Tagged: election 2012

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7:59am

Wed May 16, 2012
Politics

The Week in Michigan Politics

allieosmar / Flickr

Every week we check in with Michigan Radio's Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry to get an update on what's happening in state politics. On tap for this week:

The state holds a revenue estimating conference today... we'll get a better idea of how much money the state will take in and the political consequences of a possible budget surplus. Yesterday was the filing deadline for candidates who want to run for many local and statewide elections. We ask: who's in, who's out, and what were the big surprises. And, a petition drive is underway to ban"fracking" in the state constitution.

7:51am

Wed May 16, 2012
Election 2012

MI GOP Senate primary could be crowded

Former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra is one of five candidates running in the GOP's August 8th Senate primary
Republican Conference / Flickr

Five candidates have filed to run in Michigan’s Republican U.S. Senate primary. Yesterday was the deadline for candidates for most state and federal offices to submit their petitions to appear on the August primary ballot.

The campaign is already underway as the five GOP hopefuls appeal to prospective Republican primary voters. They’re arguing over who is the most conservative and who presents the best chance for the GOP to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow.

Retired judge Randy Hekman says he’ll put his conservative credentials up against anyone else in the field.

“We’ve got 90 days to show who we are, how we differ from others, how we’re going to fix our country, move ahead and win this thing," Hekman says.

Former congressman Pete Hoekstra, charter school CEO Clark Durant, businessman Pete Kontechy, and Gary Glenn – co-author of Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions — have also filed.

“Jobs is going to be the Number One issue that I’m going to be talking about, but then you’ve also got some cultural issues. President Obama did me a favor last week when he came out and endorsed so-called homosexual marriage," Glenn says.

Their petition signatures still need to be officially counted and certified. Candidates also have until Friday to change their minds about putting their names on the ballot.

9:01am

Wed May 9, 2012
Election 2012

Road to The White House goes through Michigan

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 6:21 am

There is a battle underway on the presidential campaign trail over Michigan's economic recovery. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says President Obama is given too much credit for helping the domestic auto industry. President Obama has made the auto industry's turnaround a central point of his re-election campaign.

5:36pm

Tue May 8, 2012
Politics

Romney in Michigan, delivers speech on the economy

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney at Lansing Community College today.
WKAR

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney gave a speech at Lansing Community College on the economy.

The New York Times blog "The Caucus" Ashley Parker writes that Romney cast the presidential election as a choice between the past and the future:

“President Obama chose to apply liberal ideas of the past to a 21st century America,” Mr. Romney said. “Liberal policies didn’t work back then, they haven’t worked during these last four years, and they will not work in the future. New Democrats had abandoned those policies, but President Obama resurrected them, with the predictable results.”

Standing in front of a backdrop a [sic] six flags — two Michigan state flags, and four American flags, one of which bore a steel border meant to invoke manufacturing strength — Mr. Romney seemed to prefer the “New Democrat” policies of President Bill Clinton, whom he touted as counterpoint to Mr. Obama.

Romney said “Americans are tired of living on the edge, tired about wondering about what kind of country they’re going to leave their children. They’re tired of being tired. This wasn’t what we expected from President Obama. He promised change and hope, and he said we could do anything we wanted together. But rhetoric met reality and reality won.”

Here's the text of Romney's speech.

And here's some reaction from those who came to see Romney speak at Lansing Community College today:

Romney supporter Harry Kost of Lansing says he liked the candidate’s remarks about business creation.

(He’s) Gonna make it easier for businesses to start and then not be taxed to death in that.  And I think he’s going to give us the chance to have more people go to work,” said Kost.

Kost also agrees with Romney about ending so-called ‘Obamacare’ and building a U.S./Canada oil pipeline.

Norma Jean Wiley voted for Newt Gingrich in the Michigan primary.  But the Hillsdale County resident says Governor Romney is growing on her.

“The more that I see of him, I can see that he has a more human, conservative side that I appreciate,” said Wiley.

She feels he has “a good plan for the future.”

Lynn Taylor of Ann Arbor says she plans to follow the details of Romney policies as they take shape.  For now, she is solidly behind the republican.

