21 Days to Victory!!!
Broken Promises Calendar: No Results from Governor Granholm
PROMISE: “Jennifer Granholm will fight to expand high-quality after-school programs including summer reading programs that were cut from the state budget. (Blueprint for Michigan, pg. 11, September 2002).
RESULT: Funding for after-school programs has drastically declined since the governor took office. One of Governor Granholm’s first Executive Orders (2003-23) reduced the funding for before-or-after school pilot programs by 70%.
Sorry for the delay of the clips this morning. The Michigan Democrats jumped on Jennifer Granholm lie about Dick DeVos last night and we needed to prepare an immediate response and try to limit the effect of their deliberate distortion of the facts.
It’s politics as usual for the Granholm campaign…in the worst way imaginable.
Lies, lies and more lies….this is one mean woman. Governor Granholm once again proved that she is willing to say anything go get re-elected.
Calling someone a liar is very harsh…even mean…but in politics your integrity and honesty is the most important quality you bring to the table. Can someone be trusted?
So let me be specific:
Lie #1: Granholm said Dick outsourced jobs to China. A flat out lie, never, under no circumstances at no time was a single Michigan job ever outsourced to China under the direction of Dick DeVos or Amway.
Lie #2: Granholm blames Dick for some abuses in a nursing home in Ohio and claims Dick controlled the company. Another lie, Dick and his family were passive investors, they had NO management role, did NOT control the board nor did they ever serve on the executive board. Granholm stated that the company "permitted" abuses of patients, a slanderous statement that may be addressed by the former company officials.
Lie #3: Granholm says Dick moved a company “off shore” to Bermuda to avoid taxes. A flat out lie. The Bermuda move was NOT for tax purposes, was not moved from the U.S….rather, Alticor was moving a public company from Asia to Bermuda because it was a better place to do business…it had NO U.S. tax implications whatsoever.
Governor Granholm has told the people of Michigan lie, after lie after lie in order to distort Dick’s record, question his character and win re-election. Desperate times call for desperate measures because Michigan voters know Granholm's track record and she certainly can't run on the successes of her administration. It's always somebody else who is at fault, whether it's Engler, President Bush or Michigan business owners like DeVos.
The bottom line is Granholm and her henchmen have been mean spirited, dishonest and downright nasty by telling lie after lie…just in order to keep her job.
Now the Michigan Democratic Party has released a new ad intended to distort Dick’s record and distort the facts and truth about Alticor. This is nothing more than a cheap, dishonest political stunt meant to play off on another lie Governor Granholm tossed out in last nights debate.
Michigan deserves better.
The Democrat’s spin machine is in full gear. At the state and national level, the Democrats are trying to create “momentum” for their efforts to take over the House and the Senate. They are pounding a united message and with unprecedented funds from liberal 527 major donors, they are having an effect.
We have Michigan’s own John Stryker personally putting up over $2.5 million to run ads against state House and state Senate candidates. Emily’s List and Move On.Org are in Michigan trying to push forward their candidates and their agenda.
WARNING: If we don’t act…GOTV…make calls…knock on doors…financially support our candidates…and vote…we will lose.
As challengers, the race for Governor and the U.S. Senate are at the closest point we’ve ever seen in polls in Michigan. We are challenging two incumbents, we are trailing, but closer than past races have been that have won on election day.
Our strength is our troops. It’s the fundamentals, the “blocking and tackling” of politics. We have the best grassroots organization in the state, we have the most dedicated workers…now we need to get our voters to the polls.
Don’t get caught up in the “spin”. We will win or lose this election on election day.
NEWS FLASH: Mike Bouchard raised more money the last quarter than Debbie Stabenow. The Bouchard campaign continues to break records and show why the national Republicans have the Bouchard vs. Stabenow as the top possible pick off in the country.
Bouchard -- $2.15 million
Stabenow -- $1.1 million
Bouchard vs Stabenow…there’s a good reason Debbie Stabenow doesn’t want to debate Mike Bouchard…he takes her to the cleaners on the issues. Whether it was jobs, immigration, foreign policy…Mike Bouchard drew a clear contrast between himself and Debbie Stabenow.
If you missed the debate live, you can watch it online at:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/10/view_bouchard_v.html
Attorney General Mike Cox hit the airwave yesterday with his new TV commercial. A hard hitting ad that talks about his efforts to take on internet predators and his success of putting folks behind bars. A great ad…you can check it out at:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/10/attorney_genera.html
Newt Gingrich talks about the fact that with 3 weeks left to go…we need to be talking about our issue…and we win!!! A great read:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/10/newt_gingrich_3.html
Jennifer Granholm talked about her “boating skills” last night during the debate and said she was the “captain” of our ship called Michigan. I think most folks feel like their on the Titanic. Someone came up with a funny satirical play on her words…check it out:
http://migop.blogs.com/blog/2006/10/granholmcaptain.html
Governor Mitt Romney will be in Kent county this evening for our last state party fundraiser to be in held in west Michigan. Governor Romney has continued to be one of the most sought after Republican speakers in the country and a huge help to Republicans running for office, right here in Michigan.
ONLY 516 hours left until the polls close! We have tons of work to do, phone calls to make, doors to be hit and literature to distribute. We need your help at Victory Centers across the state. We’ve turned the corner and we’re down to the sprint for the finish line.
This is the time for all good men and women to step forward and be counted. Michigan needs our help. We have great leadership with DeVos, Bouchard, Land, Cox and others. This Republican team is second to none. We are the ONLY state in the country where Republicans are on the offensive…and your all a big part of that.
Join us on the road to victory…together we can make a difference!!!
Saul Anuzis
STATE STORIES
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/NEWS99/61016049
DeVos, Granholm meet for final debate
October 16, 2006
SOUTHFIELD -- Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos met for a third and final debate Monday night, sparring over issues ranging from college tuition and business taxes to Canadian trash and President Bush.
Granholm opened by accusing DeVos of using the images of dead children for recent political attacks.
http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/index.ssf?/base/business-4/1153549509313690.xml&coll=6
Candidates appeal directly to voters
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
By Peter Luke
Lansing Bureau
SOUTHFIELD -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos made their final unscripted cases to a Michigan public that has just three weeks to sort out who they want to run the state for the next four years.
In their third and final debate at WXYZ-TV studios here Monday night, the candidates didn't engage each other as much as they had in the previous debates, choosing instead to make direct appeals to voters.
Both candidates were asked by a Macomb County woman, one of some 30 undecided voters selected to sit in on the debate, why she and her small businessman husband and three children shouldn't pack up and leave the state.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/NEWS06/610170420/1001/NEWS
ELECTION 2006: Round 3 is brutal for DeVos, Granholm
Some voters unswayed
October 17, 2006
If there were doubts that the campaign for governor will sprint into the final three weeks with bruising intensity, they were dispelled at Monday's third and final debate, where Gov Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos butted heads over taxes, education, the economy change and their ability to lead.
Both campaigns plan to air new television ads this week -- don't expect a gentler tone.
http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/101706/loc_feisty001.shtml
DeVos, Granholm spar on jobs, ads
Feisty tone marks final governor debate
PUBLISHED: October 17, 2006
Gov. Jennifer Granholm and challenger Dick Devos slugged their way to the bitter end of their third and final debate Monday, waging personal attacks over business practices and business recruitment in the face of Michigan's ailing economy.
Granholm claimed that DeVos' family business, Amway, formed subsidiaries in Bermuda as a "loophole" to avoid paying U.S. taxes. DeVos who served as president of Alticor, Amway's parent company, until 2002, denied the charge and his campaign called the claim an "absolute falsehood" after the debate.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS01/610170417
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
DECISION 2006
Debates end with final jabs
With 22 days left, Granholm, DeVos tell voters they couldn't be more different.
Charlie Cain and Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
SOUTHFIELD -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm picked the third and final televised debate Monday night to make crystal clear the differences between herself and Republican Dick DeVos.
"He's a yachtsman. He believes every man for himself," Granholm said. "I am captain of this ship of state, and I will bring this ship into port. My philosophy is all hands on deck."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/POLITICS01/610160430
Monday, October 16, 2006
Highlights from Michigan's 3rd gubernatorial debate
The Associated Press
Some excerpts from the third debate between gubernatorial candidates Dick DeVos and Jennifer Granholm in Southfield, Mich.
ECONOMY:
DeVos: "Forty-nine other states are doing great. Forty-nine other states are moving forward. Forty-nine other states are adding jobs. And yet Michigan is the only one lagging behind. It seems to me it's time that the governor accepts responsibility."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610170418
ANALYSIS: Truths behind debate claims
October 17, 2006
Here's a look at claims Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos made during Monday's debate:
Granholm: He "incorporated subsidiaries in Bermuda in order to avoid U.S. business taxes."
The truth: Granholm claims that subsidiaries of Amway and Alticor moved some corporate operations to Bermuda in an effort to avoid U.S. taxation, but Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said he has no direct evidence that the move resulted in lower U.S. taxes.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS01/610170416
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Clearing the air on debaters' claims
Granholm's, DeVos' charges fly over single business tax, Canadian trash, free-trade agreements; here's the reality.
