Will Nixon — or Blunt — represent Mo. at meeting with Obama?
Nixon, left, and Blunt
The nation’s governors will have a chance next week to discuss their concerns with the new administration heading to Washington.
President-elect Barack Obama and his running mate Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia on Tuesday, in a meeting of governors hosted by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.
But who — if anyone — will represent Missouri at the Independence Hall gathering?
Incumbent Gov. Matt Blunt is waiting for the moving vans, while Gov-elect Jay Nixon is only the governor in waiting.
We may hear more Monday, when government workers return from the Thanksgiving holiday.
Missouri is one of only three states that elected new governors this month. Voters in North Carolina and Delaware — where term limits are in effect — also picked new leaders for their executive branches.
According to the Wall Street Journal, 40 governors have already indicated they plan to attend the meeting in Philadelphia — including, that’s right, former GOP veep nominee Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.
Since the meeting is with the President-elect, it would make sense that it would be attended by the Governor-elect. Were it official business with the federal government, that would be a different story.
It should be attended by both Blunt and Nixon. They should work together to plan out any presentations they might make, ensuring they are on the same page. Then Blunt should give a outlook of where the state is and what how he’s handled business with the government so far (you know, kind of a briefing), and Nixon should give an outlook on where he wants to take the state.
Two Missouri governors at one governor meeting is a bad idea, SMC. Blunt and Nixon can and should meet on their own time, but just send the new governor to meet with the new president. Keep the focus on the future.