Cain Speaks to ERC

<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>Cain Speaks to ERC</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="veteran_observer_views_2004_m.htm#term_limits" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="Cain Speaks to ERC"><U><I><B>Cain on Term Limits</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.gophouse.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gophouse.com/"><U><I><B>Michigan House GOP</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> <U>Journalist Charlie Cain Reports on State Issues</U></div> <div> <B>Veteran Professional Political Observer</B></div> <div> <B>Sees Michigan as Key 2004 Presidential </B>“<B>Swing</B>”<B>State</B></div> <div> Michigan will play a major role in the 2004 presidential election outcome, according to Charlie Cain, <I>Detroit News</I> Lansing Bureau Chief, speaking to the Eastside Republican Club's September 16, 2003, forum.<IMG SRC="b047b420.jpg" border=0 width="379" height="322" ALT="Charlie Cain, center, and ERC Chairman Ed Joseph thank Marti Miller for arranging the Cain visit" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> Cain, introduced by ERC vice chairman Marti Miller, shared his unique perspective on the political scene during the ERC's meeting at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> The award-winning reporter predicted Michigan would play a major role in the 2004 election outcome. Noting that President Bush has just made his 11th visit to the State since election, Cain said “In presidential elections, Michigan is a 'swing' state, voting Republican seven times in the last 13 elections.” Bush's speeches have underscored the importance of tax cuts as one condition necessary for job growth in Michigan and elsewhere. >><A HREF="http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/0309/17/a01-272845.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/030"><U><I>Read Cain's Detroit News story, "Bush links clean air rules to jobs</I></U></A><I>."</I></div> <div> Now in his 27<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> year of covering Michigan government, Cain said, “Politicians are interesting, bright, and engaging. I enjoy being around them.” Yet, he observed, there is still a need for alert and aggressive news media coverage.</div> <div> “Michigan governors have been a big part of my life,” Cain reflected. When just a 12-year-old boy, he met an influential man named George Romney, a leader who would later become Michigan governor.</div> <div> Cain joined the <I>Detroit News</I> Lansing Bureau in 1982, focusing on state government and politics. He was promoted to chief of the Lansing Bureau in 1991. He had served as chief Capitol correspondent since 1989. During his tenure, Cain has covered several national presidential conventions, including the 1980 national Republican convention in Detroit, and the 1996 GOP convention in San Diego.</div> <div> Cain, a 1973 MSU graduate, has won several awards from both the Associated Press and United Press International for his reporting. He has also served as a voting member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame selection committee.</div> <div> Though Cain has seen many campaigns in the course of his career, he called the 1990 John Engler upset victory, “The strangest election I've ever been involved with.”</div> <div> <B> <A NAME="term_limits"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Term Limits</B></div> <div> While some in Lansing believe the benefits of term limits were oversold, and the time is right to relax these provisions, Cain noted that getting voter approval might be a hard sell. Critics say term limits result in more control being handed to professional bureaucrats and lobbyists. To correct this, one proposal being discussed would restrict a legislator's time in Lansing to a total of 12 years of combined service as either a representative or a senator. Recalling that term limits were approved by a 58 to 42 percent voter margin, Cain said, “I'm not certain people really care.” He said, “Not one state has voted to undo term limits.”</div> <div> <B>Michigan Budget</B></div> <div> Cain reported that 2003 Michigan revenue is now expected to fall below earlier estimates, bringing new fiscal challenges to the State for 2004. Should that occur, he said, it will provide a further opportunity for cooperation between a Democrat Governor and the Republican-controlled legislature.</div> <div> During the question time, among other issues, Cain commented on the intensity of present-day politics. He told the group of the observations by such leaders as President Gerald Ford and others who have expressed to him their frustration with the increasing lack of civility in the politics of today. >><I>More Cain in </I><I>Detroit News</I>, "<A HREF="http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/0307/25/a01-227197.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.detnews.com/2003/politics/030"><U>Bush promises rebound for ailing Michigan</U></A>."</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Cain Speaks to ERC"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>