At the state Republican convention this weekend, Gov. John Engler endorsed one of two Republicans to run for the Board of Regents in a statewide election - a move he even considered unusual. He claimed that Judy Frey of East Grand Rapids had worked harder and longer than Mike Bishop of Rochester Hills - and therefore Frey deserved the nomination more.
But Frey lost in her own district, which cast the deciding votes for the spot. Members of the 3rd congressional district instead nominated Mike Bishop, who won the nomination.
Frey lists membership in the Michigan Republicans for Choice association among her qualifications for nomination - in fact, she was president. Bishop enlisted members of the Christian Coalition and anti-abortion activists in his campaign. Somehow, the GOP used the regental nominations to create a public policy floor fight, with abortion at its center. Both Engler and the Christian Coalition should not have interfered in the decision - their actions were divisive and forced the nomination's central issues to the back burner.
Engler has tried to interfere in the regental nomination process since he became governor. In fact, he meddled in the other nomination spot; he tried to encourage incumbent Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor) to step aside. However, Engler felt the wrath of his own party, as it shunned his pick. Engler had no choice but to endorse Baker, as Baker was uncontested. But he played for control of the other spot.
Engler's meddling highlights his desire to gain more control over state politics than he ought to. Often, this pursuit of power makes politics more important than policy. Engler should have quietly presided over the nomination for regent; instead, his desire to stock the board with his choices helped divide his party, cause more problems than necessary and shift the focus of the nomination away from substantive issues that affect the University.
Meanwhile, the conservative Christians are also guilty of dividing the party. They have pitted themselves against mainstream conservatives - and the result is squabbles over who controls educational boards, which has little to do with abortion. Frey was ostracized because she is pro-choice, and the Christian right wing disagrees with her stance - however, her abortion politics have little to do with running a university. It seemed as if those who voted against her lost sight of her qualifications for the job.
The GOP must resolve its intra-party instability - the internal strife has caused the important issues that affect the University community to take a backseat to abortion politics and gubernatorial muscle flexing. University students want regents to work on their behalf - not Engler's and not the party line.