Obama Gains G.O.P. Support From Governors

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/us/politics/17repubs.html?_r=1

President Obama must wish governors could vote in Congress: While just three of the 219 Republican lawmakers backed the $787 billion economic recovery plan that he is signing into law on Tuesday, that trifling total would have been several times greater if support among the 22 Republican state executives counted.

The contrast reflects the two faces of the Republican Party these days.

Leaderless after losing the White House, the party is mostly defined by its Congressional wing, which flaunted its anti-spending ideology in opposing the stimulus package. That militancy drew the mockery of late-night television comics, but the praise of conservative talk-show stars and the party faithful.

In the states, meanwhile, many Republican governors are practicing a pragmatic — their Congressional counterparts would say less-principled — conservatism.

(snip)
Recently, Governors Schwarzenegger, Crist, Douglas and Rell joined 14 Democratic governors in signing a letter to Mr. Obama lauding his economic plan. Other Republicans would have signed on, said a person familiar with the letter’s drafting, but for party pressure in their states.

The National Governors Association sent a bipartisan letter of support to Congressional leaders of both parties, signed by its Democratic chairman, Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Douglas, its Republican vice chairman. “The combination of funds for Medicaid, education and other essential services is critical for governors as they work to manage the downturn in their states and improve government for the long term,” it said.

(snip)
“Whether it’s teachers or people on road crews helping our infrastructure, those in the health care arena as it might relate to Medicaid, all of these areas are important, all of them can produce jobs,” Mr. Crist said, adding, “Regardless of what your party is, Republican or Democrat, it really doesn’t matter. We have a duty and an obligation to the people who elected us, no matter what our position happens to be, to work together to get through this thing.”

[FrenchieCat]

1. The two faces of the GOP....those who have to answer their constituents

with tangibles like jobs and shit,

and those who sit in Washington and take freeper phone calls and read their emails and shit.


:puke:

[Bicoastal]

2. So while the GOP Senators and Congressman are up in DC, putting on a grand show for the cameras...

...the GOP Governors, out in the trenches of the state capitals, were rooting for the stimulus to pass because they care more about creating jobs in their respective states then engaging in an ideological debate.

Plus, politically they're affected the MOST by their state's poverty. It makes sense.

[AtomicKitten]

3. They want Obama to show them the money. n/t

[firedupdem]

4. Breaking on CNN....Arnold announces 20,000 people

being laid off. This shit is serious, and they are playing around.

[old mark]

5. It seems that nearly everyone IS suporting President Obama

except those Publican jerks in Congress, and even some of them are actually taking credit for parts of the stimulus bill they voted against.

The people in their districts must be pretty stupid as well - oh wait, there is an election coming up again in 2010.....

mark