It takes a governor

Budgetary insights from the desk where the buck stops | Joel Belz

Bayh: Darron Cummings/AP • Daniels: Alex Brandon/AP

It takes a governor, I've come to think, to make a competent president. You're not ready for the presidency until you've actually headed a government. Senators and congressman learn a few leadership skills, I guess—but they can never point to their desks and say: "The buck stops here!" A governor can say that.

That's why I paid attention the other day when I saw something that came from the pen of the governor of Indiana. I won't prejudice you politically just yet by telling you his name. I do want to excerpt a few brief comments that come, as I mentioned, only with the experience that a governor brings to the table. Read with that thought in mind:

"State government finances are a wreck. The drop in tax receipts is the worst in a half century. Fewer than 10 states ended the last fiscal year with significant reserves, and three-fourths have deficits exceeding 10 percent of their budgets. Only an emergency infusion of printed federal funny money is keeping most state boats afloat right now."