Governors, 2012 Presidential Election | featured news

In the aftermath of the presidential election, Republicans have been inundated with advice to moderate, equivocate, and even abandon their core principles as a necessary prerequisite for winning future elections.

Republicans eagerly looked to showcase Mitt Romney as a man who understands everyday Americans and a leader who can fix the economy, with GOP National Convention speeches Tuesday by the woman who knows him best and tough-talking New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is giving the keynote address at the Republicans’ national convention later this month. Christie, who considered a 2012 presidential bid of his own before endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is already at work on his speech to the convention in Tampa, Fla. His record of cutting his state's budget, curtailing public sector unions and dealing with a Democratic Legislature with disarming and combative confidence all were expected to be on display as he looked to fire up his party's base.

Sources have confirmed to Fox News that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be announced as the top speakers at the upcoming Republican National Convention.

Fresh from a foreign trip marked by a number of stumbles, Mitt Romney was back in his element late Thursday with 10 Republican governors in Basalt, Colo... New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer all accompanied Romney on his first day back campaigning in America since his trip overseas.

A spokesman for the National Guard Association of the United States told The State that Michael Haley may be the first spouse of a sitting governor to be deployed into a combat zone. Nikki Haley, 40, is a Republican who assumed office in 2011. She has been discussed as a potential vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney and hit the campaign trail days ago for the presumptive GOP nominee.

Gov. Rick Perry joined one other Republican governor and several GOP advisers in saying presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney should release his tax returns because transparency works best. “I’m a big believer that no matter who you are or what office you’re running for, you should be as transparent as you can be with your tax returns and other aspects of your life,” Perry said.

Democrats say the extra federal money attached to the expansion will prove too good for most governors to pass up, especially as Medicaid and other healthcare costs continue to soar... "My guess is that they will beat up the president for passing a great bill until he's re-elected and then join up and take the money because they know it's the best thing for their states," he told Reuters.

Just as former president Bill Clinton gives President Obama's campaign some heartburn, along comes former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush on Thursday ruled out any chance he will be the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee this year and suggested he might have missed his best chance to run for president.