Yesterday, there was some exciting news in the world of Bart "Mr. Coathanger" Stupak, as local county commissioner and former schoolteacher Connie Saltonstall announced that she's going to challenge Stupak in the Democratic primary based on his anti-choice/anti-HCR stance:
WASHINGTON - Michigan's Bart Stupak, a Democratic congressman who could help bring down health care reform over an abortion provision, is getting a primary challenge this year.
Connie Saltonstall of Charlevoix said today she plans to run against Stupak for the Democratic nomination of Michigan's First Congressional District, citing Stupak's efforts to stop health care reform if it doesn't ban use of government money for abortions. Stupak, a former state trooper from Menominee, has held the seat since 1993.
...
"I believe that he has a right to his personal, religious views, but to deprive his constituents of needed health care reform because of those views is reprehensible," Saltonstall said in a statement.
Last August, a health care protest rally staged in front of the offices of MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer brought out Jackson County Commissioner Phil Duckham with a swastika sign. You can read more about that in my Huffington Post article. This Thursday, another such rally is scheduled.
So the question is: Will Phil Duckham stage a repeat performance?
A counter protest due to begin a 3:30 pm is planned and, if you have a chance to go, it might be worth a trip. If you take photos of any particularly "interesting" signs or activities, feel free to email me and I will be sure they get published prominently.
The official statement for the counter protest:
Dear Friend-
We urgently need your help. This Thursday, the Michigan Republican Party is planning to hold a health care protest outside Congressman Schauer's district office at 4:30pm. The GOP invitation says, "We need your help to stop Mark Schauer and the liberals from a radical government takeover of health care!"
During a similar protest last August, pro-health care reform activists outnumbered Tea Party protesters by a 4-to-1 margin, and we need your help to do it again. You can watch a video of Mark speaking at last summer's health care rally here.
If you agree with Mark that we need to fix our broken health care system, hold the big health insurance companies accountable, eliminate the prescription drug donut hole, and cut health care costs for working families, then you can show your support by attending a Rally for Health Care Reform this Thursday. Here are the details:
WHAT: Rally for Health Care Reform
WHERE: U.S Rep. Mark Schauer's District Office
800 W Ganson, Jackson, MI 49202
WHEN: Thursday, March 11, 3:30pm
WHY: To send a message that working Michigan families are ready to fight for health care reform
We're in the homestretch of a 62-year battle to fix our broken health care system. Mark is ready to get the job done, but the Party of No and their deep-pocketed friends are willing to do whatever it takes to defend the status quo for another 62 years. We can't let them get away with it.
Come show your support for health care reform and Mark Schauer this Thursday - and don't forget to tell your friends!
"We have outsourced a substantial portion of our manufacturing operations to countries in Asia..."
The far right already has its Tea Party. Now, it's got a Mad Hatter.
Because you'd have to be mad, right, to think that what Michigan needs is a corporate CEO. Because those CEOs have done a lot for the country, and for Michigan, right?
Wrong.
Now it's clear that Rick Snyder isn't a "tough nerd" but another fat cat bonus baby. In fact, he's so far from the realm of reason that he thinks we won't notice that he, like Dick DeVos before him, sent thousands of Michigan jobs overseas.
You'd have to be a Mad Hatter to think that what Michigan's hard-working families want is to wave goodbye to more jobs, so big business can benefit.
Organizing for America (OFA) is the organization that grew out of the Obama Campaign for Change (also known as Obama for America or OFA 1.0.) Right now they are currently engaged in holding Strategy Session around the country to give folks an overview of where we've been in the last year (including the things they did right and the things they did wrong) and where they are headed in the coming year.
This is a big year, particularly in Michigan because the party that controls Congress after November will have the most to say about the upcoming redistricting that happens following the 2010 census. Democrats received a huge setback ten years ago when the Republicans controlled both houses in Congress as well as the Michigan Supreme court.
In addition to midterm elections we also have the fight for health insurance reform along with climate change/green energy legislation, financial sector, and education reform ahead of us.
I attended one of these strategy briefings a bit over a week ago in Ann Arbor where over 100 people came to listen and learn. You can read more about that HERE and read more about other events that have taken place HERE.
I encourage you to find one near you in the coming weeks. You'll find a full schedule after the jump.
