Former Governor
In 2004, Milliken broke with party ranks to endorse John Kerry in his bid to unseat George W. Bush as President of the United States: "The truth is that President George W. Bush does not speak for me or for many other moderate Republicans on a very broad cross section of issues."
He spoke at the funeral of former Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young in 1997. In 2008, he endorsed John McCain for President, but backed away in October after McCain's campaign began attacking Democratic candidate Barack Obama. He told the Grand Rapids Press "He is not the John McCain I endorsed." Milliken voiced concern at the direction of the Republican Party: "Increasingly, the party is moving toward rigidity, and I don't like that. I think Gerald Ford would hold generally the same view I'm holding on the direction of the Republican Party." In 2010, he endorsed businessman Rick Snyder in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
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Famous quotes containing the word governor:
“I saw the man my friend ... wants pardoned, Thomas Flinton. He is a bright, good-looking fellow.... Of his innocence all are confident. The governor strikes me as a man seeking popularity, who lacks the independence and manhood to do right at the risk of losing popularity. Afraid of what will be said. He is prejudiced against the Irish and Democrats.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“President Lowell of Harvard appealed to students ‘to prepare themselves for such services as the Governor may call upon them to render.’ Dean Greenough organized an ‘emergency committee,’ and Coach Fisher was reported by the press as having declared, ‘To hell with football if men are needed.’”
—For the State of Massachusetts, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)