Mexico. Cartels have responded with increasingly bold attacks against security forces, including beheadings and assassinations of top police officials and soldiers. On Tuesday, seven federal officers were killed in a shootout with one cartel. Beyond policy...

NYT THURSDAY: New Massachusetts Governor 'On The Ropes'... Developing...

Maybe there’s something in the drinking water in Albany. New York has gone through one gubernatorial sex scandal just to land in the middle of another. What appeared to be limited to simply a personal issue with incoming Governor David Paterson has now blossomed into an issue of potential electoral misappropriation of funds. Paterson now admits that he may have used campaign funds to pay for his extramarital trysts — and you’re not going to believe how he categorized the expense: Gov. Paterson admitted Wednesday he may have improperly billed his campaign for at least one hotel tryst with a...

WASHINGTON - Governors pushing alternative energy development are not shying from coal, a major culprit in global warming but also a homegrown energy source and an economic lifeline for many states. Leaders of coal-rich states say clean-coal technology is a must. Governors from states without coal want more evidence the technology works. "There's no doubt there's a tension and there's no doubt there is very rapidly growing public opposition to coal," said Gov. Jim Doyle, D-Wis. His state relies heavily on coal for power although Wisconsin is not a coal producer. Energy tops the agenda at the governors' annual winter...

Gov. Matt Blunt abruptly announced Tuesday that he will not seek a second term, leaving Republicans without a candidate in a race the incumbent had stockpiled millions of dollars for. The 37-year-old said he had decided not to seek a second term in November because he had accomplished virtually everything he set out to do when he ran for governor four years ago. Blunt has trailed in the polls, however, behind Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon, who has been campaigning against him for several years.

MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- Senator Fred Thompson announced his extensive Tennessee political leadership team today. Senator Howard Baker will serve as the honorary chairman of the Tennessee delegation, joined by 13 honorary co-chairs and 61 honorary state chairs, reflecting the depth of support for Senator Thompson in Tennessee. This leadership team includes two former United States Senate majority leaders, current and former members of Congress, former governors, and every Republican member of the Tennessee state legislature. "I am grateful for the wide support I'm receiving from my home state of Tennessee," said Senator Fred Thompson. "This group...

It's Huckabee or Hillary There has never been another election like this in all of our history – it is for all or nothing … literally. We will either win everything we have worked for in the last three and a half decades or we will lose it all. Beyond losing the chance to restore protection to unborn children in our lifetime, we face losing every single pro-life law we have passed in the last 34 years. Parental notice, parental consent, the woman's right to know law, waiting periods, fetal homicide, abortion funding restrictions, partial-birth abortion bans – all gone...

 XXV BORDER GOVERNORS CONFERENCESEPTEMBER 27 & 28, 2007PUERTO PEÑASCO, SONORA JOINT DECLARATIONPREAMBLEThe Governors of the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, of the United States of America, and the states of Baja California, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Sonora and Tamaulipas, of the United Mexican States, meeting in the City of Puerto Peñasco, Sonora on the 27th and 28th of September, 2007, having analyzed, within the framework of the XXV U.S.–Mexico Border Governors Conference, issues relating to Water, Agriculture and Livestock, Science and Technology, Logistics and International Crossings, Economic Development, Education, Energy, the Environment, Health, Border Safety, Tourism and...

BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) - Officials from the Federal Reserve on Saturday warned of dangers from a rising tide of trade disputes and the harmful impact on what one otherwise termed a "resilient" United States economy. Three regional Fed presidents steered clear of current economic or monetary policy topics at a panel discussion on the southern U.S. economy at the Southern Governors' Association conference. The presidents of the St. Louis, Dallas and Atlanta Feds, respectively, mostly focused on the dangers of protectionism and the need for an educated and flexible work force to cope with rising foreign competition. The governors convened...

Republican governors say it's too soon to worry about the absence of a clear favorite for the GOP presidential nomination. The muddled picture could even be a blessing, some said in interviews during the weekend meeting of the National Governors Association. The candidates' scramble to break from the pack and speculation about possible new entries such as former Sen. Fred Thompson are keeping the race in the headlines. "I don't subscribe to the notion that we have to have an identified front-runner candidate early on," said Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, chairman of the Republican Governors Association. "The longer you stay...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - States should develop creative approaches to climate change, just as they have with challenges such as health care, despite their different economic interests, governors said Saturday. "No individual state is going to solve the climate change problem, but we can do our part," Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said. "In the absence of national or international consensus or progress, we have the opportunity to show the way." Talks on state-level climate policy were planned for the annual National Governors Association meeting this weekend at a resort on Lake Michigan, where receding water levels have touched off debate...

