Obama Gains G.O.P. Support From Governors

[Turborama]

Source: NY Times

By JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON — 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.

Governors, unlike members of Congress, have to balance their budgets each year. And that requires compromise with state legislators, including Democrats, as well as more openness to the occasional state tax increase and to deficit-spending from Washington.

Across the country, from California’s Arnold Schwarzenegger to Florida’s Charlie Crist and New England’s Jim Douglas in Vermont and M. Jodi Rell in Connecticut, Republican governors showed in the stimulus debate that they could be allies with Mr. Obama even as Congressional Republicans spurned him.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/us/politics/17repubs....

[Captain Hilts]

1. They WANTed the stimulus bill to pass!

[FrenchieCat]

2. 2 faced Republicans......

[Bicoastal]

3. 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.

[Turborama]

6. It sure does make a lot of sense

I'm interested in figuring out how this support of the Governors can benefit him/us in the long run, though...? Could this cause a massive rupture in the GOP and split them into 2 parties?

[TheWraith]

9. The Republicans who have actual responsibilities supported the stimulus. nt

[goforit]

4. Bottom line Cheney is still in charge and we ALL better watch out.

[nyy1998]

5. What?!?!?

I missed the connection there.

[shanti]

7. how do you figure?

[pacalo]

8. I suspect that Jindal of LA secretly wanted it to pass. Several months ago he announced

the budget cuts & this package would actually make him look good. He wouldn't dare give props to the Democrats; he's using his time as governor to go on a campaign contribution mission across the country. He might be popular down here in Louisiana, but remember, this state supported the loser in '08 & Obama creamed McLame nationally.

[demokatgurrl]

10. Secretly is not good enough-

any governor who opposed it will, of course, decline any funds.

[pacalo]

11. Of course it's not good enough -- I wanted to point out his hypocrisy

because he said before the vote that he would not support it but would take the money.