Here's the official OFA blurb on these events:
Join Organizing for America for a 2010 Strategy Briefing in your area. The Strategy Briefings are a chance to talk with OFA staff and other volunteers in your area about our legislative and electoral plan for 2010. As an organization, we have come a long way in the past year. We have lessons to learn from the budget pledge drive, health insurance reform, and the Massachusetts Senate Race. Now is the time to bring those lessons together and look forward to 2010. There are countless opportunities to create change in the coming year and we have an important role to play in making that happen. As a team, we will talk about how to be involved in creating change in our country, both legislatively and electorally. We will talk through national strategy and discuss together what that means for our local community.
Yesterday, February 6, three Democratic candidates for statewide office appeared on a panel to discuss their candidacy and to answer questions from the audience. The event was sponsored by People of Diversity United for Equality (PODUE) and was held at the Brown Chapel AME in Ypsilanti. In attendance were Alma Wheeler-Smith -- candidate for governor, Jocelyn Benson -- candidate for Secretary of State, and Richard Bernstein -- candidate for Attorney General. The forum was moderated by Rep. Rebekah Warren -- with opening and closing remarks by House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, both candidates for State Senate.
From L-R, Rebekah Warren, Alma Wheeler-Smith, Jocelyn Benson, Richard Bernstein, Pam Byrnes, Pastor Jerry Hatter
Okay, not the entire newspaper. But Heritage Newspapers employee Terry Jacoby anyway.
Stu Dowty is the chair of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. Since his election to that position in 2009, he has done a terrific job of leading the Dems. In answering a series of questionnaire questions sent to him by Mr. Jacoby, Stu demonstrates his extensive knowledge of both the "lay of the land" for Democrats in Washtenaw County as well as the facts and figures of health care and the position our country was in a year ago vs. today.
Last night, MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer spoke to the 2010 annual membership meeting of the Western Washtenaw Dems. During his conversation, he came out firmly in favor of a reconciliation path to passing health insurance reform legislation and was outspoken about the atrocious decision by the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) to allow nearly unlimited corporate funding of political campaigns.
We need to push a bill, maybe taking the Senate bill and modifying it, and put into it all the components that can be passed under reconciliation. The long and short of that is that it doesn't take 60 votes. It takes 51. That's actually what our democracy is about. Anybody that complains about that, I'm going to give it to 'em and say it's not 60 votes that's a majority, 51 votes is a majority.
As to timing, the discussion was relatively brief and consistent with prior discussions - Iowa/NH/SC/Nevada can go after Feb. 1, every other state goes after March 1, the rules should encourage regional clusters by offering incentives such as bonus delegates, the RBC will address enforcement procedures and sanctions, and the DNC will try to coordinate timing with the RNC rules committee. The RNC coordination process is ongoing.
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".
I know this was a few weeks ago, but I thought it should still be posted on here.
October 9-12, 2009. Over 100 Michiganders from Sault Ste. Marie to Kalamazoo joined together with the Michigan Democratic Party's LGBT & Allies Caucus for a ten hour bus ride to make the journey to fight for LGBTQ Rights in the Nation's Capital at the 2009 National Equality March. Many of those on the trip were students from around the state participating in a national event for the first time. Representatives from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Lansing Community College, Lake Superior State, Western Michigan University, Central Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College as well as members of PFLAG came together to experience a trip of a lifetime!
After the long bus ride we finally arrived at our destination and everyone was able to have a free day to explore the sights and sounds of D.C. Many took time to visit the many national museums and memorials, while others participated in one LGBTQ focused events throughout the day. Adam Taylor of Kalamazoo and Will Calhoun of Mount Pleasant watched on as the LGBTQ community honored the service of the U.S. military (especially those who cannot be open about being LGBT under the U.S. policy "Don't Ask, Don't Tell") by having a wreath placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers' at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. Cody Hebden of Lansing and Derrick Chamberlain of Midland/Sault Ste. Marie attended a workshop on Civil Disobedience, which was put on by Soulforce, which is a foundation that promotes "freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance" (www.soulforce.org). As the day turned into night, many Michiganders explored the nightlife of our nation's capital, especially in the District of Columbia's gay district known as DuPont Circle.
