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Eminentoes
Anuzis on Deck
Michigan’s state GOP chairman is first to announce for RNC chairman — an iffy proposition for someone with a losing record.
(Page 2 of 2)
TAS interviewed a sampling of legislators within Michigan and few are as enthusiastic, particularly about taking on a national leadership role. “The scoreboard doesn’t lie,” said one. “If the Detroit Lions needed a new head coach, they wouldn’t go looking for a college coach with a losing record.” Another described Anuzis as “a conventional wisdom guy.” One legislator did praise him for being accessible, capable, and very intelligent, crediting him with at least maintaining the Republican majority within the State Senate.
The Michigan GOP chair himself might think he hasn’t done so well. He was on record as recently as September saying that his top priority was getting a Republican governor elected in 2010. He was also planning to run for reelection in his current position. Either he thinks he’s done so well that he’s shifting his priorities, or, as Jerry Zandstra has suggested, he could be afraid he might lose.
MONEY HAS ALSO been a problem for the Michigan GOP. When McCain announced his pull-out from Michigan, the Detroit News reported that on October 15th the state GOP fund for assisting federal candidates was just $860,000. The Democratic Party had $3.5 million.
When asked about
drawing on a line of credit in order to keep the lights on
throughout an off year, Anuzis tells me that this is common
practice among state parties. Yet speaking to another party
chairman (who was not aware I was referring to Michigan) made it
clear that while it’s not unusual, it’s typically a sign of
financial distress, especially in an off-year. He noted that such
financial problems are likely the consequence of holding on to
campaign staff for too long.
Last April, the Michigan party’s 14th Congressional District
Chairman, Bill Beddoes,
told the Detroit News that he was particularly
concerned.
“Basically, we’re close to a quarter of a million dollars in debt, and this should be a time we’re raising money and not spending it,” he said. The party spokesman responded that it was, after all, a bad economy. But Anuzis never mentioned the economy to me in the several times I asked him why it was necessary to take out so many loans. He did say that the loans were only taken out based on pledges from donors to donate. That would indicate a reliance on a few big donors, not on steadily mounting fundraising.
Jim Duistermars, a member of the state budget committee, said in the same article that the timing was strange. “It’s not unusual for a campaign committee to take out loans,” Duistermars said. “But it usually happens when you’re ramping up to an election.”
Anuzis points to the fact that he has an independent audit done every other year. “Since I have run the party, we have never been in debt. We’ve finished every election cycle without being in debt. We get transfers from Victory programs, and those are normal, they happen all the time.”
MANY OF THE leading candidates for state GOP chair have also charged Anuzis with self-dealing. Anuzis hasn’t helped the situation. His own telecom firm, QuickConnect, has received tens of thousands of state GOP dollars in an arrangement that started prior to Anuzis’s election to state chair. The consulting shop that is paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the Michigan GOP is also a former employer of Anuzis’s executive director.
On the first charge, Anuzis refers to it as a “bulls—-ty accusation.” For one thing, he argues, he couldn’t cancel the contract because it was a contract that he couldn’t violate. But he is CEO of QuickConnect and chairman of the state GOP, and it is unclear under those conditions what repercussions there might have been. And despite the contract period ending, and moving on to a month to month arrangement, Anuzis maintained the relationship for several months. Anuzis now claims that QuickConnect is no longer a vendor for the state party. He explains he wasn’t even aware of this: “I don’t get involved in the day to day minutiae.”
On the second charge, he indicates there are only two political consulting firms in Michigan who can do this kind of work, and that there’s no conflict of interest.
HIS PLAN TO WIN the chairmanship position has attracted attention for being the first. And his plans certainly resonate with those frustrated by the Republican lag in grasping the real fundraising and coalition power of the web. But the 168 RNC members who will make their selections in January will be asking questions about Anuzis’s experience in implementing such plans. If they start asking, however, they’ll find quite a few critics happy to answer.
