Rick Snyder

Lawsuit Filed Against Michigan Financial-Manager Measures

Eric Kleefeld | June 23, 2011, 7:30AM

Protestors outside the Michigan state Capitol, March 15, 2011.

The next step is now commencing in the battle over Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder's (R) law creating state-appointed financial managers with broad authority to dismiss local elected officials and cancel all or parts of union contracts: A lawsuit alleging that the law violates local residents' democratic rights.

The lawsuit, filed in Ingham County (Lansing) Circuit Court, is being mounted by the Sugar Law Center in Detroit on behalf of 28 individual Michigan residents. The Detroit Free Press reports from Wednesday's press conference by the plaintiffs' attorney, Bill Goodman:

"This law violates one of the basic principles of democracy, where people get to vote and no one can impose a dictator on them. That is what this legislation does," Goodman said at a morning news conference at Lansing City Hall. "It's a power grab by Lansing politicians that's going to affect communities across the state."

Goodman said, among other things, the emergency manager law violates constitutional separation of powers by allowing the governor's office to exercise powers granted to the Legislature. He said it also defies home rule in local communities.

Pres '12

Unpopular Freshman GOP Governors Could Help Obama's Reelection Bid

Jon Terbush | May 31, 2011, 2:02PM

Gov. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)

When several newly minted Republican governors began pushing through broad, unpopular legislation this year, they may have unintentionally aided President Obama's reelection odds.

Emboldened by their party's midterm election day romp, freshman GOP governors in a few crucial swing states immediately began to advance radical legislation upon taking office. But as the cost of those unpopular legislative agendas has now become clear in the form of free-falling approval ratings and incredible buyer's remorse, polls have shown that that same voter discontent could translate into a big 2012 boost for President Obama.

Read more »

Hypocrisy

Republican Governors Quietly Accept Federal Dollars -- While Attacking Federal Spending

Brian Beutler | April 20, 2011, 9:17AM

Govs. Rick Perry, John Kasich (R-OH), Chris Christie (R-NJ) and Tom Corbett (R-PA)

Republican governors stormed into state houses this January after campaigning against federal spending, and various so-called state bailouts. They won in part by painting a slanted picture of fiscal mismanagement by their Democratic predecessors.

That rhetoric -- and the rhetoric of their more senior Republican peers -- continues to this day, and occasionally translates into genuinely puzzling acts of malgovernance. Florida Governor Rick Scott, for example, turned down $2.4 billion in federal funds to build a high-speed rail line from Orlando to Tampa.

But in other ways, their failure to publicly embrace additional federal commitments during tough economic times has left them behind the eight ball, politically. As the costs to their states of providing needed social services has risen, and their revenue has fallen, they're looking for sub rosa ways to take the money without catching flak from their bases.

Read more »

Rick Snyder

Buyer's Remorse: Polls Show 3 New GOP Gov's Losing In Do Overs

Jon Terbush | March 23, 2011, 8:33AM

Last year's midterms elections swept incumbents from office nationwide, as voters turned to newcomers -- often Republican newcomers -- for change.

But just months after election day, three new Midwestern governors -- Wisconsin's Scott Walker (R), Ohio's John Kasich (R), and Michigan's Rick Snyder (R) -- have seen their approval ratings fall to the point that polls show them losing hypothetical do-over elections with the candidates they beat last year.

Read more »

Michigan

Protests In Michigan Over 'Financial Martial Law'

Eric Kleefeld | March 16, 2011, 1:04PM

Following the pitched political battles over public employee union rights in Wisconsin, Ohio, and elsewhere, another state's fight over finances is heating up. In Michigan, new Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has just passed a bill through the legislature to allow state-appointed financial managers to void municipalities' union contracts.

As the Macomb Daily Tribune reports, the bill has been described by Republican state Sen. Jack Brandenburg, a supporter, as "financial martial law" for localities where finances have gone out of control: "He [an emergency financial manager] has to have the backbone, he has to have the power, to null and void a contract."

Protests in opposition to the measure still don't seem to have reached Madison levels -- that is, the tens of thousands who turned out in Wisconsin -- but there certainly remains the potential that some of Snyder's tougher measures could trigger a backlash.

Read more »

2012 elections

PPP Poll: Obama Leads All GOPers In Michigan, Only Romney Comes Close

Eric Kleefeld | December 7, 2010, 12:34PM

President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

The new Public Policy Polling (D) survey of Michigan, which saw strong Republican gains this year with a pickup of the governorship and other offices, suggests that President Obama is still the early favorite to hold the state again in 2012.

Obama previously carried Michigan by 57%-41% against John McCain in 2008.

In this poll, Obama was tested against various Republicans: He leads Newt Gingrich by 52%-37%, leads Mike Huckabee by 51%-39%, and leads Sarah Palin by 56%-36%. Only native son Mitt Romney comes close -- as the son of the late Michigan Governor and auto executive George Romney -- but Obama still leads by 47%-43%.

Read more »

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:

Read more »

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%.