Although he's not holding public office anymore, Joe Schwarz remains involved in politics and public policy on the state and federal levels. The former mayor, former state senator and former congressman says he probably won't run for the U.S. Congress this year — that's the burning question for supporters of Tim Walberg, who ousted Schwarz in 2006, and for Mark Schauer, who wants to oust Walberg this year — but he will help presidential candidate John McCain however he can.

Here, Schwarz, 70, talks about what he's been up to lately and reflects on his political losses and beginnings. For space reasons, I had to trim some of Schwarz's answers, but you can listen to the entire 15-minute interview at battlecreekenquirer.com.

Will you run for office this year? Not likely, but I haven't ruled it out. Are you still a Republican? I would consider myself an independent, leaning Republican. To borrow a phrase, are you leaving the party or is the party leaving you? The party left me, as an organization, long ago. The party, as an organization, has gone far to the right in almost any field. Far to the right of those of us who consider ourselves Republican moderates, basically people who consider ourselves solid fiscal conservatives, but we don't drink the Kool-Aid.

How do you spend the bulk of your time these days since you're not holding an elected office? I practice medicine. I teach two days a week in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. And since I've left Congress, I have served on the governor's emergency financial advisory panel, served on Secretary Robert Gates' independent review group for Walter Reed Army Medical Center ... [and several other academic, health and political activities. In short, Schwarz stays busy]. Do you still tend roses? Yes. At your home? Yes. Not as many as I used to have. I used to have more than 100 rose bushes, but 100 rose bushes is a lot of work.

Which would you have rather had, a first term in the governor's office or a second term in Congress? Oh, I would have rather had a first term in the governor's office. Why? You can get something done. Being governor is a bully pulpit and I felt that I knew the legislative process well enough and had enough good and trusted friends, both Democrat and Republican, and still do, where I could've been effective as a governor. Any junior member of Congress believing that he or she can make any kind of a difference nationally is deeply involved in an exercise in self-delusion.

You chaired John McCain's presidential campaign in Michigan in 2000. Why not this time as well? Well, I wasn't asked would be one reason. Were I asked, I would've said yes. But the organization was far different this time. They started very early because they had to — it's been that kind of a presidential year. These people were doing this, it's going back two years, and I wasn't in any position to do it then. ... I picked up the phone about six weeks ago and I called Senator McCain — we have our cell numbers, he has mine and I have his cell number — and I called him, he answered and I said, 'OK, we're getting close. It looks like Michigan's going to have a primary. I want in.' And they called me and so I'm working very hard on it, but I'm not the chair. If McCain is elected president, do you think he will appoint you to some distinguished office in his administration? (Laughs). I have no clue.

Do you ever miss your days on the Battle Creek City Commission? Sure. City commission was fun. I enjoyed it. That's the closest you can get to the people — well, not the closest. School board is probably the closest. When I was mayor, and the last couple years when I was a commissioner, I would always take the newly elected commissioners out before their first meeting and just show them around the room and the people who were coming to the meeting, the citizens who were coming to the meeting, would be gathering — on a dull night, there might be 15 or 20, and when there was a hot issue, there might be 100 — and I would just say, 'Commissioner, you see those people out there? They're not here because they like you. They're not here because they think you're doing a great job. They're here because they're pissed off about something.' And that's what it is to be on a city commission. It's also what it is to be on a school board or a township board of trustees. ... And people who go into government at other levels — at the state level or at the federal level — the most effective members of the legislature, the most effective members of Congress are people who first served in local government at one level or another.

You told me a few years ago ... that, career-wise, you were playing on the back nine but you just didn't know what hole you were playing on. My question is do you see retirement on your horizon right now? I'll never retire. How come? I'm not suited for retirement. I don't know what I'd do were I retired. I will never retire. Whatever I'm doing at the time that the end comes, they're going to have to carry me out feet first.

Eric J. Greene can be reached at 966-0687 or egreene@battlecr.gannett.com.