JUNEAU -- With the latest poll showing her approval rating at 89 percent, Gov. Sarah Palin may now be the most popular governor in the nation. A recent public opinion poll taken by Ivan Moore Research showed both Republicans and Democrats in favor of the state's first female governor. The poll comes just two weeks after a separate poll taken by Dittman Research gave Palin a 93 percent approval rating. While political polling numbers can fluctuate week to week, Palin's numbers have consistently been extremely high, putting her near or at the top among the nation's governors, according to Jennifer...

Elements of Governor Schwarzenegger’s health plan proposal are just as big a threat to an agent’s livelihood as Sheila Kuehl’s single-payer legislation, said Alan Katz, president of Insurance Neighborhood and former senior vice president of WellPoint Health Networks. Addressing the Los Angeles Assn. of Health Underwriters recent Pasadena meeting, he said that one provision would require carriers to spend 85% of premium dollars on medical claims, which limits spending on administrative costs. The 15% administrative spending cap would be calculated the same for all of the products regardless of whether it is an HMO or PPO. It would force carriers...

Climate Change: Five Western governors have joined forces to fight global warming by limiting carbon dioxide emissions. But all they'll be limiting will be the economies of their states and the free speech of skeptics.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and governors from four other Western states agreed Monday to work together to reduce greenhouse gases, saying their region has suffered some of the worst of global warming with recent droughts and bad fire seasons. The governors of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington state agreed that they would develop a regional target to lower greenhouse gases and create a program aimed at helping businesses reach the still-undecided goals. "In the absence of meaningful federal action, it is up to the states to take action to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in...

WASHINGTON - Seven governors already have made endorsements early in the 2008 White House race and pressure is growing for others to choose soon, bringing along their networks of fundraisers and activists. Their support can prove influential, some analysts say, because the most effective governors have an election-tested base of motivated voters, willing donors and the ability to help sway undecided primary voters. Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., has the support of three governors and Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record), D-Ill., the backing of two. Two former GOP governors — Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and...

In separate actions aimed at reducing "greenhouse gases," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a cut of "at least 10%" in the carbon content of motor-vehicle fuels used in his state by 2020, while governors of 37 states prepared to push for a new federal rule to require greater use of ethanol fuel. Both efforts are designed to reduce global warming and the U.S.'s reliance on imported oil, but they also could raise consumer prices for food and fuel. The initiatives also signal the increasing urgency of climate change as an issue both in state capitals and in Washington. President Bush...

(AP) For the first time in a dozen years, Democrats hold a majority of the nation's governorships after taking 20 of 36 races, including contests in battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado that will be crucial to the 2008 presidential race. Democrats now possess 28 of the top state jobs, the same majority enjoyed by Republicans going into Tuesday's elections. The mood behind the reversal was no better expressed than in Ohio. No Republican president has ever taken office without winning that state. "I feel like the Republican Party is not my party anymore," Joan Domek, 75, said...

The folks at the conservative-leaning Cato Institute have published their annual report card on the fiscal policy of the nation's governors. And they've dropped Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget score from an 'A' to a 'D.' The Cato report is here. It uses about two dozen different measures of fiscal performance, generally grading spending cuts and tax cuts as better, and spending and tax hikes as worse. So why did they drop his grade? "After one year of of aggressive budget cutting, " the report says, "he has let the big spenders in Sacramento get to him." The Cato report says California's...

Ranked by HUMAN EVENTS Political Editor John Gizzi. 10. Wisconsin Conservative Rep. Mark Green is the Republican favorite to go up against Democratic Gov. James Doyle, Jr., who polls show is increasingly unpopular. 9. Iowa Former House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle will carry the GOP banner against Democratic Secretary of State Chet Culver. Incumbent Democrat Tom Vilsack is leaving office.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 — Here are the things that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be bragging about on the campaign trail: an initiative to lower greenhouse gases with the onus on big companies, a $1 increase in the state’s minimum wage and a program to open up access to prescription drugs. Mr. Schwarzenegger, who six months ago fashioned himself a Republican reformer bent on hobbling entrenched Democratic institutions, is not just tolerating positions generally associated with liberal candidates. Rather, he is using them as the centerpiece of his re-election campaign, marking the first time in a generation that a Republican...

