Lansing mayor Virg Bernero, who’d sent a few mixed signals, seems to finally have things straightened out, and is plowing straight ahead on his run for the Democratic gubernatorial nod.
Mr. Bernero, a 45-year-old Pontiac native, made the announcement in front of an auto parts supplier in Detroit, promising to challenge excessive credit card interest rates, foreclosures, and tuition increases.
“We’re done playing games, we’re fighting back,” Mr. Bernero said, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Interestingly, he’s launching his campaign in Detroit rather than Lansing, saying it’s “going to be a great city again.” Bernero, who received national attention for his impassioned defense of the bailout of the American automakers, is likely to sound a more populist note than his more business-friendly competition in the primary.
RaceTracker Wiki: MI-Gov
Actually, he’s a native of Waterford, MI. I know this firsthand, since he was my senior class president at Waterford Mott HS, class of 1982.
I’m currently agnostic on Denise Illich, and would need to learn a bit more about what’s been going on w Virg in the last few years since I moved from MI, but between him and Chamber of Commerce darling Andy Dillon, there’s no contest on who’s the better candidate, both for ideology and electability.
Bernero is exactly the kind of candidate Michigan–and the MDP–needs.
Looking forward to a spirited campaign.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02…
….a few weeks ago. Was impressed with how he presented himself. Did a good job in talking about how being pro-union and pro-business is not a contradiction and did a good job in handling the questions of his right of center interviewer, Tom Keene.
I will add Tom Keene is a greater interviewer and even though one can discern where his bias lies is a very fair minded interviewer. He’s one of the main reasons I listen to Bloomberg while driving.
Anyway Bernero did a good job in presenting the Democratic message.