In Las Vegas visit, GOP governors pass blame to GOP Congress

By Kyle Roerink

Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015 | 5:25 p.m.

The Republican Governors Association arrived in Las Vegas this week to talk about how great the party is doing at the state level.

The group, which is holding its annual summit at the Encore Las Vegas, is a political arm of the GOP in state capitals nationwide. The party currently boasts 31 sitting governors nationwide and an uptick in the economy. But what it’s not championing is the work of their peers in Washington and some presidential candidates. RGA members gathered to talk about how to change D.C., the presidential primary and Syria on Wednesday. During a panel, here’s what governors from South Carolina, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico and Maryland had to say to the 300 people who attended Day 1 of the conference:

WE’RE NOT THE PROBLEM

Of course, there was plenty of President Barack Obama bashing. But the governors were kind of self-reflexive, saying that Republicans are part of the dysfunction in Washington. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the party promised big things during the 2014 midterm election cycle that saw Republicans take both chambers of Congress. With inauguration day nine months gone, Haley and her colleagues said the dysfunction is on both sides of the aisle. They said there would be action, she said.

“We haven’t felt life change,” she said.

She did say that the party needs to brand itself as a party of inclusion and cited her work in dealing with a police brutality case that led to a bipartisan body camera law.

“What Republicans need to learn is to not stand in our own corners and chat among ourselves,” she said.

The inertia in Washington is one roadblock that could get in the way of electing a Republican president, she said. Another is having a Democrat return to the office for four more years.

“Just imagine the successes we could have if we have a president that listens to us,” she said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said multiple times that constituents perceive D.C. to be the problem.

“It’s the states that are getting things done,” he said.

WHO TO PICK

GOP governors are wondering why GOP governors are not doing well in the presidential polls. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal dropped out of the race this week. Before that it was Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

At the event, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Donald Trump is leading in his state because he’s done a good job with talking about jobs. Trump is currently beating two Florida residents running for the GOP presidential nod: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush.

“It’s still early,” he said.

There aren’t too many top-tier Republicans with gubernatorial experience remaining. Bush, along with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are still in the running but lagging in the polls.

Hogan was the only governor who has endorsed a candidate: Chris Christie.

In reference to Trump and Ben Carson, Hogan said that “some of the outsiders running aren’t the best people to be running the country.”

SYRIA

The GOP cohort stood strong on the national Republican opposition to allowing Syrian refugees to enter the nation, citing fears that the nation doesn’t have enough intelligence on refugees from the war-torn country.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said the president was “dismissive” to the GOP calls, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said the White House was doing “damage control.”

They joined at least 32 other governors nationwide who said they would block Syrian refugees from entering the country in the wake of the Paris terrorist attack by ISIS.

“We need to be heard loud and clear,” Martinez said. “We want to know the process and how they’re doing this,” Martinez said.