Teabagger candidates take refusing to talk to the press to new heights

It’s pretty sad that federal Republican teabagger candidates refuse to take to the press; instead taking the advice of queen teabgger Sarah Palin and “talking through Faux News,” but fellow Alaskan teabgger Senate candidate Joe Miller took it a step further and arrested and handcuffed a member of the conservative mainstream media.

Palin, Miller, Sharon Angle and Jan Brewer in Nevada, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and Rand Paul in Kentucky are staying away from real media in favor of the propaganda arm of the GOP, but they are even avoiding some hosts on faux in favor of more friendly interviewers like sean haity as they run away from their previous extremists positions for the General Election, such as killing Social Security and Medicare and privatizing the VA.

Even U.S. Rep. John Dingell’s opponent is running away from his primary election position on Social Security and Medicare, even though it is in print for everyone to see.

But Miller takes the cake. Alaska Dispatch staffer Tony Hopfinger dared to ask Miller about his record as attorney for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. According to published reports, Miller said last week he would no longer talk about his personal background. Miller was disciplined for violating the municipality’s ethics policy in 2008 when he was a part-time borough attorney. Miller used borough computers for political purposes in 2008 when he organized a failed effort to oust state Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich.

Apparently, Miller thinks his conduct as a public official is his “personal background.”

As a former reporter for more than a decade, I can tell you reporters are treated with a little more respect because what they say or write reaches so many people. If a reporter gets treated so badly, you can just imagine how badly a constituent will get treated. Why does a Senate candidate even need private security? I have seen Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow show up at events alone and at most with a staffer. Considering how hateful and violent some teabaggers are it appears they have more guts than Miller.

There is no doubt that the teabggers are dragging the Republican Party off the cliff, and every reasonable or moderate Republican that wants to clean up the mess left by Bush is drummed out of the party.

It’s telling that every single Michigan Republican statewide candidate but GOP Gubernatorial candidate Rick “The Chief Executive Outsourcer (CEO)” Snyder appeared at another teabagger rally on Saturday in Livonia; including the candidates for Attorney General, Supreme Court, Secretary of State and the candidates opposing Dingell and U.S. Reps. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfied Township.

Another corporate and GOP lobbying firm sponsored teabagger bus tour was launched by Palin on Monday, and it will only stop in places where Republicans have a chance to take Democratic seats, including the districts of Schauer and Peters here in Michigan.

Do you remember the days not so long ago when teabaggers claimed that the “movement” was nonpartisan and “not about Democrats or Republicans?” So long ago; almost two years.

If you need further evidence of the radical extremist direction of the GOP, we have the words of Palin at the event.

“Heaven forbid the GOP machine strays from this message," said the unsuccessful Republican vice presidential candidate. “If so, the GOP is through."

On that, I agree with Palin.

Dingell gets endorsement of conservative Detroit News

The endorsements continue to pile up for the Dean of the U.S. House, Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, this one from the conservative Detroit News.

The endorsement of Dingell – and one other endorsement - is the only part of the editorial I agree with that is also a cheap attack on Democrats and liberals. I do agree with this one sentence, “we feel he should remain in Congress,” “because he fought for the domestic automobile industry.”

That alone is a great reason for voting for Dingell, but the good news is there are plenty more reasons to vote for him.

All of the other endorsements are for the most out of touch, right-wingers possible, with the exception of Dingell and Sen. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, the candidate for the 13th Congressional District. Even the rightwing editor Nolan Finley couldn’t go as far as endorsing Dingell and Clarke’s opponents, but it must have pained him to do so.

There is no doubt that Dingell is the best choice for voters in the 15th District, but it’s sad they used it to take a backhand slap at President Obama and the Democratic leadership.

The fact that the conservative editorial board endorsed the extremist opponents of U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills; U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek; State Rep. Gary McDowell, D-Pickford; and Democrat Pat Miles, a Grand Rapids attorney, speaks volumes for the Dingell endorsement.

He had to overcome a lot for the editorial board not to endorse his extremist opponent.

‘Both Mark Schauer and John Dingell have earned new terms’

The Toledo Blade, one of America’s great newspapers, said it best today: “Both Mark Schauer and John Dingell have earned new terms.”

The endorsement offers a very good question on why his opponent, “Robert Steele, an Ann Arbor cardiologist, is rich enough to have poured considerable assets into his campaign,” is qualified to run for office:

“Mr. Steele offers the curious argument that he should be elected because he is a newcomer who knows nothing about politics. How would he feel about a would-be cardiologist who made a similar claim?”

Good question. The clear choice is U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, for re-election.

The editorial also makes an excellent case for re-electing U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek.

“That outcome was partly due to President Obama's statewide victory. But it also happened because Mr. Schauer, a devout Methodist with moderate stands on most issues, was far more representative of the district than Mr. Walberg, who pursued a hard-right social agenda.”

November looks good for Democrats

Like every other political junkie in Michigan, I’m still digesting last night’s primary election results, but for the most part I am a happy man because most of the candidates I supported won.

