Free Republic

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has become the eighth Republican governor to agree to expand Medicaid coverage in his state under the provisions of Obamacare. Is the last line of Republican resistance to Obamacare disintegrating? In 2011, 26 states joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the provision of Obamacare, which forced them to participate in expanding Medicaid coverage as a condition to continue to participate in the program. The Supreme Court ruled in their favor last year, negating the mandatory requirement, so it is now voluntary for states to expand Medicaid coverage. The Congressional Budget Office still estimates...

Vice President Joe Biden told a gathering of the Governor's Association at the White House today that the American people are "tired of being tired."

Gov. Chris Christie got the seat of honor at tonight’s annual governor’s dinner, sitting next to first lady Michelle Obama. The New Jersey governor, a Republican, joined governors from across the nation at the annual Governor’s Association Meeting, and at one point, clinked glasses with the president’s wife. Mr Obama had praised Gov. Christie for his response to Hurricane Sandy and his effort to get funding to those who were most affected by last October’s storm.

Washington may be a tax reform wasteland, but out in the states the action is hot and heavy. Nine states—including such fast-growing places as Florida, Tennessee and Texas—currently have no income tax, and the race is on to see which will be the tenth, and perhaps the 11th and 12th. Oklahoma and Kansas have lowered their income-tax rates in the last two years with an aim toward eliminating the tax altogether. North Carolina's newly elected Republican Governor Pat McCrory has prioritized tax reform this year and wants to reduce the income tax. Ditto for another newcomer, Mike Pence of Indiana,...

The Common Core Standards are an educational reform movement initiated by the National Governors Assocation and intended to standardize the educational curricula of the states around a "coomon core" of knowledge required to function in modern society. Put that way, the initiative sounds fine, but as if often the case with educaitonal reforms, Common Core proponents have relied on bafflement and obfuscation to shut down inquiry by the paying public into the very political process of putting the initiative into action -- a process monetarily supported by private education corporations. Common Core tests (those used in Oklahoma were developed by...

Arizona Sens. John McCain (R) and Jon Kyl (R) said Tuesday they have no idea where Gov. Jan Brewer (R-Ariz.) is. “No, everybody keeps asking me that,” Kyl told The Hill. “I didn’t know she was missing.” McCain answered similarly. “Since I wasn’t home last weekend I didn’t know about this,” McCain told The Hill. “Jon [Kyl] just told me that there was some issue that she’s not around.” On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Brewer was taking a week-long out-of-state work trip that’s shrouded in mystery. Her office has refused to disclose her location or the nature of...

Obamacare has more chinks in its armor than a turtle without a shell. As a result, state governors and legislators can inflict great damage. The following amazing chink was discussed by a Goldwater Institute attorney during a Tennessee-based webinar on Monday . It's only 10 lines long in the 950-page version of the law: "No individual, company, business, nonprofit entity, or health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall be required to participate in any Federal health insurance program created under this Act (or any amendments made by this Act), or in any Federal health insurance program...

As for Christie, Malloy said, “I didn’t start the fight with Christie. He made a rather snarky comment about me not having read the manual (for being a governor). But the reality is you couldn’t have two states going in opposite directions to the same extent that we are.” Malloy made his remarks in an appearance on Colin McEnroe’s radio talk show on WNPR Monday afternoon. Malloy blasted “the games” that Christie is playing with the funding of pensions, saying he’s “kicking the can down the road.” Malloy is a Democrate is Christie is a Republican. The comments came after...

I had a history teacher who used to say that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to—but you should be prepared to face the consequences. He was usually talking about homework assignments, but there was always an implied message of the responsibility of rebellion: Defy the powers that be if you must, but always be aware of the results that will follow. In the wake of all of the nationwide protests over Obamacare, my teacher’s words remain prudent advice. A number of GOP governors have publicly stated that they will ignore the recent Supreme Court Decision or...

We are going to end Obamacare at the state level by using the KISS principle – Keep It Simple, Stupid, so let’s get it started! Using simplicity and common sense, we Americans can take this into our own hands and do what we need to do to prove that Obamacare is irrelevant and unnecessary at the state level. All we need is a simple solution, which this article provides, and one state that will pursue this by doing a little homework. Let me start by telling you what this is NOT… this solution is not reliant on the politicians who...

