In his first Up North swing on his quest for the Democratic nomination for governor, House Speaker Andy Dillon brought ideas for promoting tourism, agriculture, and other economic growth.

But what most struck me, in my first chat with Dillon as a declared candidate, were his comments Friday on two other subjects as he started his swing in his 1997 Chevy van to Traverse City, Marquette, Houghton, and Sault Ste. Marie:

"State government is not functioning properly in the 21st century" and is too "insular" with "no sense" of what is happening beyond Lansing in the northland and elsewhere.

That was not a surprising comment from a Democrat leader who has not always been in sync with Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm. He, of course, has himself been part of the Lansing leadership scene and will have to deal with questions during the campaign about his own role in the Lansing stalemate.

"We've got to put the partisanship aside until we right the ship" in Lansing. While partisan interests will never be put totally aside in Lansing, his comment reflects an approach that Dillon has tried to take in Lansing.

"I think he has tried to promote civility and to reach out his hand, but there has not been one stretched toward him," said President Bill Rustem of the nonpartisan Public Sector Consultants, a former aide to ex- Governor Bill Milliken.

At least the political climate in Lansing is not as ugly as it is in Washington, where venom reigns in the wake of passage of health care legislation. Civil discourse is dead. Across the land, hateful language and outright threats are directed at lawmakers.

"There's a lot of anger out there," notes Arizona Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. He says the mood has "changed for the worse." His call for citizens and public officials to "be respectful" in their disagreements is lost in the din.

Stupak: Not Scared Off

Much of the current wrath, bordering on mob mentality, has been directed against U.S. Representative Bart Stupak (D-Menominee), who led lawmakers demanding assurances that federal funds would not be used to pay for abortions.

For a time, that brought criticism from the left. There was talk of filmmaker Michael Moore, an Antrim County constituent, recruiting a primary opponent. Some even speculated that Moore himself would run. (Great documentary: "Congress and Me.")

But now the strongest criticism comes from the right, opponents of the health-care reform passage in which Stupak played a pivotal role.

"You and your family are scum," was one of the more mild messages left on his answering machine.

When Stupak worked out a deal with the White House to have President Barack Obama sign an executive order with anti-abortion assurances, it also assured that his group (by then numbering only about a half dozen holdouts) would vote for the health plan. Opponents say the deal is a sham.

Representative Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) said: "Simply put, an executive order issued by the president is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is not the law of the land and it can be rescinded in the blink of an eye by the jot of a president's pen."

But Stupak reiterated Saturday that "I got what I wanted. The president gave his ironclad commitment and said, 'you have my word'" that the language would be enforced.

I called Stupak because on CNN last week he said, "You sort of wonder if it is worth it from a personal toll." He added such grief "goes with the territory -- to a point."

When I asked if he had reached the point of deciding not to run again, he said that after "trying to decompress" at home for a few days, he intended to focus on gearing up his reelection campaign.

Did possibility of Michael Moore or anybody else mounting a primary recruiting drive against him scare him off from holding firm on a statutory, rather than executive order, anti-abortion provision?

Nothing about this, he insisted, "scared me" from convictions. He quipped that he understands he has "a couple of opponents."

More than a couple.

For the Democratic primary, there's already ex-Charlevoix County commissioner Connie Saltonstall. Among previous Republican contenders, there's attorney Linda Goldthorpe and former trucking executive Don Hooper. Last week, there was a campaign radio pitch by surgeon Dan Benishek against Stupak on health care.

Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis Lennox, who already is running as a Republican for the seat being vacated by termlimited state House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin), has been exploring a run against Stupak. He said he would make a "major announcement" last Friday on the Greta Van Susteren show on Fox News. That was rescheduled for Monday night.

Asked Friday what office he would seek, he e-mailed: "I have been asked by party leaders, a congressman, and Republican activists to consider challenging Congressman Stupak. This is a major decision that I don't take lightly. It's become clear that Congressman Stupak no longer represents the views of his constituency. We need a new generation of leaders willing to put partisan political differences aside and address our twenty-first century challenges with twenty-first century solutions. I'm carefully exploring the possibility and expect to make an announcement early next week."

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.