Gov. Butch Otter, flanked by Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and a large group of GOP legislators, spoke out against the newly signed national health care reform bill at a press conference in his office today. "If it is a proper role for government to mandate that citizens buy certain products, then I'm going to get potatoes in line for 'em just as quick as I can," Otter declared. Otter, who's done a slew of national media interviews since he became the first governor to sign legislation rejecting the national reforms, said he thinks the multi-state federal lawsuit that Idaho joined this morning may well be successful. "Yes I do think it could be successful - if it isn't, it should be," Otter said. "I do disagree with the policy, and the process by which it's forced onto the citizenry of the state of Idaho."

He said, "I'm not going to say that there aren't some good things in this bill." But, Otter said, "On balance it's a takeover by the federal government of a health care system that I think has offered the best health care in the world." You can read the lawsuit here.