Hoekstra faces tough questions during ‘Off the Record’ interview

EAST LANSING — U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland), a 2010 candidate for governor, is using the current congressional recess to criss cross the state to boost his bid for the GOP nomination, and swung by the studios of WKAR-TV on Thursday for a taping of “Off the Record With Tim Skubick.” There the congressman’s policy statements on school vouchers, among other topics, came under intense questioning from Skubick and members of his panel of journalists.

Most of what Hoekstra said during that taping mirrored traditional Republican policy positions the congressman laid out in an interview with Michigan Messenger earlier this week, but Skubick pressed the congressman early in the interview about his commitment to his congressional district as he runs for governor.

“While you’re running for governor, who’s gonna be congressman from your district?” Skubick asked.

Hoekstra apparently misunderstood the question, saying: “Well there’s a lot of people that are taking a look at that….” Skubick interrupted him: “No, no, no, while you’re running for governor right now?”

Hoekstra then replied: “I will be. Absolutely. This is our two-week recess just like the state legislature, I’d normally be on vacation but I’m criss-crossing the state these two weeks. I’ll be in Washington, I’m in my district, I’m doing the work that needs to be done.”

Skubick continued to press the issue: “Well when you go back to Washington you can’t be here running for governor, so one of these things has to suffer,” he said.

“I think as you talked about earlier in your program,” Hoekstra replied. “I can multi-task. I’ve done it in the past, I can do it here.”

Later in the interview, Skubick noted that Hoekstra has long had a good relationship with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, something Hoekstra said will help him in the campaign.

Chris Christoff of the Detroit Free Press then asked Hoekstra if Michigan should be a right to work state.

Hoekstra replied:

I think the only way you’re going to get to be a right to work state is if you put it on the ballot. It would be very, very divisive. I think it would scare away investment for another year and a half as Michigan went through that struggle as to whether we would or would not be a right to work state. I think the focus now needs to be on, ya know, I think it would be a bad idea to put that on the ballot. I don’t know if it would pass or not, but I think I would probably not vote for it.

That statement could prove problematic for Hoekstra in attracting the support of the conservative base.

Another issue that might scare off religious conservatives was his position on teaching creationism in public schools and the larger issue of school choice.

Asked if he supported the teaching of creationism in public schools, Hoekstra said, “I think that rather than putting that into the public school form or curriculum, we need to make sure that we have provided a framework that gives parents the options and the ability to have more choice in where they send their kids to schools.”

This prompted another tense exchange between Skubick and the congressman:

Skubick: So in other words, don’t put it in the public schools, put it in the charter schools and private schools?

Hoekstra: Allow parents the opportunity to put their kids into schools where they feel comfortable having their kids.

Skubick: Then do you favor vouchers for education?

Hoekstra: No, I think vouchers is the wrong way to go. The problem with vouchers is you give the money to the state government and the state government then starts handing it out to schools, and as we’re seeing with the federal government handing money out, all they do is put strings, attach strings to it.

Skubick: So Dick and Betsy DeVos were wrong to launch that issue?

Hoekstra: I supported that effort when it came out, clearly the voters of Michigan said…

Skubick: You supported it then and you don’t now, you flip-flopped?

Hoekstra: No, I didn’t flip flop.

Skubick: Well you said you supported it.

Hoekstra: I believe that it’s important for parents to have choice. One way to make that possible is vouchers, it’s better than the current system that we have in place, but there are more effective ways to give parents more choice in this system.

Skubick: So you’re for vouchers and you’re against vouchers.

Hoekstra than explained that while he thinks vouchers are better than the present system, he prefers a system of tax credits. But that exchange took place as time was running out for the show and they didn’t have time to examine his position in more detail.

Editor’s Note: Michigan Messenger’s Ed Brayton was also a guest on “Off the Record.”