Cherry: I'll run on Granholm's record

That's a shocking headline today over at the Ivory Tower (The Detroit Free Press for the out-of-towners). I'm not a politician, and maybe I don't know as much about it as Lt. Gov. Cherry, but he must know something I don't. From the time Gov. Granholm was sworn into office, Michigan has lost jobs every single year (!). "I think she's got a strong record," he told the Free Press editorial board Tuesday (emphasis mine). Now we all know the economy is front-and-center on everyone's concern list, so let's take a look at the economy during Granholm's tenure: Worst state economy in the union (50 out of 50), worst unemployment rate in the union (almost 10%), plus the $1.5Billion tax increase heaped on us last year with talks of more tax incraeses this year. Here are the labor statistics (from the Bureau of Labor Statistcs shown by Nick at rightmichigan):

Michigan Employment Net Gain Year-over-Year

2003: -63,800
2004: -3,100
2005: -28,100
2006: -79,500
2007: -67,300
2008: -30,400 (Jan-Apr)

And the 2008 numbers were before the bottom fell out (estimated at -81,000 here). Projections for this and next year:

2009: -108,000
2010: -24,000

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't come within visual site of these numbers should I be the Lt. Gov. coming into the 2010 campaign. It's going to be too late to blame Bush (the national economy gained several million jobs over his tenure even with the dot.com recession, 9/11 attack and the housing bubble burst this last fall). OK, maybe not. And then there's Engler, Michigan's former governor (republican). Some democrats here are still (!!!) blaming him.

Should Lt. Gov. Cherry run on Granholm's record, there's one thing that he won't be able to get away from: this. That 5 year promise will come due just in time for the election. Ouch!

UPDATE: more on this at rightmighigan here.