GOP Governors Strongly Criticize Reagan's Policies: GOP Governors Strongly Criticize Reagan
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 15ÛÓ Republican governors, their ranks thinned by the Nov. 2 midterm election, turned on President ReaganÛªs representatives here today and blamed their losses on the nationwide unemployment problem and administration policies that are ÛÏscaring people to death.Û</br></br>South Dakota Gov. William Jank-low, a conservative Republican, used that phrase in arguing with White House pollster Richard B. WirthlinÛªs claim that there is broad public support for ReaganÛªs policies and the Republican Party faces ÛÏno problem that canÛªt be solved by a 3 percent growth rate.Û</br></br>The 19 Republican governors gathered hereÛÓalmost a third of whom will not be back in office next yearÛÓlisted a dozen other concerns, ranging from huge federal budget deficits, excessive military spending and a general perception that ÛÏRepublicans care only about the richÛ to antagonism of minorities and women, tolerance of narrow-focus, negative campaign groups, and what Janklow called ÛÏscrewball ideas" for changing Social Security.</br></br>, The public spanking of the administration by the Republican governors marked a political turning point. For the past two years, while some of them had grumbled privately about ReaganÛªs spending priorities, they had strongly supported his efforts to slow the growth of the federal budget, cut taxes and shift programs back to the states.</br></br>Richard S. Williamson, the assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and ranking administration official at the meeting, at-See GOVERNORS. A5, Col. 1 tributed the critical outburst to ÛÏnervousness about the Election results,Û which reduced the number of GOP governors from 23 to 16 and left several of the survivors severely shaken.