Thursday, March 06, 2008

Skubick: Schwarz Won't Run



Promoted back to the top... It's in the subscription-only MIRS today, but you can read a longer, (presumably) earlier draft of the article at Tim Skubick's blog. - Fitzy

It really didn't look very likely that Joe Schwarz would run again, but for those of you still holding out hope, journalist Tim Skubick brings us this:

Although the drop-dead date for filing for office is not until May, former Michigan Congressman John Schwarz is politically dropping dead before that. He will not run to regain his seat he lost to conservative Tim Walberg last time out in the Battle Creek area.
Caught on the state senate floor on Wednesday, Schwarz was asked if he would run?
"I don't think so. My plate is pretty darn full right now. It would probably be inappropriate to get in a congressional race now," he reveals for the first time.
and
He notes that the democrats have "a candidate" and as for an independent bid he laughs, "The road to higher office is strewn with the bodies of people who have run as independents."
Schwarz says he "came close but not close enough" to re-entering the contest but in the end, what he termed his "philosophical difference" with the core republican party in Michigan, kept him out of the hunt.
Schwarz says his dream job is to be Secretary of the Navy in a McCain administration. "I've thought about it, but not talked about it" with his buddy McCain who is the GOP nominee for president.
So, from the looks of it, Joe Schwarz just isn't interested in going through it again. And who can blame him? After decades of service, conservative members of his own party trashed his record and defeated him in a bitter, divisive primary. A life-long Republican, Schwarz now says he has trouble calling himself a member of the party.

As for Schwarz as Secretary of the Navy, I have no doubt he'd be well-suited to the role. However, given the condition that John McCain is elected president for that to happen, I'm kind of hoping he doesn't get that dream job. But that's presidential politics, and not what this blog is about.

This more or less settles the race into Walberg versus Schauer/Renier, with no other likely variables. However, this could change if someone like Clark Bisbee decides to challenge Walberg in the primary.

Clark (and other potential challengers), you have until May 13 by 4:00PM.

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posted by Fitzy  # 11:31 AM
Comments:
I'm a Schwarz supporter and I'm absolutely appalled by what the GOP has done to him. What they let happen in the 06 primary was simply inexcusable. The GOP in Michigan is irrevelant and heading for a huge fall. If they were concerned about keeping the 7th a GOP district they should have worked harder to ensure he was reelected.

Their leadership is beyond weak and in 06 Saul lost pretty much everything; the governorship, every county board, every university seat and he let Walberg go to Congress. Then the GOP plutocrats reelected him Chairman (whom Michigan Liberal overwhelmingly endorsed). Go figure?

I would have liked to have seen Schwarz run and make Walberg work for the nomination and just see how much Club for Growth cared about him. Schwarz accomplished a great deal in his two years in Congress and was one of the top freshmen in his class. He could of helped bring the GOP back to the center, but that's not going to happen anytime soon anyway. I can certainly understand why he wouldn't want to deal with that BS again.

Walberg can't hold a candle to him in his personal, professional or political life. I do know that Schwarz has continued to do many things behind the scenes for the district even though he is out of office. He has continued to go to bat for Amtrak and the Michigan Railroad Workers, among other things.

Schwarz will champion life-affirming stem cell research and will continue to fight off the wacko-right, who just don't get it. I think Schauer will win overwhelmingly and will represent our District far better than the charlatan Walberg does.

Walberg is simply wrong for our district, no matter which party you identify with. His days are numbered, and so is the Michigan GOP in my opinion.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : March 5, 2008 at 11:54 PM
 
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