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Here's a closer look at some of the statements made during Monday night's debate between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and her Republican challenger, Dick DeVos:
DeVos claimed: Granholm pledged to do something about the single business tax, Michigan's main business tax, when she took over four years ago, but has done nothing.
The reality: The tax already was set to expire in 2010. She proposed a revision of the tax, but the Republican-dominated Legislature rejected the plan because it didn't produce an overall business tax reduction and would have boosted the levy on insurers while giving a break to manufacturers. Lawmakers then passed a measure to kill the tax in 2008 and got around Granholm's veto through a citizens' petition drive. That proposal eliminating the tax was immune from her veto.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610170421
WHAT THE VOTERS SAID
October 17, 2006
After the last of three gubernatorial debates, most of the people the Free Press talked to said the events solidified their positions for the candidate they favored going in. But they said the debates revealed a lot about both Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/POLITICS01/610160429
Monday, October 16, 2006
The debate: How the pros rate it
Here's what some political observers had to say about Monday's third and final televised debate between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and challenger Dick DeVos:
Bob Kolt, a Lansing-area public relations professional who has worked for Democrats but been critical of Granholm, found the governor "much more credible.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-0/116106390253360.xml&coll=6
Experts say third debate was DeVos' best
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
By Ed Golder
The Grand Rapids Press
Dick DeVos needed a win against Gov. Jennifer Granholm in Monday's third and final debate.
If he didn't score a victory, he at least did better than in two previous meetings with the governor, said JoeAnne Peterson, who coaches Grand Rapids City High School's legislative debate team.
"I think the most marked difference was for Mr. DeVos," said Peterson, noting that the Ada businessman even donned glasses, making him appear more approachable.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS01/610170415/1022/POLITICS
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Troubles lead to finger pointing
Both political parties fault the other for failing to fix Michigan's economic ills.
Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- White House press secretary Tony Snow said Monday that "finger pointing" over who's to blame for Michigan's economic problems "is not terribly constructive."
"There are any number of factors (for Michigan's stubborn economic troubles)," Snow said. "The president believes that finger-pointing, while always a favorite sport during an election season, is not terribly constructive. And the most important thing to do is to figure out everything possible to help the people in Michigan and around the country to remain fully and gainfully and happily employed."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/OPINION01/610160433
Monday, October 16, 2006
Editorial Update: DeVos keeps focus on Granholm's poor record
Governor's reliance on cheap shots doesn't help cause
The winners in Monday night's final gubernatorial debate were Michigan's economically ravaged voters, who know they have stark choices in who should lead the state for the next four years.
GOP challenger Dick DeVos helped define their options by reminding citizens of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's four years of lackluster achievement. His proposals for cutting business taxes and easing regulations are a marked contrast to the governor's reliance on public works projects and a questionable public venture capital fund.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610170417
The lighter side of the debate
October 17, 2006
In addition to looking at the news of Monday's debate between Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and her Republican challenger, Dick DeVos, the Free Press also decided to look at the lighter side.
She wore: Black suit, white blouse.
He wore: Black suit, white shirt, glasses and a red tie with gray or white stripes, almost -- gasp -- a Buckeye tie?
Say what? Microphone problems did DeVos a disservice.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/FEATURES01/610170302/1122
SUSAN AGER: Governor's mole stirs extreme reactions
October 17, 2006
The governor's mole.
Everybody sees it. Lots of people comment on it, especially while watching the past three debates, when Jennifer Granholm is on camera longer than usual.
So, let's talk about it.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/POLITICS01/610160334/1022/POLITICS
Monday, October 16, 2006
Michigan incumbents' coffers brim
Congressional delegation enjoys healthy campaign finances as foes' fundraising lags.
Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- While political insiders are predicting Democrats have a strong chance of taking control of the U.S. House in three weeks, challengers in Michigan's 15 House races have had no luck raising the kind of money commonly needed to beat incumbents.
Democrat Nancy Skinner, who is trying to unseat seven-term U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, raised only $98,769 from July 20 through Sept. 30, according to the latest campaign filings that were due Sunday at the Federal Election Commission.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1161009951169700.xml&coll=6
Attorney general: Mike Cox
Monday, October 16, 2006
The Michigan attorney general heads the state's law firm, so to speak. The job requires an effective manager, aggressive crime fighter and serious consumer protection watchdog.
Michael Cox, a Republican seeking his second term, has proven himself capable in all three roles. His opponent, Democrat Amos Williams, while a former police officer and an accomplished civil rights attorney, has not made much of a case for a change. Our support goes to MICHAEL COX.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jacitpat/index.ssf?/base/news-0/116101475051640.xml&coll=3
Walberg has cash lead
Monday, October 16, 2006
By Susan J. Demas
768-4927 -- sdemas@citpat.com
Tim Walberg's fundraising slowed after he won a combative Republican congressional primary and an anti-tax group stopped collecting out-of-state cash for him.
But campaign records released Sunday to the Federal Election Commission show Walberg has 43 times more cash on hand than his Democratic rival, Sharon Renier. Including the primary, Walberg has passed the $1 million mark in fundraising, compared to Renier's $40,000, according to the candidates.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1161012127266230.xml&coll=7
Tax cuts, Iraq war top issues in 6th District race
Monday, October 16, 2006
By Julie Mack
jmack@kalamazoogazette.com 388-8578
In theory, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton might be considered vulnerable in this election because of voter angst, specifically about the Iraq War, and about Republicans in general.
In reality, Upton's Democratic opponent is a novice politician, facing an uphill battle against a well-funded, well-known and well-liked incumbent.
Upton, 53, who has served in Congress since 1986, won his last election by 30 percentage points. He has spent $662,120 on this campaign, according to www.opensecrets.org, and still has $886,598 in the bank.
**********REVIEW**********
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS01/610170337/1022/POLITICS
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Campaign worker tussle ensnares state senator
Lisa Martino and Christine Ferretti / The Detroit News
GIBRALTAR -- State Sen. Bruce Patterson acknowledged verbally sparring with a Gibraltar couple after they reprimanded one of his campaign workers for removing his opponent's political signs last weekend, but denied chasing them.
"They are overplaying the situation," said Patterson, R-Canton, claiming the couple are strong Democratic Party supporters.
"I'm winning this campaign and I'm comfortable. They don't have much to go on so they are trying to bait me."
http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1161009668153260.xml&coll=2
Prop 2: Much is at stake for U-M
If MCRI passes, all minority-oriented programs in jeopardy
Monday, October 16, 2006
BY DAVE GERSHMAN
News Staff Reporter
Each year, about 225 middle and high school students in Ypsilanti join a program that encourages them to pursue health or biomedical science careers. It gives them access to school tutoring, field trips to medical centers and professors working in those specialties.
Administered and partly paid for by the University of Michigan, the HOPE Program doesn't turn away any student, but its focus has been on underrepresented minorities - African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans - because their numbers are small among health care professionals. Some of the students have gone on to attend U-M.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS01/610170329
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
NAACP to monitor Mich. polls
10 states will have observers at next month's elections; Republicans also plan oversight.
Lisa Martino / The Detroit News
The NAACP announced Monday that Michigan is among 10 states that will have observers at polling places during next month's election to take citizen complaints and let the Justice Department know about any serious problems.
The effort comes after numerous reports of problems with the Maryland voting system during the primary last month.
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/OPINION03/610170325/1348
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Laura Berman
Michigan's economy sends message to workers: Go West
I n one of its early heydays, Michigan was raw American frontier, a "go to" West that inspired families in the east to pack up, buy land and eke out a hardscrabble existence farming and scraping by during brutal winters.
The cowboy frontier is once again gaining popularity, especially with Michigan residents who are more optimistic about their personal abilities than the state's future.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a6RM0FGH5dc4&refer=us
Michigan Workers, Pushed Out of Auto Jobs, Lose Houses, Too
By Jeff Bennett
Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Julie Taylor fights to hold back the tears when she talks about the day in March that she lost her home.
``There was just no other choice,'' the 39-year-old Detroit woman said. ``My husband, Ken, lost his auto job, we couldn't keep up with the house payments, and before we knew it, we were forced to let the bank foreclose.''
That sequence of events is becoming increasingly common in Detroit, epicenter of the U.S. auto industry. As slumping carmakers and their suppliers slash tens of thousands of jobs, foreclosures in the area are at an all-time high. Families like the Taylors can't tap their home equity to keep afloat because the workforce cuts are also dragging down property values.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/AUTO01/610170376/1148
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Dura teeters on edge of bankruptcy
Auto supplier fails to pay $17.3M in interest; analysts expect filing could come in weeks.
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News
Buffeted by high raw material prices and shrinking orders for auto parts, Dura Automotive Systems Inc. appears set to join the ranks of foundering suppliers seeking bankruptcy protection from their creditors.
