McCain’s Michigan nightmare: Romney

December 21, 2006 at 3:54 am (Uncategorized)

by Henry Payne

John McCain played the spoiler in 2000, upending frontrunner George W. Bush in the February Michigan primary and momentarily casting doubt on Bush’s party coronation.

As 2008 looms, McCain is the frontrunner – and, ironically, Michigan could prove his undoing.

That’s because McCain’s chief challenger in ‘08 is likely to be Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. With pro-life, pro-military pedigrees, both will appeal to the party base so crucial to winning GOP primaries (exit Rudy G). But as much as Michigan is war hero McCain’s kind of state, it’s also friendly territory to Romney. The Michigan Republican Party has already split between these two lions, with powerbrokers like AG Cox (McCain) and House speaker Deroche (Romney) marking territory.

Here’s why the smart money is on Mitt in the mitt-shaped state:

Start with name recognition, so crucial to McCain’s success in 2000. The Romney name is gold here, as Mitt is son of popular former guv, George (that family history should also put to rest the “Will America elect a Mormon?” rhetoric: if Michigan could elect a Mormon three times in the 1960s, why not the nation?). Mitt is also charismatic. His campaign organization has been quietly seeding Michigan in recent months, and the money folks here are impressed. He has that something that can’t be taught: the ability to dominate a room the moment he enters it. Contrast that to McCain, a prickly personality whose stubborn streak often alienates.

Then there’s that governor thing. Governors from Reagan to Clinton to Bush have dominated recent presidential elections. And they have defeated top senators like Dole and McCain and Kerry along the way. Why? Because governors have a better feel for America beyond the beltway – a culture McCain has been captive to for a long time.

Romney has also succeeded in the toughest of climates. First, as a brilliant CEO in the U.S.’s demanding capital markets. Then, as a Republican governor in that bluest of states, Massachusetts.

Finally, there’s legislation. In just one term, Romney has gained a reputation as a top governor, crafting bipartisan health care reform plan (with Heritage Foundation input) that is one of the country’s most talked-about policy experiments. By contrast, McCain’s signature legislation, bipartisan campaign finance reform, has been a dud.

Like another handsome, jet-black haired GOP governor from a lefty state, Mitt Romney may ride Michigan’s famous “Reagan Democrats” all the way to the White House.

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Piece of a Romney Interview On Abortion

December 21, 2006 at 3:23 am (Uncategorized)

Lopez: In a 1994 debate with Senator Kennedy, you said “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my Mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.” Further confusing matters, the Boston Globe reported in 1994 that “as a Mormon lay leader [you] counseled Mormon women not to have abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother’s life was at risk.” Governor: What is your position on abortion today? On Roe? How do you account for what is obviously a change — certainly publicly — on the issue?

Gov. Romney: My position has changed and I have acknowledged that. How that came about is that several years ago, in the course of the stem-cell-research debate I met with a pair of experts from Harvard. At one point the experts pointed out that embryonic-stem-cell research should not be a moral issue because the embryos were destroyed at 14 days. After the meeting I looked over at Beth Myers, my chief of staff, and we both had exactly the same reaction — it just hit us hard just how much the sanctity of life had been cheapened by virtue of the Roe v. Wade mentality. And from that point forward, I said to the people of Massachusetts, “I will continue to honor what I pledged to you, but I prefer to call myself pro-life.” The state of Massachusetts is a pro-choice state and when I campaigned for governor I said that I would not change the law on abortion. But I do believe that the one-size-fits-all, abortion-on-demand-for-all-nine-months decision in Roe v. Wade does not serve the country well and is another example of judges making the law instead of interpreting the Constitution.

What I would like to see is the Court return the issue to the people to decide. The Republican party is and should remain the pro-life party and work to change hearts and minds and create a culture of life where every child is welcomed and protected by law and the weakest among us are protected. I understand there are people of good faith on both sides of the issue. They should be able to make and advance their case in democratic forums with civility, mutual respect, and confidence that our democratic process is the best place to handle these issues.

And yes, as a private citizen I have counseled women not to have abortions.

Lopez: Does that mean you were “faking it” — as one former adviser has suggested — as a pro-choicer in your previous political campaigns? Why should anyone believe you’re really pro-life now?

Gov. Romney: I believe people will see that as governor, when I had to examine and grapple with this difficult issue, I came down on the side of life. I know in the four years I have served as governor I have learned and grown from the exposure to the thousands of good-hearted people who are working to change the culture in our country. I’m committed to promoting the culture of life. Like Ronald Reagan, and Henry Hyde, and others who became pro-life, I had this issue wrong in the past.

