FLASH: Obama/Edwards/Richardson withdraw names from Mich. primary ballot

by: David Boyle

Tue Oct 09, 2007 at 13:54:21 PM EDT

Two of three leading Democratic presidential nominees have removed their names from the Jan. 15 Michigan presidential primary.
  U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards both filed paperwork to have their names withdrawn minutes ago with the Michigan Secretary of State's office.
  New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson sent a letter yesterday, also asking to be taken off the list.
  Today is the deadline for candidates to have their names removed.
  Michigan Democrats were under pressure from the national party to disavow the state's recent move to push the primary ahead of both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary in violation of party rules.
  The big question now is whether Sen. Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner among Democrats, will join the others and remove her name from the ballot.
  It wasn't immediately clear whether Michigan Democrats would now switch to their original plan to hold a caucus on Feb. 9. ...

  Indeed. (And see my own 9/10/07 Daily Kos diary Barack, John, Hill: take your names off Fla./Mich. ballots!; not that that makes me a prophet, but...)
  If Mark Brewer can't change the plan and have a February 9 caucus, perhaps he should consider resigning from office. He messed up seriously by caving in and supporting the rulebreaking early primary plan that defied the whole DNC and Howard Dean. (See my earlier diaries on this) How does he look now? And how do John and Debbie Dingell look? And, I must say, Jennifer Granholm and Andy Dillon, who were seduced by Mike Bishop into defying their own party's National Committee primary schedule?
  I hope this all teaches the MDP a serious lesson; part of which is that they have done a terrible, terrible job for the Democrats, and the people, of Michigan. (Including wasting time on the early primary nonsense, rather than getting ready for the budget battle with the Republicans...)
  Thanks to Barack, John, and Bill for upholding the integrity of the DNC primary process.

  (Note: as I'm completing this, I see the story's been frontpaged, http://michiganliber... . My commentary is something I want put up, though, so here we are.)

Who should primary Dingell? --Hieftje, Kolb, or Rivers? Vote

by: David Boyle

Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 02:25:58 AM EDT

  Suggest your own, but here are three options:

1) John Hieftje, Democratic mayor of Ann Arbor;

2) Chris Kolb, former Democratic state representative from Ann Arbor (53rd District);

3) Lynn Rivers, former Democratic congresswoman, who ran against Dingell in 2002.

  I know the three above are a little heavy on the western side of the district, but feel free to suggest others from Dearborn or wherever.

  Michigan doesn't need a rulebreaking early primary, it needs a reformed auto industry, and a serious turnover in its Democratic (and Republican) leaders. Unless you feel that Michigan Democratic leadership really is the best possible leadership available...

Presidential candidates should withdraw names from Michigan early primary ballot

by: David Boyle

Wed Sep 05, 2007 at 03:55:01 AM EDT

  "...some of the candidates -- including former Sen. John Edwards, who has invested heavily in building early momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire -- were said to be considering upping the ante by withdrawing their names from the Michigan primary ballot.
  Edwards campaign director David Bonior of Michigan didn't respond immediately to queries about his candidate's plans. But if one or more of the top contenders drops out, Michigan's Jan. 15 primary could quickly deteriorate into an insignificant sideshow.
  ...But [Carl] Levin said it was "inconceivable" that any Democratic candidate would do "something as self-destructive as taking their name off the primary ballot. ...
  In [a] letter, Levin and [Debbie] Dingell argued that it was New Hampshire -- not Michigan -- that first violated party rules by moving its primary from Jan. 22 to sometime before Jan. 19 in a "transparent effort ... to maintain its privileged position of going immediately after Iowa. ..."
  Levin said Michigan could revert to its original Feb. 5 primary date, but only if New Hampshire backs off its jump. ..."

  So, if NH goes 3 days before it should, then Mich can go...3 WEEKS before it should? Oy.
  --Note, though, how Carl Levin gives wiggle room for Michigan to cave completely. Astute, if belated. With a pathetic little "rebellion" like Michigan is mounting against the DNC and Howard Dean, no wonder Levin wants an out.

  Not even discussing related issues like primarying John Dingell out of office: I hope the presidential candidates remove their names from the rulebreaking Michigan primary ballot as soon as possible. It's actually good for Michigan, in the long run, since people will be taught that you can't win by cheating.

Granholm's hilarious letter to presidential candidates re 1/15/08 primary

by: David Boyle

Fri Aug 31, 2007 at 02:14:00 AM EDT

  And here's one fresh and fragrant nugget:

  "I understand that Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina are circulating a letter to presidential candidates that asks them to sign a pledge not to campaign in any state that gives its voters a real voice in the nominating process by moving its primary into the month of January."

  So Michigan and many other states are *REALLY VOICELESS* if they have a primary/caucus after midnight on Jan. 31. Excuuuse me, I never knew. Gallons of tears are rolling down my cheeks right now.

  There's also,

  "I hope you will recognize that these issues facing the people of Michigan are far more important than the politics of the parties' respective nominating contests."

  True. Which is why Granholm is...playing politics with her party's respective nominating contest. (rim shot)

  One could get nasty and comment on the possibilities that the super-early primary could function to, say, put both Granholm and one of the Dingells into Hillary's presidential cabinet (out of..."gratitude" to supporters of the early primary and of Hillary, maybe), and gratify another Dingell by extorting the Dem presidential candidates into axing the CAFE standards (to mollify Michigan special interests) and letting Detroit melt the globe instead of getting its act together as it should. But those are only hypotheticals, likely as they might be.

  At this point, I'd trade away Granholm as our governor in favor of Howard Dean as our governor, in a microsecond. Too bad we don't have that option. I guess Vermont got the good luck.