He actually used the campaign slogan "get it done" with the White House. Unbelievable.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos called on President George W. Bush on Wednesday to meet with U.S. auto industry leaders, saying the failure to set a date for the long-anticipated session is disrespectful and wrong.
DeVos, who has been a generous donor to Bush and the national GOP for years, said at a Lansing news conference it is "inexcusable" that the White House had not scheduled the meeting.
"Generous" is actually a bit of an understatement. Chris Christoff of the Free Press has a short breakdown here, and called the DeVos/Prince family donations "almost legendary".
And I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't pull out my all-time favorite Betsy DeVos quote at this point.
"I know a little something about soft money, as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party," Betsy DeVos wrote in an op-ed for the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. "I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return."
Back In June, Dick offered to "make a call" to his
Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos "has talked to all the automakers and offered to make a call to get the meeting set up," said his spokesman John Truscott.
Leave a message, Dick, we'll get back to you.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said last week the proposed meeting between the president and the carmakers has been "swamped by events" on several occasions but will occur. No date is set, he said.
"This isn't about politics," DeVos said Wednesday. "It's about people's jobs. The White House needs to step up and make it happen."
The context of the announcement, however, was intensely political.
Criticism of Bush's economic policies, especially those related to Detroit-based automakers, has been a central theme of Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm's campaign. She accuses Republicans of neglecting the needs of domestic manufacturers and claims that DeVos would follow in lockstep with the president and national GOP leaders.
Wednesday's announcement was clearly an attempt by DeVos to create some daylight between himself and the president.
The DeVos family has purchased the Republican Party, damnit, and when they say "jump", the White House had better say "how high?" Dick proceeded to pitch a fit reminiscent of the petulant child that he is now trying to order around.
"When I am governor, things will be different," he said. "I won't ask for a meeting, I will tell them we are having a meeting. It is sad that our governor cannot make a meeting happen. This is just incompetence all around."
The wanna-be King is not pleased. The subjects have disappointed him.
"This has just been a continued refusal. I've heard the meeting's scheduled and it's not scheduled, it's on and it's off," he said. "Finally, I just said 'This has been enough. The White House needs to step up and get it done.'
Did you say that, Dick? And who are you, again, exactly? What position of power do you hold? Oh yeah, you gave them all that money.
Well, if this does happen now, it will just prove that you are REAL CLOSE to GEORGE W. BUSH. Congratulations. Sounds like a wise political move. Keep it up.
Team Granholm was ready once again with the rapid response. Go get 'em, Chris.
"DeVos caused this problem. Instead of following the Governor’s lead, he should be apologizing to laid-off Michigan workers for lobbying for the policies that hurt them and the auto companies in the first place, costing more than 200,000 citizens their jobs. Dick DeVos was the largest contributor to Bush-Cheney 2004, but in front of the cameras he’s happy to sing a different tune. This time he’s not lying about the Governor’s record, he’s lying about his own. Governor Granholm has fought for our workers, repeatedly called on President Bush to meet with U.S. automakers and to take action to halt unfair trade practices."
The "L" word. It goes hand-in-hand with the GOP nowadays, doesn't it?
They found a great article from '93.
The U.S. auto industry should "stop crabbing" about foreign competition and start doing practical things to market their cars abroad, the president of Amway Corp. said Wednesday.
The Asian market is not difficult to break into, said Dick DeVos, Amway president, in an appearance before a group of Forest Hills senior citizens. Audience members asked what advice he would offer to U.S. companies seeking to expand abroad.
DeVos said U.S. automakers "should stop crying and do something about (their lack of market share). I'm not very sympathetic with the auto industry because some of their problems are self-inflicted."
Well, Dick, it appears some of your problems are "self-inflicted", too. You should stop crying about it. I'm not very sympathetic to you, either. Matter of fact, I don't see how you can be trusted to make the right decisions- after all, you did buy George W. Bush.
EDIT: The Disembodied Head of Dick DeVos agrees. Do what the head sez!