Back to The Newsroom

Manchin Announces Schweitzer, O'Malley New DGA Chair, Vice Chair

Following yesterday’s meeting with President-elect Barack Obama, DGA 2008 Chair Gov. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) announced that Gov. Brian Schweitzer (Mont.) was elected DGA Chair at the DGA’s annual winter meeting. Gov. Martin O’Malley (Md.) was elected Vice Chair. Read more

Schweitzer, Daschle Congratulate Richardson on Cabinet Designation, Welcome Denish to DGA. DGA Chair Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Executive Director Nathan Daschle today congratulated former DGA Chair Gov. Bill Richardson (N.M.) on being designated the next United States Secretary of Commerce. They also welcomed Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (N.M.) to the DGA. Read more

Politico: Gov. at First Sight. No one could remember a meeting quite like this. President-elect Barack Obama met with the nation’s governors to hear their tales of economic pain – and won some points by telling Republicans in the room that he welcomed disagreements, “so feel free,” one participant recalled. “He said, ‘I’m a good listener, and I’m a better listener when people disagree with me,’” added West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, the outgoing head of the Democratic Governor’s Association. For Democratic governors, it was a welcome relief after years of meeting with a Republican president they found to be unfamiliar with details. “The contrast with our meeting with the sitting president was fairly stark,” said Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, recalling a “much more controlled” environment with President George W. Bush. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the incoming head of the DGA, was more blunt: “Just to have an administration, a president, a vice president, who listened, engaged, and came to meeting prepared – it’s a brand-new idea.” Read more

Washington Post: Haste Could Make Waste on Stimulus, States Say. In a private meeting in Philadelphia with 48 of the nation’s governors, Pres.-elect Obama stressed the importance of identifying projects that could put people to work quickly, participants said. Several governors were quite specific about their needs yesterday. Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the incoming chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said his state had $200 million in projects ready to go, including some to retrofit several state-owned buildings to make them more energy efficient. West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III said he hoped to secure $600 million for road and bridge repairs “that could start tomorrow.” Read more

New York Times: Federal Help is on the Way. With the economic crisis tearing holes in most state budgets, President-elect Barack Obama promised the nation’s governors on Tuesday that he would come to their aid with an ambitious program to build or repair roads, bridges, schools and other public projects. Several governors said they were heartened by Mr. Obama’s interest in meeting with them so early. “He’s not going to let us hang in the wind,” Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana, incoming chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said in an interview afterward. “And he said, ‘This is an introduction, not an ending meeting.’” Read more

NPR: Obama Promises Governors Swift Action on Economic Plan. NPR’s Morning Edition covered yesterday’s meeting with Pres.-elect Obama and the nation’s Governors. Click here to listen

Copyright & Paid for by The Democratic Governors Association

A Bullseye Project