Candidate Gets Noticed?

Analysis:

People should ask themselves what did they learn about Candidate Bowen? Readers learn that Bowen was a former Grand Rapids City Commissioner and district judge in Wyoming. This means that he has a voting record and a record of making legal decisions, none of which is discussed in the article. Readers are told that he played linebacker for MSU and is a Catholic Central graduate. The only information that could be considered part of his platform appears in the second to last paragraph when Bowen says “I will prosecute consumer protection violations, something he’s not done; I’ll prosecute environmental violations, something he’s not done. I will basically return the office to the people.”

Bowen also makes claims about current Michigan Attorney General Cox such as “failing to ‘fight for consumers,’ saying Cox was driven, instead, by ‘his friends in big business.'” These claims could be verified by looking at the State website on what Cox has accomplished as Attorney General. The last paragraph also mentions that Cox responded to the “attacks” from Bowen by releasing “a list of accomplishments last week that showed he out-collected former attorney general and now Gov. Jennifer Granholm in recoveries for consumers, $9.2 million in three years to $8.3 million in four years for Granholm.” Again, there is no verification of these claims and as of this posting there was nothing on Cox’s re-election website about this list of accomplishments. What the article spends most of the time doing is talking about how Bowen is “getting noticed by the GOP.”

Story:

GRAND RAPIDS — Scott Bowen’s entry into the race for attorney general last spring was met with a resounding, ‘Who?’ outside Kent County.

The former Grand Rapids city commissioner who had served less than two years as a district judge in Wyoming wasn’t exactly a household name.

As he officially kicked off his candidacy today from a boxing ring at Martin Luther King Jr. Park — to show he is a fighter, as his spokesman, Chris DeWitt, said — Bowen has a way to go before he breaks the pane of public consciousness.

But, he has gotten the attention of Republicans, who have paid him the ultimate tribute by responding to salvos he has shot their way.

Bowen continued his attack on Attorney General Mike Cox for failing to “fight for consumers,” saying Cox was driven, instead, by “his friends in big business.”

Republicans have tried to paint him as “Fieger-like,” after he mentioned Cox’s infidelity troubles. They accused him of breaking the code of judicial canon by meeting and greeting political leaders at the Mackinac Island Detroit Economic conference last spring, even as he still was on the bench. And they mocked the $110,000 he’s raised, compared to Cox’s $1 million war chest.

“They’re worried about a guy who’s a relatively obscure, 41-year-old ex-judge from the West Side of the state. That says something,” said Bowen, a Catholic Central grad who went on to play two seasons as a linebacker for Michigan State University.

“They’re breathlessly trying to keep me in hot water. I think they realize he can be beaten by me.” The strategy to take on Cox early paid dividends Bowen and his campaign team weren’t expecting, DeWitt said. “Did we know how Republicans were going to react to him? No,” DeWitt said.

“But their reaction has helped raise his profile. Certainly, they’ve been wrong in their attacks, but, helping to raise his profile, they’ve aided in that effort.”

Republicans welcome the battle, said Sarah Anderson, spokeswoman for the state GOP.

“If he is the nominee, it will provide a great contrast between a guy who made his money defending telemarketing scam artists and other questionable characters and Mike Cox, who, as prosecutor, spent his time putting those people behind bars,” Anderson said.

Democratic delegates, who will be determining their party’s ticket in August, are getting the message Bowen will take it to the GOP incumbent, DeWitt said. State Rep. Alexander Lipsey, D-Kalamazoo, and Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans are two other possible candidates.

“We’re getting the word out there that he will be aggressive in the fall,” he said. “Scott certainly won’t be shy. Democrats will see Scott as someone who can bring the campaign to the Republicans in an aggressive way.” Bowen, who will make his case Saturday at a state Democratic Party issues convention in Lansing, lashed out at Cox for what he calls a lack of integrity in the office.

“I will restore the office to the days of integrity and professionalism under Frank Kelly,” Bowen said Tuesday. “I will prosecute consumer protection violations, something he’s not done; I’ll prosecute environmental violations, something he’s not done. I will basically return the office to the people.”

Cox released a list of accomplishments last week that showed he out-collected former attorney general and now Gov. Jennifer Granholm in recoveries for consumers, $9.2 million in three years to $8.3 million in four years for Granholm.