Michigan Politics
Romney, McCain '08 Presidential PACs Spread Wealth Up North
By George Weeks

All involved say their focus is on the '06 election, but two '08 Republican presidential prospects are duking it out on the political action committee front in Michigan - to the financial benefit of Up North GOP organizations and candidates.

At play in Michigan, possibly in a more competitive way than in any other state because both politicians have special ties here, are the Straight Talk America PAC of Arizona Senator John McCain, winner of the 2000 Michigan GOP presidential primary and a 2006 visitor to northern Michigan, and the Commonwealth PAC of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Michigan-born son of exGovernor George Romney.

Romney's PAC, which this year has given more than $120,000 to Michigan party organizations and candidates, last week announced a "Michigan Leadership Team" co-chaired by House Speaker Craig DeRoche of Novi.

McCain's PAC, which has sent about $160,000 to Michigan, had not planned to announce its leadership team this early but may accelerate that now that DeRoche has been announced and is aggressively recruiting colleagues for the Romney camp.

Romney and McCain, although not announced candidates, are lining up activists in Michigan who could be helpful if they do run. Those willing at this early stage to align with a presidential prospect's PAC, beyond accepting contributions for their own '06 campaigns, do so with '08 implications.

Consider Representative Tom Casperson of Escanaba, who along with Representatives David Palsrok of Manistee and Howard Walker of Traverse City, was among those announced August 23 by DeRoche as members of Romney's PAC steering committee.

Subsequently, I heard that Casperson might be wavering. Not so, he said Friday, emphasizing that he was satisfied by Romney's responses to questions on issues he raised in a conference call that DeRoche arranged between Romney and GOP lawmakers.

Although the McCain leadership team had not been announced as of last week, his PAC organization said among those distributing the money to northern party organizations were Senators Jason Allen of Traverse City and Michelle McManus of Lake Leelanau, and Representative Kevin Elsenheimer of Bellaire. McCain earlier hosted a fundraiser for Elsenheimer's PAC.

One of McCain's biggest checks was $5,000 to the party organization in the 2nd Congressional District, represented by Representative Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland). McCain's PAC sent $1,000 checks to the party in the 4th District (Representative Dave Camp, R-Midland) and the 1st District (Representative Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, who won a sixth term in 2004 with 65.6 percent of the vote, but the district could be ripe for Republicans when he retires.)

Romney cheerleader DeRoche told me that Romney has raised more than $1 million in Michigan for his PAC. He also made the safe prediction that Romney would get substantial support here "if the governor were to run" for president.

At the Republican State Convention Friday night in Novi, Romney's PAC bought about 300 pizzas for a party he personally hosted in a tent outside the convention center.

Later that night, McCain's PAC put up most of the money for a party hosted by 14 of the 15 district chairs. Speakers included Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Attorney General Mike Cox.

Romney disciples were quick to note that the reception was not a pro-McCain rally. But one event at the reception was showing of a video message from Senator Trent Lott (R-Mississippi), the 1996-2001 Senate majority leader, who praised McCain as "a Reagan conservative...a man of faith, and he is pro-life...More than anything else, John is a good man."

Why would such a pitch from a Mississippi senator about an Arizona senator be played at a Michigan GOP convention, were it not for the fact that the latter just might be on the presidential primary ballot here in 2008?

George Weeks recently retired after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.