Received via e-mail:

Washington, D.C. – This evening, Governor Martin O’Malley, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, released the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“President Obama’s focus tonight on increasing America’s global competitiveness is welcome news in states across our country, and to American businesses and families. Our nation is in a fight for its economic future and it is a fight in which every state has an important role to play to win the future.

“Democratic governors have been singularly focused on creating jobs, managing for results, and making the tough – but fiscally responsible decisions – to improve public education, make college more affordable, and spur innovation to help businesses create jobs.

“Democratic governors support President Obama’s results-oriented approach to reduce the deficit and invest in the right priorities to fuel innovation and move America forward by creating new jobs and new opportunities for America’s families.

“And Democratic governors will continue every day to make the tough choices to ensure that our states – and our nation – are poised for success in the new global economy. We look forward to working with President Obama and Congress to achieve this end.”

Martin O’Malley is the governor of Maryland.

I’m not sure whether this qualifies as “damning with faint praise”, but I’m fairly certain that being from Maryland, O’Malley knows the states are going to get nothing from a Republican controlled House.

CNN notes that Democratic leaders slam Obama veto threat.

The biggest problem was this sentence: “If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.”

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer & Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid didn’t like it, and don’t want to cede any Congressional power to the Executive, but they’re Democrats, so Obama doesn’t care what they think.

The Miami Herald reports that Florida governor Rick Scott moves to delay redistrict plan

TALLAHASSEE — Two voter-approved constitutional amendments requiring the Legislature to draw political districts along nonpartisan standards could be jeopardized by one of Gov. Rick Scott’s first acts.

Three days after Scott took office, the state quietly withdrew its request that the U.S. Justice Department approve Amendments 5 and 6 as required under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, effectively stalling their implementation just as a Republican-led lawsuit challenges their constitutionality.

At the time, Scott was recruiting as his top elections advisor Kurt Browning, who actively campaigned against the two ballot measures last fall while not working for the state. Browning’s spokesman said he had no role in the decision.

When Republicans talk about the “will of the people”, they don’t include people who disagree with them. There is nothing more disagreeable to Florida Republicans than having election districts based on something other than party affiliation. They spent a lot of time and effort ensuring that every Republican vote is worth two non-Republican votes by drawing election districts, and they don’t want to give up that advantage.

The anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet under Captain Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson in New South Wales on January 26^th, 1788.

Here’s the official site, and more information at Wikipedia.

Australians really need a holiday right now.

Celebrates the establishment of the Republic of India on January 26^th, 1950 when its new Constitution took effect.

The parade at New Delhi is, bar none, the most colorful military parade in the world. Hopefully this year the elephants are behaving, so they will appear.

Here’s the official site, and, as the Wikipedia entry is really pathetic, here is a tourist site with more information.