The Rochester Hills firm missed a $17.3 million interest payment due Monday on $400 million in notes. And although Dura has 30 days to make the payment before it would be considered in default, analysts were skeptical about the prospects.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/BUSINESS01/610170326
Dura misses payment; bankruptcy risk rises
Parts maker faces default in 30 days
October 17, 2006
Dura Automotive Systems Inc., a money-losing auto-parts maker, said it won't make a $17.3-million interest payment that was due Monday, increasing the risk that the company may file for bankruptcy.
There is a 30-day grace period before skipping the payment causes a default on the $400 million in notes, the company said in a U.S. regulatory filing Monday. Dura has another interest payment of about $24 million due Nov. 1. Robert Mead, a company spokesman, declined to comment on Dura's plans.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/AUTO01/610170350/1148
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Alan Mulally's email to Ford workers
From: Alan Mulally [mailto:BulkMail@Ford.Com]
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2006 11:07 AM
To: The Ford Team
Subject: First Impressions
I've been on the job -- officially anyway - for two weeks. In that time I've had a lot of interaction with people, but I realized there will never be enough hours in the days to see and talk to everyone. So I thought I would write to all of you with some initial thoughts and impressions.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/AUTO01/610170354/1148
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
New Ford CEO rallies workers
Mulally: 'Everyone loves a comeback story. Let's work together to write the best one ever.'
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- In his first companywide e-mail, new Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan R. Mulally exhorted employees to work together and avoid dissention from both outside and inside the company.
"Competitors may try to 'divide and conquer' us; I'm determined we are not going to do that to ourselves," Mulally wrote in the 800-word e-mail titled "First Impressions" sent Friday and addressed to "The Ford Team."
Mulally, 61, painted a grim picture of the cutbacks needed for Ford to survive -- calling it a "gut-wrenching" time for employees -- but also offered a hopeful vision for the future.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/AUTO01/610170373/1148
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Ford dealers feel the pinch
Falling sales, profits could force closures
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
For Kenny Shreve, Ford Motor Co.'s Way Forward turnaround plan arrived too late.
After nearly two decades as a dealer in rural McLeansboro, Ill., Shreve is auctioning off his shop equipment, packing up his parts inventory and waiting for a Ford truck to come and pick up the last four vehicles on his lot.
Shreve already has let go most of his employees, many of whom worked at his dealership for more than 20 years. Ford agreed to buy back his Blue Oval sign. He just has a few used cars to unload. "I've watched the business dwindle down over the past several years," Shreve said. "I love Ford Motor Company with all my heart, but I'm getting out while I still can."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/BUSINESS06/610170303
4 black business groups join forces to lift economy
October 17, 2006
Detroit's most influential black business leaders are coming together to combat a slowing Michigan economy by establishing a network of organizations called the African American Business Alliance.
The Booker T. Washington Business Association, the National Association of Black Automotive Suppliers, the Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce and the Black Women Contracting Association, which combined represent more than 500 companies in metro Detroit, have agreed to bring their organizations under one umbrella group to address barriers to business success and wield more influence over public policy in Michigan.
http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/NEWS03/610170315/1004/news03
Published October 17, 2006
[ From Lansing State Journal ]
MSU lands Jobs Fund money
One job expected to be created by each of 2 projects
By Jeremy W. Steele
Lansing State Journal
A business development program and a pharmaceutical project tied to Michigan State University will get a share of $36 million in state grants and loans awarded Monday.
The awards, designed to promote job growth in high-tech sectors, bring the total to nearly $135 million given to companies and research projects statewide in the 21st Century Jobs Fund competition.
NATIONAL STORIES
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601120.html
In Close House Races, GOP Incumbents Hold Advantage in Funds
By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum and Zachary A. Goldfarb
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A05
Despite a rush of campaign donations to Democrats earlier this year, Republican incumbents in highly competitive races in the House have a substantial cash advantage going into the final weeks before the midterm elections.
Democrats spent more heavily over the summer and early autumn than their Republican rivals in pivotal House districts, leaving themselves at a disadvantage of more than 2 to 1 in money on hand, according to a Washington Post analysis of the latest campaign disclosures.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601129.html
Giant-Killer Lamont Stumbles
Democrat Will Need Republican Help to Unseat Lieberman
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A04
STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 16 -- Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont and Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.) met here Monday for their first general election debate, and the insurgent candidate did not get one direct question about the issue that dominated the August primary, the war in Iraq.
It was symptomatic of the predicament Lamont has found himself in since his stunning victory two months ago.
http://www.mlive.com/news/muchronicle/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1161033303108740.xml&coll=8
'Don't vote'?
Monday, October 16, 2006
For decades, get-out-the-vote organizations have worked themselves into a lather encouraging apathetic Americans to pry themselves off their sofas and go to the polls on Election Day.
Yet, each election cycle, voter turnout seems to get worse and worse.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601201.html
Sen. Brownback's Litmus Test
May a federal judge have lesbian friends?
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A20
IF YOU THOUGHT that fights over judicial nominations couldn't get any worse, consider the case of Janet T. Neff, whom President Bush has nominated to a federal district judgeship in Michigan. Judge Neff, who serves on the Michigan Court of Appeals, is part of a multi-judge deal between the White House and Michigan's two Democratic senators resolving a long-standing fight over federal court nominees from that state. Yet in reaching an accommodation with the home-state senators, Mr. Bush finds himself with another problem. For Judge Neff, it turns out, once attended a commitment ceremony for a lesbian couple -- and that has Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (R) reaching for the smelling salts and blocking the nomination.
Mr. Brownback has said he wants to satisfy himself that the judge was not presiding over an "illegal marriage ceremony" in Pittsfield, Mass., in 2002 -- before the state legalized same-sex marriage. He has written to Judge Neff asking for an explanation, his spokesman says, and will hold up her nomination until he learns the nature of the ceremony and its legality. "It seems to speak about her view of judicial activism," the senator told the Associated Press.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/REID_LAND_WINDFALL?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Reid to reimburse campaign for donations
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid paid cash for a $750,000 condo at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives. But when it comes to giving the doorman and other support staff Christmas bonuses, he's been using campaign donations instead of his own money.
Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600525.html
Reid to Amend Ethics Reports To Fully Account For Land Deal
Senate Minority Leader Also Will Repay Campaign
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A04
Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced yesterday that he will amend four years of ethics reports to Congress to more fully explain a real estate transaction that allowed him to collect $1.1 million in 2004.
At the same time, he said he will personally reimburse his political campaign $3,300 that his campaign fund contributed for the Christmas bonuses of support staff at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, where he lives.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_PAGES?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Page board said discussed other charges
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Allegations of improper conduct toward teenage pages that are unrelated to ex-Rep. Mark Foley are under discussion by House overseers of the program, according to a Democratic lawmaker involved in the talks.
Rep. Dale Kildee of Michigan, the only Democrat on the House Page Board, would not say Monday whether the allegations involved Republicans or Democrats, lawmakers or staff members. He said nothing has been proven.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601105.html
Foley's Staff Left in Limbo
After Scandal, Workers in District and Florida Are at a Loss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A19
One minute you're a congressional aide with a corridor reputation as a rising star. Then, in the space of hours, you're locked out, at least temporarily, of the opportunities you worked long hours for little pay to earn.
That's what is happening to the 16 men and women working in Republican Mark Foley's offices in Washington and in Florida's 16th District.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ABRAMOFF_DOOLITTLE?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Doolittle paid lawyer to talk to agency
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Rep. John Doolittle of California paid an attorney more than $38,000 in recent months to talk to the Justice Department in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying investigation, new campaign finance reports show.
A spokeswoman said the money was spent after Doolittle asked his attorney, David Barger, to contact the Justice Department "to further express the congressman's willingness to be helpful and satisfy the Justice Department that the congressman has done nothing wrong."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600545.html
Homes Raided In Rep. Weldon Influence Probe
FBI Looks at Business Run By Daughter, Political Ally
By Carol D. Leonnig and R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A01
Federal agents raided the homes of Rep. Curt Weldon's daughter and one of his closest political supporters yesterday as part of an investigation into whether the veteran Republican congressman used his influence to benefit himself and his daughter's lobbying firm, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The investigation focuses on actions the Pennsylvania congressman took that may have aided clients of the business created by his daughter, Karen Weldon, and longtime Pennsylvania political ally Charles Sexton, according to three of the sources.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS/610170338/1022
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Lawmaker's daughter investigated
Maryclaire Dale / Associated Press
MEDIA, Pa. -- The FBI raided the homes of Rep. Curt Weldon's daughter and a close friend Monday as it investigates whether the congressman improperly helped the pair win lobbying and consulting contracts.
Weldon called the investigation politically motivated and the timing suspect. The Republican, who is locked in a tight re-election bid and has clashed with the Bush administration, denied wrongdoing.
FBI raids home of Weldon's daughter
MEDIA, Pa. (AP) -- Three weeks before Election Day, an FBI corruption probe involving Republican Rep. Curt Weldon intensified as agents raided the homes of his daughter and a close friend.
