Michigan's Milliken Endorses Kerry

[H3Dakota]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041018/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_gop_endorsement&cid=694&ncid=1963&sid=96378798

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TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Former Republican Gov. William Milliken of Michigan endorsed Democratic Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) for president on Monday, saying President Bush (news - web sites) has pursued policies "pandering to the extreme right wing."
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[ronnykmarshall]

1. Thank you Gov. Milliken!

[swag]

2. Kicked and rated - another truly principled Republican!

[amandabeech]

3. He is the only Republican for whom I've ever voted,

except for a couple of locals that I knew personally. At times, I've felt a little guilty for voting for him, but my guilt has been assuaged today.

Good for Gov. Milliken!

[5thGenDemocrat]

7. Me too

And I didn't/don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Bill Milliken was one of the finest governors Michigan ever had and, frankly, it doesn't surprise me a bit that he would support Kerry.
Bill was, after all, a liberal. And a truly decent man.
John
The "(R)" after his name notwithstanding.

[amandabeech]

13. I was somewhat active politically at the time.

It's sad to see that the Michigan Repugs have deteriorated from Milliken to that hideous blend of Postuhus and Betsy DeVos.

Amanda

[liberalpragmatist]

14. Was he a moderate conservative or a liberal?

Was he a principled, moderate, "main-street" conservative or a Rockefeller Republican?

Did he ever run for President and do you think he could've won a Republican nomination in the late 70s or early 80s? He seems like an interesting guy. I'd like to learn more about him.

[5thGenDemocrat]

17. Milliken is an interesting guy

Governor of Michigan from 1969-82.
Became a Repub because his family owned the largest department store in Traverse City (I believe they still do). Dad and granddad were both state senators. Milliken was both freshman class and, later, student body president of Traverse City High School.
World War II interrupted his studies at Yale. Bill served 50 missions as a waist gunner on a B-24 during WWII, survived a crash on takeoff (with a full bomb load), was wounded in the stomach by flak at one point and had to bail out on another.
Milliken was a progressive on environmental, transportation, urban, civil and women's rights issues.
He was also best friends with Detroit mayor Coleman Young -- an odd couple political pairing if ever there was one.
There's a lot more in his biography -- but suffice it to say that Bill Milliken is universally admired here in Michigan. I suspect his comments today could well have a big influence on the old-style Repubs here.
John
To say all the complimentary things I could about Milliken would seriously burn up DU's bandwidth.

[H3Dakota]

4. Would love to get a copy...

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Milliken issued a three-page statement of his views about Bush and domestic and international issues.
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Hopefully, it will be available online soon!!

[davidinalameda]

5. there's a few out there that aren't total idiots

thank you Governor for trying to bring back the party of Lincoln rather than Faldwell

[genius]

6. Milliken used to staff the governor's mansion with convicted murderers

He felt these were the kind of convicts least likely to recidivate.

[Strawman]

8. Great News. I've always respected Gov. Milliken

It seems like any time I've seen him in the news over the past several years, it's to criticize the sharp right turn his party has taken. I'm curious if he endorsed Gore in 2000 also. If he were still running for office, he'd have to switch parties and run as a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Democrat. He'd never survive a Republican primary in MI anymore. The closest thing to him today in MI politics, Joe Schwartz, got clobbered by Dick Posthumus in the Republican primary, who was a vastly inferior candidate.

[Strawman]

9. Here's a link to the statement

http://www.record-eagle.com/2004/oct/18mil2.htm

[H3Dakota]

12. Super!!

Thanks for finding & posting it!! Great read, highly recommend it for all...

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Women's rights, civil liberties, the separation of church and state, the funding of family planning efforts world-wide - all have suffered grievously under this president and his administration.
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[Inland]

10. The sort of good government, moderate republican that I voted for in

Michigan from time to time. I thought he was dead. Instead, he has merely been pushed out of politics by the nutbag religious right now in control of the pubbie party.

[readmylips]

11. Minnesota Republican for Kerry...

Although I am a longtime Republican, it is time to make a statement, and it is this: Vote for Kerry-Edwards, I implore you, on Nov. 2.

Elmer L. Andersen was Minnesota's governor from 1961 to 1963.

[Riverman]

15. Cable News?

Exceelent, but where are the cable snooze reports? This is truly news! I am sure the Sinclair network will cover it, right?

[phlyphisher]

16. Finally a smart Republican from Mich speaks out!

Being from around ultra right-wing GR, sometimes you have to wonder.

Good for Milliken!

[proud patriot]

18. Woo Hoo I rated it n/t

[struggle4progress]

19. kick

:kick:

[annarbor]

20. Kick! Thank you Governor Milliken!

From a fellow Michiganian....

Ann Arbor

[goforit]

21. I guess he too don't like da christian wrong doers!!!