My thoughts on the Democratic candidates

All in all I’d say we have a stronger group of candidates than we did in 2004. I was enthusiastic about Dean almost from start to finish (with spurts of support for Clark and Kucinich as well). Any of my top three picks for 2008, however, would make very good Presidents.

Given what has happened over the last 78 months in this nation, America needs a capable leader who can not only help clean up the mess of the past six and a half years, but someone who will raise the bar in Washington. Moreover, we need a President who will remind us of what it means to truly be Americans.

So here is how I rank the candidates at this moment:

Obama: Very inspiring. Message of hope lures thousands to rallies, which is unusual for this point in an election. Has rock-star appeal that won’t hurt him come General Election time. Has a very detailed issues page on his website - probably the most detailed of any candidates’. Remember, we’re talking about the Presidency of the United States. A nation in desperate need of leadership needs someone like Obama, who continues to insist that we must be united if we are to bring about meaningful change in America. Inexperienced; Perhaps, but so were FDR and Lincoln. (Not to say Obama will be anythnig like those two.)

Edwards: Like Obama, has an excellent rags-to-riches story. Though I really like Obama at this point, Edwards has the best platform thus far. Seems to be the only person willing to talk about the divide between the elite class and ordinary Americans (‘Two Americas’). Vote for Iraq War is about the only thing stopping me from really supporting him.

Richardson: Has a full resume`. Again, our next President must be a strong leader; Bill has led a state and a Cabinet department, in addition to serving in Congress and as a UN Ambassador. His foreign-policy credentials are unmatched. Not all that charismatic like Obama, but makes up for it with his experience. Him being on the ticket would almost certainly swing New Mexico our way. Attracted 40% of the Republican vote in his re-election campaign last fall. Has actually called for a de-authorization of the war. Would complement the less experienced Obama or Edwards well as a VP candidate.

Kucinich: A staunch progressive with amazing ideas who isn't afraid to speak his mind. Comes from even more humble roots, having lived in a couple of cars at one point!

Dodd: Fierce critic of the war. Friend who interned for Stabenow last year says Dodd impressed him. Other than that, he doesn’t stand out in my mind much; I don’t see him as a good leader.

Clinton: Don’t get me wrong, she has some great ideas as well. But she is too polarizing a figure at a time when we really need a President who truly is a uniter, not a divider. Seems to me that while she’s married to Bill in a literal sense, in a figurative sense she’s ‘married’ to Corporate America.

Biden: Has foreign-policy credentials as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. Would make a fine Secretary of State. Otherwise, less than inspiring, to be honest.

Gravel: Let’s just say I’ll bite my tongue.

The WeekEnder: July 13-15, 2007

Bonjour! Happy Bastille Day, and welcome to the third 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.

• Victory for election integrity!
• Poor bear brunt of housing crunch
• Can't we all just get along?
• What national security really means
• Keeping yourself organized
• Call him LonelyBoy08
• Ask George
• Thoughts from a dearly departed Lady Bird
• Convent
• Something magical

Good news: Judge orders revote in 2004 county race

Three cheers for voting integrity!

Late news this afternoon, sent to The BRAD BLOG moments ago, reveals that a judge in an Alameda County, California election contest is set to rule that a contested ballot measure election from 2004 must now be reheld since the county destroyed data from the election when they sent the Diebold DRE voting systems back to the company in Plano, Texas.

All but 4% of election data, records and audit logs was overwritten in subsequent contests, according to the following release from the Electronic Frontier Foundation which has supported the plaintiffs in the contest.

The unprecedented decision to re-hold an election after plaintiffs were denied the right for a proper recount could have reverberations around the country.

May this signal the demise of unverifiable electronic voting.

Bad news: Nation's poor hit by housing crunch

Once again, Michigan is NOT in a "single-state recession."

Growing numbers of the nation's poorest households are using more than half their earnings for rent while waiting years for federal housing assistance that may never come.

The phenomenon is largely playing out in urban and suburban locales, but has exploded recently in rural areas as coveted rental assistance becomes harder to get due to high demand and scant funding from Congress.

The lack of affordable homes for poor families is the nation's No. 1 housing problem and undermines the stability and security of families and communities nationwide.

A new report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development describes the startling growth of the problem since 2003. It found that 6 million impoverished households used most of their monthly earnings for housing or lived in substandard conditions in 2005. That’s an increase of 16 percent, or 817,000 families, since 2003.

