GOP claims Dillon, Prusi partying instead of working

Sen. Mike Prusi (D-Ispheming) on the floor of the Michigan Senate Wednesday evening.

LANSING — The Michigan Republican Party put out a press release at 4:03 Wednesday afternoon accusing Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township) and Senate Democratic Leader Mike Prusi (D-Ispheming Township) of attending a fundraiser while the state barreled towards a shut down.

“Who was dumb enough to schedule a fundraiser for Sept. 30,” said Michigan Republican Party Director of Communications Jennifer Hoff. “Apparently Dillon and Prusi are more concerned with raising money for the Party than balancing the state budget and protecting people from losing their job.

“Dillon could’ve taken care of the budget and protected Michigan families and jobs earlier, but he spent all summer on a media blitz in his run for governor. Prusi could have done the same, but he spent all summer twiddling his thumbs and wishing he could run for governor.”

“All this is, is the Republicans are feeling a guilty conscience over going to Mackinac to party with their donors this past weekend rather than staying here and working,” Senate Democratic spokesman Tom Lenard told Michigan Messenger. “It’s complete B.S. We are here working all day and planning on working all night until we get this thing done.”

In a public statement put out a short time later, Lenard accused the GOP of putting out “blatant lies” and said that Sen. Prusi “has been at the Capitol all day and will be here as long as it takes to work out a budget resolution that doesn’t rob our kids of an education, take police and firefighters off our streets, or slash health care for our families.”

Dillon also has almost certainly not left the Capitol building all day because the House has been operating under “call of the house” rules, which means no representative can leave the building because of pending business.

Senate Democrats and Gov. Jennifer Granholm criticized Republicans in the Senate for recessing the chambers activities over the weekend so they could attend a policy conference on Mackinac Island.