There are concerns in the White House about next year's governor's race in Michigan and whether Lieutenant Governor John Cherry can win. The Obama White House was involved in the New York and New Jersey governor's races where incumbent democrats were in trouble. Now there is word that the White House is concerned and is monitoring next years' governor's race right here. So far the Obama team is not trying to influence who will get the democratic nomination, but two sources confirm that there are concerns that Lt. Gov. John Cherry may have trouble winning because he is so closely tied to Gov. Jennifer Granholm. In fact, one Cherry supporter concedes Granholm could be a liability.

Bobby Crim, Cherry backer: "It will be a liability, especially with those people who never liked Jennifer Granholm in the first place and Republicans as well."

But the former house speaker adds, Granholm was faced with an economy that was impossible to turn around. As for any White House concerns, Mr. Cherry says somebody is concocting this story.

John Cherry, Dd) Lt. Governor: "First of all I don't know if that is the case. They haven't told me that, and secondly I believe I can win, and if they believe otherwise, they are wrong. I don't think they believe that. That's a story somebody has concocted."

And it's a good bet Cherry believes the concoction is coming from the Andy Dillon Camp which contends the house speaker has meet with an aide of White House operative David Axlerod on the possibility of Dillon running for governor. Given President Obama's lackluster track record at influencing last Tuesdays' elections, Mr. Cherry concludes...

Cherry: "They've got to be rethinking their own strategy."

As for speaker Dillon running against Cherry, a decision is expected by the end of this month with an insider suggesting there's a 50-50 chance he will get in, but this source reveals most days Dillon gets up and does not want to run.