The FBI swept in Monday and searched six sites in the Philadelphia area and Jacksonville, Fla., including Karen Weldon's lobbying firm and one of its clients, a Russian energy company, FBI spokeswoman Debbie Weierman said. The congressman's home and offices were not searched, she said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600569.html
Former FDA Chief Illegally Held Stocks
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A19
Lester M. Crawford, who resigned mysteriously last fall just two months after being confirmed as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, will plead guilty today to charges that he hid his ownership of stock in food and drug companies that his agency regulated, his lawyer said.
The Justice Department charged Crawford yesterday with two misdemeanors for withholding the financial information, which included his ownership of shares in food and drink manufacturers Pepsico Inc. and Sysco Corp. and the drug company Embrex Inc.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101601101.html
Losing Faith in the President
Critical Book by Ex-Staffer in Religion-Based Effort Is Out
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A19
White House officials realized they had a problem, former staffer David Kuo writes in his new book, "Tempting Faith," when they saw how a panel rated the first applications for grants under the "faith-based initiative," President Bush's vaunted effort to help religious charities.
On a scale of 1 to 100, respected national organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America scored in the mid-70s to mid-80s, "while something called Jesus and Friends Ministry from California, a group with little more than a post office box," scored 89 and Pat Robertson's overseas aid organization, Operation Blessing, scored 95, according to Kuo.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/POLITICS/610170364/1022
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Democrats can manage economy better, poll says
Though an expansion is firmly rooted in place, voters favor party 59% to 39% over in-power Republicans.
Jeannine Aversa / Associated press
WASHINGTON -- The nation's economy has encountered its share of bumps this year, and voters are uneasy.
They've seen the value of their homes drop and surging prices for energy and other goods take a big cut out of their paychecks.
In the face of these uncertain economic times, they think Democrats can do a better job.
Never mind that gasoline prices have started dropping, that the value of their 401(k)s rises with each new Dow Jones industrial average record, and that the interest rates on their credit cards and adjustable mortgages have leveled off for now.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_TERRORISM?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Bush to sign law for tough interrogation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush is signing into law today new standards expediting interrogation and prosecution of terror suspects, a bill the White House says strengthens his hand in a time of war.
Bush's plan becomes law just six weeks after he acknowledged that the CIA had been secretly interrogating suspected terrorists overseas and pressed Congress to quickly give authority to try them in military commissions.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_MUSLIMS?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Bush honors Muslims aiding in terror war
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush marked the end of the daily fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan Monday night by honoring Muslims living in the United States and Islamic nations that are helping in the war on terror.
Bush has hosted an iftar dinner annually for the last six years in the State Dining Room. This year, he opened with the traditional Ramadan greeting of "Ramadan Karim" and praised Islam for bringing "hope and comfort to more than a billion people around the world."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600485.html
Families Flee Iraqi River Towns On 4th Day of Sectarian Warfare
By Ellen Knickmeyer and Muhanned Saif Aldin
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A01
BAGHDAD, Oct. 16 -- Families fled in search of safety Monday as open warfare raged for a fourth day between Shiite militias and armed Sunni men in Tigris River towns north of Baghdad. Militias allied with Iraq's Shiite-led government held sway in Balad city, forcing out Sunni families and leaving the bodies of slain Sunni men to rot in the streets, according to police, residents and hospital officials.
The Iraqi government deployed still more reinforcements to try to calm the embattled towns and hold open the main roads, Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Kareem al-Kinani said in the capital. But local police officers accused Shiite-dominated government police forces of working alongside Shiite militias in executing Sunnis and appealed for more help.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NKOREA_TEST?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Rice: World united against North Korea
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. spy agencies confirmed North Korea's nuclear test on Monday, even as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared that U.N. sanctions prove the world is united in opposing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
Such strong opposition should be a warning to Iran, too, said Rice, who is leaving Tuesday morning for an Asian trip that is expected to be dominated by the nuclear issue. She will visit Japan, South Korea, China and Russia.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600445.html
Rice Trip to Push Full Sanctions for N. Korea
U.S. Intelligence Chief Says Radiation Samples Confirm Nuclear Test Last Week
By Glenn Kessler and Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A12
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that she will push for full implementation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea as punishment for its recent nuclear test when she makes a critical visit to Asia and Russia this week.
The sanctions prohibit trade with North Korea in illicit materials, weapons and luxury items.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RICE?SITE=MIDTN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Rice seeks to intensify NKorea isolation
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is launching an uncertain diplomatic drive to persuade Asian allies and Russia to intensify North Korea's isolation by enforcing U.N. curbs on trade in dangerous goods.
Rice was scheduled to leave Tuesday for Japan, the first stop on a four-nation trip, amid clear signs of unease in China and South Korea about even the softened sanctions approved last week by the U.N. Security Council. The U.N. resolution was aimed at forcing North Korea to drop its nuclear weapons program.
AP: China urged to rethink N. Korean aid
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. envoy on North Korean human rights is urging China and South Korea to rethink aid policies to North Korea, saying unmonitored assistance could prop up a "criminal regime" and suggesting that the North's nuclear ambitions are linked to its poor treatment of its citizens.
Describing North Korea as a country that deprives its people of basic rights and maintains "a food policy that has led to the starvation of millions," Jay Lefkowitz said "it's no surprise that a country that treats its own people that way is also menacing the rest of the world" with its nuclear actions.
http://www.mlive.com/news/sanews/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1161004851306510.xml&coll=9
Korean leader overplays hand
Monday, October 16, 2006
We knew it was coming, but it is a shock none the less: Kim Jong Il, all-powerful ruler of one of the planet's most unpleasant regimes, is now a nuclear power. Soon, the recriminations will begin: this is America's fault, the chorus will bleat, for invading Iraq and panicking Kim into accelerating his nuclear program.
They would be wrong. North Korea has pursued a nuclear capability for decades, because its aim is not the prosperity of its citizens, but the security of its leaders. They believe, probably with justice, that a nuclear North Korea will be allowed to go about its totalitarian business in peace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR2006101600464.html
Venezuela Is Denied Security Council Seat
New Vote Scheduled Today as Intensive Campaign Fails to Win Two-Thirds of Ballots
By Colum Lynch and Juan Forero
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 17, 2006; Page A13
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 16 -- Venezuela was stymied Monday in its bid to win a seat on the U.N. Security Council, a result that shocked diplomats who had expected President Hugo Chavez's leftist, oil-rich government to gain a platform on the international stage.
Guatemala finished ahead of Venezuela in nine of the first 10 rounds of secret voting held by the U.N. General Assembly. But neither secured the required two-thirds vote to succeed Argentina on Jan. 1 in the open Latin American seat on the 15-nation council.
MIRS Capitol Capsule, Monday, October 16, 2006
John Reurink (517) 482-2125
Gov Accuses DeVos Of Using Island For Tax Evasion
(SOUTHFIELD) - Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM threw some new dirt at Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVOS during today's debate by suggesting that DeVos used the sunny island of Bermuda as a way to avoid paying taxes in the United States.
Granholm said that while DeVos was president and CEO of Amway, he incorporated subsidiaries in Bermuda so he wouldn't have to pay his "fair share of American taxes."
Immediately after Granholm made the claim, DeVos butt in — though he wasn't aggressive about it — and said the Governor was just flat out wrong.
"You're doing it again," DeVos said. "You know that's not true and you're doing it again."
The moderator told DeVos that he would get a turn to respond and DeVos was quiet.
Granholm said that the U.S. looses about $20 billion in tax revenue a year because companies use the "Bermuda loophole" to avoid paying business taxes. After the debate, DeVos again reiterated that the Governor's claim was completely false.
DeVos said the company didn't use the loophole and then suggested that reporters contact the company for further information.
DeVos Spokesman John TRUSCOTT said that Amway brought subsidiaries, which were in Hong Kong, to Bermuda and then the U.S. because the conditions in Hong Kong were "unstable."
The subsidiaries, which were traded on the Chinese stock exchange, were brought to Bermuda, where they were consolidated and then were eventually privatized in the United States.
"Bermuda was seen as a simpler and more stable place to house that business," said Rob ZEIGER, spokesman for Amway.
MIRS asked why the company had to stop in Bermuda before going to the U.S. and Zeiger said he would have to defer some information for tomorrow.
However, the arm of the company that was consolidated started out overseas and was not taken from the U.S. and shifted to Bermuda, which is what a lot of U.S. companies do, he said.
"Normal boogieman stories involve taking U.S. corporations and repaving them in Bermuda," Zeiger said. "We did not do that."
Zeiger said the move was not done to avoid paying taxes and that Asia Pacific Limited (AAP), which was the company that moved from Hong Kong to Bermuda to the United States, was done as part of a corporate restructuring.
When asked if he had data proving that the company didn't pay fewer taxes as a result of AAP being in Bermuda during the 90s, Zeiger said he could probably get a lawyer to explain it and that, if there was interest, there could be more follow-up information Tuesday.
