Last week I was offered and accepted a position in Washington, D.C. that will make it impossible for me to continue with publication of this website.

Accepting the job was not a difficult decision. It is a great opportunity. The need to cease daily publication of this website is a difficult reality to face, but it is the right thing to do.

I want to begin this final post by thanking the loyal readers of Governors Journal. When I say “we have a growing national audience in all 50 states,” I mean it. The numbers show GoJo has steadily increased readership since it went live eighteen months ago.

The goal of the website was simple: To cover governors from a national perspective.

Governors are the subject of heavy news coverage in their own states, but rarely does the news media – as it exists today – offer coverage of the national policy and political conversation from the perspective of the fifty governors.

I was seeking to fill that void and despite this abrupt ending, I consider GoJo to have been a success.

I was looking forward to completing coverage of the Wisconsin recall election. I also planned reporting trips this year to North Carolina, the state of Washington and this summer’s meetings of the various regional governors’ meetings. But life intervened in those plans and I spent the weekend driving back to D.C. so I can begin my new assignment.

In addition to the thousands of readers of the site, subscribers to the GoJo Daily Briefing and those of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook; I’d like to thank the numerous people who helped make the site a success.

Among those I’d like to thank personally – in this space – are: Jeanne Leblanc, who designed GoJo. Doug Hardy and Paul Bass who provided me with their expertise on beginning a guerilla news operation on the Internet. Connie Campanella of Stateside Associates – my major sponsor. And Google News for listing GoJo as a trusted site late last year.

I’d also like to thank the governors and their press staffs for cooperating with me. That includes the staffs of the Democratic and Republican governors associations, the regional associations and the Washington, D.C. offices of the fifty states.

I still believe there is a market for political news from a strictly gubernatorial perspective and the lessons I have learned since launching GoJo will not go to waste. In a couple of weeks we intend to preserve the content of the site off line in case there is an opportunity to revive it in the future.

This could include the purchase of Governors Journal by another party interested in pursuing coverage of the governors using a for-profit model.

I hate to leave in the middle of a party, but there really is no other choice. I apologize for the short notice, but there are times in everyone’s life when a choice presents itself and a decision has to be made. Thank you for understanding my decision.

Thank you for your support, your encouragement and for making Governors Journal part of your daily news habit.

Sincerely,

Dean Pagani

Managing Editor

Photo: Wisconsin state Capitol dome at night. Madison, Wisconsin.

Gay Marriage

There is a flurry of discussion over the issue itself and the political implications of the president’s decision on the race for the White House and local campaigns.

No where is the impact more obvious than Colorado where Governor John Hickenlooper(D) has called a special session for Monday in hopes of forcing a vote on a civil unions bill that died this week at the end of the regular session. More.

Wisconsin - There are strong signs this morning that Governor Scott Walker(R) has been able to get a commanding jump start in the recall campaign.

A new poll of likely voters shows Walker leading Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett(D) by five points.

But more importantly, it is apparent that the Walker team was ready to launch an aggressive campaign the morning after Tuesday’s primary – and they have. The Barrett campaign seems slow out of the blocks in comparison and on a track to lose much of the first week to a well organized Walker machine. More.

Follow Governors Journal on Twitter @GJournal.

Minnesota - Governor Mark Dayton(DFL) has turned a potential public relations disaster into a major political victory. After months of negotiations, the state Senate has given final approval to a bill that will allow for the construction of a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. The deal came together in the last two weeks as the team and the NFL made clear the Vikings might be forced to move if they couldn’t get an upgraded facility. More.

Veep - As another round of weekend speculation begins about who Mitt Romney(R) will pick as a running mate, Real Clear Politics has a talker on the possibility of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. More.

Oklahoma - Governor Mary Fallin(R) continues to push her legislature to enact income tax cuts this session. She is one of three midwestern governors who would like to see their income tax eliminated in the coming years in the race to be more competitive. More.

New Jersey - An unexpected veto from Governor Chris Christie(R). Citing the pending case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Christie has vetoed a bill that would have begun the process of setting up a statewide health insurance exchange. He said the smart thing to do right now is wait for the court’s decision. More.

The GoJo Wire is updated all day long. Check in often. Like us on Facebook. Ask a friend to sign up for the GoJo Daily Briefing.

To advertise, contact dean@governorsjournal.com.

It’s the first major survey of the race since Barrett was officially chosen as the Democratic nominee.

Wisconsin political observers still continue to say the race is a pure toss up.

Read More: Rasmussen – Walker Poll

Fallin is one of three mid-western Republican governors to take a major swing at the income tax this year with the goal of eventually eliminating the tax completely.

Read More: NewsOK.com – Income Tax Cut

He says moving forward at this time may place an un-necessary burden on state taxpayers when the fate of the national healthcare progam is in limbo.

Read More: NJ.com – Healthcare Veto

From state capitals to Washington, D.C. the decision is the focus of debate and analysis both on the merits of the policy and the political ramifications for the presidential race and local elections.

No where is the debate more focused than in Colorado where the state legislature was punting on the issue almost at the same time Obama was announcing his support for it.

