Granholm on the Dianne Rehm Show...

An awesome display by our Governor.

The best line:

The President told a group of governors that they were resorting to "protectionism", to which Granholm replied "That's bull-loney," nobody is afraid of free trade, we just want the agreements enforced.

Granholm is stepping up her appearences and her rhetoric, even finding a way to jab at DeVos (more cars made in Ontario "not because of taxes" but because of health care).

Keep it up...

My upline is Jennifer Granholm.

Rubberstamp Camp Takes a Pass on Port Security

What happens when Rubber Stamp Dave Camp is forced to choose between his Republican President and the security of our nation's ports? He just takes a pass. While Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have raised serious questions about the administration's approval of having a foreign government-owned company manage six East Coast ports, Camp is speechless and has his press secretary deal with the issue in this Midland Daily News Story.So Dave has no problem letting a government with ties to terrorists run our ports? The President says its O.K. With only 17% of American people supporting that preposterous idea, our Congressman whose only job has been running for re-election does nothing. With a million bucks in his campaign war chest from the rich and powerful, why should he worry? The voters in Midland and Isabella always vote for him anyway, don't they?

A question that should be asked...

The South Dakota legislature passed a bill to ban all abortion.

This will go to the Supreme Court for sure, but the reason it went through is becuase of Judge Alito.

The governor of South Dakota still has to sign the bill into law.

But, in our Governor race we need to ask what our canidates would do:

If a bill passed through the house that banned abortion, would you sign it?

I know how my upline would respond, what about the Amway canidate?

Angry, Frustrated Seniors Greet Levin in Mt. Pleasant

At one point it got so bad, U.S. Sen Carl Levin had to remind the audience at the Isabella County Senior Center in Mt. Pleasant yesterday that he voted against the new prescription drug program known as Medicare, Part D.

Although most of the Mt. Pleasant seniors sat quietly and listened, a number were very outspoken reciting their horror stories of having to deal with a broken system that either can't help them or just makes things worse. Sen. Levin sympathized with the seniors and mentioned that he and Sen. Debbie Stabenow were introducing legislation to try and fix some of the most egregious problems with the Republican-backed measure.

The Morning Sun had the full story and ICDP-TV taped the event too for public access TV.

Meanwhile over in Midland, the reporter for the Midland Daily news focused more on the proposed changes being touted to fix the problems at Sen. Levin's stop there.

Levin May Get An Earful in Mt. Pleasant on Bush Prescription Drug Plan

U.S. Sen Carl Levin is gathering information from constituents about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan pushed through Congress in the face of solid oppostion from Democrats. Now that the plan has gone into effect, the $20 billion boondoggle for the pharmaceutical industry is proving to be a fiasco, just like other Bush proposals.

Sen. Levin is on a 10-stop tour of the state to hear input from seniors mostly. He will be stopping in Mt. Pleasant at the Senior Center on Isabella Road. He is scheduled to be there from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. after an earlier stop at the Farwell senior feeding site. Other stops include Flint and Grand Rapids.

There is little doubt he will hear a lot of complaints about priviatizing another government program that should not logically be privatized, just like port administration. More of that later.

President visits to tout Granholm's innovation

That is what the headline should read in the Morning Sun tomorrow.

See this post from Detroit Wonk :

So, here comes President Bush, in town today for his obligatory stop in his piece-meal strategy to end the culture of "addiction to oil", by stopping in on a United Solar Ovonic plant in Auburn Hills this afternoon. He plans on touting his similarly piece-meal plan to increase investment in the development of clean power sources for automobiles. But hopefully, this will be an opportunity for President Bush to figure out a way to end his history in office of being a roadblock to expanding Michigan's economy. Maybe he will actually have an agenda that shows how he is going to help foster innovative ideas and new technologies.

...

But here's the problem with President Bush's visit. This wasn't a project the federal government helped to foster. Rather, this was an example of Governor Granholm using what little power is available to a Governor in this global economy, to provide an innovative set of tax credits totalling more than $6.1 million and a $100,000 Economic Development Job Training Grant to United Solar Ovonic to expand this facility. In addition, Michigan's NextEnergy project helped to certify USO for additional tax credits which may help them over the next few years to continue to grow. This wasn't anything Bush or his Administration did. This was wholly a state-run incentive program. Even the federal dollars that were part of the EDJT are dollars that the Bush Administration has looked at cutting over the past two years from the levels provided under the Clinton Administration.

Make it so Mr Editor man.

The state party website is lacking...

The new site may use all the latest in graphic technology, but while pictures are pretty, they are pretty much all it has.

We need tools to be a strong party. We don't need pictures. I would rather see a text based page with a bunch of tools, rather than a bunch of pretty pictures with a place to donate money.

Where is the help writing with talking points for letters to the editor?

Where is the help setting up house party's and other democrat events?

Where is the help with fundraising?

