The Lansing State Journal is a great resource for news on state government and the Lansing area, including Eaton County. They've watched Mark Schauer in Lansing up-close, and they've watched as Tim Walberg embarrasses his district in Washington. On Saturday, October 25, 2008, the Lansing State Journal endorsed Mark Schauer:

Voters in Michigan's 7th Congressional District have watched one of the nation's highest profile contests between incumbent Republican Tim Walberg and Democrat Mark Schauer.

The contrasts between the two are deep; campaign rhetoric has been deafening.

But a careful review of the issues leads to a clear choice. The LSJ Editorial Board endorses Mark Schauer for the seat.

They also have a fairly decent response to Walberg's attacks on taxes:

The 2007 budget battle in the Michigan Legislature was messy, but Schauer took his leadership responsibility seriously and joined politicians on both sides of the aisle in creating and supporting a compromise.

Walberg now uses that compromise to label Schauer as a tax-and-spend Democrat who has run off Michigan jobs.

Voters should see that shallow partisan rhetoric for what it is. The United States faces a $438 billion spending deficit according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office earlier this month (a figure that doesn't include the $700 billion authorized to stabilize the nation's financial crisis). It's a budget gap that makes Michigan's $1.75 billion shortfall for fiscal 2008 look like pocket change.

The 7th District will best be served by a level-headed lawmaker who has demonstrated the ability to partner with politicians of both parties to carve out difficult solutions to government's challenges.

You can read the whole piece (and the angry comments) here.

Labels: 2008 Election, Endorsements, Mark Schauer, Tim Walberg