Attempted robbery ends in bear hug
Aww, how lovely.

"Give me your money, or I'll start shooting," he said, according to D.C. police and witnesses.

Everyone froze, including the girl's parents. Then one guest spoke.

"We were just finishing dinner," Cristina Cha Cha Rowan, 43, told the man. Why don't you have a glass of wine with us?

The intruder had a sip of their Chateau Malescot St-Exupery and said, "Damn, that's good wine."

Blog highlight of the week: The Party of National Security
Nail, meet head. Turkana at Daily Kos concludes a diary on national security as such:

We are not fear-mongers. We are speaking calmly about real threats. The risk of terrorism should not be misconstrued as excuses for militancy, Constitutional abuses or the undermining of individual liberty. That was Bush's way. It didn't work. It was, in fact, counter-productive. That's what we need to talk about. That simple fact creates one of the greatest political opportunities Democrats have had in decades. This is a political paradigm shift. The Republicans have long been the party people turned to, when they were afraid. We can tell them to stop being afraid. Because we have a better way.

Strength does not mean staggering around like a drunken frat boy with a sledgehammer. It means being smart. On national security issues, it means being surgeons with scalpels. Having the world's greatest weapons arsenal means nothing if we are inept at diplomacy and intelligence. The facts speak for themselves. The Bush Administration is an utter failure and a continuing danger. The Democratic Party is now the party of national security.

Link of the week: Google Docs and Spreadsheets
Ever wish you could save your documents easily and access the from any computer with Internet access? Whether analyzing the results of last November's election or writing a paper, Google Docs and Spreadsheets has been an important tool for me. Anyone with a Google account can use it, so give it a try! ;-)

Photo of the Week: All alone
With a hat tip to Jeffrey Feldman, I am pleased to introduce you to:


Tom Tancredo. Tancredo was the only Republican to attend the presidential candidates forum held by the NAACP in Detroit this week. That's right - the same Tancredo who is considered the most anti-immigrant of the 2008 candidates.

Video of the Week: Ask George
Rep. Geeorge Miller (D-CA) is seeking your questions regarding Iraq policy:



Quote of the week: Lady Bird Johnson, 1912-2007
"I'm optimistic that the world of native plants will not only survive, but will thrive for environmental and economic reasons, and for reasons of the heart. Beauty in nature nourishes us and brings joy to the human spirit."

Joke of the Week: Leaving the convent
In the convent a young nun went to see the mother superior.
"Mother, I want to quit the veil."
"But why, my child?"
"To become a prostitute."
"What? What are you saying?"
"I said I want to become a prostitute, Mother."
"Oh. You had me worried for a moment. I thought you said Protestant!"

Final thought
As of tonight, the Detroit Tigers' magic number for winning the American League Central pennant is 74. In other words, if the Tigers won 74 more games this season, they would win the division. If your favorite team is in first place, it's easy to determine its magic number. Simply add your team's number of wins with the second-place team's number of losses, and subtract that from 163 (the total number of games played plus one).

Bits of Tid: July 12, 2007

• NYC firefighters don’t like Rudy Giuliani.
  
• I wish I could get paid $440.50 per day to do nothing.
• The Bay City Times:

Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop, R-Rochester, denied that there was a deal to balance the state budget. In exchange for raising taxes, he demands a remake of a wide swath of state government.
Give it a rest, senator.
Republicans couldn't get these changes done when they ran Lansing. They sure aren't going to eliminate public school pensions and retiree health plans, among other reforms, this year.

• Two new federal judges were confirmed for West Michigan on Monday. One - Janet Neff - was approved after Sam Brownback held up her nomination because she - gasp - attended a commitment ceremony. At any rate, Neff will vacate a state Court of Appeals seat which Governor Granholm will fill. Might I suggest Jane Beckering, the 2006 nominee for Michigan Supreme Court who got rave reviews? Appointing Beckering will help grow the Democratic bench for the state Supreme Court.
  
• Can’t wait to prove Dave Camp wrong.
  
• Tuesday was LiberalLucy’s birthday. Check out my greeting on MichLib.
  
• “Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars.”
  
• Yours truly has submitted another word for banishment to LSSU. Or is it a word?
  

  w00t - Color me surprised that this lousy excuse for a 'word' hasn't been banished yet.