Most of the speculation of who will be the next President focuses on senators, who almost always lose. This article examines some of the other potential nominees who have gotten less attention. Keep in mind that most presidential nominees were not among the most-discussed candidates two years before the election. Sonny Purdue is the most popular governor of any state with more than five electoral votes, and his overall approval ratings have taken off while he takes on more and more positions which drive Democratic voters nuts: reversing his Democratic predecessor's centralization of pedagogic education, refusing to allow aliens to...

The Rothenberg Political Report updates its gubernatorial race ratings. "Republicans start the cycle with a 28-22 advantage in governorships, but they are defending 22 of them while Democrats are defending only 14. In most election cycles, gubernatorial races are insulated from national trends, but this year is looking like a broader call for change up and down the ballot against the GOP. In 1994, Democrats lost the House, Senate, and ten governorships, falling from 29 to 19. "At this point, only a couple of sitting Republican governors appear in imminent danger, but open seats in New York, Ohio, Massachusetts,...

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Governors worried about damage to the economy and complained about years of neglect on energy policy after an Alaska oil field shutdown, but offered far different solutions on Monday. Energy independence and alternative fuels had already been part of the weekend's summer meeting of the National Governors Association. News of the oil field shutdown and the spike in oil prices, spurred by corrosion of a key oil pipeline, put a sharper edge to the topic. Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana, whose state is at the center of the nation's fuel production and distribution, criticized the federal...

In a rare show of bipartisanship, former Govs. Pete Wilson and Gray Davis asked state legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to stand behind curriculum standards and testing they credit with improving performance in the state's public schools. "Standards provide a measure of excellence regardless of one's skin color, family income or ZIP code. We believe that if we set expectations high, students will respond," Republican Wilson and Democrat Davis wrote in an open letter Friday. The governors' letter came a week after Democratic lawmakers stripped funding for the Board of Education from the state budget. Lawmakers had warned the board...

10. Mitch Daniels—Indiana While the former Bush Office of Management and Budget chief upset Indiana conservatives with his call for a temporary tax increase on those earning more than $100,000-per-year (the legislature rejected this), he nonetheless overcame a $645-million deficit with spending cuts. He has also attracted more private-sector business to the state and signed a voter identification measure that infuriated liberals. 9. Mike Rounds—South Dakota Has made nationwide headlines by pushing a measure to ban all abortions in his state—a move almost certain to lead to the Supreme Court’s revisiting Roe v. Wade. Rounds did sign phone tax and...

Republicans face a daunting challenge in this year's gubernatorial races because they have many more seats to defend, but Democrats have run into trouble lately in several state capitals that could minimize the Republicans' expected losses in November. Republicans control the majority of governorships -- 28 to 22 -- including the four biggest electoral states of California, New York, Texas and Florida. But the large number of Republican-held governorships at stake in the 2006 elections -- 22 of the 36 seats up for grabs -- has put the party at a decided disadvantage this year. Making things even more problematic...

Republican Governor Candidates Mount Strong Challenges by John ZogbyPosted Jun 23, 2006 Audio commentary by John Zogby available now.Reports earlier this year of the death of the Republican congressional majority in Washington may have been premature, but the GOP remains on its sickbed heading into the busy summer campaign season, new polling numbers from Zogby Interactive show.But while Democrats appear to have the upper hand in Senate races, the GOP has a chance to steal two key races for governor. Freshmen Democrats Rod Blagojevich of Illinois and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan are both in trouble, deadlocked against GOP challengers who...

Western states must work together to reduce greenhouse gasses in the fight against global warming, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Sunday at the annual meeting of the Western Governors' Association. "We are long past the time when we can just talk about this problem," said the Republican, who is running for re-election. "We must take action." Schwarzenegger pointed to California's work to try to reduce emissions by 33 percent by 2020. "In California, we now have a booming economy and are taking care of the environment, so it can be done," Schwarzenegger told the governors at the three-day conference. Schwarzenegger...