This has nothing to do with the fact that it doesn't even have a freaking blog. Blog's are by no means the end of all, but what we do need is not some slick fancy front page. We need tools to help us organize. All of links above are to the national dem site. Where are the same tools at the local level?

My opinion is that the site is pretty much par for the course for Mark Brewer, all slick, no substance.

New State Party Website Is Up

The Michigan Democratic Party has a new look in it's revamped website for Election Year 2006. It's a more modern fresh look that takes full advantage of the latest features of the best graphic design programs.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Did Wal-mart hit a speed bump?

The Morning Sun reports that the bill to help fund the new Wal-Mart, didn't make it out of the house:

But the House version of the Bioport bill wasn't attached to the Cropsey bill. That version, sponsored by Rep. Scott Hummel, R-Dewitt, passed the House and was adopted by the Senate, and now is on its way to Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Cropsey's proposal is highly controversial, because Wal-Mart Corp. is widely believed to be behind the possible Mt. Pleasant project. Several labor unions, particularly the Service Employees International Union, have rallied to oppose the project, saying Wal-Mart is anti-union.

The Senate passed Cropsey's distribution center bill last May, but it has languished in Hummel's House Appropriations Committee ever since. Hummel hasn't said whether the committee will take any action on it or not.

Local government officials have confirmed the existence of a plan code-named Project 700 to bring as many as 700 jobs to the area, but have never confirmed or denied that Wal-Mart is behind the possible project.

I have no idea what this means, the article did state that the money may come from other sources. But Lansing gets the vaccine maker, we get the Wal-Mart?

They got the gold mine, Cropsey gives us the shaft.

George Washington's Electronic Spying

Testimony from Alberto Gonzales (Bush's Attorney General) last Monday on eavesdropping:

Gonzales: "President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale."

Electronic surveillance? George Washington? Lincoln? Really?

And "on a far broader scale"? He repeated that last line at least two times and with emphasis.

Here's the video clip at Crooks and Liars: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/02/06.html#a7043

Local Taxpayers Subsidizing New Mt. Pleasant Wal-Mart Developments

Just as we suspected, local and state taxpayers will be subsidizing the development of the huge new shopping centers where the new Wal-Mart Supercenter and Sam's Club are beginning to be built. The Republican controlled Union Township Board of Trustees and the Republican controlled local Road Department agreed to all of the subsidies.  The complete story is in today's Morning Sun.The developers will only have to pick up a small part of the cost of widening Bluegrass Road, but we still don't know how much that will be, but the taxpayers share amounts to almost a million dollars with $300,000 coming from county taxpayers, another $300,000 from Union Township taxpayers and $375,000 coming from a state grant. So if you wonder how Wal-Mart gets the low, low prices -- it comes from exploiting everything they can including local taxpayers. Our local small businesses who have to compete with Wal-Mart are actually subsidizing Wal-Mart too, every time they pay their local and state taxes. It must make our local Chamber of Commerce a bit uncomfortable.

Will Senate Cut Through Bush Lies on Domestic Spying Next Week?

Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we pratice to deceive.
Sir Walter Scott

Next week in the U.S. Senate hearings about the National Security Agency's spying you can expect to hear more lies, excuses and justification for breaking the law and perhaps at least one Senator will stand up and defend the law and the Constitution against a President who was dubiously elected yet assumes powers that no other President has ever dared to.

President Bush claims powers that he was never granted by Congress or the Constitution. Many of us had real difficulty sitting still while watching the State of the Union.

Friends have told us to keep our eye on the junior Democratic Senator from Wisconsin and now comes word from Sen. Russ Feingold that he has had enough. Daily Kos allows Feingold his say in own words:

"I've seen some strange things in my life, but I cannot describe the feeling I had, sitting on the House floor during Tuesday's State of the Union speech, listening to the President assert that his executive power is, basically, absolute, and watching several members of Congress stand up and cheer him on. It was surreal and disrespectful to our system of government and to the oath that as elected officials we have all sworn to uphold. Cheering? Clapping? Applause? All for violating the law?"

C-Span may have a lot of viewers on Monday.

Republicans Take Good Care of the Rich and Thier Rich Kids

The Republicans can't seem to do enough for the rich and their rich kids. It would be awfully difficult for Buffy and Reggie to get by on half a trillion, you see. So eliminating inheritance taxes is one of the highest priorities for Republicans right now, other than trying to distance themselves from all those corrupt Republicans who tell lobbyists how much they have to give to be taken seriously.

First, every Michigan Republican in Congress voted to slash student loans for those too poor to have daddy pick up the tab and now they are all getting ready to vote more breaks for the kids who can buy their way into any school they want. All the Michigan Democrats in Congress vote against slashing student loans.

Tuition is rising too because Republicans in Lansing and Washington have also cut other funding for colleges. So Buffy and Reggie will need the extra bucks. So what happened to the compassionate conservatives? Their hearts only bleed for the rich. They are just selectively compassionate.

