Michigan Politics
Web Site Ranking Lists Power Players in Congress
By George Weeks

Over the decades, northern Michigan has had some powerful voices on Capitol Hill.

Robert P. Griffin (R-Traverse City) had notable legislation during his 1957-68 U.S. House service. As minority whip in the Senate, he came within one caucus vote of becoming the top Republican. He also had a key role in convincing Richard Nixon it was time to vacate the White House.

Victor Knox (R-Sault Ste. Marie), the 1947-52 House speaker in Lansing, was a force in Washington on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee from 1954 to 1964.

Eight-term Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) has just been dubbed No. 3 by www.Congress. org in its "power ratings" of the 15- member Michigan House delegation, behind House Dean John Dingell (D-Dearborn), now in his 26th term and chairman of the Commerce and Energy Committee, and 22-term Rep. John Conyers (D-Detroit), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Stupak, who chairs the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of Dingell's Commerce and Energy Committee, is a congressional point man on food safety, gas prices, and other front burner commerce issues of the day.

(Popular term-limited state Rep. Tom Casperson (R-Escanaba), who won his marginally-Democratic seat in 2002 against Menominee Mayor Laurie Stupak, Bart's wife, planned this week to announce his uphill bid for the congressional district that includes nearly half of all of Michigan, the entire Upper Peninsula and 16 counties below the bridge.)

Although their party is in the minority, northern Michigan's two Republican congressmen have high-profile roles.

The top Republican, at No. 7, on the delegation power rating, is Rep. Dave Camp (R-Midland), who has a good shot at becoming the ranking Republican on Ways and Means.

Beyond the fact that he already has a lead position on the committee's health subcommittee, and is a deputy whip within the GOP caucus, Camp is a huge fundraiser for House Republicans, raising at least $110,000 for the recent President's Dinner that helps fund GOP congressional campaigns.

The caucus leaders who dub the ranking Republican on committees look kindly on top fundraisers. Camp is among them. Add what he's contributed from his campaign committee (which doesn't have to spend much in his solidly Republican district), and Camp emerges as a Half-Million-Dollar-Way- Plus popper.)

Eight-term Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland), former chairman and now ranking minority member of the House Intelligence Committee, was named No. 9 in the power rating of the Michigan delegation.

Congress.org and others have slippery and subjective scales in power ratings. While Hoekstra is No. 9 overall in Michigan's House delegation, he is second to none on intelligence matters relating to Iraq and terrorism.

In the Capitol Hill power ratings, Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Michigan's longestserving senator, ranked high at 13 among all the nation's senators.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who was No. 42 in 2007, was ranked 57th this year.

Late in 2004, Stabenow won the position as Secretary of the Democratic Conference, the No. 3 position in her party's Senate leadership. The 2008 Almanac of American Politics opines, "her performance was limited."

Stabenow no longer has the leadership role, but is on the coveted Senate Finance Committee.

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.