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October 24, 2002Milliken to GOP: I'm embarrassed- Former GOP governor critical of party's campaign against Jennifer GranholmBy BILL O'BRIENRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Former Michigan governor William Milliken lit into the gubernatorial campaign of fellow Republican Dick Posthumus Wednesday, calling parts of the campaign against Democrat Jennifer Granholm "morally wrong and politically stupid." Milliken, in a statement sent to several Michigan news outlets, criticized recent television ads and campaign mailers from the Republican Party focusing on remarks made by Granholm on slave reparations and her relationship with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. "As a life-long Republican who has worked many years to bring a wide spectrum of people together under our party's umbrella, I am embarrassed by some aspects of the campaign now being waged by my party in the race for governor," said Milliken, who lives in Traverse City and was governor from 1969-82. "The race-baiting theme in television ads and campaign materials pitting Detroit and outstate against one another, not to mention some gross distortion of facts, is outrageous." In an interview Wednesday, Milliken said he decided to make the public statement because of a spate of TV ads, campaign mailers and "push poll" telephone calls that have come in the waning days of the campaign. He said he believes those efforts are too negative and attempt to turn residents in different areas of the state against each other. "In the 14 years I was governor, I worked very hard to try and bring this state together, and this really runs contrary to everything I tried to accomplish," Milliken said. "I find (the advertisements) quite objectionable ... it serves no purpose other than to divide the people of the state of Michigan." Milliken was careful not to personally criticize Posthumus, whom he called "an honest and decent man." "I do think he's a fine guy," Milliken said of Posthumus. "I hope that it's the party and not the candidate doing this." Representatives of the Posthumus campaign called Milliken's statements "regrettable" but said they feel the former governor is mischaracterizing the intent of the GOP's advertising efforts. Granholm holds a wide lead over Posthumus, according to a new statewide poll released Wednesday. "I regret Gov. Milliken feels that way, and Dick Posthumus holds him in the highest esteem," said Katie Packer, the campaign manager for Posthumus. "But we're not talking about race here. We're talking about the corrupt exchange of political appointments for political favors ... I think it would be campaign malpractice not to point that out to Michigan voters." The Posthumus campaign has been criticized in other venues for playing up Granholm's comments on slavery reparations in a meeting in the Detroit area with representatives of the NAACP. Packer said the Republican campaign is only using Granholm's own statements to show that she's "out of the mainstream of Michigan." Political analysts who know Milliken said they were not surprised by the criticism leveled by the governor at his own party. "It's vintage Bill Milliken," said Bill Ballenger, the editor of the "Inside Michigan Politics" newsletter in Lansing who was twice appointed to state posts by Gov. Milliken. "He deplores this kind of tone in any campaign. He never did it himself." Ballenger noted that those close to Milliken, including his wife and former first lady Helen Milliken, have periodically criticized the Michigan GOP in recent years and specifically the administration of Gov. John Engler. Ballenger said he doesn't feel the Republican television ads attempt to stir racial emotions, but are rather an effort to tie Granholm to "the pattern of corruption and sleaziness in Wayne County politics." "I don't personally agree with (Milliken) - I don't think it was racially motivated," said Ballenger, noting that anti-Detroit rhetoric has been a staple of some Michigan campaigns going back more than 100 years. "Remember that bashing Detroit is a time-honored tradition in Michigan politics," he said. Also Wednesday, the Detroit News, which had earlier endorsed Posthumus, ran an editorial headlined "Posthumus Must Lift Campaign from Mud." In it, the newspaper said Posthumus backers were attacking Granholm "with the most vile and racially divisive television ads." |
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