Presidential primary augers into side of mountain

by: Eric B.

Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 14:59:48 PM EST

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Supporters of Michigan's Jan. 15 presidential primary still were waiting Tuesday to hear if the state Supreme Court would allow the election to be held. But the Michigan Association of County Clerks said it wants to pull the plug on the election, now less than 60 days away.

The group said it's too late to guarantee that absentee voters - especially military members serving overseas, the elderly and disabled - will have enough time to apply for their ballots and return them on time.

"Unless Santa and his reindeer are prepared to deliver the ballots, it will be virtually impossible to get absentee ballots to everyone who requests one for the Jan. 15 primary," Saginaw County Clerk Sue Kaltenbach, who will become the association's president in January, said in a release.

Jan 15 Presidential Primary - Hearing before Court of Appeals

by: Grebner

Fri Nov 16, 2007 at 00:02:38 AM EST

Saul Anuzis hearts 1/15 primary in DetNews today. The Dingell-endorsed primary

by: David Boyle

Tue Nov 13, 2007 at 14:18:00 PM EST

...Now, a small, but vocal faction within the Michigan Democrat [!] Party is working behind the scenes to scuttle our chance to play a pivotal role in selecting the presidential nominees. ...
  It is time for Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives to act and adopt legislation -- that passed the state Senate -- to once and for all set Michigan's primary for Jan. 15. ...

  So, Saul is working with...Debbie "blow up New Hampshire and Iowa [!]" Dingell against these pesky

  DEMOCRATS.

  Is there something wrong here?? ?
  (And Deb is saying there'll be a Jan. CAUCUS if no primary...does she ever learn?)

  See philgoblue's current diary for ways to save your own vote being counted at the 2008 Dem national convention with a Feb. caucus.

  (Brief info:

MDP: (517) 371-5410
midemparty@michigandems.com)

  Act now before it's too late and demand a February 5-or-later caucus! The vote you save will be your own!
  You can count on neither Saul Anuzis nor Debbie Dingell to protect your enfranchisement, I am sad to note...

State appealing primary knockdown; fight back

by: David Boyle

Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 14:29:14 PM EST

  Supporters of reviving a joint presidential primary in Michigan on Jan. 15 aren't giving up.
  State officials said Friday they will file an emergency appeal of a court ruling that kept Michigan from moving near the front of the pack in the presidential primary season. ...
  "We believe the Legislature passed this law for a reason," said Secretary of State spokesman Ken Silfven. "That's so Michigan's issues can have the national attention they deserve." [Or so party structures can steal public property, Ken, re:]
  The conflict is a provision giving the state Democratic and Republican parties exclusive access to lists of who voted in their party's primary. ...

  So the amoral group of horse thieves known as "Michigan Politicians" (with some noble exceptions like Andy Dillon) are still trying to take property from you, the public, and give it to themselves. I guess they didn't learn anything from Grebner's lawsuit... Zombies, zombies, zzzombies.

  For some de-zombification, you too can be a "Slayer" and go to this informative diary to get contact info on how to tell your hired servants in public office to stop stealing from you, etc. Good luck!!
  (If a lot of you fight back, I'll give you 2-1 odds over the zombies PLUS Jason and Freddy thrown in, maybe even the "Saw" guy...)

DetNews: primary gutted, Dillon cites wastefulness, Dingell feverish

by: David Boyle

Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 02:39:46 AM EST

  Michigan lawmakers failed Thursday in their attempt to save Michigan's endangered Jan. 15 presidential primary. [Yes!]
  The Senate voted 26-9 on a bill to restore the primary in a way that could pass legal muster with a judge who this week declared the law establishing the primary unconstitutional. But Democrats refused to vote for a companion procedural motion to give the bill "immediate effect." And without that, the bill cannot become law until around March 1 of next year -- long after the proposed primary vote. [Go Dems!] ...
  The bill's sponsor, Sen. Michelle McManus, conceded that without immediate effect the primary is all but dead. She blamed Democrats and their union allies who want party caucuses, rather than a primary. [Ha ha Michelle McM! Gotcha!]
  Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, had urged his colleagues during Senate debate to vote to restore the primary.
  "If you don't support immediate effect, you have destroyed our opportunity to have a presidential primary on Jan. 15," he said. "Make us relevant in this (nominating) process." [Mike Bishop: Debbie Dingell's and Jennifer Granholm's GURU on this issue...]
  Bishop was hoping the House would pass the bill and return it to the Senate, where another vote on immediate effect then could be held. But later Thursday evening, House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, cast doubt that will happen. Dillon said the primary wouldn't be very meaningful if all of the Democrats, except Clinton, decide not to participate.
  "It costs us $10 million to have the election," Dillon said. "When the (top) Democrats pulled out, it hurt the quality of it ... I'm not sure it's worth $10 million to hold a primary that only involves one party." [ANDY DILLON FOR GOVERNOR!!!] ...
  Debbie Dingell, a Michigan member of the Democratic National Committee, worked feverishly to round up votes for the primary. And she said Thursday it isn't dead. [Feverish ol' Deb, failing fast...]
  "Not yet," she said. "We're still moving forward on the legal side and the Legislature may come back next week and could take it up."
  If the primary isn't held, Dingell said the fallback plan is to hold a Democratic caucus the same day as New Hampshire's primary, which will take place in early January -- although the date has not yet been set. [Why not Dec. 15? Scoop the whole country!]
  "I want the primary because I think it's the right thing," Dingell said. [Debbie Dingell--modern Gandhi, General Motors style.] ...

