A full 14 months before Michigan voters get into the act to
pick the GOP and Democratic candidates for governor, some of the
major candidates will face off for the first time this week.
Attorney General Mike Cox let the world know this week that he
is running.
GOP Congressman Pete Hoekstra did the same thing months ago
and Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced her exploratory
committee this week as well.
The trio will be the headliners at a Detroit Chamber
fundraiser on Mackinac Island as they meet face to face to discuss
the issues. Joining the exchange are Sen. Tom George, a long shot
GOP candidate from Kalamazoo, and democratic Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith
who shares the same designation as George.
Of course there would have been real box office appeal had Lt.
Gov. John Cherry decided to join the group, but he declined and took
at shot at the Regional Chamber of Commerce in so doing.
Seems Mr. Cherry is not comfortable with the chamber charging
folks to see the debate for $175 in advance and $200 at the door.
"There's something wrong about a symbolism to watch a
political debate (and) have to pay to see that. To me that's just
the wrong message that you send at this time," Cherry tells capitol
correspondents. He says the public should be invited at no charge.
Apparently the chamber wanted no part of that.
Cherry meanwhile doesn't need the debate to draw attention to
himself. Starting next month he will launch a summer hearing tour
around the state to take testimony on what form state government
should take.
The half-dozen or so sessions will give Cherry a chance to
listen to the people and he may pick up a headline or two along the
way to help in his bid for governor. But he deflects any GOP
criticism that the summer tour is just a thinly disguised attempt to
promote his candidacy.
In fact Cherry says there is no guarantee that the tour is
"some magical path to any kind of political success." And he adds
since it could also be controversial, it could actually "provide
barriers" to higher office.
Oh boy…the R's will have a field day with that.