Treason?

Nice comments by Governor Granholm (by the way, what's the deal with using "Gov." instead of Governor? Can Georgie Weeks not spell "governor"?) in today's Detroit News. She calls the conduct of a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, Rick Baxter, treasonous for the unpardonable offense of...writing an op-ed that appeared on opinionjournal.com. Calling an op-ed "treason" is a little excessive, I would say, but I guess that is the easiest route to go if you can argue with the content of the op-ed. My favorite line is where Governor Granholm says that the op-ed was about two people writing "Don't come to Michigan."

No, Governor, the op-ed was about how to get more businesses to come to Michigan so that more people don't leave Michigan looking for work. Just because it's inconvenient to have the fact pointed out that on your watch Michigan has fallen into a tie for the highest unemployment rate in the nation doesn't mean that Representative Baxter is a traitor. Your reaction says a lot about you, though.

Further, the idea that a Republican might push for tax cuts shouldn't be shocking by now. Of course, most Democrats, at least today's Democrats, are opposed to tax cuts, but that's not treasonous either. And what if the op-ed had sad: "Don't come to Michigan. It stinks"? Would that have qualified as "treasonous"? I'm thinking not, and it's ridiculous that she has reduced us to even considering the idea.

I would say that this frustrated lashing out by the governor (I'm assuming it was just frustration because her comments are too ridiculous to be serious) is further evidence that she continues to be, as she has been since she took the position, in over her head. She is an ineffectual leader in a time when Michigan needs a kick in the pants.

This post will be a good test of the governor's limits of "treasonous" speech. I have criticized her. Does that mean I should fear the jackboots in the night?