  
  
• Detroit Tigers’ magic number: 75.

House passes relief for college students

These days, getting a college education is essential for those who want to be successful throughout life. Moreover, a skilled and educated workforce is critical for the US to get back on the right track.

Key to this is making sure college is affordable. Last year Republicans in Congress voted to cut the Pell Grant and raise interest rates on student loans. Under Democratic leadership, Congress is working to remedy that. An important piece of this effort, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, has passed the House. Michigan Members of Congress voting for the bill were:

Conyers
Dingell
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Knollenberg
Levin
Miller
Stupak
Upton

Those voting against it were:

Camp
Ehlers
Hoekstra
McCotter
Rogers
Walberg

Blue = Democrats; Red = Republicans

Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education Committee and champion of students, had a few words for those who tried to kill the bill:

"...You don’t like the fact that while you were in power after years of flat lining the Pell Grant, we we’ve finally given them the biggest increase in decades for the poorest kids in this country. You don’t like that so you want to kill the bill. You don’t like the fact that were going to take 5 million middle class kids and extend to them a loan thats interest rate is cut in half? While their families are struggling to get them through college? They’re making sacrifices every year? You’re going to do this? You’re going to kill this bill? Are you proud? Are you proud of this amendment, that you are going to try to kill this bill? Say it louder."

GR Press: Ehlers gets an earful from protesters

It's nice to see people try to hold Ehlers accountable:

Members of Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, a national group calling for an end to the war, and Institute for Global Education, a Grand Rapids-based group that preaches nonviolence, waved signs reading "Keep 'Em Safe, Bring 'Em Home" at passing traffic on Michigan Street NW. Some drivers honked and flashed peace signs.
"We're targeting the more-moderate representatives we believe will switch their opinions," said Matthew Arnold, deputy field director for AAEI in Michigan. The group also is targeting Reps. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph; Tim Walberg, R-Tipton; Mike Rogers, R-Howell; and Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia.

Anyone who know Walberg, Rogers, or McCotter well enough knows that they are not moderate. But at any rate, how does Ehlers respond to the protest?

"I've learned not to let protesters sway my views on the issue," the Grand Rapids Republican said. "But, what they are trying to address is real and should be addressed."

...

"I'm no supporter of war, but that's over the hill now," he said. "The question is what can we do from here ... and we're going to need a presence there at this time." (emphasis added)

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.

The WeekEnder: July 6-8, 2007

Welcome to the second edition 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. Highlights of The WeekEnder include:

• Some good news;
• Some bad news;
• A funny or unusual news item;
• A highlight from the blogosphere;
• A Link of the Week;
• A Photo of the Week;
• A Video of the Week;
• A Quote of the Week;
• A joke; and
• A random thought from yours truly.

In this week's WeekEnder:

• Granholm works to revitalize Michigan cities
• Libby-rated
• A uniquely-flavored ice cream
• Keeping church and state separate
• Following Senate races
• An interesting view of Bush
• Lighting up the sky
• Wisdom of a Founding Father
• A plea for funds
• My idea for fame and fortune

Good news:
Governor Jennifer Granholm is working hard to fix Michigan's cities and make the state more attractive to those who would otherwise leave:

Governor Granholm Tuesday that the Michigan State Housing Development Authority will fund up to $25 million over the next four years to help eliminate blight in her eight "Cities of Promise."

The cities targeted are Detroit, Pontiac, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Flint, Benton Harbor, Saginaw and Muskegon Heights. These cities were identified based on conditions of declining population, extreme poverty, loss of industry and jobs, crumbling infrastructure and blighted neighborhoods.

Cities of Promise Initiative is a five year program that Governor Granholm kicked off in 2006. The program has the following goals:

• Improving neighborhood safety for children
• Substantially increasing the number of blighted residential structures demolished in each of the cities through strategic demolition activities
• Increasing income and skills of homeless persons in the cities
• Increasing the use of deconstruction (salvaging/recycling usable materials) in place of and/or in conjunction with demolition to remove unwanted structures and rebuild communities
• Increasing the use of holistic, market-based neighborhood revitalization plans tied to the neighborhoods where blight is being addressed with MSHDA funds

Bad news:
As we all know, Scooter Libby got the Get Out of Jail Free card from his friend Dubya. LiberalLucy and others are none too happy about it, and neither am I. This guy compromised our national security, and Bush proved once and for all that he is not all that strong when it comes to protecting America.