“He promised he’d end Obamacare and that’s important to me.  And he will fix it.  He said he would do a partnership with the government and the private industry, so I thought that was good,” said Taylor.

Taylor says she thinks Romney is committed to innovation and moving forward.

In a speech in Ohio yesterday, Romney brought up his position on the auto bailouts, going so far as to take credit for the U.S. auto industry's comeback.

It was a topic that The Caucus' Parker says he did not mention once in his speech today.

He did, however, make sure to say that he would “help usher in a revival in American manufacturing.”

“I’m convinced, if we take an entirely new direction in energy and in trade policy and in labor policy, we’re going to see more manufacturing jobs come back to America than those that have left America,” Mr. Romney said. “I am absolutely convinced of this. This is real. With the right policies and the right leadership we can see a resurgence in American manufacturing.”

12:04pm

Tue May 8, 2012
Politics

PHOTO: Romney in Michigan: Stage is set

The stage for Romney's speech at Lansing Community College.
Rick Pluta / MPRN

Rick Pluta of MPRN sent along this photo. The stage is set for Mitt Romney's speech this afternoon at Lansing Community College.

He's set to talk around 12:30 p.m.

11:49am

Tue May 8, 2012
Politics

Mitt Romney pulls into Michigan, working to polish bailout stance

The Romney bus pulls into Michigan.
Rick Pluta / MPRN

Mitt Romney's bus pulled into Michigan today as he prepares to give a policy speech this afternoon at Lansing Community College.

The fact that Romney is here is a sign that the Romney camp feels Michigan is a battleground state, but as MPRN's Rick Pluta points out, a "Republican nominee has not won Michigan in 24 years."

Romney is banking on his ties to the state. He was born in Michigan and his father, George Romney, served as governor in the 1960s.

Now to solve a nagging problem for Romney in Michigan.

In 2008, Romney wrote a New York Times op-ed piece that carried the headline "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt."

Yesterday in a speech in Ohio, Romney took credit for saving the auto industry.

Romney has continually said that President Obama ended up taking his advice on how to manage the ailing U.S. auto industry.

But the Associated Press reports that Romney took it a step further in yesterday's speech "by saying he deserves credit for its ultimate turnaround."

The course Romney advocated differed greatly from the one that was ultimately taken. GM and Chrysler went into bankruptcy on the strength of a massive bailout that Romney opposed. Neither Republican President George W. Bush nor Democratic President Barack Obama believed the automakers would have survived without that backup from taxpayers.

Romney opposed taxpayer help.

The Detroit Free Press reports that "the bailout of the Detroit-based automobile industry is expected to be a dominant issue today."

Romney got "two Pinocchio's" in a Washington Post "The  Fact Checker" piece when they looked at whether he's been consistent in his stance on the auto bailout.

Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has endorsed Romney. Snyder is expected to introduce him today at Lansing Community College.

We'll have more on Romney's speech later today.

2:53pm

Thu May 3, 2012
Politics

Vice President Snyder?

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder delivering the 2011 State of the State address

That's what one conservative analyst is saying today.

In a column for Tampa Bay Online, Chris Ingram bases his prognostication on hotel room locations.

More specifically, hotel room locations for the Republican National Convention this August in Tampa Bay.

Ingram writes that Romney and Massachusetts got the best rooms for the convention... and Gov. Snyder and Michigan got the second best spot:

But there is a reason Michigan got the second-best hotel assignment: Gov. Rick Snyder. My bet is he's Romney's man for vice president.

What does hotel room location have to do with anything?

Ingram writes:

Access to the convention site, proximity to the best restaurants and bars, being inside the security zone, and not having to ride a bus (a really big deal if you're a Republican) are almost as important as fighting over abortion and gays in the party's meaningless platform.

Ingram notes Snyder's success at getting his pro-business agenda passed through the Michigan legislature, his background in private business, his credentials (an attorney with an MBA), and his appeal to moderates as more reasons Mitt Romney could pick Snyder as his running mate.

"Too bad he doesn't speak fluent Spanish," Ingram writes.

So what are the odds? Who do you think Romney will pick?

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