Michigan Primary Bits of Tid: January 16, 2008

• Hillary won an underwhelming 55% of the vote, while 40% voted Uncommitted. Hillary won 73 DNC delegates, while Uncommitted won 55. I call Hillary's win underwhelming because she was supposed to dominate this election. As John Nichols of The Nation writes:
  

  As the only leading Democratic contender to keep her name on the ballot after Michigan officials moved their primary ahead of the opening date scheduled by the Democratic National Committee, Clinton was perfectly positioned. She had no serious opposition. She also had the strong support of top Michigan Democrats such as Governor Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.
  
  Usually, a prominent presidential contender running a primary campaign without serious opposition and with strong in-state support from party leaders can count on winning 90 percent or more of the vote. That's how it went for George Bush when he was running without serious opposition in Republican primaries in 2004, and for Bill Clinton when he was essentially unopposed in the Democratic primaries in 1996.



• On Michigan Liberal:
  
  • Mark Grebner tells us how each district voted.
    
  • Phil offers an analysis of West Michigan numbers.
    
  • Nirmal crunches the exit poll data.
    
  • Laura analyzes the youth vote numbers. Uncommitted actually outperformed Hillary among young voters!


• You gotta love it: The Michigan Republican Party erroneously sent out a press release congratulating McCain on the victory he didn't have. Oops.
  


• One more bit from Michigan Liberal, written by yours truly. Did holding the primary early have the desired effect of giving Michigan more influence in the nominating process? No.
  

  Had we held a February 5 caucus - an idea which I supported even when the caucus was set for February 9 all the while other states were moving theirs to February 5 - Michigan would have been the fourth-largest state with a primary or caucus that day (and the second-largest not including the home states of the front-runners). Candidates would have come to Michigan, and their campaigns - as well as our Party - would have been better for it.
  
  Yet some people decided that it was better for Dems to break DNC rules (arcane as they are) and base our delegate count on a primary that would not have gone on if not for four extreme conservatives on the state Supreme Court. MDP leaders knew that some of the candidates would not be campaigning if they decided to go with a primary, yet most of them chose to go ahead with it anyway.
  
  The result? Instead of having more influence in our nominating process, we have at the moment pretty much no influence (and it is uncertain whether we will have influence in the end). Instead of unity, as the LA Times put it, we have rancor. Instead of Michigan issues being at the forefront of the campaign, we are once again seen as a laughing stock to the rest of the country.
  

Bits of Tid: January 14, 2008

Questions Only Edition

• Did you hear about CMU's 21-hour power outage last week?
• Speaking of which, do you have a disaster plan in place for emergencies?
• Have you heard about the prominent endorsements Obama has picked up?
• Have you checked out Coffee Talk on Michigan Liberal for the latest on the presidential primary?
• What if John Edwards were to drop out of the race? Would his supporters align with Clinton or Obama?
• When was the last time you called your elected officials?

Bits of Tid: August 18, 2007

Three Times in One Week Edition

• Long story here, but no WeekEnder this weekend. Perhaps I'll try to make up for it with a two-parter next weekend; don't hold your breath, though, because like I said, I move back up to Mount Pleasant and it may be quite a busy weekend.
  
  
• Just a reminder: Be sure to check out Coffee Talk om Michigan Liberal each day; I post each Saturday's Coffee Talk abd will also be subbing for LiberalLucy this coming Tuesday. Check it out!
  
  
• This almost flew under my radar: House Democrats passed some important energy legislation just before summer break:
  
  

  The bill includes the Udall Renewable Energy Sources Amendment, which requires utilities to produce 15 percent of their electricity from clean and renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020.
  
  Other highlights include making the federal government carbon neutral by 2050, creating "green collar" jobs in solar panel manufacturing and green construction, investing in biofuels, and paying for green initiatives by repealing $16 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

  Sounds good, although I don't see why they have to wait 43 years to go carbon-neutral.
  
  

• Barack Obama won't be participating in as many debates. His campaign manager explains:
  
  

  Unfortunately, we simply cannot run the kind of campaign we want and need to, engaging with voters in the early states and February 5 states, if our schedule is dictated by dozens of forums and debates. Ultimately, the one group left out of the current schedule is the voters and they are the ones who ask the toughest questions and most deserve to have those questions answered face to face.

• This week's Democratic Radio Address was given by, of all people, a waitress. She discussed the impact of the recent increase of the minimum wage.
  
  
• It looks like Michael Bloomberg won't run after all.

