I heart Granholm. When have I ever said that? She's an incredible communicator who really captures the mood of the country and blue collar workers after living under the Conservative agenda for almost eight years. In the few minutes she had on The Situation Room Monday---Governor Granholm quickly and easily deconstructed McCain's talking points on every economic issue Wolf brought up. I guess after all was said and done it comes down to one word: "McSame." Michigan is lucky to have her.
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Download GRANHOLM: I'll tell you what blue collar American wants. They want a change in the White House. They don't want a third Bush term. Here in Michigan, in small towns across our state, where we have seen jobs go on a slow boat to China, on the Internet to India, or on a fast track to Mexico, we want to make sure that we have an investment, a manufacturing policy in this country that supports our job providers so we can keep jobs here. Bush and McCain will further the unfair trade policies that have hurt states like Michigan.
People are mad in Michigan. We're mad that the Bush administration has stood idly by while we have lost almost 400,000 jobs since Bush became president.
Can you imagine that, Wolf? Four hundred thousand jobs. That's our own version of Hurricane Katrina, only it's {trickled out} over the past seven and a half years. So we need a change in the White House. That's what people are mad at. They're mad at a White House that has not paid attention to middle America.
I can imagine it. Michigan is not the only state that has been devastated by the Bush doctrine. I love the way she made sure to incorporate the "trickle down" principals of Conservatism in her response to McCain's camp. For McCain to say that Obama is out of touch with blue collar working Americans is laughable since he has stood side by side with the conservative agenda that has been an utter failure for our country. I will say that the White House has paid attention to the fat cats on wall street. They certainly have made a killing while Bush has been in office. That's why we will constantly hear screams of "Obama is a socialist---run for the hills," by the Saturday morning zombie stock show guests on FOX.
BLITZER: Well, we've been telling our viewers Michigan has got the highest unemployment rate in the country now. Serious economic problems, as you well know better than anyone in your state.
Here's what John McCain says -- as bad as it is in Michigan right now, if Obama's president, guess what? It could get a whole lot worse. Listen to McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: I believe that there are stark differences between myself and Senator Obama, whether it be he wants to raise taxes, I want to lower them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: And he says everyone in Michigan, indeed across the country, would have higher taxes. He says given the hard economic times, this is about the worst time to go ahead and raise everyone's taxes.
What do you say to that charge?
GRANHOLM: Well, I don't know if he's been reading the economic plan, but the Obama plan has significant middle class, working class tax cuts. In fact, there was a national study that is a neutral study which said that average Americans, middle class Americans, would see three times as much of a tax break under Obama than they would under McCain.
I mean, the bottom line is, McCain, I'm not sure what his education policy is. I'm not sure what his energy policy is. But Barack Obama came to Michigan today, to Flint, Michigan, which is the heart of the auto industry. The reason why Michigan's economy is so challenged because of this massive contraction in our automotive sector.
So he came right to the heart of the auto industry. And what he said is that he is going to invest $150 billion in an entire energy sector of this country, creating jobs, millions of jobs in energy. That, for a state like Michigan, is hugely important to hear. He had specific plans for us.
BLITZER: All right. I guess what McCain is suggesting is that if you start raising taxes, even for wealthy Americans, families making more than $200,000 or $250,000 a year, and you start increasing capital gains taxes, and other taxes related to investments, that's going to hurt the aggregate, the overall U.S. economy. And it will further make it difficult for job creation and everything else you want in Michigan.
GRANHOLM: Well, the whole point that Barack Obama was making is that you have to make strategic investments in the areas that you know will grow jobs. He said that he would eliminate capital gains taxes on those entrepreneurs, the kind of jobs we want to create. But the very, very, very wealthiest, they can afford to contribute to the investment in our country to allow people to be able to go to college.
Every economist will tell you that the smartest economic development strategy is making sure you have a skilled work force for those employers. And that's exactly what Barack Obama's plan is.
BLITZER: McCain's really been hitting Obama hard over the past few days about those so-called "bitter" comments he made during the primary against Hillary Clinton. Listen to this latest -- this latest statement that McCain made just today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCAIN: I won't tell them that in small towns across America and in Pennsylvania, that they are bitter or angry about their economic conditions, so therefore they embrace religion and the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. I will never do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: All right. Do you want to respond to that? Because he's suggesting that Obama is simply out of touch with blue collar working Americans.
GRANHOLM: I'll tell you what blue collar American wants. They want a change in the White House. They don't want a third Bush term.
Here in Michigan, in small towns across our state, where we have seen jobs go on a slow boat to China, on the Internet to India, or on a fast track to Mexico, we want to make sure that we have an investment, a manufacturing policy in this country that supports our job providers so we can keep jobs here. Bush and McCain will further the unfair trade policies that have hurt states like Michigan.
People are mad in Michigan. We're mad that the Bush administration has stood idly by while we have lost almost 400,000 jobs since Bush became president.
Can you imagine that, Wolf? Four hundred thousand jobs. That's our own version of Hurricane Katrina, only it's trickled out over the past seven and a half years. So we need a change in the White House. That's what people are mad at. They're mad at a White House that has not paid attention to middle America.
BLITZER: How big of a deal is it that Senator Obama's going to have a special guest in Michigan with him later tonight. The former vice president of the United States, Al Gore, will be in your beautiful state to make this ringing endorsement.
GRANHOLM: Well, if you're making that announcement, I can't confirm. But if it were true that Al Gore was coming here, I could tell you that it is a great statement.
We in Michigan want to reinvent Michigan. We want to rebuild a clean, green state where technology and green technology and alternative energy and renewable energy is the sector of growth for job creation to replace those lost manufacturing jobs. And I tell you, if you look at what Al Gore has done in elevating the dialogue about climate change and in taking action, he will tell you that this is -- yes, it's good for the planet, but it's also good for the economy and for jobs. And that's where Michigan stands right there.
BLITZER: Michigan's going to be very busy over these next few months. A battleground state.