Of course, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are happy.

Michigan ice cream truck driver may have sold pot
"Mommy, this ice cream tastes weird. What flavor is it?"

Southwestern Michigan authorities say they arrested an ice cream truck operator who was selling marijuana along with his frozen desserts.

After authorities got tips about the alleged pot-peddler, a deputy "heard jingling bells" about 2 p.m. Thursday and saw the ice cream truck entering a mobile home park, Berrien County sheriff's Lt. Keith Hafer said in a written statement.

Deputy John Hopkins stopped the truck, spoke with the driver and "detected the odor of marijuana coming from the truck (along with tutti-frutti and a couple other flavors)," Hafer wrote.

Blog highlight of the week: Accepting people of all religious persuasions
Tim Caldwell, an officer with thge Isabella County Democratic Party, gets it when it comes to patriotism and religion:

This day celebrates a time when a cluster of colonies banded together to tell England that they would not tolerate a system that oppressed people because they had different religious or political views then the majority. This would become a nation ruled by law, where a theocracy would not exist. This would be something not seen before among nations: a secular government where all religions could flourish, and where even the non-religious could find refuge.

Link of the week
We're just 487 days away from Election Day! I mentioned last week that if you want the Democrats in Congress to do more, they need to be backed up by bigger majorities in Congress, especially in the US Senate.

Senate 2008 Guru is a blog dedicated to tracking all 34 US Senate races set to appear on next November's ballots. What races are shaping up to be key? Have any GOP senators up for re-election in 2008 had a 'macaca' moment? You can find out the latest numbers and news on next year's US Senate races at Senate 2008 Guru.

Photo of the Week: Birthday Boy

Today is the 61st birthday of one of the greatest Presidents America has seen since - well, Clinton! So here's to the one who embarrasses himself as much as he embarrasses the nation he 'leads.'

Video of the Week: July 4th in Kentwood
Ithought I'd delight you with a video I shot of fireworks in my hometown of Kentwood on Wednesday:



Quote of the week: Thomas Jefferson
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

Joke of the Week: Bush's monument
I have the distinguished honor of being on the committee to raise $5,000,000 for a monument of George W. Bush.

We originally wanted to put him on Mt. Rushmore until we discovered there was not enough room for two more faces.

We then decided to erect a statue of George in the Washington, D.C. Hall Of Fame. We were in a quandary as to where the statue should be placed. It was not proper to place it beside the statue of George Washington, who never told a lie, or beside Dick Cheney, who never told the truth, since George could never tell the difference.

We finally decided to place it beside Christopher Columbus, the greatest Republican of them all. He left not knowing where he was going, and when he got there he did not know where he was. He returned not knowing where he had been, and did it all on someone else's money.

Thank you,
George W. Bush Monument Committee

P. S. The Committee has raised $1.35 so far.

Final thought
Okay, confession time. Mom and I have become big fans of the Fox game show Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? If you haven't seen the show, a contestant answers up to eleven questions on subjects ranging from "1st Grade Animal Science" to "5th Grade Astronomy." The top prize is $1 million. If you don't win the $1 million - which no one has to this point - you have to look into the camera and say "I am not smarter than a fifth grader."

I was watching the show last night, and of the 20 questions I saw, I knew the answers to all but one of them. I think I just might put my name in to be a contestant. (Actually, I'm considering putting my name in to be a contestant on the college versions of Jeopardy! and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.)

I’m sold - I’m voting straight US Taxpayers in 2008

For some odd reason, my family is on the US Taxpayers Party’s mailing list. We just got their newsletter... and might I say I’m convinced that the future of our nation rests on the Constitution/US Taxpayers Party winning next year. Not.

Here are a few of the 21 platform items the newsletter lists, and my responses to them:

2. Taxes - Reduce all Federal, State and local taxes in Michigan.

First of all, do you wish state and local taxes were lower in Michigan? Fine. But federal taxes? While it would be nice to send less to the IRS than other states (after all, we do receive less in return), it's kind of illegal. Besides, we need taxes to run the government.

5. Election Reform - Reform elections by requiring the use of paper ballots.

Okay, I could actually sign on to this one.

9. Restore the Republic - Review the alleged ratification of the 17th Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.

