Newspaper rightwing editorial condones voter fraud and eliminating independent judiciary

Despite an anti-Republican swing in the nation, the OP-ED pages of the Daily Press & Argus continues its shift to the right. The latest evidence of that trend is the editorial in today’s edition that says Proposal 2, that bans affirmative action programs based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin, should not be challenged in the courts. Their reasoning is because voters in Livingston County voted nearly 3-1 for it.

Apparently, they have forgotten there are three branches of government, and the independent judiciary job’s is to ensure laws pass Constitutional muster. Often, it’s the last resort for the poor and powerless who have been discriminated against and who have been treated unfairly. I’m sure if a Constitutional amendment banning African-Americans from voting had been placed on the ballot in 1962 in Alabama or Mississippi it would have passed by a similar margin, but that would note have made it right. Remember, Proposal 2 was opposed by both candidates for governor, and those who supported Proposal 2 included the KKK. Let the courts do the job the Founding Fathers intended it to do.

The editorial says opponents fought hard to keep it off the ballot, but they did not commit voter fraud like California’s Ward Connerly and his supporters. I don’t know what affirmative action plan Chris Ward has suggested, but I can safely say it will be like every alleged reform he has introduced and only benefit Republicans.

Ward’s position on Prop 2 was pretty clear. He asked the Attorney General to determine whether the Michigan Civil Rights Commission "may have exceeded its constitutional and statutory powers" in investigating the gathering of signatures for the ban. Legal experts have said they did not, and Ward conveniently ignored the fact that despite widespread allegations of fraud, no other body or office in the state was allowed to look into the fraud committed, In fact, Ward went out of his way to take powers away from the state Board of Canvassers because they were concerned with the fraud committed. He’s supposed to be so concerned about voter fraud with his unconstitutional voter ID bill, but voter fraud committed for something he supports is OK.

The reasons for the issue’s success are many. Most obvious was the fact that many voters — particularly white voters — saw logic in an argument that said discrimination by race is wrong, regardless of the motivation.
The opponents didn’t help their cause with clumsy and frantic tactics. They fought hard to keep the issue from the ballot, leaving the impression that they didn’t want voters to have a say in the matter.
Then they used scare tactics, including wild suggestions that the proposal would prevent women from getting cancer screenings.
The measure would have likely passed anyway, but many voters could not have enjoyed being treated as though they were idiots.
Now what? One tactic is for opponents to talk long and loud about how this places a stigma on the state. Do that effectively enough, and it could be come a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Another strategy was immediately announced by Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan, which was the target of two U.S. Supreme Court lawsuits that centered on its affirmative action admission programs.
Coleman stridently vowed to begin litigation to fight the decision of the state’s voters. Apparently our voters are allowed to pay taxes to support the university — and to pay for lawsuits — but they aren’t competent to make informed decisions on complex issues.
There is another strategy. That’s to accept the decision of the voters and to accept the notion that affirmative action plans based solely on race are inherently flawed. Why not instead pursue affirmative action plans based on socioeconomic factors rather than race, as state Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton Township, suggested?
Why not also more seriously address the root problems that make affirmative action plans necessary? It may sound good if U-M adds a few minority students — some of whom may be in the upper middle class — under an affirmative action program.
But shouldn’t we, as a matter of state policy, be looking instead at why a majority of minority-dominated inner-city high school students have dropped out and aren’t candidates for any sort of college? Shouldn’t we be attacking the root problems that imply that minority students aren’t prepared to get into college unless they get a break?
Tuesday’s vote doesn’t mean that state government and universities have to turn their backs on minority progress. What it does mean is that voters feel the policies are unfair and that, despite some successes, ineffective.
In light of last week’s vote, state university, government and business leaders have two choices. They can find more effective ways to narrow inequities while promoting minority advancement.
Or they can file another lawsuit.

DFP editorial supports reasonable position on robo calls

The editorial in the Detroit Free Press Sunday clearly reinforced what I have been saying about the practice of robo calls. You cannot stop them nor should you want to stop them because the calls are political speech, but we can and should place some reasonable restrictions on them, such as identifying who is paying for the call, limiting the duration of the calls and placing some reasonable time restrictions on the calls.

