Candidate of governor Whitmer takes aim at Michigan's failed leaders; career politician label

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WJBK) -
She is the first to throw her hat in the ring for governor but Gretchen Whitmer is no political novice.

Whitmer, a Democrat, is one day into her campaign for governor and is wasting little time weighing in on the Flint water crisis investigation - and responding to criticism that she is a career politician.

Whitmer, a mother of five, spent 14 years in the state legislature and is well aware that critics will call her a career politician.

"They say that about anyone and everyone who is rumored to be looking at running for governor," Whitmer said. "I say so what. I think the most important thing is going to be what is the vision, what is the platform and who is going to fight for people."

Republicans have also drawn comparisons to Michigan's first female governor Jennifer Granholm.

"Of course they do, that's predictable," she said. "To say that all women are the same, how would people react if you said that? You can extend that and say does that mean is every man running for governor is a threat to water across the state of Michigan? It's ridiculous. But it is what it is and I'm not going to get caught up in that."

In Tim Skubick's second video, above, she is also taking on one of her potential GOP rivals Bill Schuette, the Michigan attorney general.

Skubick: "If Bill Schuette was sitting here right now, what would you say to him?"

"You failed, you're one of the failed leaders I'm talking about," she said.

Skubick: "That's pretty rough stuff."

"The facts are the facts," Whitmer said.

The former Democratic senate leader is highly critical of Schuette's investigation into the Flint water crisis which could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Skubick: "Are the taxpayers getting their monies worth?"

Whitmer: "No, the simple answer is no."

Schuette's criminal investigation has targeted about a dozen persons connect to the Flint water crisis including two former emergency managers appointed by the governor.

Whitmer asserts that the lawyers such as Todd Flood are the only winners here.

"The only people who are better off from all of that are the lawyers who are getting paid from Bill Schuette," Whitmer said.

She argues Schuette should have moved quicker to get clean drinking water into the city by using his consumer affairs division created by former attorney general Frank Kelly.