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MI Senate’s Most Liberal and Conservative

December 20, 2006 at 4:21 am (Uncategorized)

Most Conservative Rankings (100 percent most conservative, 0 percent most liberal)
1. Cassis — 93.10%
2. Sanborn — 92.31%
3. Sen. Alan CROPSEY — 89.66%
4. Sen. Valde GARCIA — 88.00%
5. (tie) Sen. Michael GOSCHKA (R-Brant), Sen. Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland), Sen. Tony STAMAS (R-Midland) — 86.21%
8. (tie) Sen. Jason ALLEN (R-Traverse City), Sen. Mike BISHOP (R-Rochester), Sen. Michelle McMANUS (R-Lake Leelanau) — 82.76%
11. (tie) Sen. Bruce PATTERSON (R-Canton), Sen. Cameron BROWN (R-Fawn River Twp.) — 82.14%
13. (tie) Sen. Ron JELINEK (R-Three Oaks), Sen. Laura TOY (R-Livonia) — 81.48%
15. (tie) Sen. Patty BIRKHOLZ (R-Saugatuck Twp.), Sen. Jud GILBERT (R-Algonac), Sen. Ken SIKKEMA (R-Wyoming) — 79.31%
18. (tie) Sen. Bill HARDIMAN (R-Grand Rapids), Sen. Bev HAMMERSTROM (R-Temperance) — 75.86%
20. George, Van Woerkom — 72.41%
22. Barcia — 62.07%
23. Johnson — 60.71%
24. Switalski — 51.72%
25. (tie) Sen. Michael PRUSI (D-Ishpeming), Sen. Mark SCHAUER (D-Battle Creek) — 48.28%
27. Sen. Dennis OLSHOVE (D-Warren) — 41.38%
28. Sen. Deborah CHERRY (D-Burton) — 37.93%
29. (tie) Sen. Ray BASHAM (D-Taylor), Sen. Burton LELAND (D-Detroit) — 29.63%
31. Senate Minority Leader Bob EMERSON (D-Flint) — 30.43%
32. Sen. Gretchen WHITMER (D-East Lansing) — 25.00%
33. Sen. Gilda JACOBS (D-Huntington Woods) — 17.24%
34. Sen. Buzz THOMAS (D-Detroit) — 14.81%
35. Sen. Hansen CLARKE (D-Detroit) — 10.34%
36. Sen. Irma CLARK-COLEMAN (D-Detroit) — 7.41%
37. Brater — 3.57%
38. Scott — 0.00%

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December 19, 2006 at 6:21 pm (Uncategorized)



McCain 2008 Team Adds Michigan Grassroots Chair


For Immediate Release

Contact: Craig Goldman

817-919-9454

Tuesday, December 19, 2006


ALEXANDRIA, VA – U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential exploratory committee announced today that Michigan Third District GOP Chairman Dave Dishaw will serve as the state grassroots chairman, leading McCain’s team of supporters in Michigan should he decide to pursue the Republican nomination.

“John McCain is the straight-talking, authentic leader our nation needs right now,” said Dishaw. “He won the Michigan Primary in 2000 and his team will be many times stronger here in 2008.”


Dave Dishaw supported George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican Primary, serving as the statewide Michigan chairman of the Bush-Cheney ‘04 grassroots operation. He currently serves as chairman of the Third Congressional District Committee and most recently served as finance chairman of Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land’s re-election campaign.<!– D(["mb","

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McCain said, “Dave Dishaw\nis one of the very best grassroots organizers in the country and I am proud to\nhave him building our ground organization in Michigan. He is an excellent addition to the\nteam and I look forward to working with him.”

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McCain said, “Dave Dishaw is one of the very best grassroots organizers in the country and I am proud to have him building our ground organization in Michigan. He is an excellent addition to the team and I look forward to working with him.”

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Monaghan Joins Sam Brownback

December 18, 2006 at 3:49 am (Uncategorized)

Domino’s pizza founder puts his power behind Brownback

Catholic philanthropist assists GOP senator who’s mulling run for president

By Matt Stearns
MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON – The passions of Tom Monaghan: Pizza. God. Sam Brownback.

The Domino’s pizza founder, one of the nation’s richest and most controversial Roman Catholic philanthropists, is putting his money and influence into making Brownback, the Republican Kansas senator, the next president of the United States.