But there is nothing better than a little humor to poke fun at the obvious. In fact, the Boston Globe just gave an award to the folks that put together a TV ad with a parody of Paris Hilton thanking her Republican friends for not messing with her inheritance. Read the story and watch the ad from this page: http://www.faireconomy.org/press/2006/globe_award_for_london.html

Sheehan Charges Dropped, Cops Apologize for SOTU Snafu

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan spent four hours in jail and was roughed up a bit because she dared to wear an anti-war tee shirt into the US Capitol's House Gallery for President Bush's State of the Union Speech. Here is Cindy's take on the events leading up to her arrest.

Now according to the Associated Press, the charges have been dropped and the Capitol Police Chief has apologized. But there is more to the story too. Seems like a Republican Congressman's wife was also shuffled out of the place.

Very interesting!! What do you suppose will happen next?

Second ICDP-TV Production Debuts on Friday

Michigan Democratic House Leader, Rep. Dianne Byrum, State Party Chairman Mark Brewer, Democratic Congressional Challenger Mike Huckleberry and two candidates who will vie for the opportunity to take on Republican Attorney General Mike Cox in November are the featured stars of ICDP-TV’s second production that will begin airing later this week on Charter Cable Channel 3, the public access TV channel in Clare, Gratiot and Isabella Counties.

For those Democrats who were not able to make it to the 4th Congressional District’s Democratic Party Dinner in January, this is a great way to see what you missed. For those who did make it, you just might catch a glimpse of yourself as the cameras pan the crowd before and after the speeches. The 4th Congressional District Dinner tape will air on Friday, Feb.3 at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. On next Monday, Feb. 6, the tape will air at 5 p.m. If you can’t catch it then, it will air at the same times on the following Friday and Monday at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10 and at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 11.  There are not too many times when you can catch so many good Democratic Party state luminaries at one occasion and we have it all on tape. Just so you know, the speakers were excellent, but the quality of the video is not as good as our first production since we are shooting from a longer distance. But public access TV is getting new cameras next month that should make our productions better in the future.

For those of you who took the time to be interviewed by CMU Dem Andy Leavitt we owe an explanation. We did not have time to edit those interviews yet. We had some technical problems with that tape because of poor lighting and we may not be able to salvage anything useable there without spending a whole lot of time on them.  

We still need some more volunteers to learn about shooting and editing video for ICDP-TV. Later this month a new round of training begins at MAC3-TV to teach folks how to produce, tape and edit productions for cable public access in our area. The basic training is all done in two evenings and you can use those skills not just for ICDP-TV, but to produce public access programs for any other organization you may be involved with too. So if your church, youth group, service club or community organization does something that might make for interesting viewing on public access television, you just may want to see what this is all about. Call MAC3-TV, the Mid-Michigan Area Cable Consortium today and ask them to add your name to the list of folks who want to take the February classes. It’s just two evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. The telephone number is 989-773-9730. Children from 12 to 18 must be accompanied to the training by an adult.

Yes, we did finish editing the Governor’s Meet and Greet in Mount Pleasant. That 25-minute program will also be airing soon. We’ll let you know when those schedules are completed.

Why Does Cindy Sheehan Think There is Free Speech in America?

I guess Cindy Sheehan hasn't heard that George Bush is working hard to protect Americans from terrorists. She got arrested last night and hauled off to jail for the high crime and felony of trying to show off an anti-war teeshirt.

Doesn't she know we can't have that kind of thing going on while the emperor who has no clothes gets up and tells the world he is making things better? Now word comes out she could get another year in jail for expressing her opinion that her son died in vain in the fight to rid Iraq of WMD.

Doesn't she know that George Bush is trying to save the world from terrorists like her? Some people just don't understand the post 9/11 world, I guess.

My Favorite Highlight of the State of the Union

There was only one very real moment in the State of the Union speech last night. After Bush noted that Congress had not passed his efforts to privatize Social Security, Democrats finally stood up and applauded and yelled too.

The expression on Bush's face at that point was priceless. The President had already prepared to pause at what HE felt were the applause lines, but our Congressional Dems let the Prez know where the rest of us were. Yup, there is an opposition out there.

So what's the Prez gonna do. Create a commission, of course. That should bury that nonsense real good. Ever seen a commission do anything?

State of the Planet? Which One is Bush On?

Good planets are hard to find and after last night's State of the Union, we have to wonder which one this President is on. After making a mess of America and ignoring global warming, this president wants to make a bold move and end our dependence on foreign oil in 20 years. We went to the moon in only ten years. Oh, and that bold goal wasn't just to end ALL of our dependence on foreign oil, just 75 %. I guess 100% oil independence will take another 20 years.

Maybe we could send this President to the moon on our country's next space launch. He doesn't belong on this planet.