'Deceased Children' Loose Out In Debate
(SOUTHFIELD) - The spin-doctors for Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM and Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVOS were busy this afternoon anticipating the direction the debate would go by holding conference calls and sending out press releases to disperse their spin, but the debate barely touched on their pre-emptive strike.
Granholm's people sent out several statistics showing how the Governor has improved the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Corrections (DOC), which are the two state agencies that have been under scrutiny for not protecting citizens.
The Granholm camp was anticipating that DeVos would again hit Granholm with Ricky HOLLAND and Patrick SELEPAK, which are two household names that have been used as "evidence" that some problems have occurred within the Governor's administration.
Immediately out of the gate at the tonight's debate, Granholm asked DeVos to stop using the names of "deceased children" to further his political career and damage her own. Granholm was talking about Holland and other children who died tragically but have become namesakes in the gubernatorial election.
"Mr. DeVos, if you have beef with me bring it on, I can take it," Granholm said. "Leave the deceased children's names out of it. If you're determined to pick a fight, I would ask you to pick one with someone your own size."
Granholm tied this comment to the end of her answer about one piece of legislation that she would introduce to affect the greatest positive change. DeVos swam right past Granholm's bait, greeted the crowd and then attacked the Governor's 21st Century Jobs program, which he said is more of a "research project" than a jobs project because 27 of 61 grants that were recently awarded went to the universities.
After the debate, DeVos said the Governor used the "deceased baby" thing to distract voters from the truth, which he defines as the "fact" that the Governor hasn't shown results in four years.
The debate got interesting when the candidates had to answer questions from the 30-some "undecided voters" who were sitting in the audience. The way the candidates interacted with the "undecideds" was at times more interesting and more entertaining than the candidate's actual responses.
The first woman asked DeVos what he would do to convince her and her husband to keep their business and their three kids in Michigan when the schools are less than perfect and their business is experiencing its worst year.
DeVos' eyes bulged with excitement as he spouted off his answer, which he did while continually reminding the woman that she and her husband were small business owners, just like he and his family were.
Granholm's approach was different. First Granholm said to the woman, "It's Christine?" Then she used the woman's first name as she asked about the woman's kids and the type of business the family owned. Granholm said she wants jobs for her kids, too, and will work hard to get the jobs and the education to the state.
"We're going through some restructuring, but we're going to be OK," Granholm said.
The woman did not look convinced by either speaker.
DeVos did a lot better taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to him during the debate. When the audience asked him, or Granholm, questions he used the questions as a launch pad to show what the Governor supposedly hasn't done in four years.
He told a woman who asked what he would do about the fact that tuition has increased 50 percent since the Governor's been in office. He ticked off a litany of things the Governor supposedly hadn't done when a guy from Detroit asked what the candidates would do for the city.
DeVos talked about the recent strike, the fact that revenue sharing to the city has decreased under the Governor's watch (he didn't mention that this has occurred all over the state, not just in Detroit), he pointed to the fact that the city hasn't seen a change in mass transit and also pulled out the safety card, stating that the Governor has not made the city's streets safer.
Granholm also answered this question well and in her rebuttal, suggesting that she would put 1,800 more officers on the streets with the money that was lost when the state got rid of the inheritance tax. Then she kindly pointed out that DeVos' family would have to pay that tax and that she's repeatedly been an advocate to have it reinstated.
When asked if DeVos would ever reinstate the inheritance tax, DeVos Spokesman John TRUSCOTT said, "Why are we going to raise taxes? That's the wrong way to go."
DeVos Hits In Law Enforcement, Granholm Responds
Today, the campaign of Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVOS attacked Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM over comments from an article published in today's Detroit News, "Granholm, DeVos spar over crime."
According to the DeVos campaign, Granholm "took credit for accomplishments of the Republican Legislature and bragged about reducing the size of the prison population while dangerous criminals have been released early under her watch."
"Clearly one legacy of Gov. Granholm will be her record of mismanagement," said DeVos spokesman John TRUSCOTT. "The people of Michigan deserve a leader who will stand up and fight for them, own up to their mistakes and give credit to the proper people."
The article quotes Granholm saying, "'I have fought hard to protect funding that keeps Michigan families safe,' as she claimed she won legislative approval of a measure to hire and train 50 new State Police recruits."
"Once again the Governor is taking credit for the work of the Republican Legislature," Truscott said. "In the 2006-07 recommended budget, the Governor did not fund the Trooper Recruit School, but the Republicans did."
Truscott added that there are 1,300 fewer officers since the Governor took office.
However, Granholm spokesperson Liz BOYD said that Granholm had budgeted for a 100-student Trooper Recruit School in 2004, and negotiations resulted in it being spread out over a two-year 2004-2005 period.
"The bottom line is that it wouldn't have happened if the Governor hadn't signed it," Boyd said.
The DeVos news release also pointed out that, in the article, Granholm said: "We have reduced the prison population for two consecutive years and kept it down for a third year."
Truscott jumped on this quote, asking how Granholm could be proud of reducing the prison population in light of early, mistaken prisoner releases that resulted in murders. He pointed to the following:
In 2003, Daniel FRANKLIN was released from prison more than three years before he was eligible because of a clerical error. He killed his ex-wife and her two daughters.
Three years later, Patrick SELEPAK was released in error after a parole violation. He then proceeded to murder Scott and Melissa BERELS in New Baltimore and Winfield (Fred) JOHNSON in Genesee County.
"The Governor may be proud that she's reduced the prison population but that reduction has had significant consequences," Truscott said. "Innocent people have had to pay the price."
The DeVos news release noted that violent crime increased by more than 12 percent in Michigan, the second-highest rate of increase in the nation from 2004-2005. In addition, currently there are more than 2,600 parolees unaccounted for. That's 17 percent.
But Boyd points out that the Franklin release occurred on June 17, 2003, just months after Granholm was sworn in.
He was granted early parole under PA 670 of 2002. PA 670 allows prisoners serving on certain drug crimes to be considered for parole earlier than they would have been prior to the passage of the new law. Offenders who commit certain felony drug crimes while on parole or probation are not eligible for parole under this statute.
"When he was paroled, William OVERTON, Gov. John ENGLER's Corrections Director was still serving in that capacity," Boyd said. "Had Franklin's status as a parole violator been properly coded in 1998 during the Engler Administration he would not have been eligible for parole."
In regard to the Selepak situation, Boyd said the Department of Corrections (DOC) has responded with "sweeping" changes.
"These policies and procedures affect the issue of parole revocations that is the primary issue surrounding the Selepak case," Boyd said.
Other changes included disciplinary action handed down to employees found culpable for any violation of policy, procedure or work rule. Disciplinary hearings and subsequent disciplinary action has now been completed for eight employees including clerical staff, line staff, and supervisors at the management level who oversee the day-to-day operations of the parole supervision and revocation process.
For four of the employees, disciplinary charges have been sustained for work rule violations or failure to follow policy or procedure.
Wading Through The Rhetoric: Michigan's U.S. Senate Race
During last night's U.S. Senate debate, both sides made a number of allegations.
The allegations ranged from Republican nominee Mike BOUCHARD's assertion that U.S. Sen. Debbie STABENOW (D-Lansing) has only sponsored one bill that became a law in nine years in Congress to Stabenow's assertion that Jackson National Life Insurance Company, on whose board Bouchard sits, has outsourced jobs and is standing ready to help other companies outsource jobs to China or India.
The following is a compilation of the facts MIRS was able to uncover about some of the assertions.
Jackson National Life-Here To Help You Outsource?
Not even close, at least according to Tim PADOT, spokesperson for Jackson National Life.
"Jackson National is not outsourcing jobs to China or India, in fact we continue to generate jobs in Michigan and we're looking to expand in Lansing to accommodate further job growth," Padot told MIRS today. In fact, the spokesman noted that between 2000 and today, the company's Lansing job force has climbed from 980 to 1,300.
"We have contracts with providers, people who do work with us," Padot said. "We've not moved any jobs out of the United States." Padot said some of the firm's contractors could provide computer programming, or lobbying but no Jackson National Life jobs have been shipped overseas.
So what about the Web site? Padot claimed the Web site does talk about outsourcing and talking to other companies about it. But it's how the word is used.
"Outsourcing is kind of a term that can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people," Padot said. He pointed to a Jackson National Life subsidiary that provides certain fund services (doing the administrative work of certain types of funds).
"That's an internal company within our company," Padot said. "They actually do administrative work for some other companies. So, instead of just receiving revenue from us, they also do work for other companies. It's not outsourcing in the sense of sending jobs anywhere. It's more revenue to allow the company to grow."
The one-page pdf file forwarded to MIRS by the Stabenow campaign appears to support Padot's contention that the word "outsourcing" is actually referring to work taken in by the Jackson National Life subsidiary.
Bridge To Nowhere
The "Bridge to Nowhere" has become the official symbol of Congressional pork-barrel spending or, for the technical among us, Congressional "ear-marking."
