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Granholm to Europe, Dem Legislature back to the beach and McCain's Michigan op heads for the exits?

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 07:36:47 AM EST

Lansing politics, national politics and world politics in the news this morning, and all with an on-the-ground impact here in Michigan. Let's start on the big stage, shall we?

Reaction is starting to pour in to Governor Granholm's announcement of her summer vacation plans for this August. Not surprisingly MRP issued a press release and they didn't like the idea of her European sight-seeing tour anymore than I did. But Daniel Howes at the Detroit News has a whole different perspective this morning. It's not that she shouldn't leave the state, it's that she should be heading to C-H-I-N-A.

Officially, the Granholm Administration has "not ruled out going to China," says Elizabeth Boyd, the governor's press secretary. "We are not ignoring the China market."
It sure looks otherwise, though.
...Michigan Economic Development Corp. President Jim Epolito has been there. The state has a full-time consultant in Shanghai. And today, the MEDC's Michigan Global Partnership is scheduled to meet to map out a trip to China, most likely in the fall.
All of which sounds like the Granholm Administration is playing catch-up. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has twice led delegations to China. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, has been twice and is planning a third mission in October. Even Teamsters President Jim Hoffa is fresh from a fact-finding trip to China that, he admits, changed his mind.

So it's not as if she's unaware of the benefits of outreach to the Chinese market. It's just that going there herself would seemingly fly in the face of her scathing criticism of a particular gubernatorial candidate in 2006. Heck, Mark Brewer might even issue a press release condemning her and claiming she'd become a communist.

Michigan Democrats have painted themselves into an ugly little corner here. Instead of reaching out to the fastest growing economy in the world, an economy that Chrysler just tapped to build small cars to be exported to the United States (still waiting for the MDP news conference on that one) she's heading to Germany. Again. For the third time now.

She can't possibly truly believe that doing business with China is a bad thing. She wouldn't have sent Epolito and she'd have nixed MEDC's fall plans. But she can't be seen as a flip-flopper now can she? So she schedules European retreats (in countries where Amway / Alticor does business, by the way), ignores the market everywhere but behind closed doors and perpetuates the xenophobia and latent racism that powered her party to victory in 2006. Just what you want from a leader.

Read on...

And while Jennifer Granholm gets out her maps and searches online for the finest bed and breakfast in Berlin her Democrat friends in the House of Representatives continue to enjoy their summer break. 182 Days now since Andy Dillon sounded the alarm and called his caucus to immediate action.

The Lansing State Journal isn't such a fan of their continued intransigence, publishing a scathing op-ed in this morning's edition.

On Monday, leaders of the House and Senate said they were not reconvening the Legislature this week. This reverses a decision of just days' vintage, in which both chambers said they would convert planned two-week vacations into one-week absences, apparently in deference to the budget mess.
But the boating, golf, fishing or whatever it is lawmakers do to relax from not doing their jobs proved too enticing. The two-week vacation is back on; the Legislature won't reconvene until July 17 - 75 days before the start of the next budget year.

For the record, that'll be 188 days since Dillon proclaimed:

"We are facing a budget shortfall this current fiscal year in excess of $500 million and next year's is in excess of $3 billion. Bottom line: We have a lot of work to do...
"We did this in anticipation of the looming budget crisis and the need for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work immediately."

The Detroit Free Press is reporting this morning that a few local Presidential campaign staffers are "enjoying" an unexpected vacation too.

The big news in Decision 2008 news yesterday was the massive reshuffling of John McCain's leadership team. People were fired, people resigned, people assumed new responsibilities. Sort of a parallel to John Edward's retooling last week. This time, though, there's a direct impact here in Michigan.

Tuesday's announcement that McCain's national campaign manager and other top officials were leaving could have further repercussions in Michigan, where the organization already had announced it was letting many of its paid staffers go and cutting state director John Yob's pay.
"He's decimating his staff," said J. Ann Selzer, president of Selzer & Co., a Des Moines, Iowa, firm that does polling for the Free Press. "From all outward appearances, the campaign is collapsing on itself. ... He's having to choose where to place his efforts."

Apparently right now that doesn't include Michigan. This is a big time disappointment to a lot of long-time grassroots leaders especially in West Michigan. Michigan Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob, John's father, has been a big McCain booster as far back as November 8, 2006. John's been laying the groundwork for the campaign even longer than that, heading up the Senator's Michigan operations for the last several years (it was no surprise McCain was running for President).

There are some good people looking for work right now as a result of the campaign changes and the Grand Rapids office, located right next to the Kent County GOP HQ and staffed by former KCRC staffers is apparently closed, too. Not fun for McCain fans in Michigan.

It remains to be seen how this might shake things up with the activist base. One would expect news like this to be followed by defections from supporters at the community, if not state level. But to whom would they run? That supposed Fred Thompson announcement might be coming at a very opportune time.

< Granholm announces her own summer vacation plans | Juli on the Web does Governor Granholm >

Granholm to Europe, Dem Legislature back to the beach and McCain's Michigan op heads for the exits? | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)

Three Times to Germany?? (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by B Post on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 08:35:42 AM EST

What's up with the Gov visiting Germany 3 times? Does she think that's the only place in the world where business takes place? I seriously hope she comes back with a report card of the casework she's supposedly going to do there, because if it's not casework, it's a junket at this point.

