QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Their thinking has become clouded by anger; their vision impaired by rage.” —Betsy DeVOS, Michigan Republican Party chair, describing the opposing party’s leaders. Michigan Information & Research Service, Inc. Weekend of May 21-22, 2004 Web Site: http://www.mirsnews.com Volume XXII, Issue 098 Capitol Capsule “We need some geographical diversity,” said one state official. Hughes Unseats Wise Visibility also became an issue among some As Committeewoman delegates, with several complaining that they (GRAND RAPIDS) — Holland-area activist never saw Wise working for them, recruiting Holly HUGHES unseated National Committee- candidates, raising money and helping at the woman Sharon WISE of Owosso by a couple ground level. Wise’s focus had been more on hundred votes on Saturday in a spirited race at the voter integrity, basically recruiting poll monitors. Michigan Republican State Convention that Wise also took her role in Washington D.C. very secured the state party’s three top posts for the seriously, something the grassroots-level folks Westside of the state. didn’t always see. Although lacking the support of much of the This perception was evident in the support top state Republican power structure, Hughes rode each candidate received. Wise’s supporters in- the rock-solid support of West Michigan and cluded Party Chairman Betsy DeVOS, Attorney staunch conservative ground-level support to General Mike COX, six members of the Michigan unseat Wise, a seven-year veteran of the post. Congressional leadership, Senate Majority Leader Ken SIKKEMA (R-Wyoming), Speaker Rick Hughes notched a 1,011-818 lead with 14 of 15 JOHNSON (R-LeRoy), all three GOP U of M precincts reporting when Wise stopped the vote and Regents and most of the Republican members of offered a concession speech. She then proposed that the MSU Board of Trustees. a unanimous ballot be cast for Hughes. The results of the 10th District (basically Macomb County) On the other hand, Hughes’ biggest names were never publicly announced and the official were Secretary of State Terri Lynn LAND, U.S. record will have Hughes winning unanimously. Rep. Pete HOEKSTRA (R-Holland) and National Committeeman Chuck YOB. But Hughes’ lumber “Failure isn’t falling down, it’s not getting up, came in the number of district chairs and county and I will work for this party until the last breath I officials and local activists who propelled Hughes have,” said Wise, a former State Board of Educa- over the top. tion member. The race between Wise and Hughes was seen a few different ways. Some likened it to the 1998 MIRS Inside Scott ROMNEY-John SMIETANKA attorney 2 State GOP Opposes Tax Hikes general nomination in terms of it being a leader- 3 Anderson, Hubbard Get Into Regents Race ship v. grassroots West Michigan battle. 4 Schwarz: I’ve Got 8-10 Years Left In The Tank 5 ACLU Seeks Ruling On MATRIX Participation Others saw it as a strictly geographical issue, 6 IRS & State Treasury Join To Stop Tax Evasion the conservative West Michigan folks again 7 Medicaid Cuts May Kick Million Off Rolls flexing their political muscle, as if having the state PUBLIC ACTS chairman, national committeeman, Secretary of HOUSE COMMITTEE SCHEDULE State and Senate Majority Leader weren’t enough. SENATE COMMITTEE SCHEDULE 910 Ottawa St • PO Box 19303 • Lansing, MI 48901-9303 • Phone (517) 482-2125 • FAX (517) 374-0949 • E-Mail [email protected] If You Don’t Read Us - You Just Don’t Get It! Page 2 MIRS Capitol Capsule Weekend of May 21-22, 2004 Hughes won a majority of the votes in the 2nd, State GOP Opposes Tax Hikes 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 13th, 14th and 15th districts. Wise st th th th th th (GRAND RAPIDS) — The Michigan Republi- took the 1 , 4 , 7 , 8 , 11 and 12 . can State Committee overwhelmingly voted Satur- With the nomination of President George W. day for a resolution against any tax increases and BUSH for re-election a unanimous slam-dunk, the against anymore pauses to the income tax rollback. Wise-Hughes race gave the hungry Republican activists The party also voted to support the partial-birth something to chew on Friday night and Saturday abortion ban and oppose gay marriages. morning. Both candidates spent around $100,000 in The most immediate vote issue is the tax issue, parties, stickers, T-Shirts, signs, literature and assorted however. The House nearly voting on Wednesday campaign swag for a position that doesn’t pay anything. to support a 75-cent increase in the cigarette tax The politics were hot and heavy the night and anxiety is rising around the Capitol about before the vote, too, when mostly Wise supporters somebody proposing to re-pause the income tax on the Republican’s Rules