The Hill News

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) on Sunday dismissed any suggestion that President Obama would be a detriment to Democratic candidates in the November elections, noting that the president help save her state’s sagging auto industry.

Asked by CNN host Candy Crowley if Obama’s appearance would hurt Democrats in Michigan, Granholm reminded viewers of the steps Obama took in 2009 to shore up companies like Ford and General Motors.

“We’re a little bit unique because of this auto industry and what he has done to help save the auto industry,” Granholm said. “That ripple effect across our state is so pervasive.

“I’m certainly not ‘Polyanna’ about it, because this is going to be a tough slog,” Granholm said of the November elections.

“The situation on the ground of the country is so hard, so there’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of anxiety. But the question is, do people want to go back to the Bush kind of policies that started this whole recession to begin with, or do they feel a sense of progress and momentum and that things have turned around? Yeah, we’re not there as fast as we’d like, but boy, if you revert to the old policies, we’ll be heading downhill very quickly.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) of Virginia offered a dissenting view, arguing that Democratic policies are fiscally irresponsible.

“Families and businesses hurting in this down economy, they're having to make tough decisions in their personal and business budgets,” McDonnell said. “They want to see government do the same -- spend less, get your act together, get results, create jobs, don't trample on business and a free enterprise system that are the magnets for entrepreneurship and economic growth.  And yet we see just the opposite policies coming out of the Democrat Congress in Washington.

“When we have Republicans in Congress standing up for less spending and less government control, one-sizeâ€"fits-all policies out of Washington, I think they're on the right track. And I think they'll be rewarded at the polls in November.”