GOP governors break with party over stimulus

[brianna69]

Most support economic plan that got no Republican votes in U.S. House

NEW YORK - Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama's economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care.

Their state treasuries drained by the financial crisis, governors would welcome the money from Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers are more skeptical of Obama's spending priorities.

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, scheduled meetings in Washington this weekend with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other senators to press for her state's share of the package

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist worked the phones last week with members of his state's congressional delegation, including House Republicans. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, planned to be in Washington on Monday to urge the Senate to approve the plan.

cont

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28949195/

[ProSense]

1. GOP governors worried about re-election. On edit:

Let's see how effective these governors are at convincing their Party's elected reps in the U.S. Congress to vote in favor of the package.

[Historic NY]

2. The reply should be get your congressman on board or no funds..

scare them. I guess Barbour & Jindle don't really want any funds, the have to wait to see if Rush tells them its okay.

[annabanana]

3. recthis tidbit UP! People should have this info to answer the twits

who are patting the repugs on the back for "speaking with one voice" in their obstructionism...

[Posteritatis]

4. I wonder what's going on here

It can't just be the governors wanting to be reelected like one of the other responses said; obviously the representatives and senators are going to generally want that as well. And it doesn't seem like a regional thing if 'most' of them are in favor of the package, since, again, nearly all of the congressmen are in opposition to it.

Why this particular split, instead of one by region/etc?

[roseBudd]

5. i think it is because governors actually do stuff, administer where as legislators just talk

[BrklynLiberal]

8. That is the truth! These guys have to deal with the day-to-day reality of what is

going on..not sit on their asses in DC pontificating.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

6. florida is depending on the federal money; they've cut billions

out of the state budget, hoping to make it up with federal funds. Asses

[ProSense]

7. This mirrors the situation with SCHIP during the last Congress.

Some of it may be genuine (concern for their state), but a lot of it is re-election. Governors are right there, and have to answer to their constituents day in and day out. When you see names like Crist and Palin, people who when they had a chance to debate on the national level, chose to go partisan, then you know that in their states, they're worried about re-election.

[girl_interrupted]

9. K&R

[DCBob]

12. They desperately need the money. This is f'king crisis..

There is no time for politicking.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. K&R

[DCBob]

11. This guarantees the plan will be passed pretty much as is..

The Limbuagh led anti-Obama Republicans have lost this fight.

[CTLawGuy]

13. K&R

there's hope, hopefully

[stevedeshazer]

14. The only opponents to Obama's plan are ideologues

Governors have to govern.

This just shows how crazy and suicidal the remaining Repubs in Congress are.

It's like a death wish to oppose this stuff.

[Olney Blue]

15. Wish I could be a fly on the wall during some of these discussions.

[ShadowLiberal]

16. The GOP governors don't want to be forced to raise taxes now, a lot of them need federal aid

The fact is most states require the budget be balanced, there is no option to run a deficit like the federal government does. A lot of state governments (especially big states) are facing big budget deficits this year. There's only so much that they can cut out of the budget, after a while they run out of options and have to raise taxes somewhere.

It's ironic, but this kind of stuff happens all the time the GOP decides to cut Federal taxes and cut the amount of money they give states to help pay for it, they end up screwing over the state politicians and forcing them to make the tough decision, many of whom are republicans.