Just like other girls her age, little Jennifer Granholm grew-up
with a love of horses. So much so that she wanted to ride them for a
living. But when she grew too big to be a jockey, she switched to
wanting to be a veterinarian.
Eventually that desire faded and before you knew it she was off
to Hollywood, without her parent's blessing, to pursue a career in the
movies.
Looks like she will have to settle for one on the tube, instead.
This week marks a new chapter in that rather meteoric saga of
Jennifer Granholm who never wanted to be in politics but ended up as
governor and who now faces some stiff competition. Can she work her
magic as a cable TV host. who are a dime a dozen.
It will be the perhaps the biggest challenge of her life.
Had she been doing this in the 1950's when there were three
channels on TV, she'd have a real shot at this. But this is now with a
god-zillion channels each with its onwn little niche and most with
their own little audience.
The War Room with Jennifer Granholm starts with an even smaller
niche on a cable channel that most viewers can't view. In fact to see
her, you actually have to spend more money on your already whopping
cable bill to see her strut her stuff. Most folks, will not cough up
the moola to do it. Let's be frank, she was not the most popular
person in the universe when she split for California after a twelve
year run as state attorney general and than governor here.
Former Vice President Al Gore tapped her to anchor a five-day a
week, prime time show because he saw potential in her charisma, her
insider's knowledge of politics and her contacts.
She proved him right by landing a video segment on what it was
like to work in the President Barack Obama war room in Chicago. It's
not what you know but who you know.
The hyper-active, high-achiever, and off the chart competitive
Ms. Granholm has no delusions that she will be an instant hit. And the
chances are she may be a flop, but it will not be for not trying.

Dd anybody catch the similarities between the president's State of
the Union address and the State of the State message from Gov. Rick
Snyder.
There were a boatload…nine if not more and remember they are not in
the same party.
They are hardly soul-brothers but they are surprisingly on the same
page on many issues.
Starting with the auto industry bounce back, President Obama
joyously announced that "The American auto industry is back and General
Motors is number one."
Not all of the Republicans in the Congress got on their feet but
when GOP Gov. Snyder said basically the same thing two weeks ago, the
whole joint at the capitol, R's and D's, went bonkers.
The president talked about getting rid of lousy teachers. Governor
Snyder? Been there, done that.
The president talked about keeping college tuition costs down.
Governor Snyder's on that, too.
Charter schools? Same page.
The president waxed on about how to spend the federal extra cash,
now that the country is not spending it in the Middle East, and Gov.
Snyder has a surplus question to answer as well.
And on and on it went as the two leaders paralleled each other all
over the place.
Which brings us to the "relationship" they have. Far as we can
tell, the governor has not broken bread with Mr. Obama, but the guys in
the White House have noticed that Mr. Snyder is not a fire-brand, off
the wall, anti-labor governor like the gov's in Ohio and Wisconsin.
In fact this GOP governor has been down right friendly with the
president's transportation director who has funneled some federal
goodies into the state as result.
And when the GOP candidates for president where bashing the
president for helping the auto industry, there was GOP Gov. Snyder on
the side lines refusing to join in. "I will not second guess the
president" was his only comment while the Mitt Romneys of the world
socked it to Mr. O.
Chances are Mr. Snyder will not bash the president. He is not the
bashing type.
As a former GOP president was fond of saying, "Not gonna happen"
much to the chagrin of other state Republicans who would like the
governor to be somebody he is not.

There must be something in the water they drink in the Attorney
General's office because it turns the occupants into a finely tuned
headline gathering machine.
Current occupant Bill Schuette has picked up right where Attorney
General Jennifer Granholm and Frank Kelley left off.
Whether it's promoting the notion that he alone is standing at the
mouth of Lake Michigan to battle the Asian Carp from invading our
waterways, or battling those medical marijuana shops that popped up all
over the state, Bill Schuette is on duty and this time it was to fight
what else? Crime, of course.
Mr. Crime-fighter wants to swipe $140 million of the state's $500
million surplus to hire 1,000 new cops. And funny thing, the law
enforcement community showed up in force the other day to provide the
human backdrop for his big announcement. Why not? They would share
most of the largess.
Mr. Schuette waxed on, as the phalanx of TV cameras recorded his
every word, suggesting that if Michigan was ever going to enjoy an
economic recovery, it would first need to make the state safe.
Hand it to the Billster it was a great pitch, a great performance
but it did not open to rave reviews across the street where lawmakers
will decide the plan's fate.
"I don't want to give the money to anybody," the crusty and stingy
chair of the House budget committee rebutted the Schuette sound bites.
"I'm willing to talk to him about it," countered the equally
unenthusiastic chair of the Senate budget panel.
Put Rep. Chuck Moss and Sen. Roger Kahn down as "maybes" leaning
toward a no.
Those two guys control the purse strings and they note that Mr.
Schuette is not the only one standing in line for a surplus hit.
"Do we want a thousand teachers? Or a thousand inspectors for
nursing homes?...We can't afford all the good things that everybody
wants," Mr. Moss concluded.
Mr. Kahn would only describe his position as "not a complete
rejection."
So despite the masterful media manipulation of the issue, Mr.
Schuette got his media fix for the week, but his chances of landing the
cash?
Don't count on another glitzy news conference if the answer is a
big fat N-O.