The editorial is also nice to see because one of our local newspapers, the Daily Press & Argus, editorialized about completely banning them and one of our esteemed representatives in Lansing, Chris Ward, also supported banning them. The ironic part is Ward used the robo calls during the past election, and the newspaper regularly hires a company to make telemarketing calls on their behalf. I hope Rep. Andy Meisner, the new chair of the House Oversight, Elections and Ethics Committee, takes the measure up in January. The former chair of the committee, Ward, was too involved in passing legislation that benefited just his party and introducing show legislation.

Maybe the most annoying aspect of the campaigns that just ended was the proliferation of "robo-calling" -- automated messages on behalf of political candidates or causes that kept phones ringing and answering machines filled throughout the fall.
This practice can't be stopped, but it can be regulated, as some states have done. Michigan should, too.
The calls, often featuring celebrities or political leaders, are more annoying than effective, and, for elderly people who are most likely to have only land-line phones, they can be a physical imposition.
Folks who signed up for the Federal Trade Commission's do-not-call list that took effect in 2005 may have thought they would be free of this form of telemarketing. But the campaign calls are exempt because they are political speech, which is well established as different from commercial speech.
Even with political speech, however, courts have upheld restrictions on the "time, place and manner" of its delivery. A couple dozen states have put some limits on robo-calling that Michigan legislators should consider before the next statewide election in 2008. These include requiring the calling companies to register with the state, so at least they can be identified and asked to respond to complaints.
Some states limit the hours when robo-calling is allowed, and a few require that a live person introduce the taped message, which raises costs, increases the time required, and effectively discourages the practice.

Editor that contributes to Republican majority in Livingston County crows about the numbers

It seems ironic that Rich Perlberg, executive editor of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, writes a column in today’s edition saying that Democrats have as much chance as getting elected in Livingston County as Kevin Federline has of becoming a successful rapper. Mr. Perlberg is part of that problem, and it makes you wonder why an alleged unbiased journalist would prefer people just vote straight Republican ticket instead of reading newspapers and other sources to individually examine the candidates and their views.

I was the Communications Director for Mike McGoneal, Democratic candidate for the 66th District House seat, and the newspaper endorsed our opponent without even the courtesy of an endorsement interview. I would like to know if that decision came from Gannett HQ in Virginia or further down the chain of command, but we know it was not a local decision. The lack of critical coverage of our opponent’s ethically challenged record did not help our cause either. The numerous press releases we sent to the newspaper were filed in the circular file, but when Chris Ward sends out a ridiculous press release chiding the governor for signing a bill that his party, the majority party, introduced and passed is front-page news.

When we endorsed the Brighton Republican for his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, we got some e-mails from people who said we were crazy to say he represented Livingston County values.
But look at the results. Rogers took about 55 percent of the total vote, which was his closest race in six years. But he dominated in Livingston County, with a 48,000-26,000 advantage over Jim Marcinkowski.

Again, a lack of critical coverage of the Gannett paper did not help, and we saw from the endorsement decision from the Lansing State Journal, another Gannett product, that the decision to endorse Rogers did apparently come from Gannett HQ.
It’s sad that because of gerrymandering our politicians are no longer held accountable by anyone, and it is next to impossible to unseat an incumbent, at least in Michigan, unless you have a ton of money and your opponent is a child molester. Only one of the 15 Michigan incumbents in the U.S. House were beaten, despite an anti-incumbency and anti-Republican feeling sweeping the nation, and that was a Republican defeated in the primary. The only instrument that can at least try to hold them accountable is the media, but it’s a little disturbing to see Perlberg's name show up in the campaign finance reports of both Rogers and Chris Ward.
The 8th was once a swing district that had Democrat Debbie Stabenow representing us. While she was our Congresswoman she kept a district office in Genoa Township on Grand River Avenue, and she was responsive and accessible to constituents because she had to be. Why would Rogers bother? The little constituent work he does is only the kind that gets publicity and his photo in the official Mike Rogers news, AKA the Daily Press & Argus. After Livingston County helped Rogers win the this seat in 2000 with a paper thin margin of just 111 votes he promised to open a district office in the county. We’re still waiting, and the P & A again gives him a pass.

Some folks are trying to say that the county is becoming more liberal and more receptive to Democrats. I've heard that argument for more than 30 years, but the numbers still don't support it.
In fact, Democrats in Livingston County have about as much chance for success as a Britney Spears marriage.
Republicans took more than 62 percent of the votes across the county and more than doubled their opponent's totals in some races. The closest race I could find was a county commissioner race in Hamburg Township where the winner, incumbent Republican Dennis Dolan (who never campaigns), took 55 percent of the vote from challenger Dave Buckland.

