Kitzhaber gets a special invitation for the State of the Union

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will watch President Barack Obama's State of the Union address from first lady Michelle Obama's box, the governor's office said Monday.
Kitzhaber spokesman Tim Raphael said the White House extended the invitation Monday morning, presumably to highlight Kitzhaber's health care and education initiatives. He said the governor is honored by the invitation to the Tuesday night speech.
"The president understands the value of partnering with states to drive innovation, and it's gratifying for our efforts here in Oregon to be recognized," Raphael said.
The Obama administration has given Oregon $1.9 billion and a waiver from standard Medicaid rules to help put Kitzhaber's health reforms into practice. The governor says Oregon can improve health and lower costs by managing chronic diseases and preventing avoidable hospitalizations for patients on Medicaid, the health plan for people with low incomes.
If Oregon's effort is successful, Kitzhaber says it would be a model for others states to manage the federal health care overhaul. Millions more Americans, will be eligible for Medicaid on Jan. 1 under Obama's Affordable Care Act.
The governor also has worked to streamline the education system and improve transitions into and out of the K-12 school system so young pupils are ready for kindergarten and graduating seniors look toward higher education.
He's also pushed to improve early-childhood education by tracking results from preschool programs in hopes of replicating the most successful.
The agenda Obama will outline Tuesday before a joint session of Congress will include more money for infrastructure, clean energy technologies and manufacturing jobs, as well as expanding access to early childhood education.
It's unclear whether Obama will mention Kitzhaber or Oregon in his speech, but the first lady's guests often have ties to a proposal or initiative the president will outline in his address.
On Thursday, Obama will press for expanded early childhood education, perhaps going so far as to call for universal pre-school, when he travels to the Atlanta area.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
One moron going to watch another moron.
Kitzhaber is an obozoid democraptic parrot.
Known for his blue jeans and cowboy boots, they just wanted to point and laugh at the hill billy that Oregon voted in as governor! Everybody needs a good laugh, and Kitzauber deserves to be laughed at.
Ted Nugent also received a "special" invitation. So, that's put's both of them in the same category. With the exception that Ted Nugent will pay his own way with his own money. And WE will pay through the nose for Kitzhaber's fun filled all frills included trip. Money's no object, that's the liberal democrat's motto.
I see the vast majority on here, have one thing in agreement, they do not like kitz period.
Let's see, airline tickets and accommodations for him and his OSP protectors, and any other elected D-words heading cross-country? All at our taxpayer expense, I betcha!
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 @TheUglyTruthÂ
What an intelligent comment. Â Is that the very best you can come up with? Â Or is there more stupid pent up inside all that ugliness?
His work on streamlining the kids from K12 to college requires students to take college courses while in High School, so they are "ready" for college. The problem is - this is such a blanket but does nothing about fixing the education problem in the lower grades. Fix the system right!
@washcomom We have a 68% high school graduation rate in Oregon and Kitzhaber wants high school students to take college course as a prerequisite for graduation. What's wrong with this picture?
Kitzhabers just going to explain why he shut down the Gillnet fleet and why he gave Nike such a great no tax deal. He also needs to explain that Federal policies are hurting his spending policies.He needs to remove more trees to support his out of control spending.It would be nice if the white house invited someone who represents all Oregonians not just Kitzhabers special interest.
Stop whining about what this trip will cost, the Oregon Court of Appeals just suspended Kitzhabers Gillnet Ban. They say it will take at least another 18 Months to hear all the Evidence, just think of the legal fees that will be paid to fight this out. The sad part is that the Gillnetters are allready using a much better method with the Tangle Net Seasons where they have only 40 minutes to fish and have resusitation boxes to revive tired fish.. It works great and they are allready set up for it all they have to do is replace old gear as it wears out. 200 Gillnetters got 102 Hours to fish last year, over 20,000 Sportfishermen got over 220 Days, who killed more Fish, Endangered or not? The courts will see the truth and the greed and decide what is right if they stay out of Politics. Even Courts have a hard time denying Facts.
He should sit at home and watch it on TV. I shudder to think about the amount of carbon that will be burned shuttling him to and from Washington DC for a speech. He doesn't NEED to be there. Why would any American NEED to be there when it can be watched on TV?
 @UnknownÂ
You don't NEED to have sex with a real woman, you can just watch porn, amiright? Â Boy, you "conservatives" are sure bitter bunch of whiny babies.
