Published: May 16, 2009 10:15 pm      

Op-Ed: When a pen makes a point

The institution of political cartooning is a power to reckon with, as Michigan governors learned throughout 172 years of statehood.

It's an American institution pioneered in 1754 by Benjamin Franklin with his classic "Join or Die" drawing of the segments of a snake published in the Pennsylvania Gazette calling upon New Englanders to unite against French and Indian forces threatening the western border.

Longtime former Detroit News cartoonist Draper Hill, who died last week, was steeped in the history of the pen and politics. He observed at a 1986 exhibition of works of 43 political cartoonists, "The pins, needles, stilettos, broadswords and occasional bludgeons are still finding targets in these homogeneous times."

Hill once called those of his craft "the Peeping Toms at the palace keyhole," and said cartooning "is apt to be at its best when it is irreverent, unpredictable, independent and as unillustrative as possible of the good, gray editorial matter which frames it on the page."

Said Jeffrey Hadden, Detroit News deputy editorial page editor: "He was extremely well-read and knew the power of a pointed cartoon. As an editorial writer, I sometimes envied his ability to more strongly convey a point with a few well-placed pen strokes." Hadden said, "His cartoons were usually a gentle form of humor, but he could draw blood when he felt it was warranted."

Hill, who retired in 1999, felt it warranted on occasion to needle ex-Govs. Bill Milliken, Jim Blanchard and John Engler, as well as ex-Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young. But they all on occasion cherished framing a Draper Hill drawing.

Just say no, governor

When the Associated Press sticks its seasoned neck out and says Gov. Jennifer Granholm is on the short list to be President Barack Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, it gives more credibility to what assorted TV talking heads have been saying about her prospects.

Other women on the list have the judicial experience that Granholm lacks to be the third woman on the bench in the court's history.

Granholm wouldn't be the first Michigan governor on the court. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed 1937-38 Gov. Frank Murphy, a former 1920s Detroit Recorder's judge, to the Supreme Court after a brief stint as FDR's attorney general. Murphy served on the high court until his death in 1949.

While appointment of Granholm, a former prosecutor and state attorney general, seems unlikely, it would be consistent with what Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs says about the quest for "somebody who understands how being a judge affects Americans' everyday lives." As the Washington Post put it, she's "a Harvard Law graduate whose background running a large state dealing with severe hardship may qualify as the experience Obama is seeking." Also in the tea leaves is the fact that last week her office, after emphasizing her determination to serve out her term, as of this writing declined comment on the speculation.

Clearly such a lifetime appointment would be hard to decline. But the state she serves faces hard -- horrendous -- times that would be further complicated if its governor should be diverted by protracted confirmation hearings.

Hoekstra on Pelosi debacle

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, of Holland, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has ridiculed the contention of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the CIA lied to her in 2002 about the use of harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, on suspected terrorists.

He had this zinger last week after Pelosi bumbled her way through a nationally televised press conference: "There are many privileges to being speaker. Rewriting history isn't one of them." CIA Director Leon Panetta, like Pelosi a California Democrat, was not director at the time but said the CIA briefed truthfully and "it is not the policy of the agency to mislead" Congress.

Hoekstra, who is running for governor, welcomed the fact that Pelosi agrees with him and others that "the responsible course of action for the administration is to release all the available CIA briefing notes to help clear the air. This is about the proper role of Congress in conducting oversight of America's intelligence agencies and these notes will help complete the picture of discussions held during the briefings.

These briefings offered the opportunity to raise questions and objections, and it is Speaker Pelosi's responsibility alone if she did not."

It's Michigan Week

As proclaimed by Granholm, May 16-22 is Michigan Week, which was started in 1954 to inspire people at the local level to tout the state's history, resources and opportunities. Then-Gov. G. Mennen Williams declared: "We have much to be proud of in our state ... but let's not keep that fact a secret."

One aspect of the celebration is promotion of the Library of Michigan's 20 annual Notable Books selections. Among this year's books with northern connections are Historic Cottages of Glen Lake; Ninety Years Crossing Lake Michigan: The History of the Ann Arbor Car Ferries; A Picturesque Situation: Mackinac Before Photography, 1615-1860; and Wreck of the Carl D.: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue At Sea.

Legislative watch

Administration and legislative revenue experts reached consensus estimates last week on budget shortfalls of $1.3 billion for 2009 and $1.7 billion for 2010.

In reaction, House Republican leader Kevin Elsenheimer, of Kewadin, said, "Every day that we wait to act, the budget deficit grows and 1,000 more jobs are lost.

"Our caucus remains committed to solving the budget deficit through savings and government reforms, and through our budget workgroups, each member of our caucus will closely examine every dollar spent. In these tough times, we will look to restrict state spending to expenditures that reinvigorate Michigan's economy, reform government and reinvest in essential services."

Sen. Michelle A. McManus, R-Lake Leelanau, said, "Michigan's economic outlook continues to be grim, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. Everyone is making sacrifices during these challenging times, and state government can be no different."

The Republican reaction in both chambers is cut, don't tax.

George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.