Dick DeVos is an extremist even within the Republican Party, and he knows Michigan will not elect him Governor if they realize how far right he is. When he debated Jennifer Granholm on state wide television he tried to hide his views on stem cell research and abortion, but when talking to supporters on Ave Maria Radio he showed his real self.
During the first debate, DeVos attempted to hide his opposition to stem cell research by expressing support for adult stem cell research and avoiding mention of his opposition to embyronic stem cell research, which is far more likley to provide cures to many diseases. In the second debate he was similarly misleading about his views on abortion when he opposed changing the abortion laws and said, “our current laws as it relates to abortion in Michigan are sufficient.” While most listeners would take this to mean he would continue to allow abortion to be legal, it turns out this is not what he really intends:
Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos told a Catholic radio program that he’d be “thrilled” if the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a woman’s right to an abortion is overturned and abortion is sharply restricted in Michigan.
Before the court issued its decision in Roe v. Wade, Michigan had a law banning abortion except to save the mother’s life, a position DeVos shares. The state law was superseded when the court issued its opinion, but it could be enforced again — or a new ban passed — if that decision is overturned by the high court.
“As soon as Roe v. Wade is overturned, which I think we all pray that it will be … we will revert back to Michigan law,” DeVos said Thursday in an interview with Al Kresta, host of the syndicated Catholic talk show “Kresta in the Afternoon” on Ave Maria Radio. “We would go back to that standard, and I would be thrilled about it.”
DeVos said Tuesday during a debate with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm that “our current laws as it relates to abortion in Michigan are sufficient.”
He made that comment to explain why he opposed an effort by the anti-abortion organization Michigan Chooses Life to get a measure on the 2006 ballot that would change the state constitution to legally define a person as existing at the moment of conception. The group failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Kresta asked DeVos if there was anything in his statement during the debate that represents backing away from “a full pro-life stance.”
“Not one inch,” DeVos said.
DeVos campaign spokesman John Truscott said DeVos wasn’t saying anything new in the radio interview and has consistently opposed abortion except when necessary to save the mother’s life.
“He knows that anything dealing with abortion would go to a vote of the people. He knows it would be most likely a referendum or an initiative” to come up with a Michigan standard if Roe v. Wade was overturned, Truscott said.
Granholm campaign spokesman Chris De Witt said the interview showed again that DeVos has an extreme position on abortion.
“He says one thing during the debate the other night and now he is saying something else in this radio interview,” De Witt said. “His views are out of step with mainstream Michigan.”
During the interview, DeVos told Kresta, “You’re not going to find a more pro-life governor in Michigan’s history than me.”
While Michigan has a history of supporting moderate Republicans (such as William Milliken , who endorsed John Kerry in 2004), Dick DeVoss knows that if Michigan voters were aware of how extremist his views were they would not vote for him. In June, Detroit News columnist Laura Berman also found DeVos was attempting to hide his views, in contrast to Jennifer Granholm:
To her credit, Granholm has always been open about her views on abortion — and twice vetoed restrictive legislation.
I watched their debate this week, and was appalled by deVos. I also thought that Granholm did quite well. How could the polls even be close ? To me, there’s just no contest here. Sigh. . I sure hope that Granholm pulls it off.
The polls are no longer close–Granholm has moved out to a nine point lead in the latest EPIC-MRA poll.
It was close earlier primarily because DeVos, one of the wealthiest people ever to run for public office, spent a fortune on ads. Granholm had to hold conserve the money until fall, so DeVos’s dishonest attack ads ran unapposed for months. Combine that with the economic problems in Michigan, and DeVos hiding how far right he is (even by Republican standards) and he managed to pull even for a while.
As we know, the only poll that matters is election day.
What the hell is it with those morons on the right that feel the have to live up to their name? Him and Cheney are dong a fine job of it.
This Devos guy should have absolutely no chance of being elected. It is apalling that the polls are close.
Ron, as I wrote over at Dem Bloggers and hope you don’t mind me adding here:
To anyone who might be reading this who’s from Michigan, please PLEASE volunteer to participate in GOTV efforts. Since ’02 the GOP has really got it’s ground campaign figured out, so starting this year, we’ve got to match it.
This person is sick and twisted.This man is from the steal and pillage group right there with Bush and the other anti-christ freaks . I hope all those out there know what this man has done and plans to do ,One he wants to do away with the State police in michigan and abortion and any kind of womens rights and any other minority that he can crush out. I say if this man gets in i will be one of those that leaves this state for somewhere else and there goes one more person that he will get taxes from and the state will not only loose one more person as i will be taking my childen and the schools will also have to feel the effects of another Govener that will bankrupt the state like he has his own companies . COME ON PEOPLE THIS MAN IS NOT GOOD FOR MI>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>