  2 tiny points:

1) I will likely advocate publicly for the recall, or removal from the DNC, of anyone who tries to hold a crazy-stalker-of-New-Hampshire early-January caucus;

2) as of yesterday's Senate vote; Debbie Dingell, Mike Bishop, and Saul Anuzis--and, yes, Jennifer Granholm--: Michigan Liberal bloggers like philgoblue, and courageous Michigan Senate Dems on Thursday, have kicked your sorry, treacherous *** re the early primary. And we will keep embarrassing you in public, the more you act like ***es.
  And learn to enjoy it, because that's what we're here for.

Repub Senate + Deb D: put Barack/John/etc. on ballot against will

by: David Boyle

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 21:43:34 PM EST

  ...The legislation the Senate voted on Thursday aims to mak[e] the problematic clause separable from the rest of the legislation. That would allow the primary to be held even if that portion of the law is again challenged in court.
  The law would give party leaders until Nov. 14 to inform the Michigan Secretary of State whether they would proceed with a primary. It also has measures to try and make sure all major candidates from both parties would be on the ballot. ...

  On the ballot against their will, that is. Obama, Edwards, etc. Classy move. Clas-sy.
  Any Democrat supporting this should be recalled, I'm tempted to say. (Though one can't exactly "recall" Debbie Dingell, who is working hand-in-glove with the Repubs and Saul Anuzis on putting a gun to Obama/Edwards/Richardson/etc.'s heads, see my previous diaries...)

Deal hatched on Jan. 15 primary?

by: Eric B.

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 12:50:46 PM EST

The Michigan Senate is standing at ease until approximately 3 p.m. this afternoon.

At 3 p.m. the chamber is expected to take up legislation repairing the January 15, 2008 Michigan Presidential Primary.  Recall that Wednesday, Ingham County Circuit Court Judge William COLLETTE tossed out the primary law as unconstitutional because it granted sole ownership of the resulting voter lists to the state's two major political parties.

Senators are also waiting to see what, if any action the Michigan House takes on a possible repeal of the new services tax that is slated to go into effect on Dec. 1 of this year.

MDP -OPEN-to-public-?? meeting on 11/7; demand a Feb. caucus & enfranchisement (MO further updated)

by: David Boyle

Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 19:25:09 PM EST

  Meeting location (MDP headquarters): 606 Townsend, Lansing, MI 48933

  MDP phone: (517) 371-5410

  MDP e-mail(s): jwarman@michigandems.com, Joanne Warman, MDP Receptionist
  (and/or jmoon@michigandems.com, Jason Moon, MDP Communications Director ...you can just put both in the "to" box)

  Hey, they might even have to listen to you if you show up in person, see the MDP rules here (unless they got secretly changed or something):

...ARTICLE 2. POLICY
A. Fundamental Principles

1. All public meetings at all levels of the Democratic Party in Michigan shall be open to all members of the Democratic Party regardless of actual or perceived race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, economic status, religion, ethnic identity, ancestry,marital status, sexual orientation, physical appearance or disability. ...

3. The time and place for all public meetings of the Democratic Party on all levels shall be publicized fully and in such a manner as to assure timely notice to all interested persons. Such meetings must be held in places accessible to all Party members and large enough to accommodate all interested persons. ...

9. Votes shall not be taken by secret ballot at any meeting of the Democratic Party in Michigan at any level. ...

  It's YOUR Party. Do you want your vote to count, and the right to vote for all the 2008 candidates; or do you want some "beauty contest" that even Hillary said doesn't matter, and with most of the major candidates absent? Your Party, your choice.
  Let your voice be heard!!