• Don't think I've forgotten about LSSU's Banished Words List. I still have plenty of suggestions in my noggin. My latest:

  Pro-life - This is one of many code words politicians use to make themselves or policies they support look good. Most people who call themselves ‘pro-life’ aren't quite as ‘pro-life’ on some issues as they are on others.

  Don't forget to submit your picks for the 2008 list.

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

Happy weekend everyone!

National:

• WMU Dems: The Draft? Gen. Douglas Lute says the option of the draft is on the table.
  
• MDP: Walberg Brings Controversial House Republican leader for Fundraiser. Since when do 'Walberg' and 'controversial' fit in the same sentence?
  
• GR Press: Anti-war campaign in town to work on Ehlers. They're trying to get Rep. Vern Ehlers to vote against Iraq War spending.

State:

• Blogging For Michigan: And here come the editorial pages... Well Senator Bishop, now do you wish you had blocked BFM?
  
• Blogging for Michigan: Sen. Hunter to Senate Republicans: Support must come soon. Here's the latest in Senate Democrats' articles on the issues Michigan faces that Senate Republicans are ignoring.
  
• Houghton Mining Journal: Governor declares state of emergency with fire. Let's hope this doesn't get too much worse.
  
• Senate Dems: Renewable and Alternative Fuels -- Not just the right thing, but the SMART thing. And the economically sound thing.
  
• AP: Appeals Court judge worries Supreme Court may be seen as partisan. Really? This Michigan Supreme Court? Riiiiight.
  
• GR Press: State wants your help in creating 2008 map. MDOT officials want your input on what should and shouldn’t be included in the 2008 map.

Local:

• Kalamazoo Gazette: Sturgis rebuffs English-only petition. War? Messed-up economy? Environmental policies out of whack? Fuhgeddaboudit, we have a more pressing concern: People not speaking English! Oh please.
  
• Adrian Daily Telegram: Solar, wind, and biomass energy proposed for county buildings. They say it should pay for itself within a few years - monetarily and environmentally.

Others:

• Stone Soup Musings: It’s time to redefine compassion. What hath 'compassionate' conservatism wrought? Kathy quotes a list from Mother Jones.

So what's on your radar this weekend?

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

Just three days from now, voters like me (and you?) will be partaking in primary elections. I, for one, will be doing a lit drop today.

Meanwhile:

Congress:

• AP: Senate passes Bush terorism spy bill. Sometimes in life, it is best for one to bite one's tongue. I will do so in this case, except to say that thankfully, Carl and Debbie voted no.
• Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood: Who does Mike Rogers Really Work For: Part XXVIII. How much does it cost to be a Congressman these days? Click to find out!
• Vote No on Joe: The New "Ask Joe" Feature. You folks in the Ninth can have fun with this - but you only have seventeen months to use it!!

State budget:

• Monroe News: Senate moves to create efficiency panel. Let me do some of the panel’s work for them: State lawmakers ‘earn’ some $80,000 per year. It would've been considerably lower if not for Republican Dan DeGrow deciding not to let the Senate vote down a massive pay hike in 2001. How about slashing lawmaker pay?
• WKAR: House chair claims progress on cost-cutting. According to Rep. George Cushingberry (D), $300 million has been cut. "He says that is being ignored in the debate over tax increases."

Odds and ends:

• Detroit News: Ron Gettelfinger (UAW): Union auto plants beat competitors. Read this gem and arm yourself with talking points to use when you run into someone whoo isn't all that pro-union.
• Mount Pleasant Morning Sun: Great Lakes aren’t priority for Bush. Given the Administration's committment to the environment, aren't you just shocked? {/sarcasm}
• Blue Chips: Dodd-1, O'Reilly-0. Watch Billo get pwned.

Oh, and one more thing:

• AP: Blogs make their political mark. Heck yeah we are!

So how's life in your corner of the state?

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

(I'm going to be doing this every Saturday from now on!)



We have a beautiful Saturday on tap - perfect for celebrating half a century of Michigan's best-known landmark:

• WKAR: Governor Celebrates Mackinac Bridge in Radio Address. "She says the bridge serves as an example of how government spending can help the state’s economy." Need I say more?
• Petoskey News-Review: Mackinac Bridge 50th has the goods on when the bridge will be closed for the parade and, later, the fireworks.
• Jack Lessenberry: The Mighty Mac. Jack toasts fifty years of the Bridge of Steel that unites the two most beautiful peninsulas in the world.

