I know that the First Amendment...

…doesn't specifically mention Governors, but this still sounds outrageous, not to mention illegal...

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is a public official accountable to taxpayers. But he is demanding a news blackout tomorrow when he releases the state’s budget plan. Kasich has forbidden reporters to broadcast any videos, photos or audio recordings during or after his afternoon budget briefing for the press.

The Ohio press corps should show up with every recording device they can find and force him to try to enforce that demand.

Thanks a hundred and sixty one million…

…to Republican Governors-elect John Kasich and Scott Walker, who are giving up federal stimulus money for rail projects in their states. It'll be spread around a bit, but that's a nice chunk coming to the upper left...

The other states that will get Ohio and Wisconsin’s money will be Washington, which will get up to $161 million; Illinois, which will get $42.3 million; and New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oregon, North Carolina, Iowa, and Indiana, which will all get less than $10 million.

So, thanks again, guys. We can use the money. And the jobs. The trains, too.


(I'm just guessing, but I'm betting that it's an educated guess, that thanks are also in order to Senator Murray for getting us such a prime spot on that list.)