He could have tagged her with a flip-flop charge but instead he took it down a notch and just accused her of "an about-face."  Either way the GOP leader in the Michigan House Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer was critical of Gov. Jennifer Granholm for announcing a pause on a $127 cut for every school kid in Michigan.

   Out of the blue, the governor called in the capitol press corps to announce the state had discovered some new revenue. That allows her to raise the hopes of school leaders that next January that $127 cut can itself be cut to a lower figure but there is no guarantee.

   Ever since she announced a projected $292 per pupil cut months ago, the republicans have criticized her for going around the state to "reve-up support for a tax hike" which Elsenheimer now dismisses as "sky-falling rhetoric" that was somehow not based in reality. He charged her with "playing politics with our school kids."

   She wouldn't dare.

   Ms. Granholm was asked about the appearance of a flip-flop.  After all she did announce cuts and is now saying some of them may not be necessary.

   "This is not about me," she protested, "this is about the schools" and the data is "based on the numbers."

    On this one she deserves the benefit of the doubt,  Mr. Elsenheimer's opinion not withstanding.

    It's highly unlikely that her state treasurer and state budget director would be co-conspirators in cooking-up money they didn't know would be there.

    Bob Kleine and Bob Emerson were as surprised as anyone to see the windfall, but they and the governor were up front with the school community noting that come January the $127 cut may stand or it could be reduced.

    It's temporary good news for schools that may be able to avoid some layoffs,  but it's like being on death row and getting a temporary repreive from the governor and knowing that it could be reinstated at anytime.