Reason #50: DeVos Campaign Flag Lowering Statements

Reason #50 not to vote for Dick DeVos:

The DeVos campaign criticized Governor Granholm's descision to lower Michigan flags to half staff for Michigan soldiers and National Guard members. After a public backlash, Dick DeVos retracted his campaign's statements.

The original quote:

"Dick would take a more literal approach," DeVos campaign spokesman John Truscott said. "While he certainly believes that honoring veterans who have given their lives is extremely important, lowering the flag has typically been reserved for heads of state."

Then, the retraction:

Truscott said in a phone interview that he had "mischaracterized" his boss' position by failing to "clarify" how DeVos felt on the question of lowering flags for soldiers who are killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Further Reading

wizardkitten: "Then why bring it up, Dick, if that wasn't your true intention? Question now is: Can we believe a word that comes out of Dick's (or Truscott's) mouth? Sounds like they are willing to say anything to get elected, and then we will see the mean-spirited superiority complex that really lies within."

Stone Soup Musings: "DeVos flip-flopped on this issue, pure and simple. There was no misrepresentation."

DeVos is a Dick: "Am I supposed to believe that the person who is hired to speak for DeVos -- the person responsible for knowing what DeVos' positions are on the issues -- claims that he didn't know what the Dick's opinion was before shooting off his mouth about it? Before speaking on DeVos' behalf?

It sounds to me that in his fervor to be anti-Granholm, no subject is off limits. But perhaps more importantly, if you can't trust DeVos and his cronies to get it right when talking about how to honor the dead, then how can we trust him with decisions that affect the living?"

Op/Ed: Half-staff flag is fitting tribute: "I will always be grateful to Gov. Granholm for her order to lower the flag to remember my son. It was a powerful gesture of solidarity with the loss my family suffered."

See an explanation of this series here.