Election Townhall: Economy, Energy, Environment (5 of 10)

Election '08's Impact on Michigan: Energy, the Environment, and the Economy

Grand Valley's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies and Michigan Radio present this panel discussion examining the policies of the presidential candidates and how they will impact Michigan. Experts on the environment, energy, and the economy are joined by advocates for the Obama and McCain campaigns to help explain their views in these important areas.

Mr. Mark Brewer is chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. After obtaining his A.B. with Honors from Harvard College and his law degree from Stanford University Law School, Mr. Brewer worked for twelve years at Sachs, Waldman, O’Hare, Helveston, Hodges and Barnes, PC, in Detroit.

Mr. Brewer has been active in the Michigan Democratic Party for 30 years, serving at the township, county, district, state, and federal levels. After getting his start in politics under U.S. Congressman David Bonior, Mr. Brewer worked at the grassroots in Macomb County. He was first elected chair of the Michigan Democratic Party in 1995, and he has been reelected six times. Michigan Democrats have carried the state for its nominee in each of the three presidential elections that have occurred during Mr. Brewer’s tenure. He was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Dr. Joe Schwarz is the former Republican representative from Michigan’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Born in Battle Creek, Michigan, Dr. Schwarz earned a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan – where he played center for the football team – and an M.D. from Wayne State University. Dr. Schwarz served as a combat surgeon for the United States Navy in the Vietnam War, before serving as a Central Intelligence Agency operative in Southeast Asia. He returned to Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1979, where he has been a practicing physician since that time. He served Battle Creek as a City Commissioner from 1979 to 1985, and as mayor from 1985 to 1987.

Dr. Schwarz worked for almost 20 years as a legislator at the state and federal levels. From 1987 to 2002, he was a member of the Michigan State Senate. He then represented Michigan’s 7th district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2005 to 2007. In 2000, Dr. Schwarz co-chaired the U.S. presidential Republican primary campaign of his friend John McCain. In 2007, Dr. Schwarz was appointed to Senator McCain's presidential finance committee for the state of Michigan.

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