Fieger Time fires up the troops at MDP convention

DETROIT -- One important function of any political convention is to energize and fire up the troops, and super attorney Geoffrey Fieger did just that on Saturday at the first ever Michigan Democratic Party Endorsement Convention in Cobo Hall.

The 1998 Democratic Michigan Gubernatorial candidate spoke to a standing room only crowd at the Justice Caucus, and he hit on everything from the current budget situation to the Republican majority on the Michigan Supreme Court once known as the “Gang of Four.”

Fieger lost to former Governor John Engler in 1998, and the only candidate who won on the Democratic slate was current Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who won as Michigan Attorney General. Fieger said he was proud to have had a hand in selecting her as the AG candidate.

He pointed out Republicans have blamed her for all of the state’s economic troubles, despite it was the Bush Administration that ran the country into the worst recession since the Great Depression. Because Michigan has so many manufacturing jobs, Michigan feels any economic downturn, first hurts the worst and is the last state to come out of it. He asked how Granholm can be blamed for General Motors and Chrysler declaring bankruptcy.

“As you know, she walked into a deficit of $500 million that was left to her by Mr. Engler intentionally, intentionally,” he said. “She has never been able to get out from under that.”

Fieger said when the voters know the facts they will never vote for a Republican,and it’s up to the Democrats to get the facts out.

“Why anyone would vote for a Republican in this election cycle is beyond me,” he said. “It’s only possible by the complacency of the Democrats, and it’s only by the Democrats sitting on their keisters.”

He said he was amazed by the Republican gubernatorial field. He said “Twitter” Pete Hoekstra thinks the biggest issue facing Michigan is terrorism. He said Republicans always have to have a boogyman. The current one is terrorists, yet the country was not shut down and freedoms were not taken away after the Oklahoma City bombing, which occurred 15 years ago today.

“When I was a kid it was the communists; like the communists were going to invade Iowa or Montana, but the communists in China are OK,” Fieger said. “They will still take you into a stadium and shoot you in the back of the head in front of 10,000 people, but that’s OK.

“The communists in Cuba are evil, but they can’t hurt a fly, and they don’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

He took on the Michigan Supreme Court and especially Justice Bob “Sleepy” Young, who is up for reelection in November. He said Young was the former general counsel for AAA Insurance Co. and a friend of the Michigan chamber, and that’s why he rules for insurance companies more than 80 percent of the time.

“I, and other trial lawyers, represent the victims,” Fieger said. “We are the people’s warriors. Being a trial lawyer is more than my profession to me, I care about my clients.”

Fieger’s distaste for the Supreme Court is personal. On a radio appearance a few years ago he referred to the Michigan appellate judges as "jackasses" for overturning a $15 million medical malpractice judgment he had won. A lower court reprimand based on these comments was eventually upheld by the Michigan Supreme Court.

He also talked about his selective prosecution on campaign finance charges. In 2007, Fieger was indicted on federal charges of funneling illegal contributions to the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, and he was acquitted of all charges on June 2, 2008. He said Goldman Sachs employees were awarded for doing the same thing he was charged for, yet the Bush Administration went after him alone.

“All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing,” he said.

Michigan can’t afford eight more years of the same old sleepy judge. Young was voted the worst justice on the Supreme Court by the magazine Michigan Lawyers Weekly, he supported drug company immunity when their drugs harm or kill and his decisions have protected polluters who despoil our waters.

“Those four justices never overturned a verdict in favor of an insurance company, and they never overturned a verdict against a criminal defendant,” Fieger said.

The 2010 Spirit of Millie Jeffrey Award Dinner on tap

The deadline for buying tickets to the 2010 Spirit of Millie Jeffrey Award Dinner is Wednesday for the dinner set for March 21,

The annual award and fundraising dinner is sponsored by The Justice Caucus and honors the life of Millie Jeffrey, a progressive grassroots leader. The dinner will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott. 3205 Boardwalk Dr. in Ann Arbor, beginning with a reception and book signing with the keynote speaker, Governor Madeleine M. Kunin at 6 p.m.

The following progressive activists will be recognized with the Millie Jeffrey award that reflects their commitment and work for economic and social justice: Elizabeth Bunn, the secretary-treasurer of the UAW — the highest post held by a woman in the union's history; Maryion T. Lee; Ethel Schwartz and Ron Scott. The dinner will also see a new award for the first time: the Millie Jeffrey Rising Star Award. That award will be given to Sarah Juster, an Ann Arbor high school student who has shown exceptional leadership in the fight against genocide and to provide relief to the refugees of Darfur.

The MC for the night is Michael McGuinness, the chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. and the keynote address by Kunin begins at 8 p.m.

Kunin has an impressive resume. She was born in Zürich to a Jewish family, and moved to the U.S. as a child. Kunin received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, a master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a master's degree from the University of Vermont. She was first elected as a Vermont State Representative, serving as the Minority Whip of the House. In 1978 she was elected to the first of two terms as the Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. In 1984 she was elected to the first of three terms as governor. She is the first woman in U.S. history to be elected governor three times. She was also the Deputy Secretary of Education from 1993 until 1997 in the Clinton Administration, and following that she became the ambassador to her native Switzerland, as well as to Liechtenstein. She is the author of
“Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead” and “Living a Political Life.”

The Justice Caucus mission is to promote the cause of progressive democracy within the Democratic Party, in government and in the legal profession. The fund-raiser pays for such things as Camp Millie. Camp Millie is a 2-day weekend intensive training program designed to give Democratic activists the tools for effective progressive political action in your community based on Camp Wellstone.

Join the Battle in Battle Creek for Michigan Saturday

Join like minded Democrats and progressives this Saturday for the “Battle in Battle Creek” sponsored by the Justice Caucus for the first battle in the war to take back the Michigan Senate from the obstructionist Republicans.