Meanwhile, the US House passed two pieces of legislation that are of particular important to Michigan:

• Michigan Radio: Michigan May Benefit from Homeland Security Bill. Update: The House passed it overwhelmingly, Pete Hoekstra being the lone 'no' vote from Michigan.
• WKAR: US House Passes Farm Bill. One provision of the bill would help Michigan farmers to the tune of $265 million over five years. Find out if your congressman voted to strengthen Michigan's economy. (BTW: Here's a hilarious diary about the farm bill at Daily Kos.)
• LSJ: Actions Speak Louder than Words. Listen up, Walberg: "As one of my political journalism mentors once said, 'When in doubt, look at the votes.' It's as simple as that."

...while times are tough for two prominent Republicans:

• Mount Pleasant Morning Sun: Eric goes to town regarding Clifford Taylor.
• Freep: State law commission investigates Gorcyca. A rising star in the Republican party being investigated? Right, Scotty, like that ever happens! {/snark} (Gorcyca is Oakland County's Prosecutor.

Perhaps Taylor and Gorcyca need an education in common sense. And speaking of education:

• Detroit News: Iris Salters (MEA): Reasing ensures success. As an educator, Salters ought to know a thing or two about the importance of reading with respect to childhood development. It should be noted, BTW, that Salters was an MDP Officer-At-Large (and perhaps still is, although I don't know for sure).
• AP: President Bush to honor University of Michigan math professor. Insert joke here.

What's on your mind this weekend?

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

But why just have coffee, when you can have cupcakes too?

With a hat tip to Democratic Underground

• Detroit Free Press: UAW, Chrysler kick off talks.
• Detroit Free Press: GM’s global sales soar. If it's good news for GM, it's good news for Michigan.
• Mining Journal: Northern Michigan University hikes tuition 9.5 percent. Senator Bishop, care to comment? (Cricket, cricket...)
• Michigan Prospect: Fiscal Notes discusses why we need to invest in our infrastructure if Michigan is to recover soon.
• Vote No On JOE: Knollenberg leads the pack in pork barrel spending. Hey Drolet, why don't you take that pig to Knollenberg's office?
• Walberg Watch: Grumpy Tim Walberg has the latest antics from Michigan's biggest embarassment.

The WeekEnder: July 20-22, 2007

With exactly eighteen months until the end of one of the most diatrous Presidencies in American history, I welcome you to the fourth installment of The WeekEnder! The WeekEnder is a weekly series that will provide a hodgepodge of information to fill your soul, make you laugh, make you cry, and inspire you.

• Congressional Dems support students
• State court to voters: you need ID
• Oops - forgot about that
• A pricier alternative
• Achieving your goals
• Who needs work when you can vacation?
• Tim Ryan, champion of students
• Arnold Bennett dispenses some advice
• Cows and Enron
• Not a victim to what's popular

Good news: Congress passes relief for students

Thank you Democrats in Congress!

On Wednesday, July 11th, the House passed the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, and the Senate has now followed suit. The bill will provide the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill in 1944. The legislation invests about $18 billion dollars over the next five years in reducing college costs, helping millions of students and families. It comes at no new cost to taxpayers, and is funded by cutting excess subsidies paid by the federal government to lenders in the student loan industry.

It's great to see a majority in Congress that actually cares about students!

Bad news: Michigan Supreme Court moves to disenfranchise voters

In case you needed a reminder of where Republicans stand when it comes to election reform:

The high court split along party lines in a 5-2 decision, with Republican justices voting to uphold the ID requirement and Democrats dissenting.
The Michigan Democratic Party is weighing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Having a driver's license is a luxury not a right," said Pete Vargas, chairman of the Lansing school board's Chicano/Latino Advisory Committee. "Voting is a right."

City Commission candidate forgets about debate
Well, at least he's honest.

Second Ward residents hoping for a rip-roaring debate among the four candidates for their City Commission seat were disappointed Thursday.

Only two candidates -- David LaGrand and Ruth Kelly -- showed up at Clancy Street Ministries for the 90-minute televised forum, and both went out of their way to be polite to each other and the no-shows.

Contacted at home afterward, candidate Michael Booker said, "I just plain forgot about it." (emphasis added)

Blog highlight of the week: How much more do you want to pay?
I don't know anyone who loves paying taxes. But as former Michigan House candidate Dan Scripps reminds us, taxes are preferable to the alternative:

The choice in the ongoing budget debate is not whether our costs will go up, but how. Are we willing to pay a modest increase in taxes that all of us share in to build our future and get Michigan moving again, or are we going to pass the buck to make the skills we know we need to compete that much more expensive to obtain? How our representatives answer that question will tell the citizens of this state much about where our priorities are and whether we care more about our children's future than our present situation.