Joseph Lawler and Matthew Bishop contributed reporting to this article.
About the Author
J.P. Freire is a writer in Washington and a former editor at the Washington Examiner and The American Spectator. You can follow him on Twitter @jpfreire.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (21) | Leave a comment
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Bill Spence| 11.14.08 @ 8:24AM
Dear Mr. Freire,
I am a resident of Michigan. I am also an ex-Republican turned Independent. I voted for McCain and Carl Levin. For the RNC to have a chance in 2010 or 2012, the RNC should not have anyone from Michigan, especially Mr. Anuzis, as the chairman. I am still steamed by the memory of the Republican controlled Senate rolling over like a dead fish and voting for increased taxes last year. Maybe one indication of Mr. Anuzis’ effectiveness can be judged by an incident at the Fourth of July Parade in Holland. The crew cleaning up after the horses received greater applause than our State Senator (Republican) in a Republican district.
Respectfully,
Bill Spence
Holland, Michigan
blackelkspeaks| 11.14.08 @ 8:54AM
The recipe for certain defeat in any election is to put a Michigan Republican in charge. These creatures have sat on their asses for fifty years and morphed into stealth members of the Jackass Party. From Gov Milliken, to Gov Engler, to Sen Abraham, to every gutless wonder in between, the Republican Party in Michigan have become nothing more than enablers for the welfare state. The fact that Anuzis hasn't been able to win anything during the biggest collapse of the Michigan economy since the Great Depression should disqualify this guy out of hand. Most recently, their decision to run that idiot Bouchard against an eminently beatable fool (Stabenow) simply because he was a formulaic political hack (he was a sheriff), showed that Anuzis had no vision, or even common sense.
Speaking of common sense, Michigan Republicans have not exhibited that trait in virtually anything they do. For example, another writer posted here, Bill Spense, laments the fact that the Michigan Republican Senate voted for hated tax increases, then states that he "voted for McCain AND LEVIN". My God! It is this kind of asininity that pervades the thinking of the entire state population! I can provide no more better example of why the National Republican Party should avoid any Michigan Republican like the plague!
J David| 11.14.08 @ 9:38AM
Anuzis has the gall to expect what could be considered a promotion because the RINO Party is now just commie-lib Dem-lite, and liberals ALWAYS reward abject, abysmal failure with promotion. He knows that he is part of a machine that preserves the the power of connected individuals while handing the country over, piece- by-piece, to Marxists, as Bush has done on a national scale, with the aid of a porkified House and Senate. I left MI some years ago, after Engler, when the Republican Party handed the state over to a Canadian socialist.
Harry| 11.14.08 @ 9:41AM
You know, I don't know the first thing about Michigan politics, but I do know that Anuzis sends out daily updates with serious content and is more web savy and active than almost anyone I've seen in politics. Seems to me that if we're going to win the battle of ideas, we may want a Chairman who has proven he knows how to distribute them effectively in the "wired world" we live in.
Blaming any one person for the political losses in any state seems a little silly to me. My hope is that whoever the RNC picks it's based on what they've tried to do to advance sensible solutions rather than where they're from.
Kingfish | 11.14.08 @ 10:01AM
"The scoreboard doesn't lie," said one. "If the Detroit Lions needed a new head coach, they wouldn’t go looking for a college coach with a losing record."
Not true, The Oakland Raiders did this. oops, never mind.
Bill Spence| 11.14.08 @ 10:28AM
Dear Mr. Blackelspeaks,
Your comment emphasizes my confusion and my sadness of the state of the Republican Party nationally and especially here in Michigan. The Michigan Republicans are not showing either courage or leadership. When Mr. McCain announced that he would no longer campaign in Michigan, I lost what respect I had for the Republican Party. Can somebody list for me just what does the Republican Party stands for?
Let me explain why I did vote for Mr. Levin - With the financial crisis our state of Michigan is experiencing, my vote was for the person who has the best possibility of aiding Michigan. This is pretty sad as this is the first time I’ve ever voted Democratic.
