Free Press Reports on Dick DeVos’s Far Right Wing Views

From The Democratic Daily--see original post for links:

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=3349

The Detroit Free Press looks at the race between Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos for Governor of Michigan, noting DeVos’s history of contributing to far right wing organization, including the religious right. DeVos’s family made their fortune from multilevel marketing at Amway by means which amount to a legal pyramid scheme which enriches those at the top while the vast majority make minimal amounts–hardly the business model to revive Michigan’s economy. As DeVos has not divulged his financial information we are forced to go by estimates. According to the Free Press, “Estimates of his net worth start in the $500-million range, but no public figure is available. His father has an estimated net worth of more than $3 billion, according to Forbes Magazine’s latest list of America’s richest people.”

In reviewing DeVos’s record spending on television ads, the Free Press notes the contradictions between how DeVos portrays himself and reality. “DeVos’ TV image shows a nonpolitical successful businessman. In fact, he and his family have been among the nation’s biggest donors to Republican and religious-conservative causes — a partisan generosity that could both reap returns for Dick DeVos’ candidacy and make him a very large target for Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s reelection team.”

The Free Press looks further at the organizations DeVos has contributed to:

The DeVoses have supported such right-wing advocates as the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Council for National Policy and the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty in Grand Rapids, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Michigan Right to Life.

The organizations promote conservative economic and social agendas: free trade and less government regulation, school choice including vouchers, the infusion of Christian beliefs into public life and opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

Granholm spokesman Chris DeWitt commented on DeVos’s far right wing views:

“Dick DeVos is so far to the right it would make Rush Limbaugh blush,” DeWitt said. “He has supported groups that oppose all abortions, oppose stem cell research, oppose affirmative action, support outsourcing and unfair trade agreements, school vouchers, worked against the environment.

“The DeVos camp has gone out of its way to avoid answering any questions. What they can’t hide is the fact that DeVos’ actions in support of these groups speak very loudly.”

Good--I hope the media here will report on these things, clearly, as a news story, so it won't all be left up to the Granholm campaign to "claim" that these things were true, and have to pay for ads telling it, each time. Just keep reminding people that DeVos supports NAFTA and "free" trade, (free for capital), after Michigan has been so devastated by it, and keep emphasizing these ties to these creepy, cult-like archconservative groups that people really do not want, and any phony "support" DeVos pretends to have will evaporate. Just get these facts out; they are scary. Plus, Granholm has been great, especially having to fight Republicans all the time.

I met a few people from Grand Rapids last night who were going to school to become teachers and they couldn't stand him!

Michigan's a blue state, but we've got some of the most off-the-charts psycho Repugs in the country.

While there are some notable Republicans on the far right, in the past Michigan tended to vote for moderate Republicans such as Romney and Millikin (who endorsed Kerry over Bush). Hopefully Michigan voters who will vote for candidates of either party will not find someone as far right as DeVos tolerable once they realize how conservative he is.

as some sort of "compassionate conservative." It is as inaccurate for DeVos as it was for Bush.

There are so many similarities between Bush and DeVos. Both got into business by following their father, and neither was particularly successful. Both pander to the religious right. Neither is a compassionate conservative.

Amway Report by G. Robert Blakey

"It is my opinion that the Amway business is run in a manner that is parallel to that of major organized crime groups, in particular the Mafia. The structure and function of major organized crime groups, generally consisting of associated enterprises engaging in patterns of legal and illegal activity, was the prototype forming the basis for federal and state racketeering legislation that I have been involved in drafting. The same structure and function, with associated enterprises engaging in patterns of legal and illegal activity, is found in the Amway business." --G. ROBERT BLAKEY

Report in full: http://www.amquix.info/blakey.html