Thursday, Governor John Hickenlooper(D) called for a special session to finish the debate over a civil unions bill and have a vote.

The governor supports the legislation. Colorado legislative leaders were able to use the calendar to avoid voting on it this week as time ran out on the regular session.

Read More: Denver Post – Special Session Called

The difficulty faced by his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett(D) is evidenced by Walker’s hard charging campaign schedule, his use of the power of the governor’s office to dominate news media coverage and a television ad campaign that was obviously ready to launch the morning after Barrett’s nomination was confirmed.

Barrett’s own campaign is off to a slow start comparatively speaking demonstrating how the short campaign calendar favors the incumbent.

In the post primary analysis there is also good news for Walker.

Questions are being raised about the strength of the Democratic/union alliance following Barrett’s 20 point drubbing (Wisconsin State Journal) of union backed candidate Kathleen Falk(D) and Walker’s impressive vote totals that nearly matched those posted by all four Democratic candidates combined (Bloomberg).

Finally, Walker is making a strong case that the policies he pushed through – that sparked the recall campaign – are actually working. The state is now projecting a budget surplus less than two years after facing a $3.6 billion deficit.

Read More: Wisconsin State Journal – Budget Surplus

After months of work by Dayton and others, the state Senate gave final legislative approval to the package Thursday.

It represents a major political victory for the governor at the same time  it represents the avoidance of a major public relations disaster; the potential loss of an important pro-sports franchise.

Read More: MinnPost – Vikings Bill Passes

Jindal is serving his second term and Real Clear Politics reports many Republican insiders and other political observers see a path for him to the vice presidential nomination and there are no concerns that he is not up to the job.

Read More: RCP – Jindal VP

It will be the second time in less than two years the two men have faced each other for the state’s top office. This time however, Walker is battling for his political life in a union backed campaign to remove him from office before the end of his first term.

Barrett entered the race only a month ago, just a few days after winning re-election to the mayor’s office in Milwaukee. He faced three other candidates in the Democratic primary, including former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk(D), the candidate preferred by labor.

Speaking to supporters Tuesday night, Falk pledged her support to Barrett. In recent days Democrats have taken steps to send a clear message that there are no hard feelings as a result of the four way primary and that all are united in the goal of defeating Walker. The party plans to hold an event Wednesday – including all four candidates – to make clear their unity.

Even before Walker took the stage Tuesday night his campaign taunted Barrett with a news release pointing out his record as a gubernatorial candidate – Barrett has run and lost twice before – and his record as mayor of Milwaukee. The Walker campaign has been running television ads accusing Barrett of being a “failed leader.”

Barrett has promised to call a special session to try to reverse Walker’s collective bargaining reforms, if he wins the June 5th election. He has accused Walker of starting a “civil war” and has pledged to get the state back on the right track. Walker says Barrett’s platform will actually continue the strife by re-hashing last year’s debate even though Democrats don’t have the votes necessary to repeal Walker’s reforms.

Walker further charges that Barrett has actually used Walker’s labor reforms to balance his city’s budget. Barrett does not deny that charge, but says he had no choice, because along with the collective bargaining changes, Walker’s budget reduced state spending in Milwaukee by $15 million.

Both Walker and Barrett timed their primary night speeches in an effort to lead the local ten o’clock news. The result was they ended up talking over each other, but the campaign themes they intend to use came through loud and clear.

Barrett attacked Walker for touring the country in an effort to build himself up as a leader  of the conservative movement while the citizens of Wisconsin struggle to find employment.

“In difficult times we do not need a leader who will divide us we need a leader who will bring us together,” Barrett said, “ and that is the leader I will be.

“We all know what’s going on here. Scott Walker, instead of staying home in Wisconsin and focusing on creating jobs here has decided that he is going to be a rock star. A rock star to the far right in this nation.”

Barrett went on to accuse Walker of dividing Wisconsin “like it has never been divided before” and left another question hanging in the air in advance of what is expected to be two Walker/Barrett debates. Barrett asked his supporters if Wisconsin wants “a governor who has to have a legal defense fund?”

The line is a reference to the on-going “John Doe” investigation into Walker’s 2010 campaign. A probe Walker insists is not targeting him personally.

Walker is clearly trying to warn Wisconsin voters that by supporting Barrett they would take the state backward to a period of record unemployment and stagnant growth. He cited Milwaukee’s high unemployment rate and statistics showing unemployment statewide at its lowest level since 2008.

Walker asked his supporters, and the television audience watching at home, whether they wanted to go back to the bad old days, or move Wisconsin forward. The governor’s supporters responded “forward,” over and over again.

“That’s the real choice people will have four weeks from today. Do we go backwards, or do we go forwards? Do we go back to the days of double digit taxes increases, billion dollar budget deficits, or record job loss, or do we take the positive foundation that we’ve built together to move Wisconsin forward?”

It was clear by the tone and substance of the remarks by both men that the war over Walker’s reforms is meant to be settled once and for all on June 5th. It is also clear that the winner’s first job will be to bring the state back together after what promises to be a bruising campaign.