The former pizza magnate is advising the 2008 presidential exploratory committee for Brownback, a longtime social conservative who converted to Catholicism a few years ago. Monaghan, who declined an interview request, is expected to play a lead role in “Catholics for Brownback.”

More important, his support is likely to be a big help to Brownback’s fundraising, which is currently regarded as the weakest part of Brownback’s candidacy.

“He brings to the table recognition in the Catholic community,” said Marlene Elwell, a Michigan political activist who used to work for Monaghan. “It’s always positive to have a leader in a community endorse you.”

But the extent of Monaghan’s religious fervor could raise eyebrows among more secular voters.

“In the Catholic community, he’s looked upon as kind of on the fringes,” said the Rev. Robert Drinan, a liberal Roman Catholic priest and former Democratic congressman who teaches at Georgetown University. “The worldview is, ‘We have to get back to a Catholic civilization’. They want to go back to a Christian society imposed from above. … It’s just another world they want to build.”

Literally. Monaghan, who sold Domino’s for nearly $1 billion in 1998, has spent a chunk of his fortune developing his own utopia on 5,000 acres in southwest Florida: Ave Maria, a planned community of 11,000 homes, built around a massive church and a doctrinaire Catholic university also called Ave Maria.

It bothers some involved in Catholic education that Monaghan and school leaders declared Ave Maria University necessary because many of the nation’s 200-plus other Catholic colleges and universities strayed from church teachings.

“There is certainly a degree of presumption, even hubris, in marketing institutions of this type on the premise that all the other schools are failing to educate Catholics effectively,” said Richard Yanikoski, the president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

Even before his work in Florida, Monaghan was a lightning rod. Domino’s was intermittently boycotted in the 1980s because of Monaghan’s anti-abortion activism.

Monaghan has never before been a major player on a presidential campaign. Several people familiar with Monaghan and his work said they were surprised to see him involved.

In a rare interview, Monaghan told Newsweek earlier this year that “I believe all of history is just one big battle between good and evil. I don’t want to be on the sidelines.”

Deal Hudson, a prominent conservative Catholic who knows Monaghan, said Monaghan might see in Brownback — who cites “changing the culture” as a motivation for running — a kindred spirit.

“Tom doesn’t want to be associated with anyone who’s going to compromise,” said Hudson, executive director of the Morley Institute for Church and Culture and a former adviser to President Bush on Catholic issues. “That’s why he’s getting behind Sen. Brownback. … The message will be that Brownback meets the standard not just for what a presidential candidate should be but also what a Catholic should be.”

Monaghan’s most important role would be delivering that message to wealthy, like-minded potential campaign donors. Most analysts say the lack of a fundraising network confines Brownback to second-tier status in a crowded GOP field. Brownback is counting on Monaghan to change that.

“I hope he’ll help us in a number of ways, with people he knows around the country,” Brownback said.

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Carlson Loses Support

December 16, 2006 at 7:51 pm (Uncategorized)

Greetings Mr. Carlson:

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, I wanted to elaborate on a few points from our earlier telephone conversation. I have interacted with the MFCRs for over four years now, throughout my entire time as a CR at Hillsdale and now past it. Whether as a parliamentarian donating consulting services or as the Hillsdale CR Vice-Chair, I have been a supporter of all of your past campaigns in the MFCRs. Unfortunately you have crossed a line and my support now ends.

The MFCRs is not being managed in a professional and competent manner. While the effort to amend the organization’s constitution today with only several days notice while most schools are in finals or Christmas break is perhaps tenable under the existing constitution, it is certainly not a best parliamentary practice. Meeting exclusively by telephone conference however, is neither tenable under the MFCR constitution nor anywhere near being an approriate forum for amendment of the constitution.

More substantively, the amendments themselves are grossly inconsistent with the best interests of the organization. Rather than providing for an orderly transition of leadership at the annual convention, as is customary for the organization, these amendments appear to be designed to selfishly leverage the organization for the silly political aspirations of a few. Considering that the MFCR organization has deteriorated from being dysfunctional to being outright inconsequential in our party’s attempts mobilize college youth at the grass roots (please refer to Election ‘06), a timely transfer of leadership seems essential to me.

This is a fractured organization desparately in need of professional and competent leadership that will follow the rules and put the organization’s best interests ahead of their own. The low class political stunts need to stop.
Finally, despite the political tribulation, I do want to wish you success with your law school semester finals and a Blessed and Merry Christmas and New Year.