The "Bridge to Nowhere" does actually go someplace. There are actually two bridges and funding for both was included in the 2005 federal transportation funding bill. One bridge is the Knik Am Crossing, which would connect Alaska's largest city with a little used port on the other side of a glacier-fed channel that drains into the Pacific. A second span would link Ketchikan, Alaska to a sparsely populated island called Gravina Island.
According to a Christian Science Monitor article, supporters of the projects defend them as economically vital to Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the fastest growing district in Alaska. The Monitor reported that a survey of Anchorage residents shows local voters are about split on the two projects.
Earmarks in the road bill for the so-called bridge-to-nowhere, total $454 million. The Transportation Funding Act, H.R. 2566, was widely backed by both Republicans and Democrats alike.
Allowing Social Security Benefits For Illegal Aliens
To look into this one, we went to factcheck.org, which is hosted by the Annenberg Political Fact Check, (www.factcheck.org). The site pledges to "monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases."
Factcheck.org argues the Social Security for illegal immigrants charge is a clear red herring.
"Republicans are tagging Democratic opponents across the county for wanting to give 'Social Security' benefits to illegal immigrants,” wrote the Web site. "But nobody's proposing paying benefits to illegals, not until and unless they become U.S. citizens or are granted legal status."
The whole matter arose last May when the U.S. Senate was debating The Comprehensive Immigration Act. The bill passed 62-36.
An amendment would change existing law to prevent immigrants from getting credit toward future Social Security Benefits from taxes paid before they have legal permission to work. Bouchard has used the immigrant-Social Security benefits complaint in two of his ads now, arguing that Stabenow was fighting to give Social Security Benefits to illegal immigrants."
Essentially, Stabenow opposed the amendment that would have barred formerly illegal immigrants from receiving credit for Social Security taxes paid before they became legal. Factcheck.org notes that the amounts are huge when it comes to such taxes. The Social Security Administration has what it calls an "earnings suspense" file to track the amount of wages that are taxed for collection but are not credited to a specific worker. That fund, apparently, takes in as much as $7 billion a year.
That $7 billion a year now goes to pay Social Security benefits from U.S. beneficiaries, effectively subsidizing U.S. benefits with taxes paid by illegal immigrants. The amendment to strip out the credit provision in the bill was killed, 50-49. Most Democrats, including Stabenow supported the credit, along with 11 GOP members of the Senate.
The Republican Party is taking this argument as far as it can, even creating a Web site called MuchasGraciasDebbie.com. The site features Stabenow with a superimposed Sombrero on her head and a cartoon bubble saying, "No Problema."
Stabenow's Passed Only One Bill
A spokesperson for the Senator did have to concede that only one bill where Stabenow was the primary sponsor has been signed into law — the bill that renamed a federal building.
But, the Senator has been active in 19 other critical pieces of law, through work on amendments. The Senator's office also notes that most key bills passed in the U.S. Senate bear the name of the committee chair
Brent COLBURN, spokesman for Stabenow, called the allegation ridiculous.
"He's trying to paint her as ineffective; that's not true," Colburn told MIRS. "The Washington Times, which is not a liberal publication, has noted that she's had 19 significant amendments."
Colburn also said Stabenow was critical in passing the 2005 federal transportation funding bill that brought 60,000 jobs to Michigan.
"It shows a lack of understanding of how the Senate works," Colburn added, noting that first-term Republican senators like U.S. Sen. George ALLEN (R-Va.) have had a similar number of bills passed.
In the current session of Congress, the 108th Session, Stabenow has sponsored 84 items. Of those, eight are resolutions. One resolution Stabenow sponsored congratulated the Detroit Shock on their victory in the 2006 Women's National Women's Basketball Association Championship.
The Senator this session has introduced some 76 Senate bills. Many of which deal with substantial policy matters, such as S. 346 to amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to bar the importation of Canadian solid waste without state consent.
One bill Stabenow did mention during her debate with Bouchard was legislation amending the 1974 Trade Act to create a special trade prosecutor to ensure compliance with trade agreements and for other purposes. That bill is S. 817 and Stabenow is the primary sponsor.
Stabenow On Thin Ice?
The conservative publication Human Events listed U.S. Sen. Debbie STABENOW (D-Lansing) as its sixth-most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in Congress and the second-most vulnerable Democratic senator in its latest rankings.
"Second narrowest winner of a 2000 Senate race, Stabenow could be hurt by anti-Democratic reaction to statehouse candidates and lose an upset to Oakland County Sheriff Mike BOUCHARD."
Stabenow Spokesman Brent COLBURN said if Stabenow, who is enjoying a double-digit lead over Bouchard, is the second-most vulnerable incumbent Democratic senator, the Republicans are looking at "sad, sad results" on Election Day.
Dems Link George Bush With Tom George
Senate Democrats, trying to link yet another Republican to the unpopularity of President George W. BUSH, put up another attack Web site today, this one with incumbent Sen. Tom GEORGE (R-Kalamazoo).
This Web site, www.curiousgeorges.info, features Bush and George with monkey suits in the masthead "Curious Georges." Below, the heads of George and Bush are swapped between two suits. It features links to the following "books," "Curious Georges and the Outsourced Jobs," "Curious Georges and the Evil Minimum Wage," and "Curious Georges and the Unimportant Environment."
Bouchard Claims $2.15M Raised
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike BOUCHARD's campaign reported today having raised $2.15 million since July, giving the challenger $600,000 in cash on hand going into the final three weeks of his campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Debbie STABENOW (D-Lansing).
Bouchard, left for dead by some political observers for his inability to raise the money necessary to match Stabenow will still not come close to Stabenow's cache, but the recent showing should be enough to raise some eyebrows that the Oakland County Sheriff is still a serious candidate.
Stabenow's campaign reported raising $1.1 million in total receipts during the same period, which covered July 20 to Sept. 30. She has $1.2 million in cash on hand, which does not include the $2.5 million in television advertising that Stabenow pre-bought for the last three weeks of the campaign, according to the campaign.
"This latest filing is evidence that Mike Bouchard is continuing to build momentum and getting his message out to voters across the state," said Spokeswoman Jennifer MORRIS. "We fully expect to have the resources needed to win on Election Day."
Bouchard was boosted with campaign fundraisers hosted by President George W. BUSH and Vice President Dick CHENEY. Stabenow invited U.S. Sen. Ted KENNEDY (D-Mass.) and U.S. Sen. Hillary CLINTON (D-N.Y.) to speak on her behalf.
"We're confident that we have the resources we need to get our message out to voters, but we're not taking anything for granted," said Stabenow Spokesman Brent COLBURN. "There is a clear choice in this election between someone who would support the failed and tired policies of the Bush administration and a Senator who has gotten concrete results for Michigan."
Incumbents Burying Challengers On Money Front
Michigan's incumbent members of the U.S. House of Representatives maintain a wide fundraising advantage over the candidates who are challenging them this November., according to information compiled by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
Campaign finance reports filed this weekend show that the incumbents who will appear on the November ballot have raised $12.3 million this election cycle through Sept. 30 while non-incumbents have raised $1.9 million.
The 14 incumbent members of Congress have fund balances that total $7.3 million, while the challengers have $290,000 on hand for the last five weeks of the campaign.
U.S. Rep. Joe KNOLLENBERG (R-Bloomfield Hills) is the top fundraiser, having taken in $2.2 million. U.S. Rep. Vernon EHLERS (R-Grand Rapids) has raised the least among incumbents this election cycle, $399,000, but he has more than $430,000 in cash on hand.
Former state representative Tim WALBERG, who defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe SCHWARZ (R-Battle Creek) in the 7th District Republican primary has raised $897,000, almost half the total raised by non-incumbents. More than two-thirds of Walberg's total was raised as ear-marked contributions by the anti-tax Club for Growth, almost entirely from out-of-state contributors.
His Democratic opponent, Sharon REINER, has raised $25,000 and has $5,200 in debt. She has $2,000 in cash on hand.
After Walberg, top fundraisers among the challengers are Jim MARCINKOWSKI of Royal Oak with $409,000. Knollenberg's Democratic opponent, Nancy SKINNER has raised $280,000.
Rep. Mike ROGERS' (R-Brighton) fundraising advantage of 3.4 to one over Marcinkowski is the narrowest ratio between an incumbent and a challenger.
"Between Michigan's blatantly partisan redistricting process and the incumbents' fundraising advantage, it's small wonder that we have so few competitive congressional elections," said MCFN Director Rich ROBINSON.
Granholm: 'I'm Fighting For Parents'
Over the weekend the Granholm for Governor campaign launched a television ad featuring Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM describing her support of a measure requiring schools to notify parents when a student begins falling behind in class.
Some may find the subject of the ad interesting because when Granholm initially announced the legislation in June, the Michigan Education Association (MEA), one of her strongest constituency groups, not only didn't like the idea, but also was a bit miffed over not having been consulted (See "Granholm Wants Parent Notification, MEA Not On Board," 6/06/06).
