Robinson, Quinney leave door open for 68th

A pair of Lansing City Council members up for re-election this November are not flatly ruling out the possibility of running for the state House of Representatives next year.

Both Derrick Quinney and A’Lynne Robinson face a competitive re-election road this fall for second terms. Quinney is up against fellow incumbent Carol Wood, Rory Neuner and Tom Stewart. Robinson is up against union-backed Jason Wilkes in the 3rd Ward.

But both Quinney and Robinson remain in open circulation as possibilities for the 68th House District, which will still cover most of the city of Lansing after the redistricting maps take effect for the 2012 election cycle. State Rep. Joan Bauer, D-Lansing, cannot run again because of term limits.

Asked if she will serve all four years of her City Council term if re-elected, Robinson said, “I’d be elected to a four-year term.”

“So does that mean, yes?” I asked.

“That would be a full intention, yes.”

I then brought up the chatter about her possibly being interested in state representative.

“Right now, I’m worried about City Council.  … Where do you guys hear this stuff?” Robinson smiled before hustling off to Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

When I gave Quinney a shot at the same “will-you-serve-all-four-years” question, he looked back at me for several seconds before laughing, “You’re so clever.”

“It’s difficult to say what the future may bring,” he said. “Opportunities present themselves every day. You got to take them as they come.”

“So you can’t rule out running for state Rep?” I asked.

“I’m not ruling out that. I’ve been asked about mayor. I’m not ruling that out, either,” he chuckled before joining Robinson in Council chambers.

What is the best answer to the “are you serving all four years” question? Politicians are politicians and they understandably don’t like being painted into a corner. Who knows what the future holds?

But it is frustrating to voters who want certainty from their candidates. That’s what Mayor Virg Bernero tried to provide by answering flatly “yes” in 2009 when asked if he planned on serving all four years if re-elected mayor. And then two months after being re-elected, then-Lt. Gov. John Cherry jumped out of the gubernatorial sweepstakes and Bernero jumped in.

Bernero ended up surviving the “political opportunist” tag (as he always seems to) in the Democratic primary, but lost to Rick Snyder and is now on track to fill all four years despite his best efforts.

I don’t know what the best answer is. The fact is both Quinney and Robinson are not officially in the race right now. Meanwhile, eager beaver County Commissioner Andy Schor was at my door Monday evening, making his case to Bridget about his qualifications for the 68th House seat.

It doesn’t make Schor a lock to win a year from now, but Quinney and Robinson’s decision to at least secure their City Council posts before putting to bed the state representative question is giving Schor a head start on the campaign trail.

Who Was No. 4?

It quickly came to my attention last week that my Top 10 list of most interesting politicians in the last 10 years didn’t include a No. 4. Why was that?

Let me put this rumor to rest: I can count from 1 to 10. I know, shocking.

No. 4 was former state Rep. Lingg Brewer. During my personal editing process, I had cut Brewer and was in the process of moving him to another number, when my eye caught a typo in another paragraph. I fixed the typo and then realized I was past my deadline, decided I was fine with leaving Brewer at No. 4 and sent the story for print. 

It was well after the fact that I realized the Brewer ranking was never re-pasted. Since my original comments on Brewer are lost forever, I will recreate what I wrote last week and leave it to the reader to cut and paste them into my Top 10 if they so desire. I, obviously, failed in my attempt to do so.

4. Lingg Brewer — The cowboy boot-wearing, convertible-driving former state rep and county clerk made the blocking of the Bioport sale his final crusade as he was leaving office. Brewer tried to expose the situation as a sweetheart deal involving parties who didn’t know an anthrax vaccine from chicken soup.

The sale still went though, and Brewer’s political career ended shortly thereafter. Then-state Senate primary opponent Virg Bernero used the condition of landlord Brewer’s rental properties against him and, after the loss, Brewer opted not to run for public office again.

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the MIRS Newsletter. He can be reached at  melinn@lansingcitypulse.com)