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AN OPEN LETTER TO
GEORGE WALKER BUSH
Dear Mr. President:
We need you to act swiftly! Your administration recently indicated it was ready to step in and prevent the auto industry from collapsing. That’s the right attitude, Mr. President, but until the deal is done, millions of hardworking Americans will not get a peaceful night’s rest. Helping Detroit’s Big Three is the moral thing to do and the right course of action.
This issue has been debated and politicized long enough. You don’t need to see anymore grandstanding from Senator NO, the hypocritical politician from Alabama who believes it’s ok to spend federal funds on businesses in the south, but not the north. Senator Richard Shelby doesn’t realize that the American Civil War ended in 1865. Listen to voices of reason in the Republican Party. Senator George Voinovich of Ohio is one of them.
You don’t need to hear anymore about the automaker CEOs who arrogantly flew their corporate jets to Washington, D.C. They now know that image doesn’t jive with tin cans in their hands. When they returned to Capitol Hill driving their quality products, it was obvious they had finally gotten the message loud and clear.
Detroit’s Big Three and the United Auto Workers aren’t perfect but they don’t deserve a federal government that has presided over a record $10.6 trillion national debt giving them economic lectures.
Just think about the millions of hardworking Americans who are employed in automotive-related jobs that touch every sector of our nation. Think about the disastrous ripple effect that a bankrupt auto industry will have on our fragile economy. And remember the number of times in history that the U.S. auto companies and their workers have tossed a lifeline to America; from the Arsenal of Democracy to 9/11!
Mr. President, you hold the most powerful political job in the free world. Don’t waste your power and don’t take your responsibility for granted. Leave office as the Commander-in-Chief who gave the auto industry the fuel it needs to survive!
Sincerely,
Chuck Stokes
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A little history lesson can be a good teacher for today’s
electorate. To date, there have been 47
Governors of the State of Michigan. That number doesn’t include the men who
served as Governors of the Michigan
Territory between the
years 1805 and 1835. However, none of
these public servants occupied the state’s executive branch longer than William
G. Milliken. From January 1969 to
January 1983, this Traverse City Republican was the Wolverine State’s
top political figure. It’s a unique
distinction for a man who has a reputation for embracing people from all walks of life and all
political persuasions. At age 86, Milliken
appears to be in good health with a mind that is still razor-sharp.
See for yourself on Spotlight on the News (Sunday at
11:30 am on Channel 7 or here on WXYZ.com beginning Monday) when former
Governor Milliken takes on the Grand Old Party and partisan politics. He also reveals for the first time publicly how he voted in the recent election. Given
America’s historic election night
results, what the senior statesman from Northern Michigan has to say is powerful food for
thought. Let me know what you
think. I’ll be interested in reading
your comments and I suspect Governor Milliken will too.
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Countless words have been written about the rise and fall of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Malik Kilpatrick over the last seven-and-a-half years. One could certainly argue that too much ink has already been wasted on this disgraced political figure. But this is probably the perfect time to quickly recap his mayoral career and put a period at the end of it.
April 2001 – State Representative Kwame Kilpatrick joins a field of 21 candidates competing to become Detroit’s next chief executive officer.
September 2001 – Kilpatrick wins the primary election with 50.2 percent of the vote.
November 2001 – Kilpatrick beats Detroit City Councilman Gil Hill and at age 31, he is elected the youngest mayor in Detroit history.
April 2005 – Time Magazine lists Kilpatrick as one of the three worst big-city mayors in the U.S.
August 2005 – Detroit’s incumbent mayor places second in the primary election.
Political pundits predict Kilpatrick will be a one-term mayor.
November 2005 – The young, brash, “comeback mayor” wins re-election with 53 percent of the vote. Lesson learned? I had hoped so.
September 2008 – Kilpatrick pleads guilty to two felonies and announces his resignation as mayor.
October 2008 – Kilpatrick is sentenced to 120 days in jail and is led away in handcuffs. Prisoner #2008-34589. Lesson learned? I don’t think so.
Will four months behind bars make Kwame Kilpatrick truly understand what he has done wrong, accept full responsibility for his criminal actions, and show remorse? Only time will tell.
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I knew the time was near but the news is still hard to
accept. Levi Stubbs has passed away. Like many others, special memories of the talented
and soulful baritone from Detroit’s
North End will be with me forever. He
was one of Motown’s greatest lead singers but he was first and foremost one of
the legendary Four Tops.
Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Lawrence Payton,
and Levi were KOOL with a capital “K”.
They were also clean to the bone.
Remember those well tailored sharkskin suits and colorful alpaca wool
sweaters that were so popular in the 1960’s?
But it was the Four Tops’
precision harmony and Levi’s distinct voice that brought a smile to the face of
anyone who heard them. Growing up as a
kid in Cleveland,
they were stars I viewed from afar.
That changed when I moved to Detroit in the 1980’s and was fortunate enough
to meet and see Levi Stubbs perform with the Tops at one of Aretha Franklin’s fabulous
black tie Christmas parties. The foursome
was AWESOME! Those memories were in
stark contrast to the last time I saw Levi.
It was a little less than two years ago at the DTE Energy Music
Theatre. He was at one end of the stage in
his wheelchair, surrounded by his devoted family, watching his beloved singing
group perform the hits he helped make famous. Love for Levi and his music filled the warm
summer air.
Duke is now the last surviving member of the original Four
Tops. Last December, I had the pleasure
of interviewing him on Spotlight on the News. For
me, it was a subtle reminder that although the Four Tops’ hits will always be
with us, a historical music era that changed the world is drawing to a close.
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Little Rock, Arkansas - Fifty-one years ago this month, Little Rock and much of America was at a legal, philosophical, social, and emotional crossroads. Would nine African American teenagers, armed with the U.S. Constitution, be admitted to this city’s Central High School? This important story has been powerfully documented, especially at the Little Rock Nine National Historic Site across the street from the world famous high school. It is painful and ugly history we should never forget but an inspirational reminder of how much progress our nation has made on race relations in a little more than half-a-century. If you have any doubts, just imagine the reaction of former Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus if he were alive today to witness the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee of his political party, Senator Barack Obama, or Republican Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
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Little Rock,
Arkansas – Welcome to a place
being billed as: “The Next South, The Next America.” The racially divisive civil rights era is
over and Mayor Mark Stodola is quick to remind visitors that “Central High is
part of our history but it’s not our legacy.”
(Tomorrow, I’ll tell you more about what’s happening today at historic
Central High). These days,
local residents are quick to boast that Arkansas
is the home of Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, publishing giant John H. Johnson, Senator
J.W. Fulbright, President Bill Clinton, and Governor Mike Huckabee.
But as presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama
travel back and forth across Michigan
searching for votes in our battleground state, I decided to come south. For the next couple days, some of the most
provocative speakers in America
will be addressing the National Conference of Editorial Writers.
One of them is Robert Cox, co-founder and president of the
Media Bloggers Association.
Cox, of course, became famous when he challenged the
reporting of popular New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. Many believe that battle opened up the
blogging world to “citizen journalists” like never before. Today, Cox urges bloggers to have a basic
understanding of media law. Without it,
he says, blogging can be a “risky business.”
He’s absolutely right!
Wal-Mart Moms
A fascinating afternoon is listening to Charles Fishman and
Mona Williams. If you ever have the
opportunity, take advantage of it.
Fishman is the author of the book, The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most
Powerful Company Really Works – and How It’s Transforming the American Economy. Williams is vice president of corporate
communications for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
In similar ways, they paint a very vivid picture of the impact this
Arkansas-based company has had on America. But of particular interest right now are what
Williams calls “Wal-Mart moms” and how this group may decide the race between
Obama and McCain. “Wal-Mart moms” are
white working women with children between the ages of 24 – 44 years old. They are worried about having enough money to
pay for their families’ daily necessities.
Williams’ Wal-Mart research indicates there are roughly 19 million
undecided American voters and about 13 million of them, she claims, are
Wal-Mart shoppers. Will these “Wal-Mart
moms” do for McCain or Obama what “soccer moms” did for President Bill Clinton
in 1996 and what “security moms” did for President George W. Bush in 2004? In a couple months, we’ll see if Wal-Mart as much influence in the political
world as it does in the business world?
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I interview a lot of people every year but not every guest
makes a strong impression on me. Wayne
County Prosecutor Kym Worthy did. She
takes her job seriously and she speaks her mind. For the most part, she delivers on her “no
nonsense” tough talk. She knows the law
and she works hard to seek what she believes is justice in the cases she prosecutes. Friends and foes alike respect her.