Theodore R. Striegnitz

Parliamentarian
P.O. Box 138
Hillsdale, MI 49242
tstriegnitz@gmail.com
CC:
The Honorable Chuck Yob
The Honorable Holly Hughes
Mr. Dave Dishaw
Mr. Matt Hall
Mr. Matt Golden
Mr. Justin Roebuck
Mr. Anthony Lewis
Mr. Ryan Thompson
Mr. Paul Gourley
Mr. Steve Japinga
MFCR Executive Board
et al.

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Tancredo Cancels Speech in Miami

December 14, 2006 at 9:26 pm (Uncategorized)

Tancredo Cancels Speech in Miami

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Cox Joins McCain; Romney Cracks Down on Illegal Immigration

December 14, 2006 at 9:21 pm (Uncategorized)

MIRS Breaking News – Cox to Head McCain Effort-8:32 AM

Thursday, December 14, 2006

MIRS has learned this morning that Attorney General Mike COX will chair the John McCAIN for President campaign in Michigan, and the A.G. has informed the Mitt ROMNEY campaign of that decision.

A source said that Cox “went back and forth” between the two but in the end he decided that McCain’s ability to cross the aisle and work in a bi-partisan way with Democrats was an important factor. Plus, Cox concluded that McCain’s foreign policy experience and his “understanding of world problems” also tipped the scales. By inference, Cox concluded Romney did not stack up in those areas.

There was also a personal factor in the decision. Ever since he served in the Marines, Cox has viewed McCain as a “hero,” given his war record and his endurance in a prisoner of war camp during the Vietnam conflict.

Cox believes McCain is the “right man for the job and brings prestige to the job.”

From an internal political standpoint do not lose sight of the fact that the soon to be ex-Speaker of the House Craig DeROCHE is running the Romney effort in Michigan, which means DeRoche and Cox have something else to fight about in addition to their very public dusting over the A.G.’s authority.

Look for the formal announcement out of Washington D.C. and from John YOB in Michigan later this morning.

–

ROMNEY CRACKS DOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

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Youth Politics

December 13, 2006 at 5:07 am (Uncategorized)

In February Republicans from around the state will meet to elect state party officers. By now everyone knows how the Dishaw/Yob cabal ended; but it appears as if though they are fighting the same battle on down the ticket.

Matt Hall will square off against Trevor Pittsley for Youth Chair. A office that acts as a liason between state party and the TARS, CR and the YR’s.

Hall was a student at Western Michigan University where he was a chapter chair for 2 years, and I think most people would agree that it was one of the most successful chapters in the state while he was Chairman.

He was later defeated when he ran for state chairman of the CRs after an email was released in which he had advocated the victory of a Presidential candidate that wasn’t Republican.

This past election cycle he worked as Field Representative for Secretary of State, Terri Land. Some issues that I have known Hall to champion are the passage of the Civil Rights Initiative, the election of State Representative Jack Hoogendyk, the 10 comandments Judge, Roy Moore.

Trevor Pittsley, also a a student at Western Michigan University hopes that state convention delegates will elect him as youth chair.

Pittsley started out at Saginaw Valley State University as CR Chairman. Where he later transferred to WMU.

He worked as an intern for State Representative Bob Gosselin and eventually became a legislative aide.

Last year he worked for a conservative organization; The Leadership Institute as a field representative.

This past election cycle Trevor worked for the Michigan Republicans.

It appears as if though he has a majority of the youth vote, but we are not sure how that translates into actual votes at convention.

This race has the feel of Presidential politics all over, but no one will admit it. On one side you have John McCain supporters and on the other side you have the Mitt Romney supporters.

It appears as if though Terri Land/The Yobs/Dishaw are behind Matt Hall (all John McCain supporters) and Saul Anuzis is behind Trevor Pittsley who is apparently a Mitt Romney fan.

To an extent it looks as if though Hall has lost some street credit with his natural base, much like Dan Carlson. They both followed the same pattern; get conservative support to move up and then anger them by twisting their arms to support a presidential candidate that most would agree is not the model conservative.

In fairness, Pittsleys name is on the John McCain advisory committee; but he is also a member of Romneys Commonwealth PAC.

Hall denies supporting anyone, but I have confirmed two cases in which he recruited for the McCain people and even ridiculed someone for asking that his name be removed.

For those that deny this race has higher implications they are simply ignoring the facts.

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