Not only have Senate Republicans told the governor to try again, but now two Democratic members of the Michigan House of Representatives have told Granholm the same thing.  In yesterday's edition of MIRS Capitol Capsule, Democratic freshmen from the Jackson area Martin Griffin and Mike Simpson said that the governor's plan "would be hard to stomach" and was "dead on arrival" respectively.

After a first term and long campaign marked with the governor living in a state of denial, the now bipartisan opposition to her "plan" to fix Michigan leaves her little room to accept anything but failure.  As MIRS points out, with Griffin and Simpson jumping ship, Granholm will now need EVERY other House Democrat to vote for her plan in order to pass it.

FAT CHANCE!  With the shift that took place in November, you have a new Democratic Speaker of the House and several new Democratic House members who will be weary of making their first major vote in the legislature a tax increase.

My prediction: this tax increase is exactly what Simpson referred to it as.  It would be very surprising for Speaker Dillon to pick up the governor's plan now that he has a divided caucus and polling has clearly shown that the citizens of Michigan are simply not with the governor on this.  Besides he's got a majority to protect for 2008 and raising taxes, as he knows, is a bad way to do that.  I'll reserve judgment on any sin tax increases, though I think it's equally important for Republicans to oppose any increases there as well.  But in order for anything to be taken up, the governor must propose legislation, which she has not done, probably because she's getting the idea that her game is up.

What this means now is that Republicans now have a tremendous opportunity to take the lead in dealing with the budget crisis.  Senator Bishop, in his first major test as Majority Leader has impressively passed it with flying colors and is now prepared to offer up a plan that balances Michigan's budget with a series of restructurings and cuts to state government.  And he's allowed himself more than enough wiggle room to compromise with the governor, but still ensure that our values win out in this debate.

In short, the whole debate proves what Michigan citizens will again realize in 2008.  Republicans are far more in line with their views than Granholm's Democrats.