  (And don't forget the lawsuit against the 1/15 primary by Mark Grebner due to the parties hogging election info, see the estimable Eric B. in State sued over presidential primary;
  nor forget state Dem rep Martin Griffin's attempt to undo the early primary, see here,

State Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson, is pushing legislation that would effectively cancel the state's 2008 presidential primary.
He says the state can't afford a $10 million primary that no longer makes Michigan relevant in the Democratic process. ...
"In these tough economic times, taxpayers can ill afford to bear the cost of a presidential primary," he said. "The benefit to holding the primary is lost."

  Go Michigan democracy! Go Michigan Democrats!
  (And vote tomorrow...thanks!)

  UPDATED: also recall that, cf. philgoblue's diary, On the Primary Crisis: What's Next, Kent County Democrats are demanding to be enfranchised with a Feb. caucus, and cf. sndowty's diary Washtenaw Dems Resolution on Jan. 15th Primary to similar effect re Washtenaw Dems, etc. If MDP leadership insists on ignoring the people, they could find their own seats jeopardized at the next election...

  FURTHER updated: looks like meeting may be *Closed to Public!!! !!*, see comments below. (Why should your Flawless Leaders ever listen to you anyway?) However, you can always

1) stand outside the meeting with a sign (or would they have you arrested),

2) express your displeasure with a closed meeting of a supposedly "democratic" organization...either by phone, or e-mail, or on this blog, etc.,

3) anything else you can think of, to fight your own disenfranchisement!!!

  MO further updated: a comment below sez that the meeting's now open, so that the ol' title "MDP *CLOSED-TO-PUBLIC* meeting on 11/7; demand a Feb. caucus & enfranchisement (FURTHER updated)" may be superseded, hopefully...

Debbie Dingell hearts Anuzis: involuntary servitude for Obama etc.

by: David Boyle

Thu Oct 11, 2007 at 22:23:48 PM EDT

Political leaders of both parties are pushing for the state Legislature to place the names of four Democratic presidential candidates back on the Jan. 15 primary ballot, trying to undo the damage to Michigan's political clout when the candidates removed their names from consideration this week.
  Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell and state GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis both support the idea; Anuzis said today the Republican leaders of both chambers of the Legislature are on board. ...
  "We have to be prepared to play hardball," said Dingell, the wife of U.S. Rep John Dingell, D-Dearborn, and a prime mover in the bid to challenge Iowa and New Hampshire. ...

  That's just what Michigan's image needs: a white woman (person) who married into power, forcing an African American (Obama) and a Latino (Richardson), plus some others, to be forced to do something they don't want to do. 
  And cuddling up with "Super Saul" Anuzis to do it. Now isn't that special.

  Wasn't involuntary servitude abolished a long time ago??

  ...Why hasn't Debbie Dingell resigned from her position at the DNC, or been forcibly removed from it? She isn't happy there. And she clearly has no respect for the DNC, or maybe for anyone else either, maybe. (Except for her husband or General Motors--hard to tell the difference between them--, and Hillary, who could advance Debbie's career.)

  Yes, involuntary servitude got abolished a long time ago (that "Civil War" thing), but not everyone has noticed, I guess...

MDP should enfranchise voters: hold a February caucus

by: David Boyle

Wed Oct 10, 2007 at 17:51:15 PM EDT

  Therefore, Obama or Edwards or Richardson or Biden or (tried to withdraw, but too late?) Kucinich may not deserve your anger for following the DNC rules, but rather, the MDP deserves that anger for NOT following the rules; since the MDP can enfranchise you and get your vote counted any time you want, but they have refused to do so, so far.

  That is, they can hold a February caucus, Feb. 5 or later (say, Feb. 9), and stay within the scope of the rules. And get the delegates counted. (Unless they enrage the DNC in some other way) Or they can refuse to do it, and keep you disenfranchised.

  Would you like to be enfranchised? and do something positive, rather than seething with negative feelings and feeling powerless? Just contact the MDP, and ask that they immediately enfranchise you by holding a February caucus.
  MDP phone number: 517-371-5410.
  MDP Communications Director Jason Moon e-mail: jmoon@mi-democrats.com.

  Have a great democratic/Democratic day!

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.)

Florida Dems retreat from early-primary mess

by: David Boyle

Sat Sep 15, 2007 at 16:45:07 PM EDT

  "Florida Democrats, unable to work out a compromise to avoid harsh sanctions imposed by the Democratic National Committee, appear ready to give in and declare the Jan. 29 presidential primary meaningless.
  While state party officials insist no ''consensus'' has been reached on what the party should do, there is a growing recognition that within the next week Democrats will announce a plan that renders the primary vote nonbinding in order to comply with national party rules. Florida Democrats will instead decide some time after Jan. 29 which presidential candidate is the winner of the state's delegates to the national convention. ...
  ''The positive thing about this is reality may finally be setting in at the party that delegates will not be selected on the 29th of January and if we want to have delegates we need to have an alternate plan,'' said Allan Katz, a Tallahassee attorney and member of the Democratic National Committee. ..."