Committee attempted to rollback past July 1. change the state rules to move the Hughes-Wise The resolution approved today defined a tax vote to the far back of the agenda. Their argument ‘pause’ as a tax increase since it’s a scheduled cut. was that they didn’t want delegates leaving during It said it’s important that the Legislature “find the keynote speech of Colorado Gov. Bill OWENS ways to help businesses create new jobs and and the special televised message of Bush. increase revenue without increasing taxes.” The Hughes folks saw the proposal as an With “one-man, one-woman” marriage peti- attempt by the Wise backers to thin out the caucus tions circulating through caucus rooms, the state crowd before the vote, thereby giving Wise a Republican State Committee also supported voting better shot. The Hughes folks won out, defeating on a U.S. and state constitutional amendment to the change by an unconfirmed committee tally of ensure marriage as an institution involving only 19-11. As predicted, a steady stream left the one man and one woman. On the state level, there DeVos Place as Owens made his speech. is a petition drive that would put this question Hughes knows where her votes came from and before the voters in November. thanked them after the vote. The party also overwhelmingly urged that the “The grassroots are awesome. They’re hard Legislature support the citizen’s petition drive to working,” she said. “All their hard-work paid off define birth as the moment any part of a fetus’ and they’re going to make a difference with body exits the woman, a creative way to ban the (President George W.) BUSH. You gotta have a medical procedure “partial-birth abortion.” ground campaign to make it happen. You can’t just get it done with money.” DeVos Comes Out Both Guns Firing Asked about the geographical divide and the appearance that the power structure is in West Michigan Republican Party Chairman Betsy Michigan, Hughes said, “No, we’re all from DeVOS blew apart the National Democratic Party as Michigan. I’m from Michigan No. 1.” being a gang of angry hate-mongers, who checked their civility at the door for malicious name-calling. Asked what she is going to do in the new posi- tion that Wise didn’t do, Hughes said, “I’m not going DeVos called former presidential candidate to speak ill of a fellow Republican. We’re going to Howard DEAN’s “uncontrollable screaming” in work hard together. Once the race is over, it’s over his Iowa concession speech as something that with. We’re going to work hard for President Bush.” “was bound to happen” and Michael MOORE’s comments that Bush is a “deserter, election thief, To prove her point that she expects no bad drunk driver, liar and functional illiterate as blood, she said she is already working with an- ‘unbridled hatred pouring out from one of the other former committeewoman candidate, Sandi leaders of the Democrats.’” KNOLLENBERG, on an Oakland County event. Weekend of May 21-22, 2004 MIRS Capitol Capsule Page 3 “This is not the voice of the loyal opposition,” required to collect the same 1,000 signatures she said. “This is the voice of venom. Their Kilpatrick has to gather considering the Republi- thinking has become clouded by anger; their can congressional candidate in this race has never vision impaired by rage.” earned more than 15 percent of the vote, he added. DeVos’ other examples were the Movon.org “This is a political ploy,” Jacobson said. “I television ad that compared Bush to Adolph don’t understand why they’re so scared of Cynthia HITLER. She also mentioned the St. Petersburg in a race they are going to win.” (Fla.) Democratic Club full-page ad in an alterna- tive weekly newspaper that says: “And then Caucus chairman Tom McCLEARY said there’s (Defense Secretary Donald) RUMSFELD he’s referred the matter to the caucus’ attorney who said of Iraq ‘We have our good days and our for his review. bad days.’ We should put this S.O.B. up against a wall and say ‘This is one of our bad days,’ and pull the trigger.” Hardy, Har, Har, Har “What a difficult and embarrassing time to be Colorado Gov. Bill OWENS broke up an other- a Democrat,” DeVos said. “But not to worry. wise stock keynote address Saturday with a couple There is plenty of room in the Republican Party well-circulated pokes at the French, who, obviously, for Democrats to join us. Our doors are wide open still deserve mockery for opposing the Iraqi War. and we welcome them.” “Why does the new French navy have glass- bottomed boats?” Owens asked. “So it can see the GOP’s 13th District Backing Cassell old French navy.” The Secretary of the Republican 13th Congres- “Why did the French plant trees along the sional District Caucus called the state Democrats’ main streets of France?” Owens asked.