I haven’t posted recently because I was busy campaigning over the weekend, and those candidates I worked for – soon to be Senator-Elect and former Rep. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, and Congressman John Dingell, D-Dearborn – won their races.

I was elated to see Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero win with such a big margin – 59 to 41 percent – and I am even happier to see who he is running against, chief job outsourcer Rick Snyder. That certainly proves teabaggers are a fringe group. One Livingston County rightwing blogger had this headline in a pre-primary post: “No Rick Snyder for governor. Anybody in the primary but Rick Michigan.”

Not to worry; it will be Virg in November. Let the speculation about his running mate begin. I’m nominating House Majority Floor Leader Kathy Angerer, D-Dundee. The anti-choice Democrat will bring in the Andy Dillon supporters.

I see little difference between the last GOP Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and Snyder. Like DeVos, Snyder sent jobs to China, and well as Mexico, while the head of Gateway Computers.

I spent last Sunday walking in the Monroe County Fair Parade for Dingell. Monroe is my hometown, and because I still have lots of friends and family there, I volunteer there often. After the parade I did a three-hour shift in the Monroe County Democratic Party booth, which was really a tent. I was wearing my distinctive red, “Team Dingell” shirt when this goofy looking guy came into the tent and introduced himself as “Dr. Rob Steele,” and he was the "guy who was going to retire John Dingell.”

Apparently, it really was teabagger Republican candidate and Ann Arbor-area cardiologist Rob Steele. It caught me off-guard that he would seek out a confrontation, so the only witty come back I could come up with was “in your dreams.” He went on about how it was time for Dingell to retire then tried to make conservation when he noticed the hat I was wearing said “U.S. Navy retired.” I just told him to move on. I was so suspired by the arrogance that I was caught off guard.

It was only after I found out a little about him that it was cleared up. He is a teabagger who seeks confrontation, and he is a doctor. Like Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw, who is also a cardiologist, he appears to be a little arrogant.

The other Congressional candidate I volunteered for, State Sen. Hansen Clarke, D-Detroit, unseated incumbent Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick for the seat in the 13th Congressional District with a resounding 48-39 percent win. It will be nice to see someone with some real passion and above reproach ethics in that seat.

I feel much better about the race for the other two competitive Congressional seats. U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, will again get the opportunity to beat extremist Republican and loser Tim Walberg in the 7th District.

U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, will face perennial loser and sacrificial lamb Andrew Raczkowski in the 9th U.S. House District.

Locally, I was disappointed to see Teabagger Republican Joe Hune win in the 22nd Senate District, I guess that proves Republicans will vote for name recognition, no matter how extreme and wacky their positions are. I can’t wait for the debate when he goes against someone who really knows the issues, like Democratic candidate Chuck Fellows.

I also can’t wait for November.

Schauer launches campaign web site

As the campaign season gets underway, U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, has launched a new campaign web site as he gets set to defend his 7th District seat against the same rightwing extremist he took the seat from in 2008.

You can read the latest news about the campaign, sound off on the issues, make an online contribution, watch videos, find events in your community and learn more about how you can help Schauer fight for Michigan jobs.

“I'm committed to getting our economy back on track, but I can't do it alone,” Schauer said. “While my extreme opponents were busy attacking each other in the local news last week, I was busy introducing a bipartisan bill to stop wasting U.S. tax dollars on goods that create jobs in China.”

Schauer plans to introduce legislation to ban China from doing business with the U.S. government until the Chinese government allows American companies the same opportunity.

Hate ginned up by GOP incites violence

No one who has witnessed one of the misnamed, Astroturf “tea parties” over the last year can be surprised at the death threats and attacks we are seeing on the offices of Democratic lawmakers who voted for the historic health insurance reform bill last week.

Hell, you just needed to see how they disrupted the townhall meetings on health insurance reform last summer to see what was coming.

I said way back in April of last year that the anti-government rhetoric going on now is eerily similar to what I saw in the mid-1990s with the Michigan Militia that only died down with the indictment of Timothy McVeigh for the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, and like the cockroaches they are, the rightwing extremists dove for cover like somebody turned out the lights when McVeigh’s association with the Militia came out. Now, some of these same people are back, and they have been joined by other extremist groups, fired up by Republican leaders. Those so-called GOP leaders that have not tried to fire them up for political gain, have been silent on speaking out against it and condemning it.

A propane gas line at the Virginia home of the brother of Rep. Thomas Perriello, D-VA, was cut; whose address was targeted by teabagger group angry at the congressman’s vote for the health insurance bill, the address was mistaken for the Congressman’s home. An envelope containing white powder and a threatening letter was delivered to the office of Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York, who has been an outspoken proponent of health care insurance reform efforts.

Here in Michigan where eight of Michigan’s 15 members of Congress voted for the historic bill, some have been the object of threats and intimidation. According to the AP, the Michigan State Police have increased patrols around the home of U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, who has received obscene and threatening phone calls and faxes.

Now, Reps. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, are the targets of repeated threats. State Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, spoke out about the threats and intimidation on the Senate floor on Thursday.