  Good. I'm glad Howard Dean and the DNC stuck to their guns.

  There's another state Democratic party I could think of, that should be taking the same lessons fast. At least when they're done with the budget mess: a mess that got exacerbated by wasting time to declare a rulebreaking "early primary" in the first place.

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.

Will some legislator please draft a "Move the primary to 2/5/08" bill?

by: David Boyle

Tue Sep 04, 2007 at 02:04:02 AM EDT

  Thanks for doing your job!

*UPDATE*: Obama, Edwards, Dodd, Richardson, Biden AND HILLARY pledge to avoid Michigan primary

by: David Boyle

Sat Sep 01, 2007 at 14:06:35 PM EDT

  See, e.g., Daily Kos, Breaking: John Edwards signs Four State Pledge. It reveals that Obama, Edwards, Dodd, Richardson, and Biden have all done the right thing and pledged to stick with the four states Howard Dean and the DNC are happy with keeping first: a geographically diverse array of early primary/caucus states, Iowa (Midwest), New Hampshire (Northeast), South Carolina (South, and considerable African-American representation), and Nevada (West, and considerable Latina/o representation).

  I could write a long thing about this, but...does the Granholm/Brewer/Dingell early primary idea look like a

  GOOD IDEA

now?
  Maybe not, huh.

MDP caves on early primary to Mike and Jen; or, Brewer brews trouble

by: David Boyle

Sat Sep 01, 2007 at 02:35:28 AM EDT

  "The Michigan Democratic Party formally endorsed the state's move to a Jan. 15 presidential primary late today even as two of the party's presidential candidates signed pledges not to campaign here.
  The party released a statement announcing its intention to participate in the early primary and award presidential delegates according to votes cast that day rather than in a party caucus that had been set for Feb. 9. ..."

  I always kind of wondered about Brewer, and maybe I was right, judging by the article above...


  Let's see what MDP says tonight at http://www.michigand... :

"Michigan Democratic Party Statement on January 15th Primary

"The leadership of the Michigan Democratic Party today announced their intention to comply with the new state law establishing a January 15, 2008 Presidential primary, and to select their delegates to the Democratic National Convention on that day."

[How about complying with DNC policy?]

"Michigan Democrats are taking this step in direct response to the New Hampshire Secretary of State's statement of intent on August 9th, supported by the Democratic leadership of New Hampshire, to hold the New Hampshire primary before January 19, 2008, in direct violation of the DNC Rules that state that New Hampshire's delegates cannot be selected at a primary held earlier than January 22, 2008."

[Oh those dirty New Hamsters! Violating a deadline by 3 days, so that we can now violate our OWN deadline by...21 days? (1/15 instead of 2/5)
...Gee, I guess two wrongs make a right after all, huh Mark!! Talk about contrived excuses.....]

"Michigan Democrats believe that no state should enjoy a privileged position every four years in selecting our party's presidential nominee.  ...

[But Mich has just thrust itself into such a position!  The 1st primary after New Hamp!]"

  By contrast, see this 8/22/07 MDP release (wonder how soon it'll take to be erased), at http://www.michigand... ,

"Brewer Statement on Senate Republicans Passing Primary Bill

...Mark Brewer released the following statement regarding the Michigan Senate Republicans decision to pass a presidential primary bill.

"It's unfortunate that the Senate Republicans passed this presidential primary bill today. The Michigan Democratic Party continues to oppose this bill and we applaud all the Democrats in the State Senate for unanimously voting against it. We look forward to having our caucus plan approved at the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting this Saturday in Washington, DC."

  Well! How the leopard has changed his spots. Mm mm mm.

  ---Now when Pennsylvania moves its primary to Halloween (say), we'll have no grounds to complain...

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.

Dean, DNC deck Florida for early primary

by: David Boyle

Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 15:09:31 PM EDT

  "The Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to strip Florida of all its delegates to the 2008 democratic National Convention, acording to The Politico. http://www.politico.... ...

Some background may be found here, in a good article from this morning's Washington Post.  http://www.washingto...

Update 1:  It appears that the vote to impose sanctions was nearly unanimous; only one clear dissenting (voice) vote was heard.  The move here is clearly a shot across the bow of Michigan, which is considering legislation to set a January 15 primary that would force New Hampshire up to January 8.  I'm somewhat surprised by the near unanimity here, which is a clear sign of strength for Chairman Dean, who has been a vocal critic of states jumping the gun. ..."

  Well.
  Let's see whether Granholm and others get the message or not. . .