By now you have learned that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is coping with the loss of her 85-yearold dad who was more than just her father. She recalls that when she decided to run for governor he was “so supportive” and helped to guide her through that decision and on top of being her trusted political advisor, and every governor needs someone who will tell them the truth with their best interest at heart, she adds, “he was my best friend.”
I had the honor of covering him dating back to the days of the Gov. Milliken administration where he served as state commerce director. In recent years we kept in touch and in an ironic twist of fate, after he got home from a visit to the local ICU, he was in grand spirits, sounded like he always did, as he recounted the ordeal. For months he had promised to send me a copy of his 1999 book and I gently reminded him I really wanted to read it.
“I’ll get it to you,” he promised. And sure enough, awaiting me when I got to the TV studio was the book with a note from the governor. “Enjoy my dad’s book,” she wrote with an exclamation point at the end. I did read it and enjoyed it but it was not the usual political tome where the objective is to recount all your wins and loses. Rather it was a guide to doing life with commentary on everything from admitting your mistakes, the need for confidence, avoid gratuitous advice at all cost and “The ultimate, I believe, is when you can count your offspring as friends…it gets no better than that.”