Link of the week: 43Things
So what do you want to do with your life?

Recently (i.e. less than 24 hours ago!) I discovered 43things.com. Create an account on 43Things, and you will be able to list things you would like to do during the course of your life (i.e. get married, write a book, visit a certain place). You can also see how many other people want to do the same thing, and hear from people who have done it.

Photo of the Week: Senators On Vacation
This photo won me $25 on a recent contest on Michigan Liberal:








Video of the Week: Tim Ryan speaks out for ordinary Americans
You go Congressman Ryan:



Quote of the week: Arnold Bennett
"The best cure for worry, depression, melancholy, brooding, is to go deliberately forth and try to lift with one's sympathy the gloom of somebody else."

Joke of the Week: Economics explained
Feudalism: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

Communism: You have two cows. You must take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

Enron Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt-equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred through an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The Enron annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.

Final thought
I don’t care about Harry Potter. There, I said it.

Bits of Tid: July 18, 2007

• With deep sadness, we mourn the passing of Jim Gilmore's campaign. RIP, Gilmore campaign. We will miss you as much as we will miss Dubya when he leaves office.
  
  Now riddle me this: Jim Gilmore was a governor for four years, Mike Huckabee, for ten years, and Tommy Thompson was a governor for 14 years. Why is the press not giving as much attention to those three combined as they are to Mitt?
  
• Well, at least Romney never got a $400 haircut. But did get the next best (?) thing.
  
• Mom and I enjoy listening to the radio program Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me each Saturday on NPR. This Saturday's program, however, is going to be better than most.
  
• Hypocrisy anyone?
  
• State Supreme Court Chief ‘Justice’ Clifford Taylor has dealt with controversy surrounding his state-owned car, which he admitted to using for personal reasons. Now the MDP is buying that car:

“This car will be a continuing symbol of Taylor’s misuse of taxpayer money as we travel the state in it to campaign against his re-election. We also look forward to searching through the car to see what we can find.

Goody gumdrops!

• Congratulations, Congressman Conyers!


• Last year, WMU's president was fired. This week, Eastern's Board of Regents ousted their president and two others over the handling of the death of a student. Hopefully such msifortune will not befall CMU's Michael Rao.


• And finally, won't you vote for one of my pictures? The second Hardiman one is in a three-way deadlock with the two I didn't submit.

Saturday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

Ahh, yes, Saturday Coffee Talk. But before we talk, we must make our coffee.

What's the first thing we need in order to make coffee? Hot water, of course. Shouldn't be hard to find; just look for your local Republican congressperson, who is surely in hot water thanks to their support of the Iraq War:

• WDET: Residents Organize to Change Knollenberg's Position on Iraq.
• Grand Rapids Press: Ehlers gets earful from protestors.
• Michigan Radio: Anti-war Campaign Comes to Michigan.
• LivingBlue: - Rogers' Response to War Protest Is Non-Sequitur - Judy does a nice job countering a statement made by a Rogers aide that "Congressman Rogers will continue to fully support our troops."

Once you've mixed the water and coffee beans, you want to add in just the right amount of cream and sugar:

• Blogging for Michigan: The Challenge of Teaching in 'Exponential Times' -Christine discusses what it means to be literate today, and shows how the Right's opposition to investing in teachers can have negative effects on children's education.
• Blue November: Candice Miller's "War on Terror" breaks down, paragraph by paragraph, the spin Rep. Miller has on her web site.
• DKos: Conyers Looking Into Credit Card Merchant Practices - I'm just so glad Conyers is from our beautiful state.
• ICDP Dispatch: Bill Clinton and Truman - what a pair - Having gone to a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Truman Library, Tim shares his thoughts on two great Democrats.
• Liberal, Loud and Proud: - Lucy/Julielyn/Paris Hilton allowed Rich at Honest Errors to make a Guest Post.
• LSJ Capitol Journal: Rocky to fight Levin? Ha ha ha! What's your goal this time around, Rocky? 39%?

But there are some things you just want to avoid adding:

• Yahoo! News: Ice cream vendor accused of selling pot near Benton Harbor. Insert your own joke here.

Because in the end, you want richness:

• Michigan Lottery - someone hit the $126 million Mega Millions jackpot, as evidenced by the fact that the jackpot for Tuesday's drawing is back down to $12 million. I don't gamble much, but high jackpots always pique my interest.

