Political pundits have been burning up the air waves and nets this week analyzing Tuesday's primary election results with Rick Snyder's takedown if not takeover on the Republican side getting lots of attention.
Much less is being said about progressives and labor torching Andy Dillon's plans to capture the Democratic Party for Big Business and conservatives. Dillon's grand political plans are in ashes and he is the guy holding the match that lit the fire.
Dillon, the former Republican, had declared war on mainstream Democrats in a thousand different ways as Speaker. It was a battle started by Dillon that divided Democrats and gave Republicans control of the political message.
Progressive policies around consumer protection, energy, expanding freedoms, corporate accountability and other issues were smothered by Dillon's right-leaning politics and personal ambitions. His spectacularly goofy strategy of letting Senate Republicans define the debate around the budget not only divided his caucus it left them without any real political strategy on taxes and government spending. Dillon's failure to lead House Democrats with an aggressive, populist agenda for change now endangers their majority--a majority that enabled Dillon to become Speaker and for which he did nothing to create.
There are some who complained that Tuesday's Democratic primary election was just about Dillon wanting to "shake things up" within the Democratic party and Big Labor fighting to keep the status quo power arrangement. But it was never all about--or even mostly about--the Democratic party, labor or power for the sake of power. It was a fight over values and whether progressives would continue to have an important voice in developing policies shaping the future of Michigan.
Conservatives and big corporations already have a Grand Old Party. Dillon wanted to give them another one. That was unacceptable to progressives who work on health care, environmental, family planning, equality and other policy issues. And it would be disastrous for voters who want real choices come Election Day.
To be sure, Dillon had some support from mainstream, more progressive Democrats. State Sen. Gilda Jacobs threw an 11th-hour Hail Mary pass defending Dillon's pro-life position on abortion, claiming against all evidence to the contrary that he was no threat to pro-choice voters and supporters of stem cell research. It was an embarrassing display for Jacobs but in the end her efforts were to no avail.
Mainstream Democrats wisely decided that Andy Dillon did not represent their values and gave Virg Bernero an opportunity to lead them in November.
Labor gets the lion's share of credit for helping Bernero win the Democratic nomination for governor, pumping money and people power into a race where both candidates were relative unknowns. It made a huge difference.
But Bernero's progressive support was universal. Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Lone Tree Council, Clean Water Acton, Equality Michigan Activists, Justice Caucus, NOW--and others--united behind Bernero and against Dillon.
Planned Parenthood sent out 300,000 pieces of mail to Democratic primary voters letting them know the truth about Dillon's conservative record on abortion, family planning and stem cell research. Sierra Club made thousands of calls and sent mail debunking Dillon's claims about championing clean energy legislation. Hundreds of thousands of email messages and mailings were sent by Clean Water Action and others.
Meanwhile, Dillon's corporate allies operated on both sides of the primary, giving money to Republican candidates as well as Dillon in hopes of gaining even more political control than they already have in Lansing.
Progressives still play on an uneven political field when it comes to money and politics. But the threat that Dillon posed of conservatives and big corporations capturing complete control of both political parties in Michigan has ended. For now.
From my viewpoint as an advocate for the Second Amendment and as part of the pro-Life minority in the Democratic Party, I second (or third) your support for Cox. His record on both issues outweighs his past indiscretions. And as a northern Michigan resident, for what it's worth, I'd also like to add my Democratic support in your primary for both Jason Allen for the 1st Congressional District and Dennis Lennox in the 105th House District.
(Well, not quite. Seemingly all of Macomb County.... including 2 members of Dillon's own caucus.... except Mark Hackel, a candidate for County Executive, came out and endorsed Virg Bernero for Governor today)
The gubernatorial campaign of Virg Bernero received a big boost in Macomb County today when 36 prominent Democrats endorsed his candidacy over the competing bid by House Speaker Andy Dillon.
Those backing the Lansing mayor's run include three longtime officials from the past -- former congressman David Bonior, former prosecutor Carl Marlinga, and former state Senate minority leader Art Miller.
Bonior said he hadn't known much about Bernero until recently, when the mayor made numerous, spirited appearances on national TV and radio shows defending federal loans to ailing automakers. Bernero's impassioned support for working families and American manufacturers, he said, is what Michigan needs from its next governor.
Others backing Bernero include: county Treasurer Ted Wahby, Clerk Carmella Sabaugh and Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco; state Reps. Sarah Roberts and Fred Miller; county board Chairman Paul Gieleghem and 12 of his fellow commissioners; and Sterling Heights Mayor Richard Notte.