“And now there are reports of death threats, cutting gas lines, delivering a coffin to the front yard of one lawmaker, and even threats to kill the children of Democratic lawmakers who supported the bill,” she said. “I think we can all agree; Gosh, I hope we can all agree that this has gotten way out of hand, as the rhetoric and rancor is turning into violent action.”

She was especially upset over the silence of so-called Republican leaders who ginned up the rhetoric, and then denied they had.

“In my view, perhaps the worst offense is that people in leadership positions are silent, and astonishingly, in some cases, it appears that they are actually encouraging this horrifying behavior,” Whitmer said. “None of us should take lightly this dangerous trend. We, as leaders, as legislators should condemn behavior like this—Democrats and Republicans alike. If we don’t quell this now, it will surely foment, and as a society, we will all pay as the election tensions rise.”

She plans on introducing a resolution condemning the behavior as soon as the Legislature comes back from it’s two-week Easter break. It will be interesting to see who supports it, if the Senate Republicans even allow a vote in it.

“Please join me in condemning this activity,” she said. “I have a resolution condemning that behavior, and I hope you will consider adding your name to it. “

Passage of historic health insurance reform bill is victory for Americans

After decades of trying, stretching back almost a century, the U.S. House made history and passed the historic health care insurance reform Sunday night.

A major progressive victory was achieved that will rein in the worst insurance abuses and expand health care to 32 million Americans. The real winners will be the American people where getting sick is no longer a ticket to bankruptcy.

Like most people, I was glued to C-Span and MSNBC - with the exception of the dramatic MSU basketball game and for my wife to watch to “Desperate Housewives.”

There were some great floor speeches, and none were more inspiring than that of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She will go down in history as one of the Greatest Speakers in history for this accomplishment.

“This legislation will take its place in history beside the passage of Social Security and Medicare,” she said. “It will end the days of being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. It will help seniors finally afford their lifesaving prescription drugs by closing the donut hole in Medicare.”

It was accomplished, of course, with nothing but Democratic votes. That $1.4 million a day the insurance lobby was spending to spread lies and misinformation and kill the bill will now be spent to unseat those brave Democrats who did the right thing.

“For me, this wasn't about politics - it was about doing what's right for the people I represent,” said U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek. “Doing what's right isn't always easy, but I didn't run for Congress to walk away from a tough fight.”

Perhaps the most courageous stand was that taken by U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, who realized federal law already barred federal tax dollars being spent on abortion and not only voted for the bill, he spoke for it when Republicans introduced an abortion resolution using language Stupak wrote. One of the classless teabagger Republicans called him a “baby killer” on the floor. He has not been identified, but Republicans know who he is.

The best result of health care insurance reform is that Rush Limbaugh will now be leaving the country.

The Michigan Republican Teabagger Party trying to disrupt Schauer townhall meeting

The wind has gone out of the sails of the Astroturf teabaggers riled up by rightwing Washington, D.C. lobbying groups paid for by the insurance industry, but Republicans are trying to get it going again.

U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, will be in the Lansing area tomorrow for a health care townhall meeting following the historic vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act last week.

As predicted, the Michigan Republican Teabagger Party has sent out an email blast to get the lunatic fringe that is their base to come out and disrupt the event like they did at town hall meetings of Democratic Congressman last summer. The email uses the regular false, talking point: “We need your help in PROTESTING Schauer’s "YES" vote of the radical government takeover of health care!”

Apparently, since Republican Congressman continue to duck townhall meetings, teabaggers have to disrupt ones put on by Democrats. They certainly don’t want people to hear the truth.

They are pulling out all the stops because they know the majority of Americans support health care reform, and we need to be there to show our support.

The town hall meeting will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow - Friday Nov. 13 - at the Days Inn - formerly the Best Western - 7711 W Saginaw Hwy in Delta Township, 48917.

Schauer will share information about what’s in the bill for Michigan, and he will answer questions from local residents of the 7th Congressional District. Also appearing will be Eric J. Schneidewind, President of Michigan AARP; Erin Knott, Assistant Director of Michigan Citizen Action; and Jeff Breslin, President, Michigan Nurses Association.

Come show your support for health care reform, and get there early to get a seat.

Griffin files to run for Senate seat

Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson, officially filed to run for the vacant seat in the Michigan Senate last week.

The seat in the 19th District that represents Calhoun and Jackson counties was vacated with the election of Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, to the U.S. House in November.

This election will be the first step in retaking the Senate in 2010, and the Senate Republicans have been the biggest obstacle to getting meaningful legislation passed. The filing deadline is May 12, the primary is Aug. 4, and the General Election is Nov. 3. So far, Griffin is the only official Democrat in the race.

Griffin was first elected to the House in 2006 when Democrats took control of the House. Prior to that, Griffin served as the Mayor of Jackson from 1995 - 2006. Griffin has experience in government at all levels; local, state and federal. He served for 12 years as a staff member in the Michigan Legislature and five years with U.S. Rep. Carl Pursell.