Contrary to the oft-repeated media narrative that the Republican Party is not inclusive, there are actually more female Republican governors than female Democratic governors, and considerably more minority Republican governors than minority Democratic governors.

Every single one of [the 17 states that elected a tea party-supported governor in 2010] has seen its unemployment rate decline since January 2011. Three of them have had unemployment drop by more than 2% (Michigan, Florida, and Nevada). The average drop in the unemployment rate in these states was 1.35%. For a comparison, in January 2011 the U.S. national unemployment rate stood at 9.1%. It is currently 8.2%, meaning that the national unemployment rate has declined by just 0.9% since then. Based on these percentages, it can be said that the job market in states with new Republican governors...

A growing number of Republican state leaders are revolting against the major Medicaid expansion called for under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, threatening to undermine one of the law's most fundamental goals: insuring millions of poor Americans. The Supreme Court opened the door Thursday, June 28, when it announced that although the rest of the law is constitutional, the federal government cannot punish states that refuse to adopt the measure's more generous eligibility rules for Medicaid. The Republican governors of four states -- Florida, Iowa, Louisiana and South Carolina -- have declared that they want to opt out of...

Saying that other countries are doubling down on education while the states are cutting teachers, President Obama on Monday implored the nation's governors to spend their budgets on education and job training. "Too many states are making cuts that I think are too big," the president told the National Governors Association, which was spending the last day of its annual meeting at the White House. "Budgets are by choice, so today I'm calling on all of you: invest more in education, invest more in our children," he said. Obama said students should be required to stay in school longer --...

"You've chosen to give me another four years as your governor," he told supporters from a stage at his Baton Rouge campaign headquarters less than an hour after polls closed. "We've got a lot more work to do over these next four years."

The guest list for Rick Perry's August 6 day of prayer won't include many U.S. governors. Only two governors, both Republican, plan to join Perry at the event at Houston's Reliant Stadium, which Perry has labeled as a non-denominational, apolitical, Christian prayer meeting. Perry invited all of his fellow U.S. governors to the event. Just two - Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal - have accepted the invitation. Mark P. Jones, a government professor at Rice University, said he is not surprised by the lukewarm response. "For a Democrat there is nothing to be gained by attending,...

Governors reflect partisan divide in debt debateby Charles Babington The Associated Press 13 hrs ago SALT LAKE CITY — Governors nationwide are nervously watching the debt-ceiling debate in Washington, fearing that a partisan impasse could rattle financial markets and slow the economic recoveries they desperately want for their states. Yet many of them are sticking to the same partisan loyalties and talking points that are making it so difficult for President Barack Obama and Republican lawmakers to find a way to avoid a borrowing cutoff, which could force the government to default on some of its bills. In fact, some...

While some governors go out of their way to acknowledge the sanctity of military funerals, Oregon’s new governor says he won’t attend them in his state if it’s inconvenient to him. Gov. John Kitzhaber is making a departure from his predecessor, Ted Kulongoski, a former Marine who was so determined to attend military funerals he would cancel out-of-town travel to attend them. In fact, Kulongoski attended more than 100 military funerals during his eight years in office.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was there. So was Al Sharpton and AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka. Not on the invitation list? Any active governor from any border state. Which is odd since the meeting held yesterday at the White House was titled: President’s Meeting with Stakeholders on Fixing the Broken Immigration System. Are the active governors of our nation’s border states not “stakeholders” in our “broken immigration system”? Not for this White House. From day one, the Obama administration has sought to undermine state law enforcement cooperation and authority over illegal immigration. Within months of taking office, the Department of...

This short segment in a Washington Post story on President Obama’s interviews with local television stations is revealing: In some cases, Obama had a message he wanted to send directly to the people in particular states..... Notice the theme there? Here are three Republican governors of three states who face serious budget problems, and Obama — despite a lack of familiarity with the states’ financial circumstances, admitting that he hasn’t “followed exactly what’s happening with the Wisconsin budget” — weighs in on all three, all with the same theme: No, those spending cuts aren’t necessary.

(Reuters) - Support for California Governor Jerry Brown's plan to shut a $27 billion budget gap has eroded since he introduced it in January, a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed on Wednesday. Democrat Brown wants to close the budget hole with a mix of spending cuts and tax hikes, and he wants voters to get the chance to approve the package in a special election. So far Republicans have opposed the special election and tax hikes.

