Eventually editorial pages turned against the creature, once they realized that Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and anyone else not on the take was against Moroun as well.

Federal and state courts ruled against Moroun, again and again, but he kept appealing. Earlier this month Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards finally threw the president of the bridge company, Dan Stamper, in jail for a few hours.

What happens now is not clear. It is hard to imagine that our governor won't be able to get legislation passed that will allow the Detroit River International Crossing to become reality. Yet, incredibly, there are still legislators — mostly Snyder's fellow Republicans — who remain supporters of Moroun, such as state Sen. Roger Kahn. Moroun is expected to continue to fight hard, if not fair, and to launch more lawsuits and other delaying actions.

Hopefully, however, our new governor has the clout to get this done, now. Thurtell, by the way, has never been a flatterer of any politician, much less one who wears the label Republican.

He was sitting in the movie Little Fockers when the governor made his announcement. When he learned what had happened, he wrote on his blog (joelontheroad.com), "Pinch me. Is this real?

"At last we have a leader willing to stand up and say that the wishes of one selfish billionaire should not hold the state back from the economic development we need. Thank you, Governor Snyder."

All of which goes to show that you just never can tell.

> Email Jack Lessenberry