Griffin also has a long list of accomplishments and involvement, including chairing the Jackson County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, a member of the Economic Development Corporation of Jackson, a member of the National Association of Realtors, a member of the City of Jackson Planning Commission, a Trustee of Ella Sharp Park Board, a Downtown Kiwanis member, Urban Core Mayors Group, Trustee for Police and Fire Pension Boards and on the Cascade Humane Society Capital Campaign.

Fundraiser for the next state Senator from the 19th District on tap

If you’re going to be in Lansing for Wednesday’s hearing of the House Regulatory Reform Committee at noon for the discussion of the indoor smoking ban, plan on sticking around for the fundraiser for Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson.

Griffin is an announced candidate for 19th District Senate seat vacated by U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer's, D-Battle Creek, election to the U.S. House. The fundraiser is set for 4:30 – 6 p.m. March 18 at the Governor’s Room at 121 W. Allegan, right next to the Farnum Building at Capitol and Allegan.

This election will be the first step in retaking the Senate in 2010, and the Senate Republicans have been the biggest obstacle to getting meaningful legislation passed. The filing deadline is May 12, the primary is Aug. 4, and the General Election is Nov. 3. So far, Griffin is the only official Democrat in the race.

Action at Saturday’s MDP convention was not just on the convention floor

DETROIT -- Not all the action at Saturday’s Michigan Democratic Party Convention in Cobo Hall was on the main convention floor, and there was plenty of action in the numerous caucuses, and even at the after party at the beautifully renovated Detroit Riverside Hotel, formerly the world-famous and historic Hotel Pontchartrain.

For a political junkie like me, conventions are a little like a family reunions. It was an opportunity to see old friends and allies, and to see people I will soon be knocking on doors and making phone calls in support of. It was also nice to see Cobo Hall so busy, and the snow did not keep anybody away. In addition to the convention, the boat show and a cheerleading competition was held at Cobo at the same time.

It was also fun for me to attend with my wife for the first time, a recent convert from the dark side. We really enjoyed a few rides on the People Mover and enjoyed a great lunch in the Renaissance Center.

The day started in the Veterans Caucus where John Freeman, the Michigan State Director of Health Care for America, was working to build political support for passing national health care legislation to give all people affordable health care.

Freeman was chairman of the ballot committee last year that tried to amend the state constitution to require the Legislature to pass laws to ensure that "every Michigan resident has affordable and comprehensive health care coverage.” Freeman said past efforts, like President Clinton’s plan failed plan in 1993, failed because it was a “top-down approach” instead of a grassroots effort.

“We want to change that by putting pressure on from the grassroots,” he said. “Democrats are on board, and we need to go after the moderate Republicans.”

Conventions are also where new candidates like to announce they are running, and Freeman, a term-limited state Representative from Madison Heights, said he plans to challenge front-runner Lt. Gov. John Cherry for the Democratic nomination for the open Governor’s seat in 2010.

Candidates also use the caucuses to speak to different groups. Newly-elected MDP Chair Mark Brewer stopped by to both campaign for the chairmanship and fire up the troops.

“We can’t be complacent in 2010,” he said. “The Republicans are meeting down the road in Lansing plotting for 2010.”

One of the most crowded caucuses was the brand new Progressive Caucus. It included lots of young people and Young Democrats, as well as older activists, even an Aldi Stevenson supporter. MDP officer Steve Pontoni was elected chair of the caucus, and bylaws were adopted. The basic tenants of the caucus are pro-choice, pro-environment, pro-labor and pro-civil rights.

“Certainly we are going to disagree, but it is those values that we are embracing,” Pontoni said.

Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing - who has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Attorney General in 2010 - also spoke to the caucus.

“I hate to admit the Republicans are in my district, and I couldn’t wait to get out of town,” she said.

The Republican-controlled Senate has long been a block to meaningful legislation, even when Republications controlled the House, and it’s essential that Democrats get control of the Senate to move decent legislation. Whitmer brought news that Gov. Granholm set a date for the election to replace former Democratic Sen. Mark Schauer‘s, D-Battle Creek, who was elected to congress. The filing deadline is May 12, the primary is Aug. 4, and the General Election is Nov. 3. Reps. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson, and Mike Simpson, D-Liberty Township, have been mentioned as possible candidates.

“This is an important election,” Whitmer said. “It will show if we are still fired up after the Obama landslide, or are we resting on our laurels.
“The Republicans view the Senate as the firewall, and we view it as the last bump to good, progressive legislation,” she said.

The Environmental Caucus saw both accomplishment and plenty good discussion, as plenty of lawmakers showed up, especially House members. After Sen. Ray Basham, D-Taylor, spoke, the caucus unanimously passed a resolution against re-opening the deep-injection hazardous waste well in Romulus.

Rep. Gabe Leland, D-Detroit, was just appointed as the chair of a new House Committee, the Committee on Urban Committee, and he talked about global warming.

“If we don’t take a stab at the global warning issue in the next couple of years we will be in trouble,” he said. “The good news is we picked up nine seats in the House to help us get something accomplished.”

