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a Republican, about the contest for his party's Presidential nomination. Carlson compares this years contest to his run for governor, when, as incumbent, the conservative controlled state convention failed to endorse his ultimately successful re-election bid.

has joined a Chicago suburb in opposing a lawsuit which contends that private contractors who work for the government should have the same protection from political hiring and firing as do many public employees. He's asking the Supreme Court to reverse a 1990 ruling that declared the state's political patronage system unconstitutional.

to institute changes in the state's welfare system while not draining more money from the state's coffers to achieve that. One plan involves going to the private sector for help in getting some welfare recipients out of the dependency cycle.

NPR's Kathleen Schalch has this profile of former Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, who has used a strong finish in the Iowa caucuses to emerge among the top three contenders to win Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. Alexander's surge in the polls has brought a new wave of media scrutiny and questions about whether Alexander's folksy, conservative image squares with his record.

DANIEL SCHORR SPEAKS WITH ALICE RIVLIN, DIRECTOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, AND TOMMY THOMPSON, GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN AND CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION --- ABOUT THE GROWING INFLUENCE OF STATES. THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR'S ASSOCIATION HAD IT'S WINTER MEETING THIS WEEK.

Ley (Lee) Garnett of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports from Portland on the devastation from the week's rain and melting snow. The week's downpour has killed at least three people in Oregon and one in southern Washington state. In Portland, retaining walls along the Willamette River have been holding as the river nears it crest. But the Columbia River on the city's north side continues to rise. Half of Oregon's counties are disaster areas and the governor has asked for federal relief.

The nation's governors are in full agreement about how to revamp the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. But NPR's Joanne Silberner reports that there's no unanimity among Medicaid experts. Some say the proposals will give the states the flexibility to tailor programs to the needs of the poor. But others say they could leave people in need without health coverage.

President Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Dole addressed the National Governors' Association today. NPR's White House correspondent Mara Liasson reports both men praised the governors for coming up with a bipartisan compromise on Medicaid and welfare -- two of the biggest federal programs administered by the states and two of the biggest stumbling blocks in negotiations over a federal budget.

NPR's Joanne Silberner looks at the Medicaid compromise unanimously agreed to by the nation's governors. It gives states more power in administering the program while guaranteeing that certain nation-wide benefits for the poor and disabled are maintained.

with the issue of tort reform. Spurred by negative reaction over the state's high punitive damage awards, the governor wanted a cap of $750,000 in some cases. The business community wanted a smaller cap for all cases.