The surprises keep coming from retiring Congresswoman Candice Miller.
First, she caught everyone in the political arena off-guard in March 2015 by announcing that she was retiring from Congress. Then, a year later, she stunned the Washington Beltway intelligentsia by declaring that her next move was to run for a Macomb County office – public works commissioner.
Now, the Macomb Republican has emerged as one of the few GOP members in Congress willing to endorse the presidential bid of Donald Trump.
As first reported by Politico, Miller’s backing represents support from “a lawmaker in a prized battleground state that (Trump) would love to win in the general election.”
Miller, a Harrison Township Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee and a 14-year veteran of Congress, endorsed Trump in a phone interview with Politico earlier today, calling on the GOP establishment in Washington to rally behind the presumed nominee.
“I am totally and completely looking forward to president Trump — he’s our nominee,” Miller said. “I believe in the good sense of the American people, the voters, and clearly the voters in our party in enormous numbers have chosen Trump as the nominee. … It’s over.”
Miller is stepping down from her House seat but running for the county public works job, a post which includes keeping waterways safe from pollution.
Perhaps most surprising is that Miller told Politico that it’s time that Capitol Hill’s GOP establishment recognizes that Trump could create a coalition similar to the Reagan Democrats and generate the same benefits for the party in areas that traditionally vote Democratic.
“I’d say: Mr. Establishment, tear down that wall,” she said, in a twist on Reagan’s famous words to Soviet Union leaders. “And get ready for president Trump because he is putting states like mine in play. I can’t even tell you how many (United Auto Workers members) I am talking to who say they are voting for Trump. They’re not voting for Hillary.”
According to Politico, Miller says she plans to campaign with Trump and praised his policy priorities on trade issues, currency manipulation and coal production: “These are issues we have been crying for the Republican Party to discuss, so I am absolutely delighted he’s talking about it.”
Miller has previously praised female candidates for a variety of offices, displaying a somewhat feminist approach toward politics.
But asked by Politico about offensive Trump comments toward women, the congresswoman waived them off as unimportant, arguing she “doesn’t agree with everything Donald Trump says, ‘But guess what: I don’t agree with everything my brother says either.’”
“Listen, I think we’ve all become politically correct run amok, and the American people are fed up with it,” she told Politico. “Of course (Democrats) want to make this play because Hillary is the woman running, but I have no hesitancy as (to) his candidacy.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/candice-miller-endorses-trump-222796#ixzz47jZUGANL