The 17th Amendment provided that US senators be elected directly by the voters instead of by state legislatures. While the Wikipedia article does mention some criticism of the Amendment, it does not say that any controversy surropunds whether the amendment was actually adopted. So maybe it was a grammatical mistake (of which there are many in the newsletter); maybe they took issue with the 16th Amendment, which deals with income taxes. Wikipedia discusses their qualms in depth.

13. Drinking Water Treatment - Eliminate fluoride and chlorine used to treat drinking water in Michigan.

What, don't they want their teeth?

Oh, and by the way:

[O]ur candidates pledge to the party to uphold the constitutions or face lifetime expulsion from the party.

"Agree with us or else!"

Ahh, third parties. Say what you will about the major parties, but let's be glad the Constitution Party doesn't have more than a snowflake's chance in Hades!

Our Country, to Have and to Hold

Before his death three years ago, my grandfather told me a number of stories about his days in the Asia/Pacific Theater during World War II - escaping death, crossing the Equator, the meals they served on the ships. My other grandfather also had war stories of his own, although sadly, he died two years before I was born, so I never had the chance to hear them.

Both of my grandfathers shared something in common, however: Both are among a long list of brave men and women who have served in defense of this nation and the ideals we hold dear - the ones Thomas Jefferson wrote in that Declaration which was signed 231 years ago today: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Jefferson was one of many who, tired of the status quo, decided to take action against tyranny, against the oppression of those at the bottom by those at the top. And so we must follow in Jefferson's lead.

A lot has changed since the Founders rose up and rejected the status quo. Our nation has 37 more states and 100 times as many people. Forty-three men have taken an oath to uphold our nation's Constitution, with some fulfilling their oath better than others. Whereas only free men over 21 who owned property could vote in the early days of our Republic, nowadays virtually everyone over 18 may vote.

Yet even as our freedoms come under attack from within, we can be proud of the fact that so many people - among them my friend Cliff, who recently returned from Iraq - are willing to put their lives on the line for those ideals which Jefferson gave us, and that so many others - Keith Olbermann, Helen Thomas, Al Gore, and John Conyers, among countless others - work day in and day out to hold our leaders accountable for preserving and expanding liberty.

But they cannot do it alone.

In this time when our basic freedoms are being attacked, each of us must take responsibility for doing our part to ensure that the cause of liberty is not destroyed in our great Republic. Because as much as Bush and his cabal try to ruin the Republic, the fact remains, this is still our country.

OUR country.

This country belongs to ALL 300,000,000+ of us. This country belongs to a poor person without health insurance and without a job as much as it does to the wealthy CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It belongs as much to a paralyzed person as it does to a star athlete. It belongs as much to a janitor as it does to his/her company's senior vice president. It belongs just as much to a military recruit on his first day in basic training as it does to a four-star general. It belongs as much to a child entering kindergarten this fall as it does to my school district’s recently retired superintendent and her successor.

And of course, this country belongs to the millions of people who have served their country in uniform: from Washington and the other Founders, to Grant, to TR at San Juan Hill, to my grandfathers, to my father, to Cliff.

This country belongs to us as much as it did to the 56 men who pledged “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Honor” to the cause of freedom 231 years ago. Or to the 39 who, eleven summers later, authored the Constitution.

Or the millions of working men and women in this country, without whom America would not be America.

Or the countless men and women who have died protecting us: Armed Forces personnel, firefighters, police officers.

Understanding that this country belongs to each and every one of us is what patriotism is all about. Patriotism doesn’t involve saying you support our troops despite supporting policies that harm them, i.e. an ill-planned war that has led to the loss of nearly 3,600 Americans. Nor does it involve calling people traitors just because they they happen to disagree with you. Nor does it involve ruthlessly attacking patriots such as Max Cleland and John Kerry.

Patriotism involves speaking up. Sharing your opinion. Demanding the truth. Expecting the best for our Republic. Insisting that good spring from bad, that the values we hold dear as a nation are not suppressed by a group of egotists seeking to serve themselves at the expense of others.

Countless Americans have sacrificed so much for this country, from the bitter winter at Valley Forge, through the bloody Civil War, through two World Wars, through numerous other conflicts, right into this one. We can't all serve in the military, but if our nation is to remain free, we must all do the example Jefferson laid out for us and fight for the America we desire.

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.