Young people, in particular, should listen carefully to what
she will be saying on television tomorrow morning (Channel 7’s Spotlight
on the News at 11:30 a.m.). Her comments about our judicial system are a reminder of the
important legal tenets that have guided this nation since the days of our
founding fathers.
In 1789, President George Washington said, “The
administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government.” That same year, Thomas Jefferson declared,
“The execution of the laws is more important than the making of them.”
Both of these former U.S. Presidents would have enjoyed
talking with Kym Worthy over a hot cup of coffee.
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Republicans had a lot to cheer about on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The mood was certainly more uplifting than the opening day when everyone was concerned about Hurricane Gustav.
But yesterday’s speeches led by former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman sent a clear message to the Democratic team of Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Republicans want America to know that this is their week in the national Spotlight and they plan to battle for the presidency with everything they can muster.
Thompson delivered his sharp remarks with Hollywood-style “Law & Order” passion. He triggered emotion and excitement in the Xcel Energy Center. Lieberman, Obama’s Democratic colleague in the U.S. Senate, softly but firmly raised a campaign theme that Obama, the gifted orator from Illinois, will have to defend himself against. When Lieberman said, “Eloquence is no substitute for a record,” the delegates responded with roaring approval.
Get ready for tonight when former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McCain’s surprise pick for Vice-President, attempt to define why the GOP deserves four more years in the White House.
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What a difference 12 hours can make in the fast changing world of
presidential politics. On Thursday
night, the "buzz" was about Senator Barack Obama’s speech which was sort
of a cross between the scholarly eloquence of Paul Robeson and the “tough-talk”
of cowboy actor John Wayne. Expectations
were high and Obama hit his target precisely.
Denver’s
Democratic National Convention ended on a mile-high note.
But on Friday afternoon, the momentum shifted when Senator John
McCain introduced 44-year-old Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his surprise
vice-presidential running mate. The
initial reaction from most of the people I encountered was who, why, and what
planet is McCain on?
Not so quick my friends!
Governor Palin is a fresh new face in national politics. She represents a drastic change from the Washington, D.C.
establishment that many voters dislike.
Traditional political experience may not carry the weight it once did
with today’s electorate. Next week,
Palin will take her love for sports, hunting and fishing, conservative family
values, and cutting taxes, to the bright lights of the GOP National Convention. She’ll make
history as the first female Republican to run on a presidential ticket. And when Governor Sarah Palin delivers her
keynote acceptance speech inside the Minneaoplis-St. Paul Xcel Energy Center, she may be the only person who remembers Alaska’s state
motto: “North to the Future!”
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Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) has become the first African American nominated for president by a major political party. Just think about that for a moment. Obama has accomplished what many people thought they would never see in their lifetime.
But I suspect it’s a vision that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had 45 years ago today when he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” Rev. King knew that day by day, and year by year, America would have to give way to change. Barack Obama is running the anchor leg of a civil rights relay that started generations ago. When the young senator steps on stage at Denver’s Invesco Field later tonight, all Americans should take pride in the progress he represents.
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The Democratic National Convention in Denver is off to a good start! Next week in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Republicans will have their own highlights to cheer about.
But back to the Democrats for now… Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy’s appearance on Day #1 assured the Democratic faithful that there is still plenty of roar left in the 76-year-old liberal lion that is courageously battling brain cancer. Kennedy was a nice emotional warm-up act for Michelle Obama’s sensational speech on family values and why she loves this country. It’s pretty clear that Michelle Obama is smart, classy, and passionate. First Lady material? You bet!
On Day #2 of the convention, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered the speech of her life. She said everything she needed to say to unite the Democratic Party behind Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Without question, Clinton delivered some memorable lines for her supporters to think about. “No way. No how. No McCain.” “We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.” “Were you in this just for me?” Clinton wisely told her followers that her political causes are the same ones Barack Obama would champion as President. Last night, Clinton did Obama a big favor! But to be truly effective in November, she’ll have to walk the talk on the campaign trail. If Obama is smart, he’ll welcome Clinton’s support.
Now, here’s the big question for tonight: Will former President Bill Clinton build on Hillary’s party unity message or will he take a good bucket of milk and kick it over? Stay tuned….
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