If you are a betting persons, don't bet on this.
The angriest Mayor in American is no longer angry. Instead Lansing
Mayor Virg Bernero is geeked about building a new casino right in the
heart of the capitol city.
And after a lengthy, yet constructive, year of chats with the a
Native American tribe from the U.P., his honor is sitting on a whooping
$250 million investment.
And sitting is where he could stay.
Virg Bernero talks in terms of one to two years. Somebody who has
actually negotiated these kinds of compacts says five years is more
likely and most of that time will not be spent on the construction site
but in the courts.
Moments after the mayor boldly declared, "Lansing will have a
casino. It's only a question of where and when," the press releases
from all of the opponents flooded in.
Leading the charge were the owners of the tribal casinos in Gun
Lake and Battle Creek. In fact they had a barrister in the audience to
gain quick access to the media that was there to cover the Virg.
The good folks in Mt. Pleasant who run the Soaring Eagle are not
eager to have competition in Lansing and they vowed to haul Mr. Benero
and company into the courts to duke it out. And the three casinos in
Detroit will join in.
The federal government also has to sign off.
Lawmakers have a voice in all this and none of them bothered to
show up for the big announcement.
And then there is the governor who has said he's not a big fan of
economic expansion that includes more slot machines and roulette
wheels. Besides the state stands to lose $22 million in cold hard cash
if the Lansing casino is actually built.
"There will be some bumps in the road," confided the tribal chair
in what clearly wins the understatement of the year award.
So all you grannies out there ready to drop your hard earned
nickles into a Lansing slot machine, don't hold your breath.

With apologies to those of you who come to this spot looking for
hard-nosed commentary and analysis, we digress to share a delightful
saga of the governor with the green tie.
As you've watched Gov. Rick Snyder you've learned that he is not a
combative soul and tries to reach out to everyone even though many on
the other end refuse to grasp his hand.
So when he returned home from the U of M vs. MSU b-ball game the
other night, where he joyously celebrated a squeaky one point win, he
proceeded up stairs to pick out a tie for his State of the State speech
the next night.
Wanting to extend an "olive branch" to the battered Spartans, "I
picked out one of my favorite green ties." It was Mr. Snyder being Mr.
Snyder.
He laid it on the bed and went down stairs to attend to whatever
governor's do after their alma mater has defeated the Green and White.
Upon his return, the green tie had disappeared.
In its place a red tie.
"A higher authority" had spoken, he went on with his tale. That,
of course, was Mrs. Sue Snyder, also an avid U of M fan.
While many families debate who wears the pants in the family, for
the First Family it is a debate over who picks out the governor's ties
and its clear she does and he falls in line.
Reminded that his wife says she is not one of his advisers, the
governor says that is true when it comes to "policy and state
government." But fashion?
That's a different matter and he concedes, "Sue is very good at
that."
Yet a nagging question. Why pick a red tie which is the color of
another "enemy" of the U of M crowd?
Can hardly wait to ask the First Tie-Picker about that.

Close but no cigar.
No scratch that. Not even close.
Gov. Rick Snyder had a rare opportunity to lower the anxiety level in
the City of Detroit concerning an Emergency Manager and he whiffed.
Everybody knows, including the governor, that in many segments of
that community, the angst is palpable. Residents don't want the state
to send in somebody who will fire their elected officials and run the
city like a dictator. Benevolent or not, many don't want it and they
want the governor to keep his GOP nose out it.
Mr. Snyder, being who is is, is not about to ignore the challenge but
he had this chance, with a statewide TV audience tuned in, to look
directly in the camera and talk to the residents in Detroit.
"I know you are worried about someone coming in to run your city and
I'm worried, too. I don't want to appoint an EM and I fully understand
why you don't want me to do it. And I won't if at all humanly
possible. That's why I urge you to tell your Mayor and City Council
they need to make some tough decisions. They didn't create this mess,
but they have the power, right here and right now, to fix it once and
for all. And I promise you tonight I will do everything I can to help
you save your city and our city, too. There is too much are risk for
all of us if we fail."
He didn't even come close. Sure he talked about supporting the
city, but the support he is offering, many don't want.
So you are left to ponder why he squandered the opportunity.
Wasn't there somebody in the inner circle with enough political
savvy to help this non-career politician get this one right?
Actually, he is smart enough to have figured it out on his own, but
he didn't.
Points off.

Never before has so much ink been used over $10 million and here
comes some more.
Michigan voters will go the polls on Feb 28th to pick a GOP
candidate for president. If the current trend continues, the election
will likely be meaningless in that Mitt Romney will likely have the
nomination wrapped up with a ribbon on it by then.
So your logical self might ask, why don't we save the $10
million?
Tell your logical self to get lost.
The state Republican party is feverishly try to spin the notion
that the election is relevant and Secretary of State Ruth Johnson tried
to make it so the other day by adding the name of Barack Obama to the
ballot.
Never mind that Michigan Democrats have decided to hold a party
caucus to re-nominate the prez, thus avoiding a statewide vote, and the
party will pay for it, not you.
But under the heading, Misery Loves Company, Republican Johnson
ignored that and by law, she says she had to add the President's name
to the ballot
Well it didn't take long for the state Democratic Party chair
to blow the whistle accusing Ms. Johnson of trying to "drag " the D's
into story.
Brewer correctly notes that once the voters figure out the $10
million is a waste of money and when they have to publicly declare
their party preference before they vote, the you-know-what will hit
the fan. Johnson wants to make sure, he argues, that the splattering
is bi-partisan.
In another more subtle attempt to squeeze an advantage out of
all this, Brewer is maneuvering to allow Democrats to cross-over and
cast a ballot in the GOP primary. Talk about your party mischief.
Without impunity, Democrats could pick a Rick Santorum or
another loser from the GOP field in an attempt to embarrass Mr. Romney
in his previous own back yard.
Now Mr. Brewer has long said he does not encourage attempts
by Democrats to muddy the GOP waters.
But if you look closely, you can see his nose is growing.