Will Next Governor Have Deep Pockets? Michigan Politics
By George Weeks

Much of the political world these days is fixated on Deep Throat of Watergate fame. My focus this week is on deep pockets.

Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., spent $63 million of his own money to win his seat in 2000 and vows to spend "whatever it takes" to be elected this year as New Jersey's governor. Noting this last week, Wall Street Journal columnist John H. Fund called the former chairman of Goldman Sachs "a human ATM."

Will a like humanoid, businessman Dick DeVos, son of Amway co-founder Rich DeVos (cited by Forbes magazine as one of the richest people in the world), tap the family billions to spend whatever it takes to be elected next year as Michigan's governor?

The watchdog Center for Public Integrity recently ranked Dick DeVos and wife Betsy, former chairwoman of Michigan GOP, as the nation's third biggest political contributors to either party, giving $1.48 million in the 2004 cycle.

In his first interview on his declared intention to seek the Republican nomination to oppose Gov. Jennifer Granholm, I asked the former president of Alticor (now parent of Amway) if he would self-finance his campaign. He said that's among questions to be dealt with this summer before formally announcing as a candidate.

Fair enough. As he noted, most Michiganians "think campaigns are too long already." He said he is gearing for a campaign to get the state "back to business" and return it to "a nation-leading status."

The two declared candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, Sen. Nancy Cassis of Novi and Rep. John Hoogendyke of Kalamazoo, have much smaller pockets but say they're determined to stay in the primary race.

Meanwhile, cry not for Granholm, whose fund-raising machine was successful in 2002 and is at full-speed for 2006. It produced a record $5.7 million for her 2002 primary, when she declined public funding and its limitations.

The latest officially reported total for her fund-raising for 2006 was $1.8 million, but "lots of money" has been raised since then and "lots more" will be raised, says Granholm political spokesman Chris DeWitt.

As for the deep pockets of DeVos, DeWitt opines: "If he spends 'all that it takes', he (still) doesn't have enough. She'll win."

There's also likely to be record high spending in the 2006 Senate race. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who spent $7.8 million in 2000 to defeat Republican Spencer Abraham (who spent $13 million), appears on track for her goal to raise at least $15 million.

One of her declared challengers, the Rev. Keith Butler, a former Detroit councilman, talks of raising $12 million. Whatever the current spin, any credible GOP nominee can expect to get substantial party and interest group funding for what Republicans see as a targeted race.

Beyond what candidates and identifiable interest groups spend these days, there's the troublesome deep pockets for stealth organizations who pay for TV ads without disclosing the source of the money.

If deep pockets are going to tip the scales or otherwise influence elections, better that they belong to an identifiable candidate than the phantom sponsors of TV ads who operate so freely these days outside the bright light of public scrutiny.

Dueling Chairs

As is their calling and combative instincts, Democratic State Chairman Mark Brewer and Republican State Chairman Saul Anuzis are engaging in trench warfare along the gubernatorial campaign trail on jobs issues.

About the time DeVos arrived on Mackinac Island to spread word of his intentions at the Detroit Regional Chamber's gathering at the Grand Hotel, Brewer issued a press release contending DeVos is "wrong on jobs" and "supports free trade, despite how it has hurt Michigan."

Anuzis, from the Island, proclaimed, "Granholm does nothing while jobs, job providers continue to flee" Michigan. He said "it is too bad Mackinac Island doesn't allow moving trucks. We could get a start on moving" Granholm out of the governor's summer residence on the island's East Bluff.

George Weeks is the political columnist for The Detroit News and is syndicated by Superior Features.