Tuesday Coffee Talk/Open Thread for Michigan Liberal

I have the distinguished honor of hosting Michigan Liberal's Coffee Talk today, the eve of America's 231st birthday.

• AP: Democrats, environmentalists renew push to limit water diversions. Michigan would not be Michigan if not for our Great Lakes water!
• AP: Auto Alliance backs House plan on fuel economy. "Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., an ally of the auto industry, wants to consider fuel efficiency standards in the fall when his Energy and Commerce Committee reviews climate change legislation."
• WUOM: Governor unhappy with pace of budget talks. Not like any of us blame her. Of course, things would be going smoother if Senate Republicans weren't vacationing, giving us opportunities to take pictures of them and win $50.
• DetNews: Governor’s television ad to discuss business tax plan. Actually it’s from the Michigan Democratic Party.
• Lessenberry: Taxing Concerns. Jack discusses efforts to "tweak" the new Michigan Business Tax, and why new revenues are needed. He also interviewed State Treasurer Bob Kleine.
• LSJ: Area’s corn crop booming, thanks to ethanol demand. Good write-up from the LSJ. Now about that database...
• Freep: Six Candidates yanked off ballot in Warren. Makes sense: If you don't pay your water bill, you don't deserve to run for city office. If only those who endanger America's national security weren't let off so easily...
• MichiganFireworks.com - Want to take in some neat pyrotechnics? This site lists nearly 500 fireworks displays from tonight through December!
• And finally, Michigan Liberal is pleased to endorse Lisa Simpson for President. Okay, not really. But if you go to the website and sign up to show your support, you help Lucy and a few others! Details here.

Bits of Tid: June 11, 2007

• Republicans are losing their grip on the rural vote. As a Michigander, I say, 'darn right.'
  
• Media Mouse takes a look at troop casualties in Iraq, which include four from Michigan. RIP.
  
• Very disturbing.
  
• Here's a piece from MichLib about one legislator flip-flopping on presidential endorsements. Hope you find my comment to your liking.
  
• HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt is making news after trying to schedule a meeting with Sen. Craig Thomas of Wyoming. Wouldn't be a big deal, except for one thing: Thomas passed away last week.
  
• Check out the House Democrats' renewable-energy plan.
  
• Two suspects have been arrested following a breaking-and-entering incident at CMU.

Bits of Tid: June 7, 2007

• Here's an interesting article about how the caucuses in Iowa work. Michigan's caucuses aren't quite that confusing; more on that later.
• Sen. Lynne Cheney?
• Discourse on Iraq does NOT undermine our troops' morale, says Bush's War Czar.
• Former State Rep. Jack Minore hits the nail on the head regarding taxes in Michigan.
• Excellent framing of the stem-cell debate by the folks at Vote No on Joe. Ehlers also voted no.
• Who says the Big Three are inferior to foreign cars when it comes to car quality? Ford sure isn't! On a related note, can somebody say "American-made hybrid?"
• Call Senator Stabenow and urge her to support the restoration of Habeas Corpus!
• "Liberal Lucy" (Julielyn Gibbons) is in New York as part of Get Your Guts in Gear.
• My recent post regarding Michigan's taxes, as well as yesterday's video compilation, made it into Michigan Liberal's Coffee Talk threads.
• Yours truly has been elected an officer for Knights of Columbus Council 4362 in Wyoming.

Bits of Tid from My Life: May 15, 2007

• My brother returned to work full-time today!
• We went to see my paternal grandmother for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, she isn’t doing all that great. My dad has had to spend each night with her for the past couple weeks. I haven’t seen much of him lately.
• Yesterday (May 14) also would have been my maternal grandmother’s 91st birthday. She died in 2001 at 84.
• My Mother’s day card for my mom:
  

  -Front: "I know I wasn’t an easy child to live with." (Picture of a baby in a high chair with a cigar in his mouth and a glass of beer on the table!)
  -Inside: "The great ones never are."

• My bit on Kassel got a mention on MichLib!
• From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department: The Nancy Grace show on CNN Headline News showed a clock that indicated how long - to the second - until Paris Hilton goes to jail.
• I submitted a nomination to Lake Superior State University's Banished Word List (and you can too). I will submit a few more between now and the end of the year, but for now, here's my first nomination for the 2008 list:
  

  GINORMOUS - "One of the most pathetic compound words to pollute the English language. Why can't you just say 'enormous' or 'gigantic?' "