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Democratic governors discuss bypassing Congress with Obama
The Hill ^ | 02/24/12 | Alicia M. Cohn

Posted on 02/25/2012 2:08:01 PM PST by Da Bilge Troll

President Obama met with a group of Democratic governors on Friday and discussed plans to work around Congress toward policy goals.

Gov. Jack Markell, the Democratic governor of Delaware and the vice chairman of the National Governors Association, told The Hill that the meeting was “very good” and said many of the governors were responsive to ideas about bypassing Congress.

“There was a sense that none of us should wait, we can’t wait for things to happen in Congress,” Markell said of the meeting. “We’re going to do what we can do [now].”

Obama has positioned himself against Congress as he runs for reelection, arguing lawmakers are failing to solve the country’s problems. “Where Congress won’t act, I will,” he said in October when rolling out a series of executive orders aimed at creating jobs.

Markell said the conversation with Obama did not dwell on Republican opposition to the president’s legislative proposals.

The tone of the meeting was positive, Markell said, and the governors agreed that the Obama administration has been “terrifically responsive” to their state governments.

The Democratic governors discussed the three major job goals from Obama’s State of the Union address: building manufacturing, training workers and increasing American-made energy.

“We had a great conversation very focused, not surprisingly, on jobs,” Markell said, calling jobs the “biggest issue for all of us in the room, no matter where we come from.”

He noted that although they did not discuss the election, the sense in the room was that focusing on jobs is Democrats’ best chance to win in the fall. That is the message the Democratic Party has been sending in full force this season, ranging from Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) to Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who slammed the GOP presidential candidates Friday on CNN for failing to mention jobs in the most recent debate and instead talking about “divisive cultural issues.”

Markell said the discussion with Obama steered clear of the transportation bills that are being fought over in Congress, though “it’s certainly something we as governors feel strongly about.”

The meeting, which lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, took place in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and involved more than a dozen Democratic governors and several members of the Obama administration.

Governors present included Govs. Jerry Brown (Calif.), Jay Nixon (Mo.), O’Malley, Christine Gregoire (Wash.), Bev Perdue (N.C.), Peter Shumlin (Vt.), Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii), Deval Patrick (Mass.) and Pat Quinn (Ill.).

The governors are in town for the annual winter meeting of the National Governors Association. Markell, who attended the meeting for the first time as vice chairman of the NGA, also talked up the level of bipartisan cooperation between the governors, which he said contrasted with what has “not been a great level of cooperation between members of Congress.”

“We don’t really care where an idea comes from if it’s a good idea,” he said.

Governors from both parties will meet with the president on Monday.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Delaware; US: Florida; US: Hawaii; US: Illinois; US: Maryland; US: Massachusetts; US: Missouri; US: North Carolina; US: Vermont; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: abercrombie; brown; bypassingcongress; gregoire; markell; nixon; obama; omalley; patrick; perdue; quinn; shumlin
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To: Mr. Wright

No, they don’t have the nads.


21 posted on 02/25/2012 2:29:08 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Da Bilge Troll; Liz; AT7Saluki
Bev Perdue (N.C.)

She has more than one foot out the door while still conspiring? Throw this on her lawsuit pile.

22 posted on 02/25/2012 2:32:00 PM PST by Libloather (The epitome of civility.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

When it comes to Republicans critcizing Obama these days all you can hear are crickets...It’s hard to speak out while hiding in the tall grass, afraid of your shadow.


23 posted on 02/25/2012 2:35:29 PM PST by Russ (Repeal the 17th amendment)
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To: Secret Agent Man

When it comes to Republicans critcizing Obama these days all you can hear are crickets...It’s hard to speak out while hiding in the tall grass, afraid of your shadow.


24 posted on 02/25/2012 2:35:37 PM PST by Russ (Repeal the 17th amendment)
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To: Da Bilge Troll

Seems like treason to me, but I guess that’s just me.


25 posted on 02/25/2012 2:44:22 PM PST by gorush (History repeats itself because human nature is static)
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To: Da Bilge Troll

the Demorat dream is to make Obama a dictator!