Freshman Rep. Timothy Bledsoe, D-Grosse Pointe, - the first Democrat to be elected from the 1st House District - said the House plans to roll out an ethics package in the next few days that will require lawmakers to disclose their income and bars the revolving door from the Legislature to lobbying.

“We’re only one of three states in the country where you don’t even know where your representative’s money is coming from,” he said. “We are only one of three states; isn’t that crazy?”

In the 8th Congressional District Caucus, Brighton’s Kathy Carney was re-elected as the chair of the district that includes Clinton, Shiawassee, Livingston, Oakland and Ingham counties, as well executive committee members and chairs and executive members of county committees.

Rep. Barb Byrum, D-Onondaga, announced she is organizing an Ingham County Young Dems Chapter to compliment the Michigan State University Young Democrats and the Lansing Young Dems.

“We sure don’t want to compete with those groups, but these are the people who knock on doors and do the hard work,” she said.

The Caucus also heard from Wayne State University law Professor Jocelyn Benson, who is planning a run at Secretary of State. She is pushing the commons sense issue of no-reason absentee voting. She was impressive, but she is even more impressive after I looked her up and saw her qualifications. She will make an excellent SOS, and for the first time in many years the campaign finance law will be applied to both parties.

Benson graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College. She subsequently earned her Masters in Sociology as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, and she received her J.D from Harvard Law School, where she was a general editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Benson also worked as the Voting Rights Policy Coordinator for the Harvard Civil Rights Project, worked as a summer associate for voting rights and election law for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and she was an investigative journalist for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Senate Republicans offered the opportunity to be fair and help the budget shortfall

Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, called out Senate Republicans on Tuesday to put their money where their mouth is and sacrifice and makes some cuts to help make up the $1.5 billon projected budget shortfall.

Last week Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, introduced an anti-state employee resolution that urged state employees to either work on President's Day or take the day off as an unpaid holiday in light of the budget situation, and Whitmer asked George what he had sacrificed to balance the budget. Today, she gave him and Senate Republicans the opportunity to sacrifice.

She plans on introducing a resolution calling that would mandate that all Senate caucus and member offices, regardless of party, have the same overall compensation and expense levels. This proposal stands to save taxpayers $3 million by eliminating the current disparity in the budgets for Republican and Democratic Senators. Democratic offices would receive the same amount of money as Republicans.

“As we find ourselves facing yet another large budget deficit, we should be looking at every way we can cut costs and verify that taxpayer money is being spent properly,” Whitmer said. “Individual Senate Republican office budgets are almost $100,000 more than those of Senate Democrats. This proposal would take the $3 million that the
Senate Majority currently has in excess of the Minority and put it in the State’s General Fund to help turn our economy around and fund essential state services to help Michigan families.”

Under Senate rules, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop sets the budget allotment for each office, and that includes money for employees, postage, mailings and other expenses. Bishop has chosen to give Republican offices more money and benefit packages for five employees, and Democratic offices have packages for just three employees. Now, an office can also choose to use their budget from another area to hire a part-time hourly employee, but they receive no benefits. Republicans have a 21-16 lead in the Senate, with the seat vacated by Democrat Mark Schauer’s election to Congress still vacant.

When Democrats took control of the House in 2006, Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, D-Redford, gave each office, regardless of party, the same amount of office allotment and two benefit packages. Democrats enjoy a large 67-43 advantage.

Griffin set to run for Schauer's Senate seat

Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson, officially filed to run for the 19th District Senate seat vacated by Sen. Mark Schauer's, D-Battle Creek, election to the U.S. House.

Griffin was elected to his second term in the House earlier this month representing the 64th District, which includes the city of Jackson, Concord, Hanover, Napoleon, Parma, Pulaski, Sandstone, Spring Arbor and Summit townships. Senate District 19 covers Calhoun and Jackson counties. Griffin won his House seat (Correction) by unseating incumbent Republican Rick Baxter in 2006, and he will need that experience to win the swing 19th District.

Griffin has an impressive resume of government service at all levels. He served as mayor of Jackson from 1995 - 2006. Prior to that, he was a staffer in the Michigan Legislature for 12 years, as well as a staff member for five years with former U.S. Congressman Carl Pursell.

So far, Griffin is running against Rep. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, who is term limited. It's unclear if there will be a primary. Rep. Mike Simpson, D-Liberty Township, has been mentioned as a possible candidate, but he has not formally announced or filed a committee.

It's unclear when the Governor will call a special election, but the already short-handed Senate Democratic caucus will be even smaller after January when Schauer officially resigns to take his new seat.

Prusi chosen as the new Senate Minority Leader

LANSING – The Senate Democratic Caucus chose Sen. Mike Prusi, D-Ishpeming, as the new Senate Minority Leader today to replace Sen. Mark Schauer, who was elected to U.S. Congress from the 7th District on Nov. 4.

The caucus went behind closed doors this morning before session after days of lobbying, and Prusi and Democratic Floor Leader Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, emerged as the leading two candidates. Following session, Schauer announced Prusi was chosen as the new leader and Thomas will keep his position.

