|
 Kasich, 62, is considering a run for his party's nomination, which
would make him a potentially potent force in the Republican field as
he represents an important swing state in presidential elections.
But with more than a dozen Republicans either already in the race or
about to enter it, Kasich could easily be just another face on a
crowded stage searching for his own breakout moment.
Kasich, a former chairman of the House of Representatives Budget
Committee who was re-elected as Ohio's governor in November, sounded
like a presidential candidate during a 45-minute session with
reporters at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.
Kasich, who considered running for the White House in 2000 before
bowing out of the race, said he was optimistic that he will be able
to move forward with launching a campaign, but did not indicate when
he would make up his mind.
"I'm going to determine whether I’ll have the resources to win. If I
don't have the resources and I can’t see a path to victory, I’m not
going to do that," Kasich said.
Kasich, who served 18 years in Congress, touted his experience as a
key selling point for why Republican voters would want to give him a
look.
A fiscal conservative with an independent streak, he said he would
want to take on the role of problem-solver.
"The country's got a lot of problems. I think whether you’re a
Republican or a Democrat, the anxiety is not much different," he
said.
Kasich's decision to expand Medicaid, a government-funded health
program for the poor, in Ohio through President Barack Obama's
signature 2010 healthcare law has drawn scorn from conservatives.
[to top of second column]
|
Many Republican governors have opted not to expand Medicaid out of
opposition to the law, also known as Obamacare. The White House says
that position deprives the residents of those states of the federal
dollars that would be available to them.
Kasich defended his decision, saying the money is being used to
treat 10,000 mentally ill inmates in Ohio prisons.
"Here's what I'm faced with. I've got money I can bring home to Ohio
... It's not Washington's. It's the money that belongs to the people
of our state," he said.
Kasich also was unwilling to give his unabashed support to free
trade legislation that Obama and Republicans are trying to get
passed in Congress, saying he was concerned about its impact on the
U.S. labor market.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Paul Simao)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
