Wednesday Coffee Talk

by: BZP

Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 07:24:01 AM EST

Happy Hump Day! Enjoy your cup-o-links...

• CNN Wisconsin Results: Obama 58% - Clinton 41%; McCain 55% - Huckabee 37%
• CNN Hawaii Results: Obama 76% - Clinton 24%
• DetNews: Obama, McCain win decisively. You can read the AP story here.
• The Fix: The Fix's First Take on Wisconsin Results. Chris Cillizza examines the primary results from Wisconsin.

• Michigan Messenger: Campaign seeks state Supreme Court election reform. "A busload of activists from Northern Michigan is headed to Lansing today to lobby for voluntary public financing of state Supreme Court campaigns. Current Michigan law does not require financial disclosure for television issue ads about the state Supreme Court."
• Dawson Bell: Mich. GOP chairman relishes game of politics. The accompanying profile of Mark Brewer by Chris Christoff can be found here: Brewer takes heat in stride.

• Flint Journal: A casino in Flint? Mayor says yes. "'It's going to be very difficult,"' Kildee said. 'I can't predict what's going to happen in the House, but the biggest hurdle is going to be in the Senate.' Kildee said U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has expressed "strong opposition" to the bill establishing more casinos."
• GR Press: Drug law hearings sought. More stonewalling on the push to repeal Michigan's shameful drug immunity law from Sen. Wayne Kuipers.
• Saginaw News: Groups upset with Kahn over drug law. ''Roger Kahn took a Hippocratic oath when he became a doctor,'' said Gleason, a Flushing Democrat, ''and yet he joins those who would delay justice. He's not only wrong politically, he's wrong professionally as well.''
• Walt Sorg: Interview with Rep. Mike Simpson on Drug Immunity. Kudos to Progress Michigan, Sen. Gleason and Rep. Simpson for turning the heat up on this issue.
• Macomb Daily: Rep. Bieda wants coin sellers to come clean. "Bieda's new proposal would require mints, issuers or foreign governments that advertise in Michigan to 'clearly and conspicuously disclose'" that such coins 'cannot be exchanged or redeemed at face value for U.S. currency in the United States.'"
• LSJ: Universities asked not to hire smokers. The Republican solution to rising health care costs? "Sen. Thomas George, R-Kalamazoo, challenged the presidents of the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan State University to find ways to make Michigan's population healthier, going so far as to ask the presidents to refuse to hire smokers."
• Freep: Patterson: Plans for Cobo going nowhere. "Most of that benefit [to the local economy] flows from the annual North American International Auto Show, and organizers have warned for years that the show's preeminence would fade if aging Cobo isn't expanded and upgraded."

• Michigan Messenger: High-tech firm plans to make super-tiny nanotech particles in Lansing neighborhood. "XG is seeking a tax break of more than $100,000 to put its production facility in Lansing. In return, XG will locate two or three jobs in the city. The proposed facility would be a test site to show potential buyers the production possibilities."
• Michigan Messenger: UP nickel mine clears DNR hurdle, opponents dig in. "This lease will leave the DNR and Michigan taxpayers vulnerable to bearing clean-up costs from pollution," NWF attorney Michelle Halley said, "and it would put the DNR in the inappropriate role of facilitating a mining district in the U.P."
• BFM: The Pile is Just Too High. The latest blog post from financial literacy expert Lois Gibbons.
• Saginaw News: Power plant battle hot. "Environmental groups are gearing up to block a $2 billion coal-fired power plant near the mouth of the Saginaw River in Bay County, along with another plant proposed for Midland by two out-of-state companies."

• BFM: Governor Granholm at Activate '08. Bruce has video of Gov. Granholm from last weekend's blog training.
• CNN Money: Delta-Northwest deal could mean fewer cheap seats. It now looks like the deal might be in jeopardy.