It's no secret in Republican circles that term-limited Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land is running for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

The secret may be her real reason. Apparently, Land sees her next career move as a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2012 against Debbie Stabenow. Land's aspirations are widely known though her electoral successes have been less than successful. She's won statewide twice but she's also lost quite a few races. She ran for the Legislature in the past, tried running for governor and then dropped out before ultimately running for lieutenant governor in the August GOP primary as Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard's running mate.

Land's a consummate politician; she's been active on the campaign trail since the unsuccessful primary with Bouchard.

By becoming chairman, she would have a statewide soapbox to keep her name out there and generate publicity before fully committing to a Senate campaign in late 2011 or early 2012. The chairmanship would also allow her to clear the field of potential challengers.