Lousy Mich. Economy: Who's to Blame?

Who's to blame for the sorry state of Michigan's economy? There's a lot of finger pointing going on in Lansing. Some say it's just part of a plan to help Governor Jennifer Granholm clean up her image.

On the campaign trial, the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor have nothing nice to say about the economic record that Governor Granholm has compiled.

"Everybody blames the person who is sitting in the chair. I understand that, and that's just the way politics works," said Granholm.

"Nothing's her problem. It's always somebody else's problem," said Bob LaBrant with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

Here's the governor's problem. She has presided over the worst economy in recent Michigan history. As she prepares to go out the door, some of her supports are circulating an internal survey from her campaign pollster suggesting that others are ahead of the governor in the blame game.

For example, 25-percent blame bad CEO decisions for Michigan's lousy economy. 20-percent blame unfair trade practices. 15-percent blame former President Bush. 15-percent blame higher taxes, and only 12-percent blame the governor. She agrees.

"People are smart enough to know that one governor, one person is not going to stop the global shift in manufacturing jobs," Granholm said.

But over at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the survey was dismissed as part of the "Granholm spin machine" designed to enhance her legacy. The chamber does concede outside forces in the auto industry were factors in Michigan's lousy economy.

The governor argues that she is doing everything she can to diversify Michigan's economy and she'll go anywhere to do it. Well, if that's the case, LaBrant counters, how come she's never gone to China?

The debate for the governor's economic legacy has five more months to go.