Mr. Anuzis, with his knowledge of the internet and 21st Century communications, should be an aid, but not the leader.
Regards,
Bill Spence
Holland, Michigan
Glenn| 11.14.08 @ 11:39AM
Sorry Bill
But anyone that would vote for Levin is an idiot. I heard him on WJR say that "well we threw a bunch of pork on the bail out bill 'cause we could not get it passed any other way" We need conservatives FIRST in Michigan. Levin and Stabinaw are a discrase.
J. Peter Freire | 11.14.08 @ 11:41AM
Specifically regarding blaming the party leader for losses in the state: I am 100% on your page -- it clearly has been rough going for the GOP in general. But the hope is that a leader can unite a fractured coalition. In his interviews with me, Anuzis wasn't able to furnish evidence of building a coalition aside from the 12 out of 15 argument, which was tenuous.
If Anuzis wants to win this, he can't simply say he has a plan. He needs to rely on his record.
Bill Spence| 11.14.08 @ 12:21PM
Dear Glenn,
What is needed is to restructure the Republican Party and bring the GOP back to its roots. For now, I do not see were the GOP is or where the party is going. Name calling will not help. Do not blame the voters if the candidate or the party cannot communicate their message. Only work, sweat, and honest discourse will bring this phoenix back from the ashes.
Regards,
Bill Spence
Holland, Michigan
robert | 11.14.08 @ 2:30PM
the author fails to provide the website for Anuzis' candidacy so that we can learn about his plan for the RNC. http://www.anuzisforchair.com
we're proud of what Saul has done here in Michigan to bring the party into the age of the internet. he's accessible and informative...that's been a great asset to grassroots leaders like myself. but on the other hand, that's why he's a threat to the "old boys network" of power brokers that ruled the party before him...
J. Peter Freire | 11.14.08 @ 3:57PM
Robert,
I've added the link to his website -- thanks for that. But I will note that Anuzis is hardly set apart from the Michigan old boys network. No one is clear of that charge.
In that sense, I ought to offer another part of this. Anuzis was very concerned about this old rivalry, and even accused me (and probably still is) of being complicit in it. That's a big mistake, first of all because it's retrospective, and second of all, *I'M JUST DOING MY JOB*.
I'm happy to continue speaking to Saul. I didn't twist his quotes, I allowed him the chance to respond to the allegations, but if his communications strategy is to accuse every reporter that brings up past controversies as being complicit in them, then that's indicative of another problem entirely.
vitadmd| 11.14.08 @ 5:59PM
If this column is an attempt to destroy Mr.Anuzis before he ever gets a chance to get his message out nationally - it's not very effective. In fact, it raises questions about your credibility and agenda, Mr. Freire.
I am closely following media coverage regarding Mr. Anuzis. So far I get the impression that he is an authentic conservative who is extremely tech-savy, with an inspiring heritage story, and of impeccable character. He seems to be exactly who we need to lead the RNC.
We Lithuanians don't back down easily.... and we are quite familiar with Soviet tactics.
Steve Schaefer | 11.14.08 @ 9:35PM
First, I really appreciate the quality reporting involved in the above article. It is nice to see a writer interview multiple sources about the topic as well as providing accurate context for the story. This may be the expectation within journalism, but it often goes unfulfilled.
I am a life-long resident of Michigan, living in Metro-Detroit. Michigan's Republican Party has experienced a battle for its identity or lack thereof. A few years ago, the more socially conservative Republican Tom McMillin and his supporters in northern Oakland County were in open conflict with long-time Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson over whether the Republican Party should be more activist in its opposition to homosexual marriage and other hot-button social issues.
L. Brooks is a very popular leader in Oakland County for his opposition to the City of Detroit's many attempts to collectivize any bills and/or building projects that they would like Oakland County and Macomb County to help pay for.