At the time, MEA Director of Government Affairs Al SHORT said the legislation wasn't necessary.
"A good school district already does this automatically," Short said. "School districts have the responsibility for doing this and that responsibility should stay where it is. We don't need the state to be doing this."
Short also received the MIRS Quote of the Day on June 6 when, on the same basic topic, he teed off on the concept of local school districts being micro-managed from the state level.
Meanwhile today John TRUSCOTT, spokesman for Republican gubernatorial nominee Dick DeVOS, dismissed the ad as just that much more form without substance.
"Everybody wants good schools," Truscott said. "The problem with this Governor is that she fails to get results. This is just more empty rhetoric."
The script for the new Granholm ad is as follows:
Granholm is pictured in the center of the screen wearing black, with a black background. She says:
If your child was having trouble in school, or was falling behind, wouldn't you want to know it? I sure would. I've demanded that schools notify parents immediately if their kids are having trouble to get parents more involved, and I'm standing up and fighting back against those who would take your tax dollars out of our local schools and give tax breaks to wealthy corporations. I'll never give up the fight to put Michigan's children first.
The legislation is HB 6151, sponsored by Rep. Kathy ANGERER (D-Dundee) was introduced in June and referred to the House Education Committee where it has remained untouched.
"Governor Granholm is fighting to make it easier for parents to help their children do well in school," said Granholm campaign spokesman Chris DeWITT. "Dick DeVos on the other hand, is proposing massive cuts to Michigan's taxes on corporations, with no plan to protect the vital funding they provide for schools."
GONGWER- Volume #45, Report #199 --Monday, October 16, 2006
Larry Lee (517) 482-3500
GRANHOLM, DE VOS DEBATE ECONOMY, LEADERSHIP
SOUTHFIELD - In their final debate pitch to voters who must select Michigan's next governor in 22 days, Governor Jennifer Granholm stuck to the plans she has set in motion to transform the state's economy while Republican candidate Dick DeVos stressed his business experience as the knowledge needed to halt what he sees as a precipitous decline in the state's fortunes.
The debate at WXYZ-TV again featured sharp-edged fireworks, begun by Ms. Granholm's demand that Mr. DeVos stop using names and photos of children who died in foster care, her accusation that he dodged U.S. taxes by incorporating a subsidiary in Bermuda and her repeated challenge that he show how he would cut $1 billion from the state budget after cutting that much in Single Business Tax revenues.
Mr. DeVos said the governor was again misrepresenting facts and said the governor is a failed leader who has not produced results and taken the state backwards in her first term.
The debate featured questions from journalists as well as undecided voters, who questioned them about motives for running, education funding, a smoking ban and other issues.
After four years of continuing problems for the state, Ms.Granholm was asked what she would say to supporters who think she has let them down. She returned, as she did several other times in the debate, to talking about the transformation the state's economy is undergoing and the plans she has for short, medium and long term. "It is critical to know that I have a plan set in motion," she said.
And to another question from a voter, Ms. Granholm said, "We are going through a restructuring, but we're going to be OK. I want to create state where your kids don't have to leave."
Mr. DeVos said it is not enough to have a plan, with voters wanting to see results even more. "But this sounds like the first election and now four years have gone by and we have gone backward while rest of the country has gone forward. This is unacceptable."
Mr. DeVos pointedly raised his experience in business - he was president of Amway/Alticor from 1993 to 2002 - in support of his qualifications for office while saying the governor is ill equipped to lead the economic transformation of the state. "The governor doesn't have the experience it takes. If ever we needed a governor with business experience, now is the time," he said to a woman who owns a plumbing business with her husband. "We must change to continue the way of life we've come to enjoy."
The governor turned one question from a voter regarding tuition increases to one of the several challenges to Mr. DeVos on what he would cut if he plans to replace just half of the $1.9 billion in revenue the single business tax produces.
"There is no doubt that under the tax scheme of my opponent, you will see tuition increase, you will see people let out prison, health care cut and class sizes increase," Ms. Granholm said.
But Mr. DeVos, who at other times said only the change his is advocating will reverse the pattern of declining revenues, said the governor has failed to keep tuition costs in check (noting they are up 50 percent in the last four years) and that the governor tried to get rid of a scholarship program to students attending private colleges and universities.
He did not respond during the debate to the challenge regarding the $1 billion in lost revenue, but told reporters he had not said he would cut $1 billion from state government and promised to protect essential services.
DeVos campaign manager Greg McNeilly said Mr. DeVos identified $850 million in cuts in his Turnaround plan, such as welfare benefits, savings in teacher health care and dealing with fraud and abuse, and noted the revenues have continued to fall under the Granholm administration.
Ms. Granholm accused Mr. DeVos of using Ricky Holland's name and photo for political purposes because of his reference to the children who have died while in foster care as part of his allegations of her mismanagement. "If you have a beef with me, bring it on," she said. "But let's keep deceased children out of it."
Mr. DeVos defended the use of names of people "who lost their lives. They deserve he dignity to have their names mentioned." He accused the governor of trying to distract voters from the issues that matter in the campaign.
Asked what single bill each would sign to change the state's economy, Ms. Granholm pointed to her 21st Century Jobs fund, which invests in new technologies, and Mr. DeVos pointed to his Turnaround Plan with its emphasis on changing taxes and business regulations.
Ms. Granholm raised for the first time the accusation that Mr. DeVos used the Bermuda incorporation to avoid paying taxes, something that drew a quick interruption from Mr. DeVos who said it was "not fair, it's misleading and it's disappointing." Later, he told reporters the allegation will be proven false: "Everything we did was appropriate."
Alticor spokesperson Rob Zieger said the Bermuda incorporation involved a variety of companies that had operated in Asia and that "it did not save us a dime in U.S. taxes." He said the company paid some U.S. taxes before the change, which occurred when the companies were taken public in 1993, and continued to do so after the change. Mr. Zieger said the change took advantage of a simpler and more stable environment in Bermuda, and that no operations remain there following the move in the late 1990s to again make the subsidiary a private company folded into other Alticor operations.
Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, who has scheduled two press conferences Tuesday to release more details about the matter and to release a new TV ad on the issue, said Alticor incorporated its Amway Asia Pacific Unlimited company in Bermuda to avoid paying domestic taxes.
Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis criticized the governor for failing to talk about what she plans to do in a new term, noting she talked about what she has done so far to address the state's problems. "He's (Mr. DeVos) throwing out solutions and she's said nothing new."
U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Southfield) said the governor was the one "working on the future but acknowledges that it is not yet all working. He's scripted; he' more like an attack drone than a confident leader."
Oakland Party Chair L. Brooks Patterson said the debate was another one that was "fought to a draw and both made points. Now, there's 21 days for Dick DeVos to show that he's the right person to turn the economy around."
On other issues:
TRASH: Mr. DeVos said he would work with Washington to reduce trash coming to the state from Canada and would not raise fees. Ms. Granholm said a landfill moratorium and higher fees would discourage trash from coming to the state until Washington acts to ban such imports.
EDUCATION: Both said they oppose the K-16 guaranteed funding proposal (Proposal 2006-5) but Ms. Granholm also accused Mr. DeVos of continuing to promote vouchers, which she said would undercut public education. Mr. DeVos noted the governor is the first in 20 years to cut funds to K-12 schools and to cutting funding to universities, saying, "I couldn't agree more on the importance of education."
DETROIT: Ms. Granholm said she wanted a partnership with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick as former Republican Governor William Milliken had with former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young to build bridges between the state's largest city and the rest of the state. Mr. DeVos said his vision for the city means "we have to get education right" followed by reducing crime. "The renaissance of Michigan will not move forward until Detroit is successful," he said.
REACTION: One observer said the third debate was Mr. DeVos's best performance yet, but a second said he still failed to make the point why voters should switch from Ms. Granholm to him.
Bill Rustem of Public Sector Consultants called the debate even. Ed Sarpolus of the polling firm EPIC/MRA gave the debate to Ms. Granholm.
Mr. Rustem said both candidates were well prepared, but Mr. DeVos succeeded in not rising to Ms. Granholm's attempts to bait three times over the use of dead children, using Bermuda tax breaks and calling for the state to restore its inheritance tax.
He came close to responding when Ms. Granholm first raised the Bermuda issue, but got control of himself, Mr. Rustem said. "He did have a good command of his message," Mr. Rustem said of Mr. DeVos.
But he did evade Ms. Granholm's repeated requests for him to clarify how he would pay for various programs he has called for, like adding police officers, when he has called for at least $1 billion in tax cuts.
Mr. Rustem wasn't sure if the performance would gain Mr. DeVos new support, and said the race will now come down to one of commercials with a focus on new negatives.
Mr. Sarpolus said Mr. DeVos did not change his message from the earlier debates. "He's disappointed," Mr. Sarpolus said, but he still fails to tell people why they should vote for him. "Where are the specifics? He said he turned around his company, but he hasn't said what he actually did for jobs in Michigan," Mr. Sarpolus said.