Again, someone has to hold politicians accountable, and so far the voters have not and the P & A will not. There is one guaranteed time that politicians pay attention to the voters and that’s at election time. Not in Livingston County.

Ward may lose even more influence in Lansing that first expected

Although Chris Ward may have won his race in Livingston County, he may lose the race in Lansing. After the Democratic takeover of the House, you have to wonder what Mr. Ward was doing during the election season because it sure wasn’t campaigning or paying attention to the voters in the 66th District. He apparently did little for the rest of the GOP candidates either. According to subscription only MIRS, “House Speaker Craig DeRoche (R-Novi) and House Majority Floor Leader Chris Ward made their case today to the House Republican caucus on why they should return as the caucus' leadership pair in the 2007-08 session.”
In the first session day after the election on Thursday the majority party – at least for a few more months – stayed in caucus the entire session day, and DeRoche “explained to members that the GOP was hit by a Democratic tsunami fueled by national politics, but that he and Ward were in the best position to pick up the pieces as minority leader and minority floor leader, according to sources familiar with the situation.””The plea came five days before the House Republican caucus votes on a new leadership team for the next legislative session and comes amid rumblings that the caucus may want to look in a new direction to prepare for the 2008 elections. “”The names of Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, (R-Bellaire), Rep. John Proos (R-St. Joseph), Rep. Dave Hildenbrand R-Lowell), Rep. Kevin Green (R-Wyoming) and Rep. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair) are among those being mentioned as soon-to-be second-term lawmakers who would bring a fresh face to the GOP's drive to escape minority. “”Whether any of these candidates or Rep. Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan) will pull the trigger and make a concerted effort to run for House Minority Leader is yet to be seen, but likely. Sources indicate the most likely candidate would be Elsenheimer, a respected figure among caucus members who led the GOP's campaign operations in Northern Michigan. “

Stay tuned.

When in doubt wingnuts blame the “liberal media”

Ah, it’s great to see how the Republicans are spinning losing the U.S. House and Senate and the Michigan House of Representatives.

They could have chosen so many excuses, such as exceptionally high Democratic turnout at the polls, the unpopularity of the President, the Iraq fiasco or any number of reasons. One good one I want them to keep believing is that their candidates were not conservative enough, Yea, go with that one.

But when in doubt always roll out the old battle tested standard alibi of blaming the so-called “liberal media.” One rightwing bloggers in Livingston County known as the “suburban voice” laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of guess who. The media? Right.

Apparently, he must not read the editorial pages of the Gannett Corporation. Listen to this rant:

“The liberals in the news media are trying to tell us Republicans that we lost because of the war. They are doing this on purpose to diminish our support for the war thus paving the way for a pullout. Don’t fall for it.

The is the very same liberal media that mocks us, lies about us, distorts us, misrepresents us, and does everything it can to drive us out of power. But we are listening to that very same liberal media and its assessment of the effect of the war on the American voters? Are we crazy?

To answer his last question, duh.

The media and the ACLU Both share undeserved and unfair label

The press and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are two groups that not only stand for our basic American freedoms, they actually go out and fight for them everyday, yet both groups have been branded unfairly as liberal by rightwing zealots.
This case from Fenton hits close to home not only because it’s just over the Livingston County border up U.S. 23, but it also has been stuck an unfair label based on myth despite a track record of protecting and going to bat for conservative Republicans as well as liberal Democrats.

