Presidential Hopeful Mitt Romney Makes Stop In Livonia
LIVONIA (WWJ) - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney makes a campaign swing through Michigan Thursday morning. He's scheduled to stop by the Senate Coney Island on Plymouth Road in Livonia at about 8am. And, other than a few security precautions, the restaurant was told specifically not to go out of their way for Romney.
"As far as accommodating him in any special way, they don't want any of that kind of treatment. Just regular folk, coming in like a normal day for breakfast," says Nikolaos Dimopoulos, who's with the restaurant. He says the restaurant is used to visits by big-timers. Dimopoulos says Senator John McCain stopped by during a presidential campaign swing, and former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm visited while running for office. "Our doors are open to everybody. We welcome everybody. The Senate is in session when these guys are here, lets put it that way," says Dimopoulos.
WWJ's Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick says Romney has been in the state for the last couple of days raising money for his campaign, which is his second campaign for the White House. Michigan gave Romney his first - and only - primary victory in 2008. That was before he spoke out against a federal bailout of General Motors and Chrysler as they teetered on the brink of insolvency in late 2008.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer, along with local residents and autoworkers are scheduled to protest Romney's visit outside Livonia's Senate Coney Island on Thursday morning. As the presidential hopeful holds fundraisers around the state, protestors say their plea to Michigan voters is "Let Romney Go Bankrupt" in response to his opposition over the auto bailout.