"This is great if you're applying to be CEO of Michigan. But he's running for governor," he said.
The debate did not all go Ms. Granholm's way, he said. "She still does not have a strong comeback for what she would do in the next four years."
And while Mr. DeVos did not gain voters from this debate, he did not hurt himself with his base. The election is still winnable for him, but he is now going to have to use his advertising to better define himself and how he will make changes to the state to improve things, Mr. Sarpolus said.
DE VOS GETS NEWSPAPER ENDORSEMENTS: Mr. DeVos picked up the first three major newspaper endorsements on Sunday, as the Detroit News, Grand Rapids Press and Oakland Press said his business background and leadership skills trump the qualities that Governor Jennifer Granholm has exhibited.
The Grand Rapids Press editorial focused on what it sees as the need for fundamental change in Michigan to get it out of the nation's worst economy and found in Mr. DeVos a business background and a proper set of priorities established in his campaign.
"Those set a pro-business agenda, which is what Michigan at this moment must have," the newspaper said. "True, Michigan must invest more in its universities, improve performance in K-12 schools, make the streets safe, and care for health and the environment. But none of that will matter much if we cannot attract the employers who make it possible for us to live here.
"Far more than the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Mr. DeVos has emphasized the importance of change. His campaign has centered squarely on the Michigan economy -- and on the tax policies, investment strategies, government reforms and market ventures that must be undertaken to return the state to a job-creation path."
Both the Grand Rapids paper and the Detroit News made a particular point that Ms. Granholm was faced with terrible economic circumstances when she took office, but said the state lost ground during her tenure. And both said she has been unable to break her allegiances with labor unions, citing her absence in the fight against the K-16 education funding guarantee proposal.
The Grand Rapids Press also said the governor's campaign attacks on Alticor's Chinese investments under the direction of Mr. DeVos suggest Michigan is detached from international trade realities.
The Detroit News editorial praised Mr. DeVos for his declaration he would end the Single Business Tax and personal property tax, but said it had been unable to say "with great enthusiasm" that he was the right alternative to the governor until his speech Thursday at their joint appearance at the Detroit Economic Club. It said he has the necessary executive skills and independence to put his proposal into action.
"DeVos delivered what we've been waiting for -- passion and a specific, bold plan for reviving Michigan. He is no longer the lesser of two evils. He is the right alternative. DeVos understands that Michigan must send a strong signal to the rest of the world that it has changed the way it does business," the editorial said.
The News said of Ms. Granholm: "Her partisanship and political missteps have left her with little leverage over a Legislature controlled by the other party."
The Oakland Press editorial found the campaigns of both candidates lacking, saying Ms. Granholm misses the mark when criticizing Mr. DeVos' China investments and Mr. DeVos losing sight when he criticizes the governor for failed promises of the "major stumbling blocks" she encountered with the auto industry restructuring and a hostile GOP Legislature.
"However, when you take a closer look at both candidates, DeVos' business acumen clearly sets him apart from Granholm," the paper said. It credited him with turning around not only his former company and strengthening its international presence, but with helping to revive Grand Rapids. "If anyone should know how to turn around Michigan's economy, he should. Given that he is making money in Michigan, DeVos must also be given credit for his business commitment to the state."
For a variety of reasons, the newspaper said Ms. Granholm has not turned the state around and it said, "It's time to let someone else - an expert in business among other things - to take a shot at it. Figuratively speaking, it's time to pull Granholm and go with a solid relief pitcher in DeVos."
GRANHOLM: PAROLEES, CHILD ABUSE DOWN; DEVOS: MISMANAGEMENT
With her Republican opponent stepping up attacks on her management of crime and child protection issues, Governor Jennifer Granholm's administration said statistics show that fewer parolees are being released since she took office and fewer incidents of overall child abuse are taking place in foster care placements.
Tragedies have still occurred, which the administration takes seriously and acts on, press secretary Liz Boyd said in a teleconference press conference, but it is untrue to say the administration has failed to act to rectify problems.
But in a statement, John Truscott, spokesperson for Republican challenger Dick DeVos, said the governor has mismanaged police and safety issues overall. While the state has helped hold the line on prison populations, for example, "innocent people have had to pay the price."
In recent weeks, Mr. DeVos has raised charges that Ms. Granholm bears at least part of the responsibility for the death of Ricky Holland, a seven-year old foster care child who was allegedly murdered by his adoptive parents, and the murders caused by Patrick Selepak and Daniel Franklin who were paroled in error.
Ms. Boyd said that the error that led to Mr. Franklin's release was originally caused by coding errors that took place during the administration of former Governor John Engler. Administrative problems allowed Mr. Selepak to go free when he should have been reimprisoned, she acknowledged, but in each case the administration has taken action to change procedures and discipline staff where needed.
Since Ms. Granholm took office, fewer potentially dangerous prisoners have been paroled, she said. The high for individuals paroled came in 1998, she said. Just since Ms. Granholm took office, 4 percent fewer prisoners were paroled in 2004 and 9 percent fewer in 2005.
In addition, fewer sex offenders are being released, she said. In 1996, as many as 27 percent of sex offenders were paroled, Ms. Boyd said, and since 2003 the number has been less than half that.
Ms. Boyd also said the administration has stepped up efforts to catch and jail probation violators.
The state also ranks well compared to national statistics on foster care issues, she said. Nationally 8.6 percent of former foster care children end up back in the system, in Michigan it's 2.54 percent, Ms. Boyd said. Incidents of repeated maltreatment of children average 6.1 percent nationally and 4.58 percent in Michigan, she said. And incidents of abuse and neglect in foster care average .57 percent of all children nationally, she said, but just .19 percent in Michigan.
Still, Mr. Truscott said Ms. Granholm continues to take credit for programs that Republicans originated.
And while Ms. Granholm has taken credit for keeping the state's prison population down there has been an increase in violent crime in the state which is directly linked to that prison population, Mr. Truscott said.
JACKSON NATIONAL: NO JOBS OUTSOURCED
Lansing-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company said Monday that it has not outsourced any jobs and is in fact looking to expand jobs in the state, a spokesperson said of a charge made during the Sunday debate between U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) and her Republican challenger Oakland Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Republican Party said the charges were nothing more than lies by Ms. Stabenow, while a spokesperson for Ms. Stabenow said the question remains on the judgment of Mr. Bouchard serving with a company that has contracted with companies that have used overseas workers.
During the debate, Ms. Stabenow said Mr. Bouchard served on a board at Jackson National Life and that the company had outsourced jobs to China and India.
Jackson National Life is one of the largest Michigan-headquartered life insurance companies and employs more than 1,000 people in the state.
Tim Padot, a spokesperson for the company, said that Mr. Bouchard does not serve on the company's board of directors but on a board required by law to oversee a variable annuity. He is there to help protect the policyholders of the annuity, Mr. Padot said.
Mr. Padot also said Jackson National has never closed a job in Michigan to send overseas. Most of its computer work is done in-house and the firm is looking to expand its operations, he said.
The Stabenow campaign said a contractor of Jackson National has farmed work abroad, but Mr. Padot said that is a vendor relationship that Jackson National has no authority over.
Brent Colburn, a spokesperson for Ms. Stabenow, said the campaign never accused Jackson National of directly outsourcing jobs and did not criticize "what it has to do under the Bush economy to get by" but that it had made decisions that placed work with companies that do not employ U.S. workers.
And he said that Mr. Bouchard is still open to challenge for participating in a company that has made those business decisions when such a focus of the campaign has been restoring jobs.
DEBATE DELAY: Viewers turning on their public television stations at 8 p.m., Sunday to watch the debate saw, well, nothing at first, and then a tape of an aquarium.
A television station's worst nightmare happened, as the server system at WGVU in Grand Rapids crashed and technicians tried to get the debate up on to the network. They switched to a backup tape so there was no dead air while the problem was resolved and by 8:10 the debate was broadcasting.
But Ken Kolbe, the station's general manager, said the incident was a tremendous embarrassment.
The debate will be rebroadcast over the Michigan Public Television network at 7 p.m., Sunday. And it was being shown nationally by CSPAN Monday night. It has been posted as well to the Michigan Republicans website, and an audio version can be heard at http://www.wgvu.org/news.
A few conspiracy theorists were quick to go to the web to accuse public television of trying to suppress the debate.
Mr. Bouchard issued a statement saying that because of the delay, the two candidates should agree to a second televised debate.
DETROIT CHAMBER ENDORSEMENTS: Incumbents enjoyed the benefit of the endorsements from the Detroit Regional Chamber, including U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing), Attorney General Mike Cox and Secretary of State Terri Land. The chamber said it chose the candidates it thought would best work for business improvement in the state. In fact, practically the only notable item in the endorsements was that no endorsement was made in the 13th Senate seat race between Republican John Pappageorge and Democrat Andy Levin. Otherwise, in open seats, except for those areas where Republicans have little chance of winning, the chamber endorsed the republican challengers.