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt visits with servicemembers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May 26, 2006. Blunt and fellow governors Brian Schweitzer of Montana and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts shared lunch with servicemembers at the Keole dining facility here. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon U.S. Governors Visit Troops in Afghanistan Several servicemembers expressed appreciation that the governors endured the long trip here to personally visit with them. By U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon 345th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, June 6, 2006 — A delegation of...

For political junkies, June 6 has been circled on the political calendar for months. Eight states hold primary elections today. There are important races for gubernatorial nominations in California, Iowa and Alabama, a contested Senate primary in Montana and a number of competitive House primary battles. All in all, it's almost too much of a good thing. There are so many good races out there and not enough time to give each of them their due. In an attempt to bring readers the essential, need-to-know information about today's races, The Fix is providing the primer below. Remember: This is not...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 27, 2006 – A delegation of U.S. governors arrived here yesterday to visit with servicemembers. Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt visits with servicemembers serving here in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom May 26. Blunt and fellow governors Brian Schweitzer, of Montana, and Mitt Romney, of Massachusetts, shared lunch with servicemembers to check on the welfare of their constituents. Photo by Staff Sgt. Robert R. Ramon, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Govs. Brian Schweitzer, of Montana; Matt Blunt, of Missouri; and Mitt Romney, of Massachusetts, shared lunch with servicemembers to check on their constituents...

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2006 – Four state governors just returned from Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait shared glowing reports today about the operations they observed there, but reserved their highest praise for the men and women in uniform they met, including National Guard troops from their states. Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack shares a meal with Iowa Army National Guard soldiers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during Vilsack's visit to Kuwait. Photo by Spc. Debralee P. Crankshaw, USA   The four governors -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and West Virginia Gov. Joe...

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2006 – The United States won't stop short of achieving victory in both Iraq and Afghanistan, President Bush said today in the White House Rose Garden after meeting with four state governors who had just returned from the region. The president met with the governors after their visit to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, then told reporters he had assured them that the United States understands the importance of a unity government in Iraq in creating stability. The four governors -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and West Virginia Gov. Joe...

A state appeals court says a campaign committee controlled by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger broke state law by not promptly reporting millions of dollars in expenditures promoting four measures on last November's special election ballot. The 3rd District Court of Appeal, in a decision issued Wednesday, said Schwarzenegger's California Recovery Team should have reported the expenditures within 24 hours after they were made during the 90 days leading up to the Nov. 8 election but failed to do so. "CRT ignores that the (Political Reform Act) requires reporting of independent expenditures on a 24-hour basis during an election cycle," a three...

The recent court decision voiding the efforts of the Bush administration to allow utilities to upgrade their plants — partially, rather than fully, as the law requires — signals the start of a redefinition of federal-state relations. The plaintiff in this litigation was not an aggrieved individual or company but a dozen states acting in concert to battle the Bush rules. On the merits of the lawsuit, I agree with the administration. The all-or-nothing requirement on upgrading utility plants has served to freeze the current dirty technologies in place and prevent any improvements at all. Half a loaf, in this...

WASHINGTON — A growing number of governors, along the border and beyond, are sharpening their complaints about the flood of immigrants pouring into their states, pushing the Bush administration and Congress for action. Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday said they planned to bring the concerns to President Bush and his Cabinet in private meetings this week, bringing a front-line security worry of a different order than the latest Washington obsessions on ports and eavesdropping. "This is a national issue," said Democrat Janet Napolitano of Arizona, where 500,000 attempts to illegally cross the border were turned back last year —...

Bush's budget plan would support a state-controlled National Guard of about 333-thousand citizen soldiers - the current total - rather than the 350-thousand authorized by Congress. All 50 governors signed onto a letter to Bush earlier this month that opposed any cuts to the Guard.

WASHINGTON — A growing number of governors — from along the border and beyond — are sharpening their complaints about the flood of immigrants pouring into their states, pushing the Bush administration and Congress for action. Republicans and Democrats on Sunday said they planned to bring the concerns to President Bush and his Cabinet in private meetings this week. "This is a national issue," said Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, where 500,000 attempts to illegally cross the border were turned back last year. It isn't clear how many people made it across the Mexico-Arizona border, but nationally there are an...

WASHINGTON – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used a national television interview Sunday to promote his plan to spend $222 billion on a massive public works building program in California. In Washington for an annual meeting with fellow governors, Schwarzenegger interrupted as Tim Russert, host of NBC's “Meet the Press,” characterized the proposal as “spend, spend, spend.” “No, it's invest, invest, invest, Tim. You're wrong,” Schwarzenegger said. “Those people that are criticizing my infrastructure deal and my strategic growth plan are people that are a little bit confused about the difference between spending and investing,” he said. Some of the people most...

