President-elect Barack Obama is promising the country's governors, including Virginia's Tim Kaine and West Virginia's Joe Manchin, that they will play a role in designing an economic recovery plan.

Obama says in remarks prepared for delivery to a governors meeting in Philadelphia that "if we're listening to our governors, we'll not only be doing what's right for our states, we'll be doing what's right for our country."

He also is sounding a bipartisan tone, telling Republican governors: "I offer you the same hand of friendship and cooperation that I offer our Democratic governors."

Obama told the he wants their advice in designing an economic recovery plan that would include tax cuts and increased federal spending.

The recession has caused big reductions in tax revenues. Virginia is among 43 states facing budget deficits.

West Virginia is one of the seven states that's not facing a budget deficit. But state leaders warn the souring national economy is starting to be felt in the Mountain State.

Manchin would like states to be given more flexibility in spending federal money.

Manchin spokesman Matt Turner says Manchin believes governors can make better use of the money but they aren't able to act on their ideas.

Vice President Joe Biden told the governors he hopes they will not criticize the incoming administration for raising the deficit as it tries to help them.

The meeting comes a day after the National Bureau of Economic Research announced that the U.S. economy has been in a recession for the past year.