WASHINGTON - (07/24/06)Michigans powerful creditunion lobby threw its support for Democratic Gov. JenniferGranholm, who is in a tough fight for reelection with billionaireheir to the Amway fortune Dick Devos. Credit union leaders raisedalmost $60,000 during separate fundraisers July 12 in Michigan andJuly 13 at Credit Union House in Washington for Granholm, a bigsupporter of credit unions, who stepped in on behalf of 150,000members of DFCU Financial during the credit unions ill-fatedconversion to a savings bank. Gov. Granholm has been aconsistent and loyal friend of Michigan credit unions, said PatrickLaPine, chief lobbyist for the Michigan CU League, which hascontributed $30,000 to the Governors campaign. Her help insecuring the historic modernization of the Michigan Credit UnionAct in 2003 and her unwavering support for the credit unionexemption from corporate income taxes have been invaluable.The highly telegenic Granholm was being groomed as a national starby the Democratic Party until the auto industry cratered, and alongwith it the Michigan economy. The Republican DeVos has capitalizedon the poor economy and a $10-million statewide advertising blitzover the last six weeks to pull ahead of the Granholm in most ofthe polls. Prominent Democrats threw their support behind Granholmduring the CU House event, including Michigan Sens. Carl Levin andDebbie Stabenow, and the states House members; John Conyers,Dale Kildee, Sander Levin, John Dingell, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick,and Bart Stupak, as well as Sen. John Kerry, the partys 2004presidential nominee, Democratic Party National Chairman HowardDean, and former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard.
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March 28