A minute by minute correction of DeVos' *cough* distortions. Much better than me making my snide little comments on the Disembodied Head's chat. (BTW, we destroyed him.)
One more correction to Dick's claims- he DID NOT "turn around" Grand Rapids. He said this about three times- and it just isn't true. Anyone who lives here can tell you that.
Suggestion for all of those playing drinking games during the debates- use the word "disappointing" next time. I don't drink anymore (though lately I wish I did), so hit it once for me, k? ;-)
Overall I think Granholm did a great job (of course), Dick avoided answering questions directly and seemed to get agitated when pressed. Never did hear his "plan", just the usual platitudes.
I'm sure there will be more breakdowns on this later-
8:05 pm
Dick DeVos blames Governor Granholm for losing out on a Honda plant. This is disingenuous his own campaign team privately told Detroit News columnist Daniel Howes that Michigan was never really in the running for this plant. Governor Granholm did try to get Honda to come to Michigan and met with Honda executives in Japan, but it is silly to think that every new auto plant in the world will be set up in Michigan, especially when Honda had a long history of dealing with Indiana and had never before invested in Michigan.
DeVos says Michigan is in a Single State Recession Michigan is actually getting a Single State Rejection from President Bush. His refusal to enforce trade agreements with China and others is ravaging Michigan’s manufacturing economy. President Bush has not found time to meet with the CEO’s of the Big Three automakers to discuss trade and rising health care costs, despite repeated requests. He has found time to meet with American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, though.
8:06 pm
DeVos called Governor Granholm a liar for telling the truth about his jobs record. Here are the facts: He eliminated jobs in Michigan and created jobs in China. It’s Dick DeVos who is playing loose with the truth in his latest ad, which says the Governor did not meet with Honda while in Japan. This is wrong.
8:09 pm
DeVos wants you to believe Michigan’s economic problems are Governor Granholm’s fault. Dick DeVos’ support for President Bush and unfair trade policies cause the pain our automakers , workers, and economy are feeling now, not Governor Granholm. Michigan lost 240,000 jobs during the last 2 _ years under Engler, and have gained 24,000 jobs under Governor Granholm. Michigan’s economic problems are a result of slow national economic growth under Bush; and more importantly, the slump in the U.S. auto industry and the fact that Michigan is far more dependent upon the auto industry than any other state, according to a recent report by the respected Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
8:20 pm
DeVos says Amway’s middle of the night tax break is untrue and it was not a tax break. The truth is that every major media outlet described it as a “tax break.” From the Associated Press: “Three months after the DeVos' $ 1 million GOP donation, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $ 19 million tax break on its Asian branches, the magazine reported.” (Associated Press, October 28, 1998)
8:28 pm
DeVos says the Governor should be accountable for Patrick Selepak’s release. Following this tragedy, Governor Granholm immediately ordered that tough new safeguards be put in place. The employees who were responsible for Selepak’s release were disciplined, and some were fired. The Governor ordered a major reorganization of the Department of Corrections. Governor Granholm has dedicated her career to keeping Michigan families safe from dangerous criminals. As a federal prosecutor, she put kidnappers, child pornographers, and drug dealers behind bars. As Attorney General, she convicted nursing home employees who abused our seniors. Governor Granholm has given the Michigan State Police the resources to apprehend more than 2,000 fugitive felons and ordered background checks for those who work in schools and nursing homes.
Dick DeVos is trying to use a horrible tragedy like Ricky Holland’s death for political gain. As a former prosecutor, Governor Granholm has seen the effects of violence up close, and she will never stop fighting to protect Michigan families. Governor Granholm ordered the overhaul of the state’s Child Protection Services system to keep kids safe. She demanded criminal background checks on all foster parents not just once but four times a year. And she is giving state caseworkers the resources they need to focus on every child.
8:33 pm
DeVos says Governor Granholm is disappointing on the Single Business Tax. Michigan currently has the 13th lowest business taxes in the country, and Governor Granholm has signed 72 business tax cuts since taking office. A recent study by the non-partisan Upjohn Institute found that changing the SBT would have very little impact, if any, on Michigan’s economic growth. Governor Granholm doesn’t want to give handouts to big corporations at the expense of everyday people, and unlike DeVos, she still the only candidate who has proposed a fair plan to replace the SBT. DeVos tells us to wait until after he’s elected to tell us his specific plan.
8:40 pm
Dick DeVos says he wants lobbying reform. While DeVos was President of Amway, the company lobbied for unfair foreign trade policies, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) to pave the wave for China’s entrance in to the World Trade Organization (WTO). DeVos gave millions of dollars of personal political contributions to push the policies that have hurt Michigan so badly, which his wife admitted was to buy influence. In addition, the DeVos family is one of only a handful of super-wealthy families who are lobbying for the repeal of the federal estate tax. The tax affects only 8,200 families in the entire country, and the repeal would save Amway heirs approximately $1.3 billion. Amway first lobbied for the tax repeal under Dick DeVos’ presidency in 1998.
P.S. Someone should check and see whether or not Dick is smuggling in smokes from Indiana. That sounded like a confession.
Wanted more. Went too fast.