Sunday October 11, National Coming Out Day, was the big day and the main reason why we traveled over 500 miles to march for our rights as Americans, LGBTQ Americans! The National Equality March had an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Americans marching for the rights of the LGBTQ community. The March started at McPherson Square with a fired up crowd anxious for equality, then proceeded past the White House and ended at the West Steps of the United States Capital Building where the National Equality Rally. The march itself was so rich in spirit and energy with people from all ages, races, religions, genders and sexual orientations waving rainbow flags, chanting "Gay Rights are Civil Rights" and same-sex couples expressing their love for each other by holding hands.
After the 2.3 mile March, the National Equality Rally began at the U.S. Capital. Speakers ranged from Politicians such as Utah's openly homosexual state Senator Scott McCoy to Hollywood star Cynthia Nixon to movement leader Cleve Jones. One of the largest crowd pleasers was bisexual international superstar Lady Gaga, who stated "It isn't equal when it is sometimes." Also present were Milk screen writer and Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black fired up the crowd by saying "that we are fighting for full equality, from sea to sea, and not equality in some places and not others, and not equality in some distant future!"
Not everyone however was so excited about the March. Congressman Barney Frank, from Massachusetts said that the National Equality Marchers would only be "putting pressure on the grass" and suggested we keep the battle at home. Well, I believe that this March was not a waste of time. For many of the Michiganders this was not only their first march, but their first involvement in the LGBTQ movement. . Not only was this an emotional release but this March has inspired so many to take the fight back home, and we need equality in Michigan! We need to spread the message to every Michigander, "GAY RIGHTS ARE CIVIL RIGHTS." We should have the right to marry, adopt, not be fired from are jobs for being LGBTQ and simply live our lives happily without fear of harassment. It is time for Michiganders and all Americans to be treated equal ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST SOME TIMES!
(Much better than the rally to honor the energy feedstock that allowed the sun to never set on the British Empire taking place in Lansing today. - promoted by Eric B.)
This morning, the Midwestern Governors' Association begins a two-day Jobs and Energy Summit in Detroit.
If the future of American manufacturing lies in green industries, the Michigan governor's pursuit of jobs offers a cautionary tale.
I truly hope that something comes out of the MGA meeting, and I appreciate the Governor's ongoing efforts to bring clean energy jobs to Michigan. (Heaven knows we need 'em.)
Realistically, though, she can't do it all by herself.
A company considering a move to our state would be understandably put off by Lansing's non-stop infighting, our chronic unemployment, a crumbling infrastructure, and the low literacy level of our workforce.
What the radical right is doing right now in America is just plain wrong. They've launched a scorched-earth crusade against the President and his agenda. Their aim is not just to express their disagreement, but to defeat him by dragging the democratic process and our country through the mud. Fox TV's Glenn Beck is one of the loudest and most offensive of their crusaders.
Cross-posted at The Daily Kos. Please bop over there and Recommend it if you are feeling benevolent :)
The Tea Party Express rolled its malevolent way through Michigan today.
Noon: Jackson!
3:30: Brighton!
6:00: Troy!
I was invited by Organizing for America to join a few of my closest Livingston County Democratic, pro-health reform friends to attend the Great D-Bag Tea Bag Extravaganza in Brighton. Why can't they ever have these things when I don't have to take vacation time to go to them???!
I left work at 3:00, hit the Brighton exit at about 3:15 and then things got reeee-eeeally weird.
On the heels of my last Michigan related diary, which received some pretty suprising attention from the DLCC, I've decided to overview the potentially competitive State House Races going forward into 2010. By my count, about a third (34 out of 110) of the State House seats will be open in 2010, a far smaller percentage than in the State Senate, where at least 30 of 38 seats will be open. Although Democrats stand to gain several seats in the Senate, the House is not such a rosy picture. The competitive nature of the open seats means that there will be a lot of turnovers in the next election, but Democrats will at best only achieve a net gain of 1-2 seats, While the most likely scenario is a no net change to Republicans gaining 1-2. In a bad year Democrats could lose 5-6 seats, but I don't envision the Republicans gaining the 13 seats needed to take back control of the body. Democrats control the House by a 67-43 margin, after two successive cycles of huge gains (+6 in 2006 and +9 in 2008). You can view my Senate overview here http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/5225/early-look-at-competitive-2010-michigan-state-senate-races
Because most of the districts will be uncompetitive, I'm only listing ones that I consider to be "Lean" or "Tossup" districts. I will include, as in my Senate Diary, a list of announced and potential candidates and 2008 Presidential results.