President Bush says national security, energy independence, and the health of Americans will top his agenda when he meets with America's governors Sunday and Monday in Washington. President Bush, himself a former governor, says he will discuss many of the challenges facing the nation when he meets with U.S. governors at their annual meeting. One subject that concerns many Americans is rising energy costs. In his weekly radio address Saturday, President Bush said he will talk with the governors about the nation's energy strategy and his Advanced Energy Initiative, which would invest in alternative fuels, such as ethanol, as well...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2006 – President Bush, in his weekly radio address today, said he will meet with America's governors tomorrow and Monday to discuss, among other things, "our progress in the war on terror." "The states are playing a vital role in the war effort through the contributions of their National Guard units," Bush said. They've "seen firsthand the courage of our troops and their dedication to the mission." The president said that as a former governor (of Texas), he appreciates the important work done by the states and their chief executive officers. He noted that many governors have...

For Immediate ReleaseFebruary 25, 2006 President's Radio Address      Audio      THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. On Sunday and Monday, I will meet with America's governors during their annual gathering in Washington, D.C. As a former governor, I appreciate the work of these fine public servants. I look forward to talking with them about the challenges and opportunities facing their states and our nation and discussing how leaders of both parties can work together to solve problems for our citizens. One of the most important issues we will discuss is how to improve health care for the American people, and we have...

That's the overall assessment of Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill, who certainly doesn't sugar coat her office's assessment of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006-07 state budget in a report out this morning. You can read the entire report here. Hill is releasing her broad overview of the budget today at the monthly luncheon of the Sacramento Press Club. The report is pretty lengthy... so for now, the bottom line: * Hill projects that state revenues will be even better this year and next than the governor's estimates. In fact, the report states that if Schwarzenegger's budget were adopted as proposed, the state...

An effort is about to get underway to attempt to delay the implementation of the initiative on which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut his political teeth: after-school programs. Senator Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) plans to introduce a proposed constitutional amendment to delay the implementation of Proposition 49. The measure, campaigned for by Schwarzenegger and approved by voters in 2002, is expected to cost the state an extra $428 million in the coming fiscal year. Prop 49 was written in such a way as to only trigger when the state's revenues reached an adequate level. But the Legislature's non-partisan analyst has been suggesting...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Members of a two-house conference committee outlined sharply different priorities Thursday as they began working over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $222.6 billion public works spending plan. "We're all going to have to give up some things" to get an agreement, the chairman, Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, said after a two-hour hearing during which Republicans and Democrats expressed concerns about Schwarzenegger's proposals. "We're all going to have to give a little and get a little," he said. The Republican governor wants the state to spend $222.6 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade highways, expand intercity rail,...

Sacramento -- After touting his budget plan to increase funding for education and transportation, the governor sounded a cautionary note. "It's important to remember, however, that our great good fortune is the result of a strong economy and a surging stock market. And anybody who follows the Dow, and particularly the Nasdaq, realizes how volatile these sources of funds are." The governor was not Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Gray Davis as he released his budget six years ago when state coffers were brimming with $12.3 billion in extra cash. But the money -- based on such volatile revenue sources as capital...

Piccola Out of Gubernatorial Race PoliticsPA has just learned that State Senator Jeffrey Piccola has officially withdrawn from the race for the GOP Gubernatorial nomination. In a speech, Piccola said this campaign was never about him, but his ideas which he feels have been advanced. Piccola went on to criticize Rendell for his failed leadership. Piccola said while he enjoyed the race and advancing his agenda, it had become apparent that the resources would not be there to continue.

WASHINGTON — In 2006, nearly two dozen governors' offices now held by Republicans and more than a dozen others held by Democrats are going to be on state ballots. Those are odds sure to put Republicans on the defensive. Some of the Republican Party's marquee governors, Arnold Schwarzenegger in California, Bob Ehrlich in Maryland, George Pataki in New York, Mitt Romney in Massachusetts and Jeb Bush in Florida, are either sagging in the polls or not seeking re-election, leaving the GOP with an uphill battle next November. "My party, because we've been so successful in winning Democrat states, we have...