Posted on 01/22/2008 4:31:52 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
Former state Rep. Andrew "Rocky" Raczkowski plans to announce his second challenge to Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., on Monday, arguing that a newcomer is needed to help bolster's Michigan's economy and offer bipartisanship.
Raczkowski, a 39-year-old Southfield businessman, said he will seek the Republican nomination to challenge Levin because the state has declined in recent years. He said his military service in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Horn of Africa from 2003-04 made him "realize more than ever that partisan politics isn't what's going to get the job done."
"This time around, I know what I'm up against, I know what an undertaking it is but yet the same fervor that made me fight for what I believe, that Michigan families need, is the same thing that's propelling me now," he told The Associated Press.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
What are his positions?
Raczkowski ran in 2002 and Levin won 61%. So far, I see no reason to believe this will turn out all that differently.
In addition to Raczkowski, state Representative Jack Hoogendyk is thinking of running. I’d prefer to see Hoogendyk run against Fred Upton in the Republican primary.
Conservative on most issues, I believe.
Our two Senators (Stabenow and Levin) are perhaps the ugliest and least accomplished duo in an already underachieving Senate. I have never understood the attraction of voters for either but, then, I’ll never understand the ability of Kwame Kilpatrick to remain in office either. Michigan is in some weird form of altered political reality where competence and actual, bona-fide achievement is not required on your resume.
Would like to know so that I can let some of my friends know if he is worthy of a little cash.
Great! Thanks for posting.
You’re very welcome. And if you’re a Michigan resident, perhaps you could contact Hoogendyk about running against Upton.
The only way the union members are going to figure out that Levin and Stabenow have been scr**wing them for the past 20 years is to get laid off, broke, and never have a chance at getting their jobs back. Even then the union members would blame the problem on President Bush before placing the blame on the Senators and Granholm, those unions are so darn ignorant.
They can blame the auto companies all they want, but it still boils down to emissions, oil, envirowackos and NAFTA.
The Michigan GOP does not have the guts to take on any target rich environment. Karl Lenin should be a target rich environment. This allegedly powerful Washington insider has: 1. Refused to vote favorably on a resolution condemning the "betrayus" ad attacking General Petraus last summer. 2. Worked diligently to torpedo the reconfirmation of Marine General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace's crime? He is a moral man who doesn't believe that homosexuality promoted and sponsored by the militaqry. 3. Fails Michigan on return of tax dollars. Michigan is currently known as a donor state--we send more dollars to D.C. then we get back. Even with a democrap governor he won't work to aid the state. 4. Was a signer of the dingy Hairless Reid letter to condemn Rush Limbaugh. 5. Has the blood of Byron Fouty on his hands. Fouty was one of three soldiers captured by the terrorist filth in Iraq last summer. US intelligence had information leading to their abductors via telecommunications. Because Lenin has been instrumental in stopping US from obtaining intelligence in this fashion, a more than 10 hour delay ensued between the time of the abduction and the time when the information could have been acted upon. Too late. These things come to mind off the top of my head. I'm sure there's more, but again the MIGOP has no gonads.
If the Democrats are demanding change, why don’t the Michigan Democrats back up their words and vote to change Senators in November?
I HATE all democrats, but levin is particularly egregious.
Not if he's a write in.
BTTT! GREAT post!
Yea, good luck with that. I have the extreme misfortune of being represented by two Levin’s. Both my Senator and Rep are brothers.
I’ll vote for Rocky, but then I’m used to my candidates losing.
Unfortunately, Carl Levin is one of those “Senators for life” like Ted Kennedy. He will NEVER be defeated, he will have to either retire or die in office. As Raczkowski noted, Lenin...err, Levin...has outstanding constituent relations in Michigan. Basically, anybody needing assistance or a handout from the federal government can get it by traversing thru the Levin office. He has guaranteed himself his job for a lifetime thru these efforts. That the guy is a socialist does not bother most of his constituents, as they are not particularly ideological. Stabenow is the Michigan Senator who is vulnerable, and I was shocked to Hell and back when she won re-election. The Republican party apparatus is pretty weak in Michigan right now and Mike Bouchard ran a weak and feeble campaign against her in 2006.
If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.
The only way Levin will be taken out of office is in the proverbial pine box.
What I want to know is, who are the GOP gubernatorial hopefuls? Anyone know or want to speculate? I'm betting Cox will run.
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