Now they are asking Chris Ward, the one guy who would take a leadership role in negotiations while DeRoche was busy crying for the cameras and being the generally useless "leader" that he is, to step aside. From MIRS-
MIRS has learned that, in the message announcing his resignation, Ward cited a letter signed by 16 members of his caucus calling for a new leadership election for his post. Apparently, Ward was taken aback because by some of those who signed to the letter were members he had previously believed supported keeping him as floor leader.
Why are House Republicans so upset? They wanted to play politics with the final vote.
He voted yes on the income tax hike after supposedly telling his caucus that he was going to vote no. In fact, he voted yes after the voting board was closed and the 56 yes votes required for passage had been secured.
Ward's 57th yes vote will prevent those seeking recalls and future GOP candidates from being able to claim any of the Democrats cast the "deciding" vote on the tax hike. The vote also spawned a recall effort against Ward, which could cost the House Republican caucus time and money to defend.
Ward fires back over the flip...
In his resignation statement, Ward expressed empathy for his fellow caucus members who disagreed with his vote on the income tax , and then explained why he voted "yes."
"I felt strongly then and will always believe that the very poor outcome of that debate in terms of lack of reforms and the large new tax burden was due to a lack of Republican leadership in seeking to find solutions and offer difficult votes for alternatives," Ward said. "Politics is a game of give and take. Far too many of us were only willing to take so we got very little. We will have to continue to agree to disagree on this point."
Fortunately, those in the know have tagged DeRoche for what he was to this process; MIRS called him one of the "losers" in the deal the day after the vote-
Whether DeRoche was too obsessed with scoring political points by catching Democrats in bad votes (of which there were plenty) or because he thought there would be no deal in the end, his non-presence as a player was noted throughout the Capitol.
And Brian Dickerson made a whole column out of him. A must read.
But in Lansing's term-limited funhouse, DeRoche is constitutionally precluded from seeking another term. He wouldn't have a future in the House if his legislative colleagues thought he was Winston Churchill. So why should he care if they think he's being a jerk?
DeRoche, who sold insurance before he was elected to the House, has expressed interest in succeeding L. Brooks Patterson as Oakland County executive or even running for governor. Why would a politician as ambitious as that want to sully his hands with a bipartisan budget solution that's bound to leave most Michiganders angry?
No, thank you! Better to watch the state go up in flames from a safe distance, dispensing sound bites while the grown-ups fight the fire.
Thanks for your leadership, Chris, and best of luck to you in the future. You deserve better than this.
And DeRoche should go back to selling insurance and let the adults take care of the state.