Op-Ed: Granholm wanted Levin to run

George Weeks

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Weeks

September 11, 2011

By GEORGE WEEKS Syndicated Columnist The Record Eagle Tue Mar 13, 2012, 03:34 PM EDT

When Gov. Jennifer Granholm considered dropping her re-election bid in 2006 and asking Sen. Carl Levin to run in her place, her two closest advisers said it was a bad idea. She soon agreed.

"With all due respect, Madam Governor, I think you've lost your mind," said husband Dan Mulhern, who proved to be second to none as Michigan's most influential first spouse.

Her savvy chief of staff, Rick Wiener, former Democratic state chairman, said Levin wouldn't want to leave the Senate -- "He'd want this job like he'd want a hole in the head."

There's a pretty good source for these provocative quotes: Granholm's forthcoming book co-authored with Mulhern: "A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future" from Public Affairs books.

I don't usually report in this manner on books that I have not read. In this case, thanks go to The Detroit News, which had an embargoed advance copy of the book that was to go on sale Sept. 20 but was sold late last week in Lansing so the paper was able to report at length on the book Sept. 9.

Granholm, facing low poll numbers, writes that she considered asking Levin to run in her place. "How about it? Let's make an inquiry to see if Carl will do it," she told her advisers. The News said Levin's office said he was never contacted about the matter.

Liz Boyd, former press secretary for Granholm and still her spokeswoman, said Saturday Granholm will go on a national book tour as part of her effort to "share the Michigan experience" across the land.

That experience is cited by ex-President Bill Clinton in a blurb for the book: "In a weak economy, no state was hit harder than hers. She embraced the challenge of rebuilding Michigan's economy for the 21st century with new ideas, new jobs, and new businesses. In 2010, Michigan had the largest drop in unemployment in the U.S., thanks in large measure to her tireless effort. A Governor's Story is a remarkable narrative. Everyone who wants to revive the American economy and restore the American dream should read it."

Granholm offers an insight into her now infamous line from her 2006 State of the State message when she said: "In five years, you're going to be blown away by the strength and diversity of Michigan's transformed economy."

After initially agreeing to her staff's suggestion that she drop the line, she added it at the last minute and lived to regret it as GOP challenger Dick DeVos and others used "blown away" as a club to ridicule her in the campaign and beyond.

Congressional watch

Given their seniority and leadership positions, the reactions of Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan's longest-serving senator, and 11-term Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, to President Barack Obama's jobs pitch last week to Congress were notable reflections of differing views of the Michigan congressional delegation.

Said Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee:

"The country heard tonight a rousing, patriotic call from the president to bipartisan action. The jobs program that the president outlined tonight with such urgency will accelerate economic recovery. The elements of this program have had bipartisan support in the past and would not add to the budget deficit.

"There is overwhelming agreement among economists that the Recovery Act we passed in 2009 helped to prevent a second Great Depression; now we must act to avoid slipping back into recession. The people of Michigan and the nation need Congress to work together to create jobs. I hope our Republican colleagues will join us in doing so."

Republicans, not surprisingly, did not hear a rousing call.

Camp, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and most importantly one of the 12 "Super Committee" members grappling with the of the economic crisis facing Congress, said:

"I appreciate the president's focus on the economy and the need to get Americans working again. Where we agree -- like the need to pass the long pending, job creating trade agreements -- we should act now. All we need is for the president to send Congress the agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea so the American people can begin to take advantage of the up to 250,000 jobs they will create.

"However, I was disappointed that he did not discuss the one area that can truly spark sustained private-sector job creation in this country -- comprehensive tax reform. While job creation stood at zero last month, nearly 11 percent of Michigan residents remain unemployed, and nearly 14 million Americans remain out of work, I hope he is not backing away from his support for one of the boldest actions that Washington can take to get America back on track.

"In the months ahead I look forward to reviewing the details of the President's proposals and working with the Administration and my colleagues in the House and Senate on pro-growth policies that get America's employers hiring again and workers back on the job."

Northern Michigan's other two congressmen, both Republican freshmen, saw some areas of broad agreement but were skeptical and, like Camp, await more specifics.

First District Rep. Dan Benishek, of Crystal Falls, said: "While I applaud President Obama's new found focus on job creation, I remain very skeptical of the approach he mapped out ... Although I certainly see areas for common ground with the president, I fear his plan bears a striking resemblance to more failed federal stimulus spending. The American people have already seen that approach and know we cannot borrow and spend our way to prosperity.

"With nearly 14 million Americans out of work, there is no doubt that America is facing a drought of jobs and action needs to be taken. Congress, I believe, should focus on reforming three things: spending, regulations, and taxes. Both the Administration and Congress need to put the brakes on the spending-driven federal debt crisis that continues to stoke the flames of economic uncertainty, rein in the overzealous federal regulations that have hand-cuffed our job creators, and reform the bloated federal tax code so individuals and businesses can keep more of their own money to invest.

"There may be no magic elixir that will alleviate all the woes of the nation's stalled economy, but Washington could enact policies that will create economic growth and get America working once again."

Second District Rep. Bill Huizenga, of Zeeland, said: "It's easy to agree with broad proposals but I don't know if I'll agree with the legislative details when we actually get a bill. The facts are: America needs jobs now.

"Spending got us into this mess. We need to create jobs now without spending more. That's what I want to see in the President's bill. The House and I have passed 12 bills that do this and are waiting for action from the Senate and President."