As a guy who prides himself on knowing (or at least knowing OF) everybody in and around the Party in this state it pains me to no end to admit this... I had to tell them I had no idea.

And I didn't.  Rick Snyder?  Umm... who?

Snyder has never been involved at the activist level.  He's never been involved with the Michigan Republican Party or the State Committee.  Never met him at a Convention.  Don't remember bumping into him on the Cox (02), Bush (04) or DeVos campaigns and he isn't in my blackberry.  (After traveling for two years with a guy like Dick DeVos, that's actually saying something.)

But that doesn't mean I wasn't able to do a little digging in the time since, and among other things, I've learned the man wasn't lying when he told the Michigan Business Review that he's a "moderate" Republican.

Color me disappointed.

"Moderate," fair readers, is code for one thing and one thing only when it's followed by the word "Republican"... weak knees on the life issue and unequivocal support for abortion-on-demand.  "Moderate" almost always means pro-abortion.

Sure enough... according to the state's campaign finance records, the Ann Arbor Venture Capitalist has given a few bucks to GOP candidates over the years but Snyder's only political giving at the state level during the 2008 campaign was to the Cure Michigan campaign.

Those are the folks who successfully championed a stem-cell ballot initiative to allow the state to spend tax dollars on 100% obsoleted, 100% fatal human experimentation.  

According to Open Secrets' federal campaign finance reporting database, Snyder is also a regular donor to Democrat John Dingell, giving the ultra-liberal thousands of dollars over the better part of a decade.

Synder has also shelled out big bucks to a group called "Its My Party Too PAC."  IMP-PAC is an arm of the so-called "Republican Leadership Council," a group of "moderate" GOPers.  According to their website:

RLC-PAC's vision is a Republican Party that is unified by the basic tenets of fiscal responsibility and personal freedom, but that allows for diverse opinions on social issues by its members.

Their big names are notable and outspoken pro-aborts Tom Ridge and Christine Todd Whitman.  It's a one-issue PAC.  Abortion-on-demand.

As far as the inside-baseball goes, Snyder is surrounding himself with former John McCain associates and I can confirm that his campaign is being headed up on the ground by former national McCain strategist John Yob.  (John is also the son of former RNC National Committeeman Chuck Yob.)  

You can read the Review's biographical information at the link above and you can check out the Ann Arbor News's coverage HERE, though, a word of caution, Judy McGovern lists the loooooong since departed Dick DeVos as a potential candidate, so up-to-date and accurate information might not be her strong suit.