Romney, Perry meet GOP on Mackinac

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - Republican presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are on Mackinac Island to meet with members of the Miichigan GOP leadership and swing support their way.

24 Hour News 8 spoke with Romney and will have details on that conversation later.

Presidential candidates traditionally attend the biennial Michigan Republican Leadership Conference , but the state's Feb. 28 presidential primary has made it even more important for candidates to be wooing party activists.

The conference wraps up Sunday.

Mitt Romney and Rick Perry are the only two Republican presidential candidates who can afford to spend their time and money in states that aren't first on the primary calendar.

That helps explain their appearances Saturday in Michigan, where GOP voters will have their say in 2012, but only after Iowa, New Hampshire and several other states that second-tier contenders must win to survive.

"It's really about these two up here," said Jase Bolger, the speaker of Michigan's House of Representatives.

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[topband]

Restore Our Future, a group run by Romney officials funded exclusively by 90 wealthy donors, most of which have also given to the governor’s presidential campaign account.

no limits on the contributions to such entities as Restore Our Future, the contributors give big money – no check was under four figures and most were in the five and six-figure range. no restrictions on how donors can give three of the four $1 million contributions came from organizations instead of individuals.

[thebigconsultant]

Why did Rick Perry switch to Republican when he was Al Gores chief supporter and a Democrat in 1989?

[Bruce1949919]

I don't always agree with Mitt Romney but he's right. The Car Manufacturers should have gone Bankrupt in a normal fashion. Restructuring would have kept them open while working out the financial problems

[goduke282]

The democrat says Romney said Detroit should go bankrupt like it was a bad thing. Romney wanted a structured bankruptcy which proved to work. Michigan should go for Romney and hopefully others will follow.

[cureloms]

why would the democratic chairman have favorable words for republican candidates. also, restructuring through the bankruptcy process to shed excess costs and become competitive is exactly what needed to happen for the auto industry.