Wasn't there a song... by John Galt, 07/11/2007 09:00:22 AM EST (none / 0)

It's VACATION (none / 0) (#2)
by sandmman on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 08:45:27 AM EST

You seriously think she's going there for anything that would benefit our state?'

If it would to be to benefit our state - it would be ONE WAY!

How do conservatives (1.00 / 1) (#4)
by NoviDemocrat on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 09:31:49 AM EST

justify dealings with China?

Communist government? Check.
Repressive, willing to crush dissent and ignores basic human rights(Tiananmen Square anyone?) Check.
Nuclear threat to the US(or at least our allies)? Check.

Yet Nick is rah-rah-ing the idea that we should be rewarding the Chinese government for their bad behavior. It's even more interesting when placed in contrast to the typical conservative position on Cuba which insists on no trade with Castro when the Cuban government is very similiar to the Chinese (Communist and repressive).

As far as I can tell, the only difference between China and Cuba is that there's more money to be made in China than Cuba and apparently, when it gets to the bottom line, the almighty dollar rules over principles.

China (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Nick on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 09:59:58 AM EST

You're absolutely right that there need to be changes in China. Tons of them.

But comparing China to Cuba doesn't actually match. Looks good in a soundbyte but the realities on the ground are vastly different.

Every day China is democratizing through economic growth. People are experiencing more and more freedoms, something that can't be said for Cuba.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not defending Communist China. Afterall, they are COMMUNIST China. From Bible burning, torture and execution of Christian missionaries and the jailing of political dissidents to the forced killing of newborn babies (only different from a standard abortion in terms of the baby's geography, mind you) there are a million reasons why change is important.

And economic freedom is proving to be a powerful agent of social change. But yeah, it's not enough.

My issue isn't so much that we HAVE to be in China. My issue is that the radical left in Michigan, including Governor Granholm and Chairman Mao(rk) Brewer can't have it both ways. Consistency from the top would certainly be nice.

If you're going to demonize a company for building 400 Michigan jobs to support Chinese business without exporting a single product back to the US but you give a complete pass to a company laying off 1,400 employees while partnering with China specifically to build cars cheaper and export them to the United States, well, that's a pretty glaring double standard.

Where's the difference (1.00 / 1) (#6)
by NoviDemocrat on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:44:19 PM EST

"Every day China is democratizing through economic growth. People are experiencing more and more freedoms, something that can't be said for Cuba."

Uh, do you think that might be because the US has an embargo against almost all trade with Cuba? If economic trade with China is "democratizing", why doesn't that same principal apply to Cuba.

(Interesting idea that economic activity with dictators is a "democratizing" process. Too bad that flies in the face of history and dictators like Saddam and Franco and the various South American juntas who all had trade with the US or the world at large and yet never got to the democracy part.)

I'm not making a values statement (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by Nick on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 01:46:14 PM EST

on doing commerce in China. But I've got a few things around the house that read "MADE IN CHINA." It's true.

Just pointing out the contradiction in the administration's stance. Glad to hear you're as upset with them as I am.

But the problem is that other major nations are (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by snoopygirlmi on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 05:20:47 PM EST

investing in Cuba. Only America won't trade with Cuba. As potential investors, America is late to the game that's been going on there for years. Europe and Canada invest there. China is drilling for oil off their coast - and the irony is that America won't even allow new oil drilling off the coast.

Do we really want China drilling for oil just off the coast of Cuba? Off our shores?

It just does not make sense that we trade with China and Vietnam, but won't trade with Cuba.

Dick-tate-orz (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by John Galt on Thu Jul 12, 2007 at 05:29:11 PM EST

(Interesting idea that economic activity with dictators is a "democratizing" process. Too bad that flies in the face of history and dictators like Saddam and Franco and the various South American juntas who all had trade with the US or the world at large and yet never got to the democracy part.)

You use that term, "dictators", but I'm not sure you know what it means. Or maybe I don't. So who is the dictator of China?

I mean, Fidel Castro has been in charge for...how long? 50+ years? Saddam was in charge for almost 30 years. Even the "President" of Egypt is going on 20 years.

So, uh... How long has Chairman (Dr.) Hu been "dictator" of China?

And besides, we all know that the prominent dictators have ALL modified their constitutions to allow private ownership of property, and allowing MORE human rights to its citizens.

Uh, do you think that might be because the US has an embargo against almost all trade with Cuba? If economic trade with China is "democratizing", why doesn't that same principal apply to Cuba.

This kind of argument is weak - "If we don't do this everywhere, you can't do it anywhere" approach. It was tried with Saddam ("there are dictators all over the world! You can't hit saddam, because you can't hit them all").

But then you're saying the Big, bad United States. All of the other westernized countries don't have embargoes with Cuba, but if only we'd lift our embargo we'd see changes. Well, that might be. I don't doubt we'll lift the embargo, right after Castro keels over.

Granholm to Europe, Dem Legislature back to the beach and McCain's Michigan op heads for the exits? | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)

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