NYTimes -- Democratic Governors Push for Bigger Role in Party Policy

The governors, here for the winter meeting of Democratic Governors Association, said they now expected to have a voice in drafting the Democratic Party response to President Bush's economic plan — and they criticized Congressional leaders for not challenging Mr. Bush's tax cuts during the election.

The Democratic governors promoted their political dominance, noting, for example, that they would preside over 53 percent of the population.

"I believe that we focused on a message that mattered to people," Mr. Musgrove said. "The message has been consistent over time: People are concerned about their jobs."

Mr. McGreevey said, "Democratic governors focused with clarity on the economy, which was politically important."

And he went on: "I think that the Bush tax cut provided a unique opportunity for Democrats to clearly delineate where each of the respective parties ought to have stood."