Making-Up Is Not So Hard ToDo

LANSING, Mich. - (10/18/04) -- It didn't take long for the MichiganCU League to make amends with congressional favorite John Schwarzfor endorsing Schwarz's primary opponent Clark Bisbee. Officialswith the league met with Schwarz soon after the Republican primaryto explain their support for Bisbee, chief House sponsor of lastyear's credit union reform bill, and walked away with Schwarz'spledge to support the credit union tax exemption and an agreementto work together if Schwarz wins election in this heavilyRepublican district, according to Patrick LaPine, chief lobbyistfor the league. "Lucky for us, we felt all along if John Schwarzended up winning we could work with him," LaPine told The CreditUnion Journal. The political fence-mending was reminiscent of theleague's 2002 make-up with Rep. John Dingell, after the league wasforced to support Dingell's primary opponent Lynn Rivers in theprimary because of her superior record on credit union issues.Schwarz is widely expected to win the state's seventh districtHouse seat, where Republican Nick Smith is retiring after sixterms.