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MICHIGAN: ASSAULTING W [Henry Payne 10/25 06:22 PM]

"The president signed a bill giving tax breaks to corporations today," complained Michigan's most popular liberal radio talk show, Mitch Albom, on his Friday show. "At a time when workers are losing their jobs, why is the president giving tax breaks to big corporations?!"

Oh, I dunno - maybe to stimulate the hiring of more workers?

Albom's inane comment aside, Michigan's media continued its relentless assault on theBush campaign this weekend. On WWJ News Radio, CBS News led every half hour with news of more Iraqi dead. The Detroit News declined to endorse President Bush, marking the first time the paper has not endorsed a Republican candidate, and The Detroit Free Press - the state's largest newspaper - led its Monday Page 1 with the screaming headline: "Lost jobs add fuel to the fight for votes."

The Free Press story continues a general press trend linking every piece of economic bad news in Michigan to the Bush Administration, while no political spin is added to economic stories that might adversely affect John Kerry and the Democratic Party.

A case in point was Saturday's lead business story on Federal Mogul Corp., which reported the company was seeking loans to aid its emergence from bankruptcy caused by crippling asbestos litigation. The litigation is one of the most egregious cases of how Democratic allies in the tort bar have destroyed jobs at innocent companies like Federal Mogul that bought into businesses that once-upon-a-time manufactured asbestos.

In the year since filing for bankruptcy, Federal Mogul has shedded 2000 jobs. Perversely, the tort litigation has contributed to the company's decision to outsource 310 Michigan jobs to Mexico, a move being protested by the state's Democratic Party which embraces the costs of litigation even as it complains about its results - like outsourcing to cheaper, friendlier business environments abroad.