While Dillon and his supporter, Brady, continue to spin about Bernero's supposedly "anti-labor" record (despite the endorsements of the AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation, and the UAW, the state's largest union), labor-rich Macomb County is lining up to support Virg Bernero.
Not only that, but Bernero's endorsements today included David Bonior. As any good MichLib reader knows, Bonior is the chair of the board of American Rights at Work (a pro-labor organization), a former Labor Studies professor at Wayne State, and someone with a record of fighting for working families his whole career. It will be interesting hearing how David Bonior is spun into being somehow anti-labor too.
Also: Dillon got the endorsement of Buzz Thomas today.
(This definitely strengthens Dillon's position as candidate, and is more evidence of Virg Bernero's poor relationship with labor. - promoted by Eric B.)
It's time for Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, both of whom are increasingly distracted by campaigns for statewide office, to relinquish their critical leadership posts to legislators who are not so encumbered.
This week's candidate filing deadline seems an appropriate time for both leaders either to withdraw from their races or hand the ball to others who can focus full-time on the already critically delinquent work of fiscal reform.
Under Dillon and Bishop's leadership, the Legislature has already blown several important opportunities to reduce spending. Last month's legal deadline for rescinding a budget-busting 3% pay increase for state employees passed while lawmakers were on spring vacation. They've also failed to act on Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposal to lure about 35,000 teachers and state employees into early retirement, diminishing the savings the state might have realized by finalizing the terms of a retirement deal in a more timely way.
Dillon and Bishop like to say they have a good working relationship, but so far all they have to show for it is a bipartisan nothing-burger.
Each man has made notable efforts to jump-start the budget negotiation process. But neither has been able to rally his caucus behind what virtually everyone outside the Legislature agrees will be needed to fix Michigan's structural budget imbalance: a combination of spending cuts and the elimination of loopholes that currently exempt much of Michigan's economic activity from taxation.
Every day the standoff lingers is a day Michigan goes deeper into the hole. Taxpayers deserve a new legislative leadership team that is focused fully on the budgetary crisis at hand.
This very morning, as I ate my breakfast I happened to look down at the Detroit Free Press and read the
following:
"The Democratic gubernatorial campaign might get clearer today when
House Speaker Andy Dillon finally jumps in...
Dillon's entry into the Democratic race for governor has been awaited
in political circles the way frostbitten Michiganders wait for
spring...."
At this I nearly gagged on my hardtack and lard!
Andy Dillon? The Michigan springtime? Surely it must be a joke! Would
this be the same self-righteous mollusk who presided over a House so
inept and destructive to the very fiber of this beleagured state that
even my nemesis from the 1899-1900 session, the dastardly Edgar J.
Adams, pales by sheer comparison. Michigan's own Joe Lieberman stand-in
apparently feels inclined to run as a Democrat today...though surely we
can expect him to run as an independent spoiler if the whole of the
Democratic Party doesn't immediately accede to his wishes.
Balderdash, I say! Preposterous! Pure poppycock!
Well, my friends, one thing has become clear: if the State of Michigan
is in such disarray that a character such as Mr. Dillon can be
presented as a "very serious" Democratic candidate, perhaps being a
168-year old dead Republican isn't as much of a liability as I thought.
In that regard, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to
report to you that the "Idol of the People" has returned!
Today, I shall immediately commence formation of an exploratory
committee that will prepare my forthcoming intended re-election
campaign.
This column has been written about already here, but Jack Lessenberry completely misses the point in faulting Governor Granholm for signing a bad budget to prevent a government shutdown. The only thing worse than a bad budget would be a complete shutdown of Michigan government.
Think of the consequences -- and imagine what people like Lessenberry would be saying had the Governor refused to sign a budget and let the state shut down, in the ultimate Halloween nightmare. No Medicaid reimbursement. No inspections of Michigan agriculture. No pay for tens of thousands of state employees, who count on a regular paycheck to take care of their bills and families. Doing more damage to Michigan's credit rating. Adding uncertainty for businesses looking to locate here or that do business with the state. Limited state police protection (just imagine if something awful were to happen as a result).
Does Lessenberry really think these were viable options for the Governor? There's wide-spread agreement that we need to make long-term changes to the way Michigan does business. Lessenberry inaccurately states that the Governor "didn't make the faintest effort to move this state to a graduated income tax." However, just this March the Governor floated a graduated income tax to replace the Senate Republican-designed MBT surcharge - an idea Lessenberry wrote about at the time and supported!
