Pete Hoekstra

Ode To Hoekstra: TPM Bids Farewell To A National Security Freak

Eric Lach | August 5, 2010, 9:31AM

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) lost the Michigan Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday, and since he'd given up on his own congressional re-election bid to seek the governor's office, it now looks like one of the Obama administration's most vocal critics on national security won't hold public office next year.

In his years in Congress, Hoekstra has made national security a specialty of sorts, at least in the sense of pegging his name to some very out-there stances.

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MI-GOV

GOPer Snyder, Dem Bernero Win MI-GOV Primaries

Eric Kleefeld | August 3, 2010, 10:42PM

MI Gov. candidate Rick Snyder (R)

[Update Aug. 4, 8:30 ET]

The Michigan primaries have now selected Democratic Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and Republican businessman Rick Snyder as the nominees in the race to succeed term-limited Dem Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

With 50% of precincts reporting, Bernero leads state House Speaker Andy Dillon by 59%-41%. In the Republican primary, Snyder has 36%, followed by Rep. Pete Hoekstra with 27%, state Attorney General Mike Cox with 23%, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard with 12%, and state Sen. Tom George with 2%.

The TPM Poll Average for the general election, based on pre-primary data, shows Snyder beginning the race ahead of Bernero by 44.6%-27.2%.

Snyder has marketed himself as a competent technocrat, pitching himself in his ads as "one tough nerd." As the Detroit Free Press reports: "Snyder, who's never run for elected office before and has spent nearly $6 million of his own money on his campaign, was banking on Democrats and independent voters to cross over to his side in an effort to upset the GOP establishment, which is largely behind Cox and Hoekstra. Free Press interviews with voters suggest some and perhaps many are doing so."

Correction: In a previous version, this post incorrectly reported that Bouchard had 24% of the vote.

MI-GOV

5 Things To Know About Today's Michigan Gubernatorial Primary

Eric Lach | August 3, 2010, 1:08PM

Rick Snyder (R) and Virg Bernero (D), candidates for Michigan governor

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm is being term-limited out, and the men hoping to replace her are facing off in a primary today. Five Republicans and two Democrats are vying for a spot in the general election this fall, the first Michigan gubernatorial election since 1982 that won't feature an incumbent or lieutenant governor. Here's what you need to know:

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MI-GOV

Poll: Tuesday's Michigan GOP Gov Primary Still A Toss-Up

Thomas Rhiel | July 30, 2010, 12:50PM

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox (R), Rick Snyder (R), and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), candidates in Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary

Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary is this Tuesday, and a new poll shows the top three GOP contenders in a tight race that will come down to the wire. Today's EPIC-MRA poll shows businessman Rick Snyder, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, and state Attorney General Mike Cox in a statistical tie: Snyder has 26%, Cox has 24%, and Hoekstra has 23% -- all in a poll with a 4.9% margin of error. Trailing the pack are Mike Bouchard with 10% and state Sen. Tom George with 1%.

EPIC-MRA's past poll of the race from mid-June had Cox out in front with 26%, followed by Hoekstra with 24% and Snyder with 20%. Since June, surveys from other pollsters have shown each of the three top candidates in first place.

The TPM Poll Average gives Cox 22.6%, Hoekstra 22.3%, Snyder 19.9%, Bouchard 11.2%, and George 1.5%.

Health care lawsuits

Health Care Lawsuits Splitting Govs And AGs Nationwide

Christina Bellantoni | March 30, 2010, 2:32PM

Clockwise, from top left: Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA), Gov. Chris Gregoire (D-WA), Attorney General Bill McCollum (R-FL), Attorney General Tom Corbett (R-PA), Attorney General Rob McKenna (R-WA), Gov. Bill Ritter (D-CO) and a copy of the health care bill

Lawsuits challenging health care reform have popped up in several states and are drawn nearly entirely on partisan lines, in some cases fracturing top state government officials where the governor is a Democrat and attorney general is a Republican who joined the legal challenge. In Missouri, Lt. Gov Peter Kinder (R) so badly wanted to be part of the lawsuit that he bucked his Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon and the attorney general to say he'll be joining the other attorneys general on his own.

There are a handful of other splits across the country -- Michigan, Washington state, Pennsylvania and Colorado -- which create a tough political climate for anyone attempting to get something done at the state level. Louisiana is the one bipartisan example, with Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell (D) agreeing to join the lawsuit.

The legal challenge has been the latest trend among Republicans, with GOPers trying to one-up each other on the question of whether health care should be repealed, deemed unconstitutional, or left alone. It's become a litmus test for conservatives.

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Health Care

GOP Hopefuls Use Health Care Repeal -- And Court Challenges -- To Establish Conservative Cred

Eric Kleefeld | March 25, 2010, 10:18AM

Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-M), Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), and Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)

We can add a new item to the list of Republican litmus tests that has included taxes, abortion, guns and gays: How staunchly do you support repeal of health care reform? If you're a Republican seeking higher office, this is indeed an important question.

It has become clear that the stronger somebody opposes the health care bill, the better one's chances are for political advancement as a Republican. The GOP leadership has thus far adopted "repeal and replace" as their mantra, which will likely be the standard line throughout the election. (Just how much of it would be repealed, and what would replace it, is still not quite so clear.) In addition, challenging its very constitutionality is another way to burnish one's conservative credentials with the party's base even more.

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Pete Hoekstra

Hoekstra Uses Airline Attack To Raise Money For Gubernatorial Campaign

Eric Kleefeld | December 29, 2009, 9:44AM

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is now jumping upon the the Northwest Airlines attack -- and using it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign, the Grand Rapids Press reports.

In the letter, Hoekstra denounces the Obama administration on a whole range of national security issues -- ranging from Flight 253 itself to Guantanamo Bay, investigation of the interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration, and what Hoekstra calls Obama policies that "impress the 'Blame America First' crowd at home and his thousands of fans overseas."

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