foolmenot.comGonna dance with a dolly with a hole in her stockin’ and her knees keep a rockin’--
Here we go… Without a very strong showing from Democratic strongholds Governor Granholm will not be re-elected, and Detroit is the strongest hold in all of Michigan… George Weeks’ article below tells the importance of Detroit for the Dems. He does not tell us what that support will cost everyone else in the state… Again, another regular media story half told.
Granholm has known, since the almost defeated mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was re-elected that she would have to dance with him come 2006. It took her a while to decide what the melody would be and who would write the words. All the present day hugging they are doing tells us it will be a pretty “catchy” tune.
They have everything they need for the song to turn into a melodrama too. They’ve even identified the villain; GW Bush. He alone was responsible for 49 states to have a great economy just so Michigan could come in dead last. Here’s a clue from the article below that will tell us how much this dance will cost ALL Michigan voters;
“Kilpatrick says how enthusiastically he supports her "depends on how well the governor and I get together and talk about Detroit and its role in the next Michigan. I love the governor's plan."
“Depends” (not a diaper for adults) is the clue here. Because of the on-again love fest, we know it has already been decided a deal will be made, and we know who is going to pay for it. From there it’s only a matter of how much, when, and who will get the payoff. Yes, who (whom?)! What on earth could Granholm do for the regular folks in Detroit at this point outside of making a few bureaucrats wealthy? It will be interesting to watch it unfold…
Full article follows…
Mayor, governor mending ties
Daily Press, Escanaba, Michigan
By George Weeks
DETROIT - How hard a mayor of Detroit works for election or reelection of a Democratic candidate for governor can be pivotal every four years in outcome of the most important of Michigan's statewide races.
So it was in 1978 to some extent when Coleman A. Young was unenthusiastic about Democratic challenger Bill Fitzgerald and chummy with Republican Gov. Bill Milliken of Traverse City. That's when Milliken won by more than 400,000 votes and got about 40 percent of the African-American vote.
So it was to a great extent in 1990 when Young was unenthusiastic about Gov. Jim Blanchard, who lost his bid for a third term to Republican John Engler by a mere 17,595 votes - less than 1 percent of the total vote.
Detroit turnout will be a key to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm's bid this year for a second term, presumably against Republican businessman Dick DeVos. Despite some breaches in her relationship with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a repair effort is underway and it's a good bet he'll work hard for her reelection.
They've been saying all the right things about each other since his reelection. They hugged at the Thursday inaugural, where she said: "We in Michigan must support this mayor and this city."
Kilpatrick says how enthusiastically he supports her "depends on how well the governor and I get together and talk about Detroit and its role in the next Michigan. I love the governor's plan."
He wants "hard-nosed conversations" with her about that, and says she's willing. Her aides say talks have started on shared priorities.
The really crucial question, as posed to Kilpatrick by Chuck Stokes on Detroit's WXYZ-TV for a Jan. 1 "Spotlight on the News" show: "If you want to, can you turn young people out to vote for the governor the way as you turned them out for yourself?"
Kilpatrick replied: "I think we can, absolutely, but it is going to take a lot of aggressive, hard-nose work in our community. (There is) a lot of connection between people in our community and me. We have to make that a genuine connection between people in our community and me - and the governor. And that's going to be tough. I'm willing to work and do it if we are going to be partners."
Kilpatrick says, "the biggest issue in this state, when you're 50 out of 50 states in unemployment, is going to be jobs and the economy. We've been catching it on the chin from the Bush economy."
Actually, the national economy is rebounding; Michigan's isn't.
To underscore Michigan's lag, Republicans have mobilized what could be called a Swat-Granholm Squad to attack her in economically-troubled local fronts. Its first hit was last week near the Saginaw Delphi plant, where Republicans placed a "Fire Granholm" billboard, and State Chairman Saul Anuzis told assembled local media she was weak in response to Delphi woes.
Look for the squad to stage future events in such places as Greenville, where Michigan jobs went to Mexico, and Baldwin, which lost prison jobs. Democratic State Chairman Mark Brewer says such "stunts" can't obscure the fact that Granholm has had legislative success on her economic stimulation package.
Brewer, incidentally, said Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry "are good to go as a team" on the Nov. 7 ticket - and she confirmed Friday they have pinned that down. It comes as no surprise since Cherry last month told Michigan public TV's "Off the Record" show he'd run again if asked. But it's worthy of note since Milliken and Blanchard both dumped their running mates when going for their last terms.