DETROIT -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a lawsuit (Oct. 31) against the City of Fenton challenging the enforcement of its political sign ordinance after city officials ignored a letter urging the city to amend its ordinance and protect the rights of its residents.The ACLU of Michigan is representing Joseph Hood, a Fenton Township resident, who was told to remove two political signs promoting Dick Devos for Governor that were arranged in a V-shape at his place of business adjacent to US-23 in the City of Fenton. A Code Enforcement Officer notified Hood’s employee that the signs violated an ordinance forbidding the display a political sign over 4 square feet in size on one’s property or signs spaced closer than ten feet apart. “The courts have repeatedly told cities that such political sign ordinances are unconstitutional,” said Kary Moss, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan. “Political speech is at the heart of a democratic process and the First Amendment rights that we all hold so dear do not hold second-place to commercial signs or the aesthetic preferences of city council members.” The courts have consistently ruled that cities cannot treat political speech less favorably than commercial speech. Nonetheless, non-political signs in Fenton can be larger than 4 square feet. Some, such as roadside stand signs and corporate flags, can be as large as 32 square feet. The Supreme Court has recognized the unique place that political yard signs play in our democracy and has noted that residents’ self-interest in keeping their neighborhood looking good generally makes government interference with residents’ First Amendment rights unnecessary.
Every election cycle the ACLU of Michigan sends letters to cities and townships reminding them that restrictions on political signs infringe on residents’ constitutional rights.
Before the 2004 election, the ACLU successfully sued the City of Troy on behalf of a President Bush supporter because the Troy ordinance made it a crime to erect a political sign more than 30 days before the election or to erect more than two political signs at a time. A federal court struck down the Troy ordinance as unconstitutional in January.

Ward will lose clout after Democratic House takeover, Duh

Although the tidal wave - or tsunami that state GOP chair Saul Anuzis called it - of anti- Republican sentiment managed to bypass Livingston County without getting any one wet, there is some good news. House Majority Floor Leader Chris Ward will now be the minority floor leader. The Brighton Republican's arrogance, rudeness and attitude completely soured the atmosphere in Lansing between the two parties, and his move to the sidelines will be a major plus for Michigan.

The bitterness and acrimony caused by Ward was so bad that you may recall an incident in June when Democratic Floor Leader Mary Waters of Detroit said she was trying to see the bills on the rostrum because Republicans, who hold a majority in the House, won't give Democrats a daily agenda when she was wrongly physically blocked from doing so by a House sergeant.

The story in the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus today does not even scratch the surface by not going into how the Republicans completely shut out the Democrats from getting any bills out of committee and onto the floor, especially the Democrats they had targeted for defeat in the last election by putting politics over solving our state's problems, like Rep. Kathy Angerer after she unseated an incumbent Republican.

Let’s hope the Democrats don’t stoop to the level of the Republicans, but it will take a lot of will power not to do so after the Republican arrogance of the last 12 years.

By Dan Meisler DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Lansing was swept up in the Democratic electoral sweep on Tuesday, handing the state House of Representatives to the Democrats. That leaves the Republican-controlled Senate as the remaining check on Democratic power in the House and governor's office.
After Tuesday's election, the Democrats went from having a six-vote deficit and three unfilled seats to gaining a 58-52 majority.
The GOP's loss of power means that Livingston County's two representatives, Chris Ward of Brighton Township and Joe Hune of Hamburg Township, stand to lose considerable clout.
In the age of term limits, Ward worked himself up to the position of House majority floor leader at the tender age of 32. Now, with the Democrats taking over, Ward will spend the final two years of his career in the state House in the minority.
As majority floor leader, Ward worked with Speaker Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, to decide what legislation to move and when to move it. But when the new batch of lawmakers is sworn in January, Ward and the rest of the Republicans will be on the sidelines when those decisions are being made.
Hune chaired the House Insurance Committee, but will be relieved of that duty under Democratic control.
Neither Ward nor Hune could be reached for comment.
In the Senate, Republicans lost one seat in the 38-member chamber, leaving 21 GOP lawmakers.

GOP smear campaign against journalists is alive and well

This piece of trash hit my mail box on Monday the day before Election Day, courtesy of the Michigan Republican Party, and even though I have been the victim of Republican smear campaigns against the media in the past I was still amazed that this still goes on in this simple a form

“The Liberal media is pulling out all the stops to help the Democrats win on Election Day.” How? The real problem is the consolidation of media, and soon one huge mega corporation is going to own every media outlet in this country. We had a perfect example of it in the past election. I worked for Mike McGonegal, a Democratic candidate for the 66th District House seat, and the local newspaper endorsed our opponent without an endorsement interview with the decision coming from Gannett HQ in Virginia.

“They will say anything to discourage you from going to the polls this year.” Does anyone really believe after the Amway Guy pumped some $36 million into TV commercials that these very same corporate-owned TV stations are going to bite the hand that stuffs them and discourage voting. Get real.

This is typical of the Republican smear campaign against professional journalists that has gone on for years and is still going on.