Governors' races are ground zero for health law politics

In November, Republicans will defend 22 of 36 governors' seats. Last time around, the health law appeared -- in many cases -- to work in GOP candidates' favor. Meanwhile, at the National Governors Association summer meeting, the health law also was a hot topic for at least one state executive eyeing a run for the White House.

The New York Times: Republicans Replay 2010 Strategy At State Level
Four years after an economic crisis and opposition to Mr. Obama's health care law propelled Republicans to capture a lopsided majority of statehouses across the country, they are faced with a staggering political task: defending 22 of the 36 executive mansions that will be up for grabs in November, led by a governor who is trying to rebound from a scandal. While the sheer scale of Republican gains four years ago offers Democrats a wealth of opportunities to win, the political environment appears to be tilting again in the Republicans' direction (Martin and Confessore, 7/12).

The Hill: Christie Jabs Obama: Obamacare A 'Failure'
In what could be the latest move toward a 2016 presidential bid, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) offered a wide-ranging critique of President Obama's domestic and foreign policies. Speaking to reporters at the National Governors Association on Saturday, Christie labeled Obamacare, the administration's signature legislation, a "failure on a whole number of levels" and said it should be repealed. "But has to be repeal and replace with what. It can't just be about repeal," Christie told the audience. "What I've said before is, what Republicans need to be doing is putting forth alternatives for what should be a better healthcare system" (Matishak, 7/12).

The Associated Press: Biden Calls On Governors To Lead Nation
The vice president's comments came during the first day of the governors' three-day conference in Nashville, where state leaders from both parties gathered to collaborate despite intensifying partisan differences on immigration, health care and education (Peoples and Schelzig, 7/11).