President-elect Barack Obama opened an unprecedented meeting with 48 governors inside Congress Hall this morning with a promise to to give them a role in creating a multi-billion dollar economic stimulus package that he wants to sign as his first order of business after inauguration next month.
"The partnership we begin here cannot – and will not – end here," Obama said, in brief remarks. "I will not simply ask you to help implement our economic recovery plan. I am asking you to draft and shape that plan. If we listen to our governors, we will not only be doing what is right for our states, we'll be doing what is right for our country."
....Facing huge budget deficits, the nation's governors are seeking extensions of unemployment, Medicaid and food stamps benefits as well as federal money for ready-to-go infrastructure projects in order to help them weather the recession and stimulate the economy.....
Oh, by the way, some panel has just announced that our country is in a recession and has been since December 2007. Apparently, the panel must have been hibernating for the last year!
The decision over whom will become the 15th Congressional District Representative is in the hands of the Ohio Supreme Court, NBC 4 reported.
The court will decide the legal battle over disputed provisional ballots .
The Franklin County Board of Elections will not begin counting the tens of thousands of provisional ballots until the court rules on the case....