Lessenberry's missing the point. Andy Dillon and Mike Bishop spawned this terrible budget, and left the Governor and the people of Michigan with no options with their eleventh hour nonsense. Lessenberry quotes Dillon as calling this year's budget "child's play" - with the damage they've done to our state already, we can only be thankful for one sane leader in Lansing... Jennifer Granholm.
He is right about one thing, though. Citizens should get vocal about this year's budget, and should contact their legislators (particularly obstinate Senate Republicans) to demand a budget that protects Michigan's future.
It's far past time to stand up and fight - and to place the blame squarely where it belongs, on Bishop and Dillon's "deal".
Until Friday at noon, consider this post just a teaser, but a tasty one at that. Once it goes live, you can watch it online here or check your local PBS listings.
The dapper Tim Skubick was kind enough to have us back, and I was joined by Mitchell Rivard from the MSU College Dems who blogs both here and occasionally at BFM, while Wes Thorp and our very own frequent commenter, Republican Michigander represented the Right.
We discussed the underage drinking by College Republicans provided by the Mike Cox, Mike Bouchard, and Bill Schuette campaigns up at their latest conference on Mackinac Island, and Republican Michigander was able to provide us with a first-hand account since he was in attendance. It also brought up an interesting discussion about the role of bloggers vs. journalists in reporting information, which I'm sure Eric B. would have a thing or two to say about it, given his career.
Other fodder included the budget currently being held hostage by Mike Bishop (R-Hair Gel) and it inspired a lively debate about the legislative process, and the legitimacy (or not) of what Bishop was doing, and the roles that Governor Granholm and Andy Dillon play in it all.
We ended the segment with a talk about the upcoming gubernatorial race. Personally, my favorite part was the mention by both Republican Michigander and Wes that the leading Republican candidates are just one giant mess. Wes mentioned Mike Cox's well-known martial infidelities, and the problems Bouchard (and the rest of the lot) has on name identification, and Hoekstra, well he didn't even really come up.
Either way, we all had fun with the lively debate, and I hope that it entertains and informs those who watch. Many thanks to Tim Skubick for having us on once again!
Here we are, yet again in another state budget mess, reading and hearing a lot more posturing from so-called leadership who've held their cards too close to their vest.
But there's been enough pussyfooting around; no more playing nicely, the gloves are coming off.
And so is the mask.
Stop kidding yourselves about Andy Dillon and who he really represents; look behind his mask.
Received the following missive from Henry Yanez by email today, passing it along in case you've not already read it elsewhere. (Follow below the jump.)
Death panel, indeed; perhaps the Dynamic Duo of Dillon and Bishop are beginning to realize they've gone too far. But don't assume they've clued in; make sure your state reps and senators hear from you about the potential havoc cuts may post to our state's welfare and security.
Speaker of the House Andy Dillon was kind enough to stop by the Big Tent while here in Denver. After getting a tour of the place, I managed to grab a couple of minutes with him to talk bloggers, Big Tent, and his take on the Michigan Legislative races for 2008.
The audio's not the best, so make sure your speakers are turned up. Many thanks to him for enduring the warmth of the Big Tent, to his staff for fitting the Big Tent into his busy schedule, and for the cool Michigan flag he brought me! I don't think any of the other 500 bloggers in the Big Tent got a flag! :-)
This is good news for Democracy and for the rule of law. The far right wing fringe in Michigan failed to get enough signatures for their frivolous recall petition for House Speaker Andy Dillon. Their attempt to disrupt the state legislature would have been harmful to Michigan, especially at a time when we need constructve progress, not chaos from some angry extremists who don't understand how taxes or economies operate.
Drolet and ilk, such as far-right radical Grover "drown government in a bathtub" Norquist, are a group of anti-tax zealots who offer only criticism and negativity and present no solutions of their own to the many problems faced by the citizens of Michigan.
All they have to offer is exactly the kind of minimalist, ineffective government we saw respond to Katrina.
They have a very narrow, ideological view of taxation that is not based in reality or pragmatism. They obviously do not have the best interest of the citizens of the state at heart because they offer no constructive solutions to any of the real problems we face, such as record layoffs and foreclosures.
On the other hand, Andy Dillon has been instrumental in the bill earlier this year which created 29,000 new jobs by investing in Michigan and brought the movie industry to Michigan by offering the best incentives in the nation.
What people like Drolet and Norquist do not understand is that taxes are merely the mechanism by which government generates revenue and that governments are non-profit, so if they really wanted to lower taxes they would offer meaningful ways to lower costs so we can cut spending and thereby legitimately and responsibly lower taxes.
