Kissing And Making Up Politically

There is something to be said for election year politics.

Has the spike been driven into DRIC's heart finally? Is it now over for those who thought that the Michigan Governor would veto the Resolutions of the Michigan House and Senate pulling the funding from DRIC? Will MDOT dare keep on spending the many millions being forecast for their ambitious drilling program in this fiscal year?

Just to put the matter in a context, the Washington Times reported:

• "Nowhere is the climate more favorable to Republicans than in Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, elected in 2002 with 51 percent of the vote, has been struggling to overcome the political fallout from an economy devastated by the auto industry's massive layoffs.
  
  An independent June 13 EPIC-MRA poll showed her Republican opponent, businessman Dick DeVos, leading the governor by 46 percent to 44 percent. Election analyst Jennifer E. Duffy, in the Cook Report's election preview for the National Journal, rates the contest "one of the most competitive races of the cycle."
  
  

As I have said before [BLOG June 07, 2006 Kwame Power], Governor Granholm needs the active support of Detroit's Mayor if she wishes to be re-elected. I wrote previously that "given that it is election time in the State in November, what Kwame wants will help elect the new Governor. As much as some may choose to deride him, he got elected and is Mayor for 4 more years. He fooled by his win a whole bunch of seemingly smart people politically."

It is no secret that the relationship between the two was very frosty for a very long period of time after his re-election even though they are both Democrats. But is the relationship now "sizzling?

Governor Granholm had a fund-raiser in Detroit the other week: "Summer Sizzle." What is important is that "Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had the task of introducing Granholm."

That followed a very strong endorsement of the Governor by the Mayor at the end of the Mackinac conference:

• "Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick called Granholm's speech "the most clear, comprehensive plan that I've heard about the state of Michigan. I think she was on in a way that I haven't seen her."
  
  Kilpatrick said Friday he would support and even formally endorse Granholm. His efforts in turning out the vote in heavily Democratic Detroit are seen as critical to the governor's chances come November.
  
  "When the campaign starts, you'll see Kwame Kilpatrick with her," he said."

If you will recall, the Mayor sent the Governor a very strong letter about what he wanted for the border [BLOG March 28, 2006 A Tale of Two Mayors]. He stated very clearly that he viewed the DRIC study as a threat to Detroit and that if the Governor could end DRIC for the Downriver towns, she can do it for Detroit. After all, more Detroiters voted for her than in all of the Downriver communities combined! Kwame also made it clear that the DRIC alternatives were not acceptable to Detroit.

The border wars may be over very soon if the Governor signals that she will end DRIC. She can blame the Republicans for it, and keep our side from being mad at her, and can appear to be listening to Detroit and the Mayor as well.

If that happens, perhaps we on our side can finally develop a strategy to create jobs here based on a smooth and efficiently-operating border. Windsorites can then thank Jenn, George and Kwame for resolving the issue for us because our politicans could not.