Rep. Martin Griffin, D-Jackson, is running in a special election set for November for the 19th District that represents Calhoun and Jackson counties that was vacated with the election of Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, to the U.S. House last November. This is the first step in taking back the Senate like we did the House in 2006.

The state election will have national repercussions when the Congressional district boundaries are redrawn based on the 2010 Census.

The plan is to gather at 12:30 p.m. at Ironworkers Local 340, 510 Columbia Ave E, Battle Creek, MI 49014. Following a picnic lunch, volunteers will hit the streets of Battle Creek to knock on the doors of targeted Democratic and independent votes in support of Griffin. Bring a friend or two and make a contribution to improving the state. Griffin is well known and popular of his home county of Jackson, but he is less known in Battle Creek and Calhoun County.

For more information call (313) 333-4502 or (734) 674-7327.

The Justice Caucus mission is to promote the cause of progressive democracy within the Democratic Party, in government and in the legal profession. They also put on Camp Millie that gives Democratic activists the tools for effective progressive political action in their community.

Gang of Four slams the door of justice in the face of citizens

BRIGHTON – If you’re an individual suing an insurance company or a corporation in Michigan you will lose. It’s as simple as that.

Since the Republican majority, known as the “Gang of Four,” took over the majority of the Michigan Supreme Court, an insurance company has not lost a case in a decade. The four activist judges – Cliff Taylor, Robert Young, Stephen Markman and Maura Corrigan - have gutted consumer protection laws, watered down environmental protection laws and weakened individual rights. The doors of justice have been slammed shut in the face of ordinary citizens and swung wide open for insurance companies and corporations.

“They have radically changed Michigan law,” said Ypsilanti attorney Doug Shapiro, at a recent forum on the Supreme Court sponsored by the Livingston County Democratic Party. “In 10 years, no one has won a case against an insurance company; if you are the plaintiff, you lose.”

The court’s decision has empowered insurance companies and made them less responsive to consumers.

“Insurance companies once had to act in the best fiduciary duty to the insurance, not just make money,” Shapiro said. “Not any more.”

As for a perfect example of that, Shapiro said in the past, people had a year to sue their insurance company after a claim was denied; ironically, to keep litigation down. Now, the clock starts ticking as soon as the incident occurs. The insurance company can put off the insured for a year, lose paperwork and simply delay a decision until the clock runs out. It also applies to someone who is mentally incapacitated because of the incident, overturning a 50 year precedent.

The gang of four has also expanded government immunity so much that government can only be sued if a pot hole is so large you have to climb out of it. Governments do not have to plow snow, maintain proper lighting and other basic safety issues. For example, the gang of four recently ruled the City of Lansing cannot be held liable in the 2005 death of 7-year-old Chantell Buckner, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while walking along a curb because a city plow had covered the sidewalk with snow.

“There is no incentive for the government to address those safety things,” Shapiro said.

Shapiro also said the gang of four’s arrogant actions have destroyed product liability in the state.

“If you read the opinions, they mock the sense of justice,” Shapiro said. “Like the Bush Administration, justice is like the Geneva Convention, quaint.
“They have said it’s not the court’s duty to provide justice,” he said.

The gang of four were never elected, and were initially appointed. But, they are acting as a partisan, unelected four person legislature. Only Taylor is up for election, and there is a grassroots effort to defeat him and bring some fairness back to the court.

They know they have an uphill battle because incumbency for the Supreme Court is worth up to 30 percent of the vote. Plus, there is considerable ballot drop off, and most people don’t get that far down on the ballot.

The Justice Caucus has formed the “Supreme Challenge” to target Taylor. The Michigan Democratic Party has not named a nominee, but Orion attorney Marietta S. Robinson and 3rd Circuit Court Judge Deborah A. Thomas have been mentioned as candidates. Michigan Lawyers Weekly conducted an online poll, and both Robinson and Thomas trounced Taylor with more than 75 percent of the vote.

Equip yourself with the proper tools with Camp Millie

It has been more than a week since the Michigan Democratic Party Convention in Detroit’s Cobo Hall in Detroit concluded. I, and many, other Democrats left Cobo energized and ready to save and defend the state we call home by working and electing Democratic candidates.

But how do we accomplish that?

In the main hall in Cobo there were many fliers and papers lying on the chairs. One of them was a yellow sheet advertising The Justice Caucus’ Camp Millie. This is a perfect way to equip yourself with the tools to change things. Camp Millie is a weekend intensive training program based on Camp Wellstone.

Camp Millie is a 2-day weekend intensive training program designed to give Democratic activists the tools for effective progressive political action in your community. A faculty of experienced political organizers and activists share their expertise on a wide range of topics that grass roots activists, campaign managers and candidates must know to succeed. Attendees will get first hand knowledge on framing your issues, message development; volunteer recruitment; Democratic Party structure, techniques and strategies to Get-Out -The-Vote, door-to-door canvassing, phone banking; fundraising and Campaign Finance Law compliance. Sessions include hands-on practice exercises so you can hone your new skills. Your $35 tuition fee includes training materials and box lunches on Saturday and Sunday.

I attended this training in Monroe last spring, and it was invaluable. The take home print outs and handouts alone was worth the money.

If anyone is interested in sponsoring a session in their area simply contact the organizers. The training draws activists from all over the state. Call Fran Brennan at (734) 330-5225 or e-mail campmillie@justicecaucus.org to sponsor a session.

Camp Millie is named in honor of the late Millie Jeffrey, a long-time Justice Caucus Board Member. She was a champion of social and economic justice for workers, women and minorities. Millie was the co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 2000.

The Justice Caucus Mission is to promote the cause of progressive democracy within the Democratic Party, in government and in the legal profession.