As for the news conference, knowing that Jennifer Granholm is one of his economic advisors has left me even more concerned. She raised taxes on the car manufacturers in her state, squeezing more capital out of them. Last year she shut down the state government until the Legislature approved Michigan's biggest tax hike in years. She raised the state income tax rate to 4.35% from 3.9%, and increased the state's tax on gross business receipts by 22%. It had a negative effect. Businesses & residents left Michigan in droves. Her state's unemployment population is higher than the national average. She is squeezing more taxes out of the very car manufacturers that Obama says we must protect. Michigan is in a 23-month recession, all under her administration. Her state's revenues fell far short of budget projections. She is enormously unpopular in her state. Michigan businesses vowed as far back as February 2007 to fight her tax increases on them, as they need capital to create more jobs, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce & the Michigan Bar Association.

You can't create jobs if you raise taxes. Jennifer Granholm knows that. Barack Obama knows that too. But neither one will admit it. All they do is talk about "helping people out". They won't. She didn't help her state - she is virtually wrecking it. She should not be advising him.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul - George Bernard Shaw