The sad, inescapable truth is that Leon Drolet is more interested in pushing a failed ideology than in helping the citizens of Michigan.
Update 3: The House is adjourned until next Tuesday and both the Dems and Republicans are caucusing before they leave. Inside sources report that the Pro-Choice forces have stood strong against Dillon's attempts to call for a vote. Nice work folks!
Update 2:Keep Calling! Reports are coming in from across the state that Dillon's office is flooded with any Pro-Choice callers. Great work, folks - keep it up!!!
Update: Markos at DailyKos helped bring it to national attention and you can call Andy Dillon's office and tell him to say NO to SB 776 - 517.373.0857
Today will most likely turn out to be a day of shame for Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford, and a terrible day for Michigan tax-payers like you and me.
Despite a promise to his Pro-Choice House Caucus members, and an already-existing federal law banning the so-called late term abortions, Dillon has decided to waste tax-payer dollars and will most likely allow the political pandering to the right-wing that is Senate Bill 776 to go to a vote today.
As a woman, as a tax-payer, as a progressive pro-choice Democrat, I am so very deeply offended that a Democratic Speaker of the House would even consider such a move, much less attempt it.
Leaders are elected to stand up for their constituencies and the men and women they represent, not succumb to ultra-conservative lobbyists who grease the way for a small faction of society. So we are forced to ask -
Andy Dillon - who do you stand for - the People or the extreme right-wing groups?
Dillon met with the Pro-Choice caucus this past Tuesday after session. He then proceeded to meet with the Anti-Choice caucus Wednesday morning.
Legislative staffers have already been advised that session will most likely go late tonight.
A vote could happen as early as 4pm, after the last round of caucusing is finished.
Planned Parenthood sent out an email to their members around 1:45pm today asking that people contact their Representative for some last minute prodding.
Update! ... the echo chamber's first real reverberations, below the fold!
I got an e-mail from Leon Drolet this afternoon, wondering how I planned to spin Andy Dillon's vacation to Mexico this week. Drolet was clearly exorcised at this because he pointed out that the Capital Outlay Budget was rejected by ONE VOTE (if it'd been italicized, bolded, and underlined, Drolet would have hit for the cycle). Leon's latest dispatch from the trenches also included several words and phrases in all caps, leading me to believe that perhaps a shack in the north woods and a crayon scrawled manifesto may not be too far off in his future.
I don't plan to spin Dillon's vacation to Mexico, because it's a really stupid issue to raise. What's more, the people -- well, the chief antagonists, not necessarily the dimmer bulbs in this sordid story (we'll get to these good folks in a minute) -- objecting the most strenuously to his vacation know that it's stupid and why it's stupid. I'm sure that the only reason Leon bothered to contact me in the first place is to help keep the phony outrage pumped up, assuming I'd go to lengths to defend the trip after having regularly taken shots at Senate Republicans for having knocked off all of last July with the state budget deadline looming. Apples and oranges, or, if you're more Tee Vee inclined, Will and Carlton.
Leon Drolet, a former Republican state lawmaker and current Macomb County commissioner who helped organize the recall effort against Dillon, said recall opponents are trying to muddy up an uncomplicated issue.
"This is about citizens getting upset about a tax increase," Drolet said. "It turns out that raising taxes in the middle of a recession isn't a very good idea."
Leon Drolet, once a promising lawmaker, seems headed for a life of rule breaking, law bending and even *gasp* hard time. It seems that Leon forgot one of those rules about how a Political Action Committee (PAC) can't accept contributions from corporations. Guess what Leon did?
... the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance Foundation gave $11,000 to the Michigan Liberty Club, a political action committee (PAC) controlled by Drolet, on November 20, 2007.
-- snip --
The problem, says Rich Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, is that the Michigan Taxpayer Alliance Foundation is listed as a corporation in Michigan said, "That makes its contribution to a PAC illegal."
Leon's no stranger to breaking the rules. As recently as last fall, the Pig Man (now Recall Monkey) forgot to get a permit for his porcine pal Mr. Perks. The local cops had to haul Mr. Perks away to the pokey. Leon, of course, claimed that Mr. Perks was committing an act of civil disobedience by remaining in front of the Capitol building.
Not content to meander Lansing with his band of merry YAFers, Leon's latest trick seems to be trying to hoodwink folks into signing a recall petition against Speaker of the House Andy Dillon.
