Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Getting a Dose of His Own Medicine

A year ago, Joe Hune was the toast of the far right. In his campaign for the state Senate, he threw around words like "big government" and "debt" at campaign events like they were candy for kids at a 4th of July parade.

Now, Hune is refusing to take a stand on whether the state of Michigan should build a bridge to Canada, opposed by the owners of a private span who want to keep their lucrative monopoly. As a result, opponents of the new bridge are attacking Hune in the same style of rhetoric he used to win his seat.

In a mailing to Hune's constituents, Americans for Prosperity-Michigan warns that the new bridge means "$500 million of NEW FOREIGN DEBT for Michigan" and "Bigger Government and More Bureaucracy." It warns that "taxpayers get stuck with the bill!" if the bridge is built.

This is the same group, by the way, that put up fake-eviction notices on properties in Detroit to scare people into opposing the new bridge.

The group urges Hune's constituents to call him "and tell him that Michigan doesn't need foreign debt."

The bridge has Hune in a tough spot. He wants to stay cozy with the tea-bagger crowd and the Koch Brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity, but his Republican governor Rich Snyder wants the bridge and Hune doesn't want to publicly challenge Snyder. So for now, he's trying to sit on the fence, hoping that Democrats will provide enough votes, along with a few GOP ones, to pass Snyder's priority for the Republicans.

It's a pleasure to see Hune in such a spot. And the mailing, with its inflammatory rhetoric so reminiscent of Hune's own just a year ago, is a great way to make him swallow a taste of his own medicine.

1 comment:

Communications guru said...

If any of the propaganda on that mailing were true, I would oppose the new bridge and the 10,000 new jobs it will create. But Mr. Hune is busy with important legislation like creating the "Bowling Center Act" and specialty 4-H license plates.