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One about Oregon, we recycle politicians, for change
Who was the Republican congressman who invited Ted Nugent to the "State of the union" as his guest? Give em hell Teddy
@Ghetto Baby Teddy's just going to crap is pants again like he did when he dodged the draft. Such an admirable American.
I wonder if King Kitzhaber will be required to dress appropriately or if he will wear jeans like he did when the President came to PDX to campaign for him. Nothing like having an Oregon senior citizen hippy and cowboy wannabe representing the great State of Oregon.
Well as long as Governor Palpatine is in DC he can do no more harm here!
whos paying for his trip???
Put the Oregon idiot next to the White House Idiot. They will jointly play a significant role in the destruction of the US by giving over the United States to mexico our third world neighbour aka the worlds largest garbage dump.
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Two traitors!!!!!!
two wrotten peas in a pod
Time to polish up your favorite belt buckle Kitz...try to impress the Fat Cats in Washington DC with your down home look and your losing style.....
Why not just grab the babies at he hospital and take them the Kitzhabber state acadamy orphanage and end the risk of dangerous exposure to false heresies such as not worshipping big government.
@Ramona he wants to grow them into oregon lottery video terminal addicts...more money that way...
I got an inside look at what Kitzhaber's plant was for early childhood education "reform" and enrolled my child in private school. That guy's a bureaucrat, who's going to hire a czar to hire more bureaucrats to do some studies, and then cut a bunch of programs and schools and non-union jobs to create a new union-based system that's basically less effective and more expensive.
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What was Oregon thinking?!
Lottery dollars do good things
@Bert 86,000 addicts, effect ten people each, thats lets see,,,hillsboro, tigard, beaverton, and then some...yea thats good when they cant pay their bills, live on welfare, food stamps, and gamble cause its on the corner,,,,not like they would drive...hmmmmm...good things...it does bad things duh!
@A Oregonian The lottery funds saved  the schools
@Bert NOÂ they did not our schools are still underfunded, or actually mis managed, and at what cost, you wish that on your fellow oregonian?
Kitzhaber was gov when assisted suicide became law. He seems to kill the helpless and a advocate to keep killers alive must be a kindred spirit
Did the doctor oath part "do no harm" go away
Kitzhaber is for killing the unborn and against the death penalty for convicted killers.
I hope he packed dress slacks to wear and not jeans.
 @JLO I love his blue jeans look.  It is part of his persona.
Now our wonderful governor who gets invited to the state of the union after what Kitzhaber did originally by shutting senator hill up when this originally came up in the 90's. Makes you wonder what he offered him, state treasure position? Kitzhaber can do no harm, created 86,000 addicts as a doctor he should have known this is a mental addiction if not he was as incompetent as a doctor as he is as a governor. 16,000 state terminals vs 4000 indian terminals across the state, Starbucks casinos sucking the life blood out of the people of this state who use to save to go to vegas or a casino once a year. We never voted on vlts, maybe we should start a state wide ballot measure to ban them, I don't wish them on my fellow citizens, its not healthy, financially, physically, or emotionally for their families. Kitzhaber does harm by initiating it and allowing it to continue, the Oregon lottery does bad things to good Oregonians, not someone we want repersenting our state and this is just one example
 @A Oregonian Whiner
@RandyH @A Oregonian Troll.
@RandyH Sorry there was a whole line missing here, Kitzhaber had to get the votes for his health care plan, and this is why he got the invitation, when he got the votes for his health plan by selling out oregon, each addict affects 10-15 people,,,do the math Randy, thats the size of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard, and then some. Thats not whining, thats the fact jack,,,,,and most of it was to line the insurance companies, and docs...duh
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Fitting they'd invite a socialist to listen to the head socialist speak.
 @axpman Another whiner
@RandyH @axpman Troll.
Oregonians put this do nothing jerk in office.......again. Oregon... Progressive.??? Nope........stupid !
 @Rob C 503 Just another whiner, if you don't like it move to China.
@RandyH .......let me guess......you didn't graduate at the top of your class.
why move to china, obama is turning this country to communism. We'll be there soon enough
@RandyH @Rob C 503 Troll.
Now we have all the Obama's In DC!
 @Mark B Even another whiner.
@RandyH @Mark B Troll.
Anybody throws shoes at Kitzhaber, he's got it covered.
 @xilef regnu He cannot even see...