As part of his budget proposal Governor John Kasich (R) will support taking advantage of the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid in Ohio. This move comes as a bit of a surprise given that Kasich as been one of the biggest opponents of Obamacare, but in the end Kasich decided the expansion was too good a deal for the state to pass up.

Some of these you may have picked up from my Twitter feed, which is where I’m likely to be camped for every day of this affair, but just in case you missed it…

Fatster’s new roundup of link and stories on the weekend’s happenings, including Chen Guangcheng, reporter privilege, Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase, John Kasich, NAACP, marriage equality, Blockupy, los indignados, Quebec student strike, whaling, actic ice methane, ALEC, Julian Assange and more . . .

Dayen’s news roundup from late Monday, including stories on Attorney General Holder, oil speculators, Federal Reserve, John Kasich, Rush Limbaugh’s sponsors, Kucinich vs Kaptor, George Will, education protests, “bad” teachers, and much more.

This week’s holiday mandates giving thanks. For many Americans, that is complicated by the harsh years since 2008.

There’s the bitterness of lost jobs, foreclosed homes and diminished opportunity. There’s the resentment over bailing out Wall Street, then watching banksters grant themselves sensational bonuses while denying Main Street loans to save businesses. There’s the fear generated by county club conservatives demanding draconian cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

It’s hard to muster gratitude while suffering, to feel appreciative while dreading a meaner future.

Dayen gives his assessment of yesterday’s election results. Election Day 2011 is over, and the victories for Democrats – and more accurately, for liberal values – across the country largely shared a characteristic – they were successful defensive actions to stave off extremely draconian conservative objectives.

So, last night: 1. The “unholy alliance” of dirty fucking hippies unions and the middle class sent Pundit/Governor John Kasich down to crushing defeat in Ohio…overwhelmingly. “It’s clear the people have spoken,” the humbled Republican leader said from the Statehouse… ” And as a result of that, it requires me to take a deep breath [...]

Mitt Romney, recognizing that he stepped in it by refusing to endorse an anti-union ballot measure in Ohio while standing in the Republican Party HQ, where they were phone banking on that ballot measure, reversed course today, and desperately tried to associate himself with the initiative, which is doomed to go down to defeat in two weeks time.

The Ohio campaign to defeat SB5, the anti-union bill, has really ramped up over the past couple weeks. And it turns out that when both sides get to make their arguments, the state of Ohio dislikes the stripping of collective bargaining rights and the right to strike, according to the latest polling.

Their irresponsible position is that corporations and billionaires should not have to share the sacrifices needed to keep our economy on track for recovery. That is why they vehemently oppose efforts to cut corporate welfare and to eliminate subsidies for the oil companies. Unlike most Americans, who believe we should pull together to find real solutions, these politicians are intent on dividing Americans by destroying programs that have broad public support. At the same time, they have done all in their power to create instability in the economy and put more Americans out of work.