"The most pressing item on my agenda is to address what is currently going on in Michigan," Prusi said. "We need to find common ground to address the problems facing Michigan."

Prusi currently serves as the Democratic Vice-Chair for the Senate Finance Committee. He is in his second and final term in the Senate, and he served three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate.

"Senator Prusi has been at the forefront of the most pressing issues facing our state, including energy policy and the state budget," Schauer said. "These experiences will serve him well, and I am confident he will excel in his new role as Caucus Leader. We will work closely to ensure a smooth, productive transition."

Only four of the 17 Democratic Senators will be returning in 2010, and some people thought one of the returning Senators would be more motivated to help win a Democratic majority in the Senate in 2010. But apparently experience won out.

Only negatives in historic election are local

I feel like I'm on a roller coaster ride, but it's heading up.

I went to bed just after midnight after Election Day elated that there is a President Obama, the ballot proposals I supported won and we increased our majority in the state House, but I was also disappointed that despite a great showing Democrats in Livingston County who worked so hard still do not have any local seats to show for it and the one candidate I supported by actually going door-to-door for, state Sen. Mark Schauer for the U.S. House, appeared to have lost. I blogged in support of many candidates, but he was the only one I expanded physical energy for.

But low and behold when I looked at Gongwer this morning my spirits soared. Not only did Schauer win, but Gary Peters is now Congressmen-elect Peters. Add to that a historic win by Judge Diane Marie Hathaway over incumbent rightwing activist judge Cliff Taylor. Speaker of the House Andy Dillon won both the recall election and re-electron. Now, maybe Leon Drolet will crawl back under the rock he came from, or better yet, he will be prosecuted for the illegal activity during the recall campaign.

Election Day began for me at 6 a.m. at the polls in Howell Precincts 1 where I was working my first General Election as an election official. The turnout was heavy from the moment the polls opened until around noon when it surprisingly fell off. It was a weird feeling being at the polls all day because there was a virtual news blackout at the polling place.

I was tunnel versioned between tearing off the top of the voter's ballot and helping them run it through the tabulator and checking off names in the poll book. Traffic picked up around 2 p.m., and traffic was steady but not overwhelming until the polls closed. I didn't leave the polls until 9:30 p.m. after we had closed everything out.

The good sign was that Obama had won Howell precincts 1 and 2 in predominantly Republican Livingston County.

Locally, the Buckland family was carrying the torch for local Democratic hopes. Dave Duckland had the best chance of putting a fresh voice on the all-Republican Livingston County Board of Commissioners, but he fell just short. Debby Buckland had a great shot at Hamburg Township Clerk in the county's most populous township where she fell just 322 votes short. She was actually leading with about half of the votes counted.

The incumbent clerk, Joanna Hardesty, lost in the GOP primary, but she launched a spirited write-in campaign. She got 2,239 votes, but her less than honest campaign continued to the end. A costumed giant pencil gave away pencils with her name on them outside the polls. That was legal, and it is even legal to take them into the polls. What it is not legal to do is to leave campaign material at the polls, and people were leaving the pencils behind on tables where the ballot application was being filled out and at voting booths. Since Hardesty was running the election, she knows better. Perhaps that's one reason she lost.

A person who is very close to the campaign told me this morning that if Hardesty had not been in the race Buckland would have won because the opponent is so disliked. I find that hard to believe, and I think the opposite is true. My hope was the two Republicans would split the Republican vote allowing Buckland to win, and it almost worked.

While I am still digesting the election news, it's hard to find much negative, and the only negatives are local. I guess we will remain a county with low taxes, but absolutely zero services.

Schauer gives solid performance in first televised debate

In the first of three televised debates, State Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, made a strong case on why he should be the next U.S. Congressman representing the 7th District, and his opponent offered nothing but his debunked attack ads.

The two squared off on live TV Saturday night in a debate at Jackson High School sponsored by Lansing TV station WLNS.

“There is a clear choice in this election,” Schauer said. “The choice is between the same old failed policies and my hands on approach. As your congressman I will wake up everyday trying to turn the economy around one job at a time.”

His opponent, extremist Republican Tim Walberg, used his opening statement to attack Schauer instead of talking about his polices and positions, and he used the same old debunked attacks, like the giving illegal immigrants driver’s license lie, Schauer was the deciding vote for the largest tax increase in history lie and even that he supported affirmative action. His closing statement was basically a rehash of the opening statement.

The questions came from a panel of three journalists and some from taped man-on-the- street interviews.

Walberg blamed the financial meltdown on President Clinton, falsely claiming he pushed legislation requiring lenders to give minorities loans they were not qualified for. He also voted against the bailout bill, but he had no alternative to solving the financial meltdown.

“One thing the Congressman is famous for is voting no, but hot having an alternative solution,” Schauer said.

One panelist asked what they would do about the $10 billion that is being spent a month in Iraq. Walberg still believes Saddam Hussein had something to do with the 9/11 attacks.

