Rudy is in for 08

From NY1 - Rudy is in

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has taken the first steps toward a 2008 White House run.

Documents obtained by the Associated Press show that Giuliani has established an exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money and travel the country in support of a presidential bid.

While I personally like Giuