Primary postmortem

Turnout barely exceeds 2008: Looks like Republican turnout will surpass the 2008 total by only about 125,000 votes, give or take a few. In 2008, 869,169 votes were cast for Republican candidates. This year, two things appeared to contribute to increased turnout:

• The Democratic race is uncontested this year, and some people who voted for Hillary or for Uncommitted in 2008 either did not vote this time or crossed over.
• Republicans invested much more heavily in Michigan this time than in 2008. Last time, the focus of the national Republican race was on Super Tuesday, as Romney was more or less expected to win the Michigan primary (which was three weeks before Super Tuesday). This time, a very close race (and the possibility of Romney losing what he should've won in a cakewalk) meant more interest in the race - thus also contributing to higher turnout.

Despite that, Republicans only got around 1 million votes this time.

A lot of money to barely win your 'home' state: Romney and his super PAC spent $3,807,082 in Michigan, while Santorum and his super PAC spent $2,182,786. At the moment, with a few precincts left to report, it comes out to $9.33 per vote for Romney and $5.79 per vote for Santorum. And what did Romney get for that? A 3-point win in a state he should've won in a cakewalk. And as Dana points out, Romney's 41% just barely exceeds his 2008 performance of 39%.

Exit poll sheds light on primary electorate: CNN's exit poll has a load of fascinating info.

• 9% of Republican primary voters were Democrats, and Santorum got a majority (not just a plurality) of Dems.
• 39% called themselves moderate or liberal.
• Santorum gets almost half the vote among those who dislike the other candidates more than they like their own candidates.
• Nearly 3 in 8 Republican primary voters say abortion should be "always" or "mostly" legal.
• 44% approved of the government bailing out the automakers.
• Most fascinating of all (IMHO): Romney and Santorum tied among Tea Party supporters, with Santorum winning among those who do not support the Tea Party.

Republicans' irresponsibility comes back to bite them: Michigan republicans wasted $40 million of our tax dollars to hold this primary so they could anoint Romney as the nominee here in Michigan. Well, how's that turning out for you, Republicans? Your party is at war with itself, and now your frontrunner is trailing Obama by 16 points in Michigan.

State House races offer good signs for Democrats: The 29th and 51st State House districts had special elections to fill the remainders of the terms of Tim Melton (D-29th), who resigned, and Paul Scott (R-51st), who was recalled. Both were succeeded by members of their own parties, meaning there will be no change in the balance of power in the State House.

In November 2008 - a great election for Democrats - Paul Scott got 53% of the vote in the 51st House race. This time, with a much more Republican electorate, Joe Graves got a whopping 54%. One should be careful about reading too much into that, but with a much more Republican electorate voting yesterday (60% Republican statewide, according to CNN), do you not think Graves should've done much better than 54%?

Could it be that Michigan Republicans are in for a backlash for their anti-worker agenda?

Republicans prepare for caucuses, touting commitment to jobs, fiscal responsibility

By SCOTT HUSSEIN URBANOWSKI
SNARX News

LANSING - Republicans across the state are preparing for tonight's Presidential caucuses, which have brought the world's attention to this state with a Republican-dominated government.

Michigan Republicans decided last year to use a caucus to allocate the state's Republican National Convention delegates. Proposals for a statewide, taxpayer-funded primary were shot down.

"In 2010, we campaigned on more jobs, less government, and less spending," said Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville. "By choosing a caucus system instead of a primary, we are fulfilling our promises by not spending your tax dollars."

US Senate candidate Gary Glenn said that Republican lawmakers have taken a route that is "consistent with Christian principles."

"Christ taught us to take care of the poor," said Glenn. "Rather than waste money doing something our Party could do by itself, our Party decided to forgo using tax dollars for a primary, instead using that money to allow things like the Earned Income Tax Credit to continue as they were before."

A Republican spokesman noted that by saving $10 million on a primary, many jobs have been saved, including those of police and firefighters.

"The Democrat Party has forgotten 9/11," said the spokesman, who wished to remain anonymous. "We haven't forgotten. We remember the bravery of our firefighters and police. In tribute to them, and in order to protect our communities, we have chosen to preserve their jobs here in Michigan."

Republican activist Sanctity O'Marriage, R-Roscommon,* said he is proud of his party for standing up to Democrats in Washington by showing how to cut spending in government.

"Instead of getting government involved in private matters, Republicans are committed todoing the responsible thing," said O'Marriage, who plans to caucus for Santorum.

"Debbie Spenditnow and Khalid Sheikh bin Hussein bin Soetoro bin Obumbum can't say that!"

Stay tuned to SNARX news for complete Michigan Republican caucus coverage

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*Roscommon = Actual name of a village in Ireland, pop. 5,000. It's purported that the town in northern Michigan is named for the one in Ireland. Fun fact.

Santorum boasts of Limbaugh, Dobson, Bauer, Beck

Rick Santorum's super PAC is not good at targeting.

My parents and I are lifelong Democrats. Mom and I are Democratic precinct delegates. And yet we keep getting flyers from the Red, White and Blue Fund, telling us that Romney is evil and that Santorum is a true conservative. We got three full-page flyers yesterday, in fact. But today's flyer tells me that Santorum isn't even hiding who supports him.

Waltz drops out of 6th District Congressional race due to "life threatening illness"

Oh no.

Due to an unforeseen life threatening illness we regretfully have to announce that John Waltz will be ending his campaign to secure the Democratic Party nomination for Michigan’s Sixth District. At this time, John is unable to provide a statement, but the family will answer questions if needed.

After someone asked if John was okay, his wife, Jane, said this in a comment:

He is very ill at this point. Thanks for your kind words.

So every indication is that this has to do with John Waltz himself, not a family member.

Waltz is an Iraq veteran who moved to Michigan after running against Geoff Davis (R) in KY-04 in 2010.

Waltz is a brave man who has done so much for our country. While his campaign is over, here's hoping he can summon his courage once again and make it through this.

Let us extend our best wishes, prayers, vibes, and so forth to John and his family.

Republican tax hikes hit poor 1,000 times harder than rich

A new report from the Michigan League of Human Services shows just how much the Republican tax hikes are expected to hurt Michigan families.

Just a reminder in case you don't know what Michigan Republicans did:

• 51% of families will pay higher taxes.
• The Earned Income Tax Credit - which rewards people for work - was drastically reduced.
• The child tax credit was also reduced.
• The tax deduction for charities has been eliminated, costing you an extra $435 if you donate $10,000 per year to good causes.
• Pensions are now being taxed.

State Rep. Jud Gilbert (R-$80,000 Per Year), second from left in the top picture, tried to explain it away.

State Rep. Jud Gilbert, R- Algonac, chair of the House Tax Committee, says the bills were part of a larger package aimed at streamlining the tax code. He says about $1.4 billion in tax credits, including tax credits to businesses, were eliminated. The package also reduced the Earned Income Tax Credit - another credit for the poor - from 20 percent to 6 percent of the federal credit.

“I think what we’ve done in the revamping of the tax code,” says Gilbert,” is people are paying the same rate on the same amount of income. “

"Streamlining the tax code." Boy, we've sure heard that quite a bit from conservatives. It's a line that ignores a simple truth: Life isn't black-and-white. Not everybody can afford to pay the same on everything.

For a Party that claims to be all about Christian values, they sure don't act like they take Matthew 25 to heart.

Tea partier: "Had there not been slavery in the South, the economy would've fallen"

Tea Party activists in Tennessee are urging lawmakers to change that state's school curriculum to require schools to teach differently on slavery.

"My biggest concern is that important information is being omitted, which creates a negative light on our Founding Fathers," said Tea Party activist Brian Rieck.

Many members of the group are asking Tennessee lawmakers to tweak textbooks so that doesn't happen. Notably, they're hoping to make changes in how slavery and encroachment on Native Americans are portrayed to students. "Slavery is of course portrayed in the textbooks nowadays I'm sure as a totally negative thing. Had there not been slavery in the South, the economy would've fallen," Rieck said.

Emphasis mine.

These people want us to gloss over the very real human toll of slavery. They want us to believe that if the slave in the picture above hadn't suffered through that, the economy of this country would have faltered.

It's bad enough that history courses gloss over discrimination against Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and other groups. Even worse, students hear little mention of the brutality faced by Native Americans as they were forcibly removed from their lands.

Now this.

You know what is said about how those who don't learn from history. These people want to condemn our kids to repeat history.

Amash ignores Constitution, backs big-government bill to infringe on DC women's lives

Think Justin Amash is all about getting government out of our lives? Wrong.

Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) lauded the introduction of a fetal pain bill, H.R. 3803. The bill, introduced to coincide with the National March for Life this week, outlaws abortions in the District of Columbia when the unborn child is at least 20 weeks old, the age at which babies can feel pain. Amash is an original cosponsor of the bill.

Well, in his defense, it IS an election year, so he better start pandering to the so-called "pro-life" crowd.

“The most fundamental right is the right to life,” said Amash. “Surely, aborting a baby late in a pregnancy—when the baby would have to suffer through the pain of being killed—should not be permitted in a civilized society.”

The "pain of being killed?" I didn't know you could feel anything while you are still in the womb. I don't remember feeling anything while I was still in Mom's womb.

Under the bill, D.C. abortion providers must make a determination of the probable age of the unborn child. If the child is at least 20 weeks old, the provider is barred from performing an abortion unless necessary to prevent the death or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of the woman. The bill includes privacy protections for the women involved.

So this bill would infringe upon free enterprise by requiring that abortion providers make a guess as to how old an unborn baby is? That right there should sound alarm bells in the minds of conservatives, who usually think the government should not tell businesses how to behave.

The Constitution authorizes Congress to “exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,” over the District of Columbia. Amash serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has jurisdiction over D.C.

Ah, the Constitution. That document Amash often likes to trot out in order to defend his out-in-right-field positions. Except that, first of all, I think we'd all agree that just because Congress can do something, doesn't mean Congress should do it. You'd think a guy like Amash would oppose wanting the federal government infringe on people's lives.

Second, while he quotes one section of the Constitution, his bill ignores another section: the Equal Protection Clause found in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

If we assume, therefore, that the unborn are people, then Amash is violating the Equal Protection Clause by introduce a bill that would restrict abortions in DC if the fetus is 20 weeks along. If the fetus is not 20 weeks along, an abortion would still be okay. Either the unborn are people, and Amash is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, or the unborn are not people.

Look, I don't believe in abortion. I just don't. That's why I support Democrats, whose policies lead to a decrease in abortions (while so-called "pro-life" Republicans enact policies that increase abortions).

But like it or not, Roe v. Wade is the law of the land. And whatever Justin Amash really believes about abortion, the point is, he's being quite hypocritical. He claims to oppose big-government intervention, yet he co-sponsors a bill to have the government infringe on what the Court itself has ruled is a right. And while he portrays himself as a defender of the Constitution, he backs legislation that, if the unborn are people, would violate the Constitution.

Congressman, do you or do you not oppose government intrusion on people's rights?

Congressman, do you or do you not support the Constitution?

Presenting the 2012 State of the Union Word Cloud!

(Click to enlarge.)

"...so in love with you..."

First Class

This is an awesome story I saw on Facebook. I don't know if it's true or not, but it has a good lesson or two!

A 50-something year old white woman arrived at her seat and saw that the passenger next to her was a black man.

Visibly furious, she called the air hostess.

"What's the problem, ma?" the hostess asked her

"Can't you see?" the lady said - "I was given a seat next to a black man. I can't seat here next to him. You have to change my seat"

- "Please, calm down, ma" - said the hostess
"Unfortunately, all the seats are occupied, but I'm still going to check if we have any."

The hostess left and returned some minutes later.

"Madam, as I told you, there isn't any empty seat in this class- economy class.
But I spoke to the captain and he confirmed that there isn't any empty seats in the economy class. We only have seats in the first class."

And before the woman said anything, the hostess continued

"Look, it is unusual for our company to allow a passenger from the economy class change to the first class.
However, given the circumstances, the commandant thinks that it would be a scandal to make a passenger travel sat next to an unpleasant person."

And turning to the black man, the hostess said:

"Which means, Sir, if you would be so nice to pack your handbag, we have reserved you a seat in the first class..."

And all the passengers nearby, who were shocked to see the scene started applauding, some standing on their feet."