So Leon has to lie to get people to sign a petition. He only raised $5 in Andy Dillon's district to pay for his recall vendetta instead relying on out of state and outstate funding from rightwing checkbooks. He routinely breaks the rules and claims that it's "civil disobedience".
Someone put this monkey behind bars before he becomes (more of) a public nuisance.
Be the judge for yourselves, but in the last two I heard that signing this petition would prevent the gas taxes from being increased. The first one ... well, it's just pretty disgraceful, people from Highland Park brought to Redford and given paid-for hotel rooms to gather signatures.
Meanwhile, you can download segments from "Magic" Frank Beckmann's show this morning with Andy Dillon and Leon Drolet ... here.
Private investigators working undercover on behalf of Andy Dillon, say that the recall monkeys of Leon Drolet drove into Detroit and paid bums and crackheads to forge petition signatures. Using rented vehicles and coordinating through a temporary worker agency, recall petition circulators did things like go to homeless shelters (Third and Martin Luther King), according to the document.
In addition, investigators say petitions were hung from the doors in Dillon's district using commercial advertising companies ... the same kind of people who might otherwise hang fliers for pizza delivery specials. Recallers were also assisted by someone driving a truck with a Wisconsin license plate, according to the affidavits.
According to one affidavit, a petition circulator expressed concerns that tactics used on behalf of the recall team were clearly wrong.
"All they have to do is get a picture," Rose said, "and they will know it wasn't done right."
The comment was in regards to witnesses required for the petitions, witnesses the undercover operative said, were paid a premium price for their services ($15 a pop).
The undercover investigator who alleged these things had previously told "Rose" that she was not a resident of the district, even though she was gathering signatures ... which is against the law. "Rose" agreed that the woman should not change her address to a community inside the district, because it might affect the woman's supposed personal legal proceedings.
All in all, investigators say that they observed recall petition circulators picked up from locations in Detroit, Highland Park, and Farmington, and taken to the 17th District. They also say they have physical evidence -- photographs and audio tapes -- to back up their assertions.
Once I get some time cleared up, I'll see if I can upload the entire document.
Update! ... Here's a quick snippet of what's inside:
I've seen rumors, the last two days, that Andy Dillon will kill Senate Bill 776 or that the thing will be brought to a vote this morning. The bit about Dillon killing it, I read on RightMichigan, so I naturally don't give it a great deal of credence.
But, I'm also told that Democrats will meet in caucus today, and that the bill could be brought up in discussion (meetings have already been held, I understand). Whether that means anything ... I have no idea.
There's also word on the street that Steve Tobocman moved to bring the bill to the floor.
This is a difficult issue for me, politically speaking, because I think it would be in the party's best interests, and the best interests of progressives in general, to allow the thing to come to a vote, allow those pro-life members of the Democratic caucus to express their opinion, and send the bill to the governor for proper disposal. The bill is indeed divisive and reflects on the sorry, venal nature of partisan politics today (voted out of the Senate, as it was, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade). The governor has already vetoed similar legislation, and because it's so damned unnecessary thanks to federal law, she could again veto it with a clear conscience. Supple as a reed in the face of the hurricane rather than rigid like the oak, as they say.
The paranoid side of me also wonders whether it is coincidental that this bill has come up the week before the recall petitions for Andy Dillon come due. I mean, I saw someone suggest that we recall Andy Dillon, on this site, the other day, and wonder whether Leon Drolet is directly benefiting from this. We know, from Phil Power's column on the topic, that the GOP is backing the recall effort on the grounds that it would be a great feather in their caps to recall a sitting Speaker of the House (destroy the House to take control of it ... that's the GOP way). So, it's very unfortunate to me (even if you think it's warranted, it's still an unfortunate occurrance) that he is taking this kind of heat from progressives at a very critical moment.
On the other hand, I'm also pro-choice and have long advocated that progressive causes take up the NRA way of doing business -- fight for every inch, and refuse to back down. I'm also deeply offended at the way this bill has been foisted off on the public, an issue meant to make people angry rather than build sound public policy. The obvious intent behind it doesn't deserve the ratification given to it by the support of a legislative body.
Two long-term Lansing lobbyists, who wouldn't go on the record, told me big GOP money is behind the effort, "because it will be a big feather in their hat if they knock off the Democratic speaker of the House." They also mention House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, although he denies being involved.
The column's headline is "No reason for this recall attempt." Obviously, there is a reason for it, just -- according to a couple of lobbyists speaking on background only -- a reason that benefits a very narrow group of people to the detriment of the public as a whole.
My friends,
