Henry Payne

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Henry Payne</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="east_lansing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan GOP Convention 2010"><U><I><B>2010 Republican Convention</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I><U>Henry Payne</U></I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><IMG SRC="1be7555e0.jpg" border=0 width="341" height="350" ALT="Author and cartoonist Henry Payne tells of his work as editor of The Michigan View" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5"></FONT></div> <div> <B>Noted Political Cartoonist</B></div> <div> <B>Wows September Forum!</B></div> <div> “Good looking folks are hard to cartoonize,” admitted syndicated cartoonist Henry Payne speaking to the Eastside Republican Club Forum September 20.</div> <div> But that didn't stop him from sketching cartoons on the spot featuring Governors Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, and Rick Snyder for his audience at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms.</div> <div> Payne illustrated how he differentiates by emphasizing such characteristics as a “nerdy beanie,” ponytail or a ten-gallon hat.</div> <div> Labeled “the Thomas Nast of his time" by <I>National Review</I> magazine, Payne creates his editorial drawings from a distinctly conservative point of view. More than a cartoonist, Payne also is a skilled and well-informed journalist whose investigative work has garnered national headlines.</div> <div> As a credentialed member of the media, he said he sees first hand how most of the media is merely an “extension of Democrat Party,” using events such as national conventions to provide glowing press coverage for the left.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="206" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 311 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1befc8310.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="305" ALT="Syndicated cartoonist Henry Payne with YAF member Grant Strobl at ERC Forum at Grosse Pointe War Memorial" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 182 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1beec8b00.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="176" ALT="Payne talks with guest at ERC Forum" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <I><B>Journalistic Coup</B></I></div> <div> For example, in 1996 after Al Gore gave an emotional speech telling how his sister died of lung cancer, it was Payne serving as correspondent for the <I>Weekly Standard</I> at the Democratic National Convention who broke the story that the same Al Gore was continuing to profit by leasing farmland for tobacco production.</div> <div> Payne told the ERC Forum, “The claim that he was going to save Americans from the evils of big tobacco proved to be a lie.” The journalist was astounded to be the only one who seemed to know the truth behind Gore's false claim.</div> <div> Although it was before the launch of The Drudge Report web site and the Fox News Channel, the truth spread fast. Morton Kondracke read Payne's <I>Weekly Standard</I> story the next morning, and confronted Gore, “Isn't it true you continued taking tobacco money for years after your sister's death?”</div> <div> Today, Payne said, we have the benefit of the Fox News Channel, National Review Online, our own Frank Beckman of WJR-AM, and the Mackinac Center with its <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/pubs/mcc/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.c"><U>Capitol Confidential</U></A></FONT> to break many otherwise unreported stories.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="342" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 585 WIDTH="336"><div> <IMG SRC="1be955e50.jpg" border=0 width="341" height="485" ALT="Jenny Nolan, left, with new club vice chairman Mike Hennigan and his wife, Peggy" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="1"></div> <div> <B>Hennigan Elected Vice Chairman</B></div> <div> In addition to Henry Payne's presentation at the September 20 meeting, ERC members voted to name Park attorney Michael Hennigan to fill the vice chairman post vacant since the May death of founder Thomas McCleary.</div> <div> Jenny Nolan, left, is pictured with Hennigan and his wife, Peggy.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <I><B>Eye on the Big Picture</B></I></div> <div> Relating how national politics affects Michigan, Payne related that George Soros viewed every state's Secretary of State position as a powerful one, because he believed Bush won in 2000 only due to decisions made by the Florida Secretary of State.</div> <div> Thus, Soros launched his “SOS Project” designed to influence elections for the office of Secretary of State around the country.</div> <div> In Michigan, Jocelyn Benson served as George Soros' unsuccessful 2010 Trojan horse candidate.</div> <div> Payne noted that congressman John Dingell was quick to try linking Sarah Palin to congresswoman Giffords' Arizona shooting because of what he called Tea Party “hate speech.” Yet he said the congressman has been silent on invective coming from Democrats.</div> <div> The journalist said that a hypocritical national “anti hate speech” campaign attacking Republicans was actually launched by Dingell in a prominent speech on the House floor.</div> <div> It is representatives like Levin who support tax breaks for the wealthy like himself, said Payne. Meanwhile, Pres. Obama has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to companies for so-called “green” jobs.</div> <div> Another big news coup for Payne was his report that Chevy Volt sales are running far below the 10,000 annual target set by General Motors [selling less than 4,000 in its first nine months]. Yet Levin cashed in on the federal $7,000 Volt rebate for himself. Payne was the only one to report this fact.</div> <div> In Payne's opinion, Washington, D.C., doesn't produce anything. “It is a town of parasites,” he said.</div> <div> “There's more material here in Detroit,” Payne noted.</div> <div> <I><B>Other Heroes</B></I></div> <div> Payne sees Bill Johnson, a black conservative, as one of the bravest writers in America and its best urban columnist.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="205" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 250 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1bf1c8f40.