She came in through the kitchen.

By Stuart Frohm

SAGINAW - There was no flashy announcement when the featured speaker - Gov. Jennifer Granholm - entered a heavily populated United Auto Workers hall Friday.

She came in through the kitchen.

The main hall was buzzing as dinner table conversations continued.

The governor walked in a few steps and visited with people serving food to attendees of the Saginaw County Democratic Party's fund-raising pasta dinner. Then she talked with people seated near the front of the room. And people standing to one side. And people who came over to greet and talk with her.

She shared hugs and signed autographs. She posed for snapshots - including five with a 14-month-old boy.

She spent 40 minutes doing all that before she was introduced, stood on-stage, raised her right arm and gave a spirited "Woo!" to the enthusiastic crowd.

She thanked them for being great "rowdy Democrats."

And she volunteered regret that she was unable to keep her three-year-old campaign promise to have the crowd eat spaghetti at the governor's mansion - which would be a partisan event.

Instead, the governor helped attract the record attendance of approximately 450 people to the 16th annual pasta dinner.

"She's a draw," said Kitty Packard, Saginaw County Democratic Party secretary. "I hope all these people vote for us."

Grasping the microphone, Granholm left the stage and walked part way into the seated crowd. She talked about her job creation proposals and the bipartisan cooperation she said voters expect. People applauded when she mentioned objectives of cleaning up pollution, making sure nursing homes are dignified places for people to live in, and replacing the MEAP test with a college aptitude test.

And there was applause when she said Michigan's students must learn that "You can't stop at high school. You've got to go on" in school - and potentially earn a million dollars more as a college graduate than someone with only a high school diploma.

On her way out of the hall, Granholm didn't hurry. There was more conversation and photography - and at least one more hug.

She left through the kitchen.