“That just demonstrates to me that the Congressman is not in touch with the facts,” Schauer said. “I have attended the funerals of five soldiers from Jackson and Calhoun Counties. We need to start getting out troops out of Iraq.”

A constituent asked the candidate’s position on the workplace smoking ban, including bars and restaurants, that’s before the Michigan Legislature. Schauer voted for the total ban that passed the Senate.

“I voted for this measure because it’s a public health issue,” he said.

Walberg, of course, is against the smoking ban, spouting blather about “Big Government” and “nanny state.”

Saturday offers opportunity to see and hear from Mark Schauer

Lenawee County residents have the opportunity to meet their next U.S. Congressmen with a pair of town hall meetings set for Saturday with current state Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek.

Schauer is leading his extremist opponent in the far-flung 7th Congressional District, but he is not quite as well-known in Tim Walberg's home county of Lenawee. But dedicated volunteers like me are changing that with the grunt work of going door-to-door.

You can meet Mark and still have time to see the MSU-Michigan football game on Saturday. Bring your friends and family, and especially undecided voters. He will be at the Lenawee County UAW Labor Hall, 1360 W Beecher St. in Adrian, at 12:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 25. He will be in Blissfield at 2:30 p.m. at Beckey's Kountry Kitchen, 631 W Adrian – or US 223 across from the Coachlight Plaza. They have very good food; I have eaten there a few times.

Schauer will actually start the day in Hillsdale at the Hillsdale Community Library, 11 E. Bacon St., at 10 a.m.

The town halls will be a preclude to the first televised debate sponsored by Lansing TV station WLNS at 8 p.m. Saturday at Jackson High School, 544 Wildwood Ave, Jackson. It can also be viewed live at the station web site.

Other Town Hall meetings will be held Monday, Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) hall at 7920 Jackson Rd. in Scio Township. He will be appearing with U.S. Sen. Carl Levin.

He will be in Battle Creek at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Barista Blues Cafe, 21 W. Michigan Ave. He will be with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow at 5 p.m. Wednesday in Delta Township, 7711 W. Saginaw Hwy. He will be in Jackson at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jackson Coffee Company, 201 S. Mechanic.

Walberg takes a dip in the sewer to try and keep his grip on his House seat

The spinning from extremist Tim Walberg and his rich alley, the Club for Growth, is spinning out of control as they see the 7th Congressional seat slipping away to Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek.

The latest attack has hit rock bottom for both taste and outright lying. The latest despicable ad goes even lower than the last one and it ads the new lie to the others that Schauer voted to send pornography to children. Walberg continues to try and draw comparisons between Schauer and Academy Award winning filmmaker and Michigan resident Michael Moore. I can guarantee you this: Michael Moore has done more for Michigan than Walberg has, and that includes Walberg's 16 years in the state House and two in the U.S. House. He has accomplished virtually nothing.

I debunked the last ad where Walberg lied and said Schauer voted to give illegal immigrants a driver's license in Michigan. That lie was easy to debunk, and this one will just as easy too.

In the 1990's when Schauer was still in the Michigan House he voted with the majority against a bill that would have made it more difficult distribute pornographic material over the Internet. It was a good thing he voted in the majority because he saved Michigan taxpayers thousands of dollars in legal fees defending a bill that was overturned as unconstitutional.

This is contrast to Walberg's dismal record in protecting children. He has repeatedly voted against health care for children. I guess he figured they can just go to the emergency room like he tells the other 47 million uninsured Americans.

In every commercial Walberg claims Schauer was the "deciding vote on the largest tax hike in Michigan history." There is absolutely noting true about that statement, and it contains two lies.

You will recall that the Legislature had to make up a $1.8 billion budget deficit last year. The Legislature finally had to confront the constant tax cuts over the years with no corresponding cuts in spending. After painful cuts had been made across the board, the only other cuts would have had to have been made to vital public services like healthcare, education and public safety. After a brief government shutdown in the wee hours of Oct. 1, 2007 the Senate voted 19-19 for a slight increase in the state income tax and a since repealed sales tax on services.

Schauer is the minority leader in the Senate, meaning the Democrats are the minority in the Senate. That, of course, means Democrats cannot get anything passed in the Senate on their own, and in order to get anything passed Republicans had to vote for it. In a tie vote, the President of the Senate has to cast the tie-breaking vote, so the Lt. Governor actually cast the deciding vote.

Second, it's not the "largest tax hike in Michigan history." That actually occurred under Republican Gov. George Romney when the state income tax was implemented in 1960.

If you want to talk about tax increases, look at the crazy scheme Walberg co-sponsored. The National Sales Tax that would have placed a 30 percent sales tax on everything from food and prescription drugs to cars and homes. The dangerous plan would have had a devastating effect on senior citizens, working families and the auto industry.

It's easy to see why Walberg is taking a swim in the gutter. A new internal GOP tally of U.S. House races has all but conceded the 7th District seat to the Democrats. The poll rates 66 House Republican seats, and the 7th District seat has been rated as "likely gone" and placed on the death list.

