Talking Michigan Politics

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder tackle: 1. The race for governor. A new poll, released exclusively to the Grand Rapids Press and Booth Newspapers, finds Pete Hoekstra solidly out front on the GOP side with Rick Snyder continuing to surge on the strength of his TV blitz. Attorney General Mike Cox seems to be waning. On the Democratic side, Andy Dillon holds a narrow lead over Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, though a large number of voters remain undecided. In other news, robocalls have sparked hostility and investigations by the Secretary of State. Could the state pass campaign finance laws to require disclosure of the money behind robocalls? 2. Teacher's fault? Do teachers' unions deserve the blame for Michigan's failure to get Race to the Top funds for education from the federal government? A Detroit News editorial makes the case. An MEA leader told MIRS news the union would have "sold its soul" had it signed off on the Race to the Top