Governor

Better late than never. Well, some folks think so anyway.

The truth is, last weekend’s program featuring talk radio host Bob Ehrlich was pretty much a yawner. There was a half hour of the latest Republican talking point: “Drill Here, Drill Now. Pay Less – Drill off the Coast of Ocean City or right smack-dab in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay – We Don’t Care” (I made that last part up. But nobody said anything against it, either. Why is it always someone else’s backyard or beach off in the distance that needs to get drilled for oil?).

As best as anyone can figure opening up all this drilling might worth a few pennies off a gallon of gas – in five years. All this time BIG OIL already owns drilling leases over about 68 million acres of American land and they aren’t touching it, for some reason.

Staff reshuffling in the office of Governor Steve Beshear (D-Lexington) continued today, with the announcement that communications director Dick Brown will be replaced by Jay Blanton. Blanton comes to the position after a nearly four year tenure as executive director of marketing and public relations for the University of Kentucky. Prior to that job, he served as deputy communications director for Louisville's Democratic mayor, Jerry Abramson. He also worked with the public relations firms Guthrie-Mayes and Preston-Osbourne. The switch in the office comes seven months into Beshear's first term as governor and just a week since an earlier change by Beshear brought Adam Edelen in as chief of staff.

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's (D-Milton) announcement on Wednesday that he will begin a five-week, 11-stop town hall tour across the state has been billed by his office as a way for the governor to tell the people of Massachusetts how he has worked to change the state government. But perhaps even more than being a simple give and take of ideas, the town hall series will likely benefit the governor politically, many analysts say, as he tries to move beyond earlier setbacks and looks toward re-election in 2010.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington's campaign revolves around an automobile motif. Her campaign likes to argue that Vermont is "stuck in neutral" and needs to "get in gear." She's sponsored a "Symington for Governor" racecar at Thunder Road and energy reform and improving the state's transportation infrastructure are on the list of her top issues.

And the car theme makes sense. The woman has drive.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday announced that he has signed into law a bill that will shed greater light on state government contracts.

Senate Bill 1696 will now also open up the results of governmental audits and reviews of public agencies. Authored by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) the bill would prohibit a state or local agency from allowing an outside entity to control the disclosure of information that is otherwise subject to the California Public Records Act.

Legislation to help Californians ensnared in the subprime home loan foreclosure crisis was forwarded to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk for signature or veto this week.

Senate Bill 1137, authored by senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), would require lenders to contact property owners to attempt to avoid foreclosure, provide tenants additional time to move from a foreclosed property and mandate maintenance of foreclosed properties to diminish the impact on the value of neighboring homes.

Dino Rossi has launched a new segment on his website called factcheck.dinorossi.com, which bills itself with reporting "The truth behind the ads attacking Dino Rossi."

"The 2008 Washington governor's race is extremely competitive," the site says. "The incumbent governor and her political allies are attempting to distort Rossi's record on the issues in order to keep control of the governor's mansion."

Two days after a potential top rival announced an exploratory bid for California governor, Attorney General Jerry Brown reported another $124,100 in donations Thursday to his Brown 2010 campaign account.

Brown, who has not ruled out another run for the gubernatorial job he held from 1975 to 1983, would also have to run for re-election in his current job in two years to keep that seat.

Biotech millionaire John Crowley is seriously considering bid for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2009 – although some GOP leaders seem skeptical of his intentions after his on again, off again bid for the United States Senate last spring.  But if Crowley runs, he could make a move for votes in the base of his likely rival, U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.  Sources say that Morris County Freeholder John Murphy, an old-time Christie foe who ran for Governor in 2005, has told some friends that he might be for Crowley.

Gov. Deval Patrick (D)Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Milton) will kick off a five-week town hall tour across the state next week, his office announced late Wednesday.

The tour will have 11 stops, beginning July 8 in Salem and ending August 23 in Boston.

"As we continue to rebuild our economy and our people, it's important that all our residents feel part of these initiatives," Patrick said in a statement. "I look forward to hearing from all of my constituents on issues they care about most, and how the state can be a better partner to local communities. "