Spread the Sunshine

by Tim Skubick

April 16, 2010

In a sport where timing is everything, the Bernero for Governor team has racked up one impressive win after another.

He was first to defend the domestic auto industry when it was under siege in the nation’s capital. He was first to argue that Lt. Governor John Cherry could not be elected governor, long before Cherry came to the same conclusion. When Toyota got its accelerator stuck, Virg Bernero was at the head of the line blasting the Japanese automaker for misleading the American public. And when Bernero’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, took him to task for doing that, he took a shot at her and the GOP attorney general for not standing up to the company.

In other words, if there was a story to exploit, Bernero was always at the front of the line to gobble up all the free media he could consume. At least that was until now.

Given a chance to score additional points recently, Bernero was late coming to the party and had to be goaded there by one of his opponents.

Ken Ross is the state insurance and banking commissioner. An avid supporter of Virg for Governor, Ross decided to stage a fundraiser in his own home at $1,000 a head. It was a welcomed event, as Bernero had been shopping around town for somebody to help him raise some badly needed revenue for his badly underfunded campaign.

The news media found out about the gig and asked Ross if there was anything unethical about a state regulator hosting an event that just might attract the very folks he regulates.

“I’m doing this as a private citizen,” Ross began his argument for the defense.

But what if lobbyists whom he regulates appeared on his doorstep (and they most certainly would), what appearance would that have to an untrusting citizenry? Ross saw nothing wrong with that, since he was not “pressuring” anyone to cough up the cool grand.

True, Ross was a private citizen and there was nothing illegal about him doing it for Bernero. Yet, while it may not have flunked the smell test, there was still an odor surrounding the whole affair. If Ross didn’t smell it, the Bernero folks should have sniffed it out — but instead of being first, it was Andy Dillon’s guys who leaped to the forefront to make a little political hay at Bernero’s expense.

This was a textbook example of how a candidate’s moral compass can be set askew when the almighty dollar is in play.

It’s not as if Bernero didn’t have a chance to take the high ground.

Days after the original story broke and Ross took his stand that there was nothing unethical about any of this, Bernero was given a chance to check in. He checked out instead.

“He doesn’t work for me,” was Bernero’s lame excuse after announcing that he was pleased to have Ross hosting the event. Hey, at $1,000 a pop what pol would not be pleased?

Bernero was then asked if there was anything wrong with the event.

“I haven’t thought about it,” he said while moving to the high grass.

If you were governor, would you allow this?

“I haven’t thought about it,” he repeated while moving away from the TV camera.

The governor was also flummoxed when she was asked for a comment on the story.

“What are you talking about?” she said, staring into the camera.

Given a chance later that same day to expand on her “answer,” the Granholm administration saw nothing amiss. End of story.

Well, not quite.

The Andy Dillon for Governor squad, not exactly a quick response team in the past, woke up to dish Bernero a little of his own medicine.

It issued a press release demanding that Bernero release the names of everyone who attended, noting that a “cloud” would be hanging over the head of Commissioner Ross if he was to make any major decisions affecting the banks or insurance companies after the party.

At that point the Berneroites finally got it right, as they promised to release the names — which they did — and, indeed, some industry lobbyists were on the list.

Bernero, seeking to even the score, urged Dillon to release all the names of lobbyists who had bankrolled him and the House Democratic caucus. Dillon’s guys said in due time.

Of course, all of this could have been avoided had Ross blocked insurance and bank folks from buying tickets in the first place. He did not.

Or if the governor had done it for him. She did not.

Or if Bernero had been savvy enough to take the offense on this ethics issue when he had the chance. He did not.

So let’s hear it for media sunshine. Sometimes it burns a little, but so be it when protecting the public interest is at risk.

Tim Skubick is Michigan’s Senior Capitol correspondent and has anchored the weekly public TV series “Off the Record” since 1972. He also covers the Capitol and politics for WLNS-TV6 in Lansing.

Tim Skubick Extra Extra… (A weekly bonus only for Dome readers)

Ds Stiff Their Governor
Your journalistic instincts kick in when the folks you cover suddenly change their behavior. Such was the case this week with Senate Democrats.

Since they are in the minority and don’t get much attention, they are normally very willing to do on-camera interviews. Hey, it beats being ignored.

So when all of the Democrats, minus one, failed to support their governor’s retirement package for 39,000 teachers and 9,000 state government employees, that was news. Stiffing their own governor was a good little story, which is why most of those Democrats dove for the high grass and stayed there.

Take the Senate Democratic leader. Mike Prusi is a likeable chap, but when he was asked to appear on camera, he uncharacteristically ducked out the back door in a hasty retreat to his office.

Went up to Sen. Tupac Hunter. At least he had the courtesy to say no to this reporter’s face before he followed Prusi out the door.

Look it, the Democrats were caught in a crossfire. The governor wanted the bill and the Michigan Education Association did not. The governor is leaving town in six months, and the MEA will be around forever. You can figure out why the Ds didn’t do the governor’s bidding.

Shouldn’t you give one up for the Gipper, Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman was asked after she did agree to chat.

“Normally I would,” she suggested.

So this is not a normal vote?

“It is not a normal vote,” she confirmed.

She was worried about luring away 39,000 seasoned teachers from the classroom at a time when, in her town of Detroit, they are trying to reform the school system.

“These young teachers [who would replace the old ones] come in and they are wonderful and full of energy and all. But you gotta know how to teach,” Clark correctly asserts.

Senate Democrats will get another chance to vote on this stuff because House Democrats, who now have the package, are likely to rewrite it more to the MEA’s liking.

For now, Gov. Gipper had to settle for a bill that passed with overwhelming GOP Senate support — which is also news, since she and they seldom agree on anything.

Johnny Comes Marching Home
Chill out, Michigan. John Engler may be buying a luxurious home in Michigan, but it does not mean he’s itching to get his fingers back in Michigan politics.

By now you’ve probably heard that speculation that surfaced at the beginning of the year turned out to be spot-on, even though close friends of the former governor and Mrs. denied the rumors.

Turns out, the Englers were looking and did purchase a new manse by a small lake just outside of Lansing. It listed for a cool $650,000 and boasts 4,200 square feet, including four bedrooms (remember, there are three teenagers in the family) and four bathrooms. If Mr. Engler is lucky, as the only guy in the joint he may actually get to use one…if he is extra nice.

Anyway, in this very political town the “he’s coming back to run for office” meter has been off the charts. Why else would he buy a house, the soothsayers keep asking?

Maybe he just wanted to have one in his home state.

Aw. That’s no fun. He must be itching to take on Debbie Stabenow for the U.S. Senate in 2012.

What, and take a pay cut?

What’s left of the Engler cabal in town is downplaying all the wild speculation.

He won’t run, confides long-time Engler groupie and noted barrister Richard McLellan. Former Engler media mouthpiece John Truscott goes “Ditto.”

What would you expect them to say — something like, “Oh sure. John wants to serve in the Senate and is coming home to run for that.” When were the Engler folks that forthcoming on anything like that?

Answer: never.

The one person who has not chimed in yet is Michelle Engler, and the popular wisdom has it that she has had it with elective politics…for her hubby.

But what about a Michelle vs. Debbie mud wrestling match in two years?

After all, she is the one who picked out the new digs.