Many successful petition drives in this state have had a recognizable figurehead leading the charge for this issue or that. Think Dick Headlee with his tax limitation amendment and George Romney calling for a new state constitution.

Rep. Fulton Sheen is thinking Mike Huckabee.

The Plainwell republican has launched the Fair Tax petition drive and needs 400,000 signatures by July 7^th or 2,800 names a day. He predicts Huckabee will be tapped as the running mate with John McCain and will then campaign in Michigan for the ticket and the Fair Tax.

"I can provide the venue," Sheen tells the Off the Record panel this week as he reminds everyone Huckabee favors a national Fair Tax and has said so on the stump.

"It's an uphill battle," Sheen concedes as he passionately spent the last three years refining his blueprint to abolish the state income and business taxes and replace them with a hefty 9.75% sales tax.

He confides the best thing he has going is the "anti-government and anti-tax attitude" in the citizenry especially at this time of the year as everyone fills out their tax forms.

He begins the effort with $30,000 in the bank and he admits that is a weakness at this early stage. By next week he'll have 50,000 petitions printed and this past weekend, he had 50 volunteers collecting signatures at the state GOP convention in town.

"Crisis will breed change. People are ready to see something happen," he contends.

Nonetheless, Sheen's chances are not very good. No money, no organization, no big name to front the effort, and an issue that is complicated with a capital "C."

But if he can get Huckabee in here, the prospects would improve. Wonder if Sheen's got the Huck's cell number?