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="244" ALT="Payne puts finishing touch on Sarah Palin drawing at ERC Forum while chairman Nolan looks on" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 259 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1bf3c8fd0.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="253" ALT="Jenny Nolan admires Rick Perry cartoon drawn at ERC Forum by Henry Payne" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> “Johnson is a tremendous advocate for solutions in the Detroit area,” Payne said. Though he was run out of the <I>Detroit News</I> in the early part of last decade, ”We're proud to have him at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://detnews.com/section/miview" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://detnews.com/section/miview"><U>The Michigan View</U></A></FONT> where he writes a weekly column.“</div> <div> According to Payne, another journalistic star is Graham Kozak, a senior at U of M, who also writes columns for <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://detnews.com/section/miview" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://detnews.com/section/miview"><U>The Michigan View</U></A></FONT>. Kozak recently wrote about the university's attempt to <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=3171" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/water"><U>ban bottled water</U></A></FONT>.</div> <div> Among Payne's favorite cartoonists are Bill Watterson of <I>Calvin and Hobbes</I>, and Gary Larson who created <I>The Far Side</I>. About political cartoons Payne cautioned, “If you don't know the headline, you won't get the punch line!”</div> <div> Because of technology, Payne said he can now draw right on “top of the news,” keeping his work on the cutting edge.</div> <div> The Pulitzer Prize nominated cartoonist is prolific, producing five local editorial cartoons a week for <I>The News</I>. He also writes and draws a weekly column, “Payne & Ink.” His weekly “CAR-toon” -- a humorous look at America's car-crazy culture -- runs exclusively on <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#001BAD" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U>The News'</U></A><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U> web site</U></A></FONT>.</div> <div> Today, he said, “As a result of international syndication, cartoonists have an opportunity to make a lot of money, but they have to create seven days a week, and live with and develop the characters in their heads.”</div> <div> The tragedy of Detroit, Payne said, is a result of a well-intentioned welfare system and Aid to Dependent Children. He said this causes unintended consequences, and pointed to the number-one indicator of poverty -- the single-parent family.</div> <div> Payne pointed to the value of positive role models, observing that one of today's most powerful political figures is Clarence Thomas, born in Pin Point, Georgia, a third-world-like community, whose grandfather took young Thomas in and raised him.</div> <div> “Just think: Thomas rose from that background to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice,” said Payne. </div> <div> During the confirmation process, Payne was one of the few journalists in Washington writing favorably about Thomas.</div> <div> <I><B>Writes Online Commentary</B></I></div> <div> Payne is also editor of <A HREF="http://detnews.com/section/miview" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://detnews.com/section/miview"><U>TheMichiganView.com</U></A>, a lively, daily online political site commenting on Michigan news. That site is a service of <I>The Detroit News,</I> providing original commentary and a one-stop shop for the state's best opinion web sites on topics ranging from politics to autos.</div> <div> Additionally, Payne draws five cartoons weekly, which are distributed to 40 newspapers worldwide by <I>United Feature Syndicate</I>. His work is reprinted in <I>The New York Times, USA Today, National Review</I>, and other publications.</div> <div> The “<A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henrypayneblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/henry"><U>Payne's Sketchbook</U></A>,” a daily cartoon blog in which he discusses how he creates his cartoons, can be found online at his official web site, <A HREF="http://henrypayne.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://henrypayne.com/"><U>henrypayne.com</U></A>.</div> <div> As a writer, Payne reports regularly on economic, consumer, and environmental issues. His stories have appeared in <I>The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard</I> magazine, <I>National Review, Reason, </I>Scripps Howard News Service<I>,</I> and numerous newspapers around the country. He also is a correspondent for <I>National Review's</I> popular “Planet Gore” blog.</div> <div> Payne came to <I>The Detroit News</I> in 1999 after 13 years as an editorial cartoonist, writer, and editor for Scripps Howard News Service<I> </I>in Washington, D.C.</div> <div> In 1998, Payne created “Hub & Axel,” a comic panel distributed by the Tribune Company Syndicate about an American family and its very American passion for the automobile.</div> <div> <I><B>Book Author</B></I></div> <div> In 2002, Payne published his first book, “Payne & Ink: The Cartoons and Commentary of Henry Payne, 2000-2001.” He has also illustrated two children's books for Random House: “Where Did Daddy's Hair Go?” (authored by Joe O'Connor) in 2006, and Dr. Seuss' “The Ear Book” in 2007.</div> <div> Born in 1962 in Charleston, West Virginia, Payne received a history degree from Princeton University in 1984. As editorial cartoonist for two student newspapers, <I>The Daily Princetonian</I> and the <I>Nassau Weekly</I>, Payne won the College Media Advisers Cartoon Contest and the Tribune Company Syndicate's National College Cartoonist's Contest.</div> <div> Upon graduation from Princeton, Payne began his newspaper career as staff artist and editorial cartoonist with the Charleston (WV) <I>Daily Mail</I>. In 1986, he joined Scripps Howard News Service and began syndication with United Feature in 1987.</div> <div> Payne is an active race car driver, tennis and squash player, and lives with wife and two children in Bloomfield Hills.</div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club Forum is normally held on the third Tuesday of the month from September through June. Admission is free and the public is always welcome.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Henry Payne"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>