26 posted on 02/25/2012 2:49:13 PM PST by bs4u
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To: Da Bilge Troll

27 posted on 02/25/2012 2:51:05 PM PST by Diogenesis ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. " Pres. Ronald Reagan)
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To: M Kehoe

But do we have the will and fortitude to do what is necessary? That is the real question, IMO.


28 posted on 02/25/2012 3:03:22 PM PST by Pox (Good Night. I expect more respect tomorrow.)
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To: Mr. Wright
do our Republican House Members have the gonads to proceed and get this bum and his cronies out of Office and in jail where they belong.

THAT is the biggest question of all.

29 posted on 02/25/2012 3:13:37 PM PST by TribalPrincess2U (NOT VOTING gets 0bamao re-elected. 0bamao's ANTI-TRUTH & SPIN TEAM is again on the move.)
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To: Da Bilge Troll

It’s certainly close to that. These uneducated “elites” don’t know much about how and why the Constitution was written and that sovereignty was determined to be OUTSIDE of the government!!!!!!


30 posted on 02/25/2012 3:23:34 PM PST by SumProVita (Cogito, ergo...Sum Pro Vita. (Modified Decartes))
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To: Pox
Good evening.

But do we have the will and fortitude to do what is necessary? That is the real question,...

I honestly don't know for sure, but there are some historical precedents. Only one third of the population of the colonies rebelled against King George. The world knows how that turned out.

Methinks a third of our current population will figure out, either you die on your feet, or live on your knees.

If there is another "Civil War," the next one will make the first one look like a walk in the park on a warm spring day.

May G-d have mercy on our souls.

5.56mm

31 posted on 02/25/2012 3:43:20 PM PST by M Kehoe
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To: Da Bilge Troll
The "Agenda" needs to be completed by the end of 2012, before The Messiah is run out of town, hopefully.

Executive Orders, and Regulatory Mandates are consistently being used to circumvent Congress, and his placement of Czar's to do his bidding is all about un-elected Socialist bastards doing illegal (un-Constitutional law-making, coupled with Liberal Activist Judges and "Holder's People".)

Knowing he is going to face un-Election in November, they cannot wait to finish up the destruction they've started, so look for more Taxapyer-funded vote-buying with handouts and penalties to "the Rich".

32 posted on 02/25/2012 3:52:27 PM PST by traditional1
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To: Da Bilge Troll

The president has wide legal discretion in the spending of some funds (though not all).

So it’s not treason, it’s just looting.

Dems want every dollar he can toss to them and their cronies.


33 posted on 02/25/2012 4:05:17 PM PST by mrsmith (So... how's the Tea Party nominee for your House seat doing?)
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To: Da Bilge Troll
Conspiricy to commit treason?

Only if we all can agree that ignoring the Constitution's limitation of powers IS treason.

34 posted on 02/25/2012 4:07:05 PM PST by Publius6961 (“It’s easy to make phony promises you can’t keep.” - Obama, Feb23, 2012)
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To: Da Bilge Troll
Conspiricy to commit treason?

Well the imagery of those uber-RATs swinging from the gallows is...interesting.

35 posted on 02/25/2012 4:30:31 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER ( Celebrate Republicans Freed the Slaves Month.)
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To: Russ

And why are the Republicans hiding? Are they all crooks? Does Obama have them all blackmailed? I can’t think of any other reason why they are all so silent.


36 posted on 02/25/2012 4:33:22 PM PST by abclily
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To: traditional1

I am hoping that someone is keeping a list of the traitors so we can deal with them one by one in the coming year.


37 posted on 02/25/2012 5:00:55 PM PST by ronnie raygun (V)
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To: Da Bilge Troll

LucyT;neverdem


38 posted on 02/25/2012 5:04:10 PM PST by sweetiepiezer
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To: LucyT; neverdem

ping


39 posted on 02/25/2012 5:05:19 PM PST by sweetiepiezer
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To: Da Bilge Troll

Oh yes, by all means, you cabal of worthless gutless anti-Constitutionalists. Keep it up—this hatred of America, this anti-capitalist, pro-caliphate philosophy.

And now Obama has these stupid governors thinking he is their friend. :)

Well, human stupidity and vanity really has no end, does it? These useless idiots are much like the mainstream media: being manipulated like putty for the designs of a fascist.


40 posted on 02/25/2012 5:16:18 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
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