As with last time, I'd appreciate any comments, criticisms, and corrections that the folks at Michigan Liberal have to offer.
Yesterday my Huffington Post piece recieved a LOT of attention and was on the front page and the politics page all day (still on the Politics page.)
Below is a pretty remarkable update regarding Jackson County Commissioner Phil Duckham who thought it appropriate to bring a swastika sign to the rally.
MichLib's Eric B. is point-on when he says this plan is “building a future based on making things worse for people.” A future constructed by winning a race to the bottom is no future at all. This is true not only of benefits for teachers, but for the economy in general. There are some who say that in order to compete for business, we’ve got to slash benefits, cut back on environmental protections, reduce wages, and scale back regulations. That’s an outdated way of thinking.
The number one thing businesses look for is a high quality-of-life -- that means world-class schools with great teachers, a 21st century infrastructure, pristine natural resources, and affordable high-quality healthcare. If we really want to transform Michigan, making sure we have a high quality of life is the way to do it. The Dillon plan will do nothing to make it happen.
As I'm sure all of you know, California has had a bit of a budget crisis. A deal has finally been reached, but the consequences are going to be devastating. I hope Michigan can find solutions that don't cause what is depicted in this video.
(Get to know a bit about Jocelyn Benson, Democratic candidate for Secretary of State. - promoted by rich)
Over 100 D.C. insiders and Michigan politicos showed up at a fundraiser on Capitol Hill last night in a tremendous show of support for Jocelyn Benson's bid to be our next Secretary of State. Obama Administration officials, House and Senate staffers and top tier national political operatives opened up their checkbooks and gave her a ringing endorsement.
Although (yet another) excruciatingly long floor vote on healthcare reform kept our Members of Congress from showing up personally, our distinguished Michigan delegation including Reps. Peters, Conyers, Stupak, Cheeks-Kilpatrick and Schauer all sent delegates from their offices to express their support for Jocelyn's candidacy.
And why not? To say the girl is qualified is an understatement!
Jocelyn started her career at the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama as an investigative journalist. She left to earn her Masters degree at Oxford University in the UK. During the 2004 Presidential election, Benson was hired to develop the first nationwide Election Protection program for the Democratic National Committee.
Since then, Benson has worked with Michigan Democratic Party's election protection effort and has developed and supervised two statewide non-partisan election protection efforts. She also worked with several groups to successfully block the closure of a Secretary of State branch office in Buena Vista Township, Michigan.
Neal Kemkar from Obama's voter protection legal team worked closely with Jocelyn during the 2008 campaign cycle.
"Our team worked with election lawyers across the country to protect citizens rights at the polls and to challenge the Republican disinformation campaign in certain states. In Michigan, we worked tirelessly with Jocelyn to fact-check and legally challenge unscrupulous efforts to prevent people from voting simply because their house was in foreclosure. I can't think of a more qualified, more passionate person to fill this office than Jocelyn."
I know many people think the Secretary of State is not sexy. But, as recent election results in Florida and Ohio have shown, the ethical - or unethical - behavior of the person who holds this office can choose the Presidency. Or in the case of Minnesota, who becomes our 50th senator.
And then there's her husband, Ryan Friedrichs. Cute as a button, Ryan makes the ideal candidate husband. He is widely respected for his work in increasing the civic participation of historically underrepresented voters locally and nationally for over 10 years, giving a voice to people who had no say in the system.
Just how did these two kids find each other?
I know its early to be thinking about the 2010 elections, but Jocelyn needs your support. She is tirelessly building the grassroots, fundraising and communications structure to show party leaders - and opponents - that she is a serious candidate who is serious about our issues. I've crawled out of my self-imposed hiatus in the blogosphere to show Jocelyn my support. I hope you will too.
Organizing for America (OFA) is the organization that grew out of the Obama Campaign for Change (also known as Obama for America or OFA 1.0.) Right now they are currently engaged in holding Strategy Session around the country to give folks an overview of where we've been in the last year (including the things they did right and the things they did wrong) and where they are headed in the coming year.
Last night, MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer spoke to the 2010 annual membership meeting of the 
