Michigan Liberal: - Recent Comments

I'm angry enough...

DemfromMidland — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:34:04 GMT

Since he first started being a dick about HCR last fall, I've been getting more and more enraged. For me, his latest antics were the last straw. Handing the seat to a Republican is just about worth it for me, knowing that Bart will no longer be around to piss inside the tent. I live less than 10 miles away from the southwestern border of his district, and his staffer was quite rude to me when I called to vent, though I was more than polite to her. I'm definitely in for $20 for Saltonstall!

You might wan to tell that

Nazgul35 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:50:02 GMT

to Stupak.

I agree with just about everything you said, but...

Brainwrap — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:36:12 GMT

...the thing is, Stupak is basically being a dick on two key issues here--he's threatening to destroy the best shot at healthcare reform (a key Democratic principle) in decades, while simultaneously making certain that another opportunity won't come around for decades more--and he's doing it all because of his extremist views about another key progressive principle (ie, reproductive rights).

Saltonstall may prove to be a lousy candidate. She may simply be too left-wing for the district. And she may end up losing a safe (D) seat to a Republican, assuming she manages to win the primary. However, as you say, at the very least, this should put some pressure on Stupak, and I do have to give her credit for being willing to stick her neck into a race that she knows is gonna come with a ton of nasty attacks on her and her family.

On the other hand, given the breaking news about the House Dems basically calling Stupak's bluff and telling him to go pound sand, the issue may be about to resolve itself anyway.

If the HCR bill passes as is in spite of Stupak's threats (and especially if he himself caves and votes for it after all), then the early spike in interest in Ms. Saltonstall will likely mostly dry up, since the very issue that caused her to run will become moot.

If, on the other hand, the HCR bill fails because of Stupak--thus dooming the Dems to lose the House and possibly even the Senate come November--then progressive rage will be focused squarely on taking it out of Stupak's hide, and Saltonstall has a fighting chance (even if she loses the General).

Right Battle

MiddleGrandGuy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:29:09 GMT

EDIT: I TOTALLY forgot about Stupak in The Family. Yeah, his Yooper @ss can go as far as I'm concerned. That's just one too many strikes, right there.

Wrong Battle

MiddleGrandGuy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:23:17 GMT

Not sure this is the right battle for progressives to be picking for the moment. Unlike someone like a Joe Lieberman, Stupak is quite literally liberal on every other issue but abortion. He gave one of the most epic anti-Iraq-invasion speeches I've heard yet on the floor of the House. And, if he comes around to vote for health care, which I believe he will, this won't really have been a huge issue.

No, he's not my favorite Democrat in Michigan's delegation, but he's certainly not the worst, or even the most conservative of the bunch, to be honest (i.e. take a look at Schauer and Peters).

I could definitely see myself routing for Saltonstall on the grounds of making Stupak know that his grandstanding wasn't appreciated, though. EVERY congressperson needs to be reminded every once and again that they are not invincible, and that they can be expendable. I was quite pleased, for instance that Mama Kilpatrick down in Detroit was put on watch in 2008 and warned that she had better get her house in order.

Stupak doesn't necessarily need to be replaced, but he does need to know that he's being watched, and being watched more vigilantly than ever before. He needs to know that holding up one of the most consequential and influential bills in modern American history because of his own cultural hold-ups WILL NOT be tolerated, again.

Stupak & Saltonstall

Brady — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:20:14 GMT

I don't think he was being sarcastic.

Regardless, Saltonstall will be old news by August regardless of what happens with health care. Stupak is loved by Yoopers and he's gained a lot of love in Northeast Michigan as well. He typically leads local ballots. Saltonstall has the handicap of neither being from the U.P. nor from Northeast Michigan. She's from one of the three northwestern L.P. counties in Stupak's district and perhaps the most Republican county (Charlevoix). She would actually have a better chance running against Stupak as a pro-choice Republican and that is no chance at all. She would have to raise $1 million to even have a shot at beating Stupak in the primary and even then would very likely hand the seat to the Republicans in November.

Has MiCox ever had an original thought?

helzapoppn — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:55:06 GMT

Just wondering.

Local media Exposure

OTRDriver — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:55:38 GMT

Why is it the local media outlets don't print this kind of stuff? I found it extremely interesting the amount of people who were going to vote for Michael Cox before the article about his B/S phone record amnesia. This is the stuff that has put Michigan in the poor house for years. The people of the state don't take the time to research or have the knowledge.

They just take what they hear as fact and put these jerks in office.

I assume you're being sarcastic?

Brainwrap — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:11:08 GMT

There's been at least a dozen diaries about Saltonstall over there in the past 2 days (2 of which by myself), several of which have made the Rec list, and most of which include the ActBlue links.

FWIW, at this writing, she's up to around $12,000 via ActBlue.

Stupak

cueball — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:10:25 GMT

I see Rachel Madow is going after Stupak and raising some very interesting questions about who has paid his room rent all these many years. She also points out his anti-abortion ploys can't be included in health care legislation under the reconciliation process.

It looks like Michael Moore is taking up the cause also. Maybe there is hope for rational representation in D.C. come November.