There are a few very interesting points below headlines today claiming California residents strongly support extending the state’s once temporary tax increases via special election. Survey finds Californians back tax extensions Californians would overwhelmingly back extending temporary tax increases to help balance the state’s budget if asked to in a special election, according to survey results released on Wednesday. The survey found that, by a 58 percent to 39 percent margin, voters said they would vote in favor of a ballot measure asking them to extend temporary tax increases. If that’s truly the case, then why did voters flatly reject...

As predicted in Revolt! (Dick’s and Eileen’s new book) – States Lead the Way Toward Reform It is not only the Arab world that is in turmoil! Reform Governors like Scott Walker (Wisconsin), John Kasich (Ohio), Mitch Daniels (Indiana), Tom Corbett (Pennsylvania), Butch Otter (Idaho), and Rick Scott (Florida) are leading a movement for fundamental change in America. In Revolt!, Morris and McGann’s new book, they describe how newly elected Republican Governors – impelled by their budget crises and empowered with GOP Legislatures – will accomplish sweeping changes in our politics. Read how: * Republican Governors will destroy the political...

For months now, Republicans have turned to each other and said, "Who's the candidate?" President Obama is vulnerable in 2012, clearly, but you can't beat something with nothing, and right now, the GOP field looks pretty much like . . . nothing. Who'll have the stature to compete? Thanks to those Democratic lawmakers fleeing Wisconsin and Indiana to frustrate the democratic process they swore an oath to uphold, we may have an answer. They, and the demonstrators screaming about the governors seeking cuts in the absurdly generous benefits granted to public-sector workers, have created a national stage on which a...

While we are all praying for repeal (ultimately) let's hope between the House defunding, the courts ruling unconstitutional and the Governors fighting that they can slow this thing to a crawl until we take back DC in 2012.

Unless you're in favor of a fully nationalized health-care system, the president's health-care reform law is a massive mistake. It will amplify all the big drivers of overconsumption and excessive pricing: "Why not, it's free?" reimbursement; "The more I do, the more I get" provider payment; and all the defensive medicine the trial bar's ingenuity can generate. All claims made for it were false. It will add trillions to the federal deficit. It will lead to a de facto government takeover of health care faster than most people realize, and as millions of Americans are added to the Medicaid rolls...

Scott joins 32 governors and governors-elect in call to stop "federal health care mandates"JANUARY 07, 2011 Gov. Rick Scott, along with 32 other governors and governors-elect, signed a letter sent to federal leaders today, urging a stop to "excessive constraints placed on us by healthcare-related federal mandates." "It is imperative that we stop federal health care mandates that tie the hands of states," Scott said in a prepared statement. "Florida should get to determine what program is the right fit for our state in terms of a Medicaid program, and the federal mandates are essentially the federal government telling us...

Dire StatesDeep in debt, most governors will have to either raise taxes or cut spending - exactly what not to do when recovering from a recession. By Megan McArdle **SNIP** Many states have what you might call a “Don’t kill Grandma” problem: spending creates dependent—and stubborn—constituencies. At least New York doesn’t have the legislative gridlock of California, where ballot initiatives have mandated spending and prevented tax increases, and a two-thirds-majority requirement to pass tax increases has resulted in a stalemate between free-spending Democrats and tax-averse Republicans. New York’s local economy hasn’t been devastated by the collapse of a primary local...

President Obama and Vice President Biden ask newly elected Governors to call the White House before they "are really mad about something" and go to the media. "We prefer not to read about it in the press," Obama said. Video at link.

SAN DIEGO -- When at least four possible presidential contenders – Govs. Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal, Tim Pawlenty and Mitch Daniels -- shared a stage at the Republican Governors Association conference Thursday morning, along with Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie, who do you think was the standout? Yes, Barbour's every word is quotable, Daniels has sewn up the David Brooks primary, and no one can say that Pawlenty doesn't present well. But if you read Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence, you might not be surprised to learn that it was Christie who got the most applause and laughs from the crowd....