Gubernatorial Candidate Dick DeVos was well-funded, led incumbent Governor Jennifer Granholm throughout the summer before her reelection, but came off as inarticulate and downright strange in his body language. (Also, his family's background with Amway was brought up, and further reinforced an image of someone who has business savvy, but lives in another subculture from the rest of Michiganders.)
Saul Anuzis uses the internet effectively to send out weekly (and sometimes daily) e-mails to make conservatives and center-right supporters aware of articles pertaining to furthering conservative principles on the local and national level.
On the local public affairs shows, he is calm, articulate, and excellent at explaining the conservative position on issues impacting Michigan.
Michigan is a bubble of nostalgia that continuously talks of the Detroit of the 1950's along with the Golden Age of the American Automobile Industry. This anesthetizes many citizens from the realities of what needs to be done-namely pushing right to work provisions (will never happen), diversifying the state economy (hasn't happened yet), and finding quality GOP candidates for state office (apparently hard to find). In short, I do not think Saul should be blamed for the a purple state that is trending ever more blue. He may not be the best candidate for RNC Chair, but he certainly does not deserve to be held accountable for many factors well outside of his control.
Steve Schaefer
Shelby Township, MI
Sean Conness| 11.15.08 @ 1:42AM
Isn't Saul the guy that wanted to ban Ron Paul from the debates? What the Republicans need is a real conservative to run the organization. Republicans can't win with people like Saul in charge. The base has had enough of these big government liberals in the party. Time for Saul to join with the Democrats.
J. Peter Freire | 11.15.08 @ 1:56AM
Steve,
That's an excellent summary -- the main point being that there's a very toxic environment in Michigan, and I don't think Saul can be blamed. The trouble is that there's no record beyond this. Vitadmd -- bringing up controversy isn't the same as indicting him. I'm sorry that you feel otherwise.
Eric Dondero | 11.15.08 @ 8:31AM
I like Saul. I've had him on my blog talk radio show twice. He's a self-described "libertarian Republican." As the Publisher of Libertarian Republican blog, I should be enthusiastically backing his campaign. But I'm not. Michael Steele would be a far superior choice IMHO.
Problem with Saul is precisely what the article points out: His losing record in Michigan. This should have been a blow out year for Michigan Republicans. Instead, the GOP lost two House races, and tons of state legislative seats.
Saul needs to give an explanation first for the poor performance of the Michigan GOP before he thinks of running for RNC Chair.
Eric Dondero, Publisher
Libertarian Republican blog
Gazinya| 11.16.08 @ 10:43AM
Here's one of those 'You think you got it bad' stories. Here in New Mexico Sen. Deminichi (sic) announced his departure and that set in motion a complete turning of the political wheel in this state. The two Repubs who occupied seats in the House, Heather Wilson and Steve Pierce, went after each other for the Senate seat like cats and dogs. Pierce won the primary but lost big to a Dem. Udal. This state, for the first since joining the Republic, has no Republicans in the House or Senate. No Republican influence in our State gov. There is no Repulican influence in Santa Fe or Albuquerque. Conservatives are as scarce as chickens teeth.
Mgm| 11.17.08 @ 12:21AM
I love Saul like a brother. I’ve known him for more than 20 years. I’d be surprised if he became RNC Chair. I’d also be surprised if he lost as Michigan party chair. Reforms at party HQ on East Grand River are overdue.
I would never describe former Governor John Engler or party chairman then U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham as “gutless.” The Michigan party treasury was flush and both the state Senate and House had Republican majorities
Joe the Plummer| 12.5.08 @ 8:13PM
Saul has a horrible record that is well documented. He gets too involved in intra-party fueds (see Zandstra and the Yobs for a taste). Besides that he is a self-promoter, not a leader for the party. Besides that there are rumors that he spread the nasty news about one of his rivals, Kayton Dawson, for the head RNC job to win over some votes. We just don't need him. He is wrong on too many levels.
Joe the Plummer (in Michigan)