Hundreds of Democrats from across Michigan gathered Saturday in Lansing to listen to some of their party's biggest names lay out the issues important to them and rally their supporters for elections in the coming year.
Attendees had the opportunity to hear from U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, Lt. Gov. John Cherry and Gov. Jennifer Granholm — all before breaking for lunch.
Granholm, donning a red sweatshirt with the American flag on the front, called on Democrats to help her and other Democrats win this year's elections.
"I am telling you, we have got a fight," Granholm said. "I've got the best fighters on my team."
Granholm focused on what she and other Democrats are doing to help improve conditions in the state.
"We have, in Michigan, the most comprehensive plan to grow our economy of any state in the nation," Granholm said. "We've got solutions."
Granholm went on to detail those plans, including $6 billion to create jobs, a job-training plan to put people to work, an education plan to help increase access to college education and the Jobs Today Initiative, which is intended to create jobs by accelerating infrastructure projects.
"We must spread the word about having a comprehensive plan to fix the problems that we know exist," Granholm said, urging Democrats to talk to their neighbors about these issues.
"We are very proud of it; tell people about the things we're doing," she said.
The governor also challenged party members to help her by gaining democratic seats within the state Legislature.
"I need a new Legislature to get these things through," Granholm said.
About 150 college Democrats from across the state attended the convention and a special breakfast with the governor beforehand, said political theory and constitutional democracy senior John Fournier.
Fournier ran for East Lansing City Council in the fall, but lost.
"I was impressed by how accessible the candidates were," Fournier said. "You go to a convention and you're literally in a room with the people of highest political power in Michigan and they are more than willing to talk to you about anything."
Sen. Stabenow thanked the crowd for its support in turning out, despite outside temperatures of about zero degrees.
Stabenow offered her support for the governor and praised her efforts to improve Michigan.
"She needs a team," Stabenow said, urging the audience to help get Democrats elected into state government. "So that the things that get us up when it's 2 degrees on a Saturday can be reflected down the street in the state capitol."
Stabenow also criticized the Bush administration, especially in regard to its lack of support for manufacturing and the auto industry.
"This isn't about an economic cycle or plant closings," Stabenow said. "What's happening here to our economy is about changing our way of life.
"That's why it's so serious."
America's middle class is under assault by the president and the Republican Congress, Stabenow said, not just in Michigan, but throughout America.
"They just don't get it," Stabenow said of Republican leaders.
Levin was also critical of Republicans in Washington.
"The Abramoff scandal is a Republican scandal from beginning to end," Levin said.
Levin also criticized the Bush administration's policies on wiretaps and funding cuts to education, which he said were the largest in the history of the Department of Education's history.
The Michigan Republican Party's convention is scheduled for August.
