Argus endorses DeVos

Frankly, I'm shocked. The Argus endorsed the entire top of the democrat ticket in 02, and backed John Kerry in 04.

Michigan, perhaps more than any other state, is mired in a sea of high unemployment and the continued loss of attractive manufacturing jobs. The result is a drain on state revenue, which limits the funds needed to provide essential state services.

A governor cannot fairly be blamed for the global changes that have wreaked havoc on the state's economic base. But a governor must provide the leadership for our state to reinvent itself so that its citizens can thrive in the 21st century.

While undeniably an intelligent, caring and charismatic person, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has failed to demonstrate the required level of leadership needed in Michigan. Her style has failed. That's why voters should select Republican DICK DeVOS as Michigan's next governor.

Granholm's defenders argue that she has been prevented from dealing with a bad economy by obstructionist Republican lawmakers. That's a bad argument on two fronts.
First, that indicates that she will be no more effective in a second term if Republicans continue to rule both the House and the Senate. Second, the governor has come up short when it comes to specific programs that the Legislature could support or block.