Sunday, February 22, 2004


Granholm set to lead the charge for governors
This week's National Governors Association meeting in Washington offers her a chance to step onto the national stage, elevating her as a Democratic Party spokeswoman beyond Michigan's borders.

Granholm's staff says she'll most likely use the attention to champion the issues that she believes hurt Michigan and much of the rest of the country, such as the loss of manufacturing jobs and the ballooning cost of health care.

"The governor has gotten some prominence and been given very good reviews, and she is viewed as a rising star," said John Burchette, director of Granholm's Washington office. "When we go to meet with folks on Capitol Hill, we probably get a slightly more open reception because she is who she is."

She'll need that pull in her new position as federal liaison to Congress and the White House for the Democratic Governors Association. Her appointment, announced earlier this month, will put her front-and-center in partisan congressional battles over federal funding for states.

Go Jenny Go. You can be a strong voice for the states that are getting stiffed on all these Federal mandates, and point out the need for more attention to America's issues, mainly jobs and health care. Bush's neglect of domestic spending while running up this huge debt is a winning issue for us. Hammer 'em hard.

"Rising star" indeed. She might single-handedly keep me in the Democratic Party, given how I feel right now.