Governors Show Candidate Partisanship at Meeting

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. —  The National Governors’ Assn. opened its annual meeting Saturday with a burst of presidential politics as Republican governors criticized Vice President Al Gore as a promoter of “the politics of false choice” and Democrats labeled Texas Gov. George W. Bush’s record as “less than stellar.”

Neither Bush nor Gore, the apparent Republican and Democratic nominees for president, planned to attend the NGA meeting. But there was no shortage of surrogates as the governors split into partisan groups and held back-to-back news conferences.

The Republicans, who hold 30 governorships compared with 18 for the Democrats, accused President Clinton and Gore of obstructing GOP initiatives on jobs, health care and Social Security.

“How could we expect anything else from a Gore administration?” asked Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore.

Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas J. Ridge, who is mentioned frequently as a possible Bush running mate, faulted the Democratic administration for politicizing the debate over prescription drug coverage and portraying it as an “us versus them” battle that pits senior citizens against drug companies.

Ridge called the strategy “the politics of division and the politics of false choice.”

Democratic governors huddled privately with Bill Daley, Gore’s new campaign manager, at a farm on the outskirts of State College before meeting with reporters.

“Leadership is not a birthright,” said Alabama Gov. Donald Siegelman.

Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening said Bush should not share credit for the successes of Republican administrations in other states.

“You cannot transfer accomplishments of some governors to a less-than-stellar performance by the Republican nominee,” Glendening said.

Earlier Saturday, presidential politics also dominated the NGA’s opening news conference, where Ridge, Glendening and Gov. Mike Leavitt of Utah tried to stress the more mundane policy concerns that dominate the agenda for the 3 1/2-day meeting. Clinton is scheduled to address the governors Monday.

“These are the issues that matter,” said Glendening, citing the increasing linkage between technology and economic growth, and the importance of education in preparing young people for a rapidly changing future.

Glendening, a Democrat, will succeed Leavitt as NGA chairman when the meeting concludes Tuesday.