As Election Day gets closer volunteers get going

MADISON TOWNSHIP -- With just two weeks until election day, its nitty-gritty time, and I experienced some of that while knocking doors for the Mark Schauer for Congress campaign in his opponent’s home county of Lenawee County on Sunday.

The Michigan Senate minority Leader is leading extremist Republican Tim Walberg in the polls in the spread out 7th U.S. congressional District, but the going is beginning to get tough. Most elections are won in the trenches, on the phones and on the doorsteps of voters. This late in the game, volunteers are going back to doors that have already been knocked on and the people were undecided or were not home. That made it less pleasant for me than in other trips in Adrian and Tecumseh, but worth every minute to elect a person like Mark Schauer.

Generally, people are not rude when you are at their front door, but I had three or four people tell me they were not interested. That was also worth it because it just means we will not contact them for get out the vote. Getting down to the nitty-gritty also makes it tough on the legs, and I got my daily dose of exercise. Houses are now further part, and because I walked in a township that is more rural, there are no sidewalks with large setbacks. That gives you a long walk up a long driveway.

I also saw the orange Walberg yard signs for the first time. There weren’t nearly as many as there were Schauer signs, especially when you consider this is Walberg’s backyard.

There was some positive press for Schauer here in Livingston County. The Daily Press & Argus finally caught on to Schafer’s ties to Livingston County. I know they have known about that for some time. Plus, a press release earlier this month announced Howell’s last two Republican state Representatives were endorsing the 1980 Howell High School graduate. I guess they were waiting to use the information until they could find a positive story for their favorite son Mike Rogers, who represents the 8th Congressional District.

The paper did a cutesy story about how both Rogers and Schauer were on the same football team at Howell.

The Schauer campaign is gearing up for the all important get out the vote activities beginning November 1, and they are looking for volunteers to knock on doors, phone bank, be a poll watcher, be a driver or runner or host volunteers. For those who want to volunteer in the eastern part of the 7th District can call (517) 417-6275. For those in the western part call (517) 316-7887

Republicans getting increasingly desperate and turn campaigns even uglier

Extremist Tim Walberg is becoming a little unhinged as he desperately tries to chip away at the lead of Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, in the race for the 7th Congressional seat in the U.S. House.

Walberg's most recent lie-filled ad compares Schauer to Michigan filmmaker Michael Moore, and it calls Schauer "dangerous." This is the same Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore who founded and is the president of the extremely successful Traverse City Film Festival. Moore has done far more for Michigan than Walberg ever has.

Walberg then stoops to the old, reliable Grand Oil Party tactic of fear and discrimination by making the false claim that Schauer voted to give illegal immigrants' driver's licenses. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Folks, no illegal immigrant can get a driver's license in Michigan. There was controversy last year over this issue when Attorney General Mike Cox issued a totally unneeded opinion on December 27, 2007 that says driver's licenses can only be issued to permanent residents of the state. That was already the case, but in his early campaign for Governor, Cox issued this opinion to please the base. This spring the Legislature had to correct it because it denied a license to the thousands of foreign nationals living and working legally in Michigan.

The false attack ad against Schauer referenced House Bill 5497. The bill was passed on February 7, 2002 when Schauer was in the Michigan House. It passed the House, but the Senate did not even take it up. Like Cox's misguided and unnecessary opinion, it was not needed, and it claimed it would ban illegal immigrants from getting a license. It would do the same thing as Cox's opinion; deny a license to the thousands of foreign nationals living and working legally in Michigan. Those against the bill were the Michigan Catholic Conference, Catholic Social Services Refugee Services and The Michigan AFL-CIO.

There was also a blurb about Schauer voting for the gas tax, but I have no idea what he is talking about.

The attack ads by the GOP is a disturbing trend. We have seen GOP VP candidate Spiro Palin make the false claim that Sen. Barack Obama is "paling around with a terrorist," because he served on two nonprofit boards with Bill Ayers, a Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a former Vietnam anti-war activist.

It seems ironic that no one is bringing up Grampy McSame and Spiro's connections to a terrorist and an anti-American group, so I will. Convicted felon G. Gordon Liddy has made four contributions totaling $5,000 to Grampy's campaigns. Grampy went on Liddy's radio show during the presidential campaign and Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain replied. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family. Liddy - of Watergate fame, or better infamous - was convicted to 20 years in prison after he was convicted of conspiracy, burglary and illegal wiretapping. As a Watergate burglar, he concocted several plots that included firebombing the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., kidnapping anti-war protest organizers and transporting them to Mexico and luring mid-level Democratic campaign officials to a house boat in Baltimore where they would be secretly photographed in compromising positions with call girls. In sharp contrast, Ayers has not been convicted of anything.

McSame's nasty and disrespectful behavior at Tuesday's debate was unprecedented when he called Obama "that one there."

The Grampy McSame and Palin rallies are becoming increasingly ugly, and the pair are close to inciting their followers to violence. At recent rallies, the pair have stooped to calling Obama a terrorist, and the crowd has responded with cries of "terrorist" and "kill him." McSame and Palin must put a stop to this and denounce it instead of pretending they did not hear it.