SAN DIEGO – Incoming Republican governors from Pennsylvania to New Mexico are vowing to keep campaign promises to slice already cut-to-the-bone budgets and balance them without raising taxes. In doing so, GOP leaders intent on conservative governance signaled a desire to try to fundamentally change state government, shrinking it significantly. And they acknowledged that could mean more job losses and service cuts to already recession-hammered states anticipating more budget trouble ahead. "While we're all facing these challenges, there are incredible opportunities for us to go look at what the core missions of government were, and redefine the role," said South...

More than 30 Republican governors and governors-elect will meet in San Diego, California, Wednesday and Thursday to discuss issues confronting their states. The officials will address economic concerns, and highlight the personalities who are likely to play a role in national politics. In the November 2 election, Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. They also made dramatic gains in state legislative races, and took governorships from Democrats in a number of key states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

Perhaps this will set the stage for Congress to preempt the District of Columbia on gun control and restore gun carry rights in our Nation’s Capital. After all the DC City Council seems ill disposed to restore the civil right to arms in the District. For example, today on WTOP.com talk radio, former District Mayor and Ward 8's Council Member said nothing about restoring the right to arms in the District, but did take the time to give WTOP's Mark Plotkin a Realpolitik lecture about how things should be in the District, explaining that that DC Mayor Adrian Fenty lost...

Newly-Elected Governors to Target Health-Care Legislation: WSJPublished November 05, 2010 Newly-elected Republican governors were already planning to blunt key parts of the US health care overhaul and join lawsuits against it, suggesting states could trump Congress as the hottest front in the fight over the law, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Republicans recaptured at least 11 governors' seats from Democrats in Tuesday's election. Democrats reclaimed at least two seats from Republicans, in California and Hawaii. While governors cannot avoid much of the law, they can throw sand in its gears and keep states out of involvement in a central...

October 12th Update: Possible Composition of Governorships: GOP 27, Toss Ups 7, Democrat 16 See RealClearPolitics webpage for Governorships: Real Clear Politics: 2010 Governor Races Possible Outcome for House (as projected by Real Clear Politics)> GOP 211, Toss Ups 39, Democrat 185 See RealClearPolitics webpage for House: Real Clear Politics: 2010 Battle for the House Finally, the Senate: Democrat 48, Toss Ups 6, Republican 46 See RealClearPolitics webpage for House: Real Clear Politics: 2010 Battle for the Senate

Here is a new hard hitting video from the Republican Governors Association. This is a very powerful and hard-hitting ad that needs to go viral. Wow! Just Wow!

Right now Democrats control 26 governorships while Republicans control 24. That is almost certain to flip to the GOP’s advantage after Nov. 2, probably by a wide margin. Assuming that the Republicans are likely to flip a Democrat-held seat in a race where the GOP candidate has led in the last three polls, then they seem poised to move into governor’s mansions in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Democratic governors expressed "grave" concerns to White House officials this weekend about the Obama administration's suit against Arizona's new immigration law, warning it could cost the party in crucial elections this fall, The New York Times reported late Sunday. The closed-door meeting took place at the National Governors Association in Boston on Saturday, according to two unnamed governors who spoke to the Times. "Universally the governors are saying, 'We've got to talk about jobs, and all of a sudden we have immigration going on,'" Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, was quoted as saying. "It is such a toxic...

BOSTON – Democratic governors facing grim budget choices, lingering unemployment and angry voters are pointing a finger at their colleagues in Democratic-controlled Washington to explain this year’s toxic political climate. Few will fault President Barack Obama directly for their party’s plight heading into the fall midterm elections, but the chief executives gathered here for the National Governors Association (NGA) meeting believe the Congress and White House have made an already difficult year worse. While almost uniformly grateful for the financial windfall they enjoyed from the stimulus legislation, the Democrats believe it wasn’t sold well to the public and more still...

BOSTON — In a private meeting with White House officials this weekend, Democratic governors voiced deep anxiety about the Obama administration’s suit against Arizona’s new immigration law, worrying that it could cost a vulnerable Democratic Party in the fall elections. While the weak economy dominated the official agenda at the summer meeting here of the National Governors Association, concern over immigration policy pervaded the closed-door session between Democratic governors and White House officials and simmered throughout the three-day event. At the Democrats’ meeting on Saturday, some governors bemoaned the timing of the Justice Department lawsuit, according to two governors who...

BOSTON – The heads of President Barack Obama's national debt commission are painting a gloomy picture as the nation struggles to get its spending under control. Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles told a meeting of the National Governors Association on Sunday that everything needs to be considered — including curtailing such popular tax breaks as the home mortgage deduction. They say that without radical changes, debt will destroy the country like a cancer.

Governors Focus on The Federal Budget DeficitToday With the National Governors Association (NGA) wrapping up its three-day meeting in Boston today, PoliticsDaily.com Senior Correspondent Jill Lawrence joins the Washington Journal live from Boston to review the conference and discuss the 2010 elections. Today’s closing NGA plenary session focuses on “The Federal Budget Deficit: Risks and Challenges." The panel will hear from former Senator Alan K. Simpson (R-WY) and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff and Senate candidate Erskine B. Bowles (D-NC), co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, who will provide their insight into the monetary...

The Republican Governors Association has announced a very strong fundraising quarter, taking in $19 million from April through June -- their largest fundraising quarter ever -- with $40 million in cash on hand for this year's statehouse races. From the RGA's press release: "The RGA's previous largest fundraising quarter occurred in the 4th quarter of 2009, when it raised $11.9 million. This quarter RGA raised $18.9 million. The RGA's former mid-year fundraising record was $15.1 million. RGA is at $28 million this year - almost double the earlier record. In 2006, the last comparable election year, the RGA raised $28...

Five Governor's Races Could Indicate GOP Success In 2012 By Chris Cillizza June 21, 2010 The roots of a Republican political renaissance in 2012 lie in the Rust Belt. That swath of manufacturing- based states in the Midwest -- Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan -- with tentacles that reach as far east as Pennsylvania, has been the epicenter of the economic difficulties in the country over the past few years. Each state is hosting a competitive gubernatorial race this fall. Republicans argue that a clean sweep (or close to it) would immediately change the electoral calculus heading into the nationwide redistricting...

Obama Threatens 14 US Governors With Immediate Arrest for the crime of treason. To: President Barack Obama Rep. Bobby Scott Sen. Jim Webb Sen. Mark Warner May 27, 2010 Obama Threatens 14 US Governors With Immediate Arrest Posted by Europe A chilling report from the Foreign Military Intelligence Directorate (GRU) prepared for Prime Minister Putin warns today that United States President Barack Obama has had served on 14 US Governors National Security Letters (NSLs) warning that if their actions in attempting to form what are called State Defense Forces are not halted they will face "immediate" arrest for the crime...

Facts About the Guardians of the Free Republics 2010-04-06 13:10:57 (Links in this writing are to articles which contained the false claims.) 1. The letters to the governors was non-partisan. Republican and democrat governors received the letters. They don't care which party you belong to as both parties are unlawful. Tim Turner has worked for Homeland Security, "under" Bush, has quit and denounced Bush as one of the most evil men belonging to one of the most evil families of our time. This is not about black or white. Believe me, this movement is not anti-anything except anti-tyranny. 2. It's...

The trouble with hope and change is that it only works for the unelected. After you get the job you have to provide more than hope, and change is suddenly defined as "not you". Since President Obama took office, each time American voters have gotten the opportunity they have voted for a different kind of change. Yet the president and his fellow Democrats continue to believe that if they just change the wrapping paper, we'll suddenly want what they're offering.

Regular readers of this column will doubtless recall my recent column in which I reported on the new Council of Governors (CG) that President Barack Obama has created. See my column here. Well, Obama's CG is quickly beginning to take shape. According to the Associated Press (AP), "President Barack Obama has selected Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to serve on an advisory council for defense and national security issues. "Nixon was one of 10 governors named Thursday [February 4, 2009] by Obama to the newly created Council of Governors." The 10 governors (and one of them is not even a State...

- BUSINESS INSIDER UPDATE: The governor's office completely denies any plans to resign, and says "the Times story" will not run tomorrow.

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-signs-executive-order-establishing-council-governors Home • Briefing Room • Presidential Actions • Executive Orders The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 11, 2010 President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors Executive Order will Strengthen Further Partnership Between the Federal and State and Local Governments to Better Protect Our Nation The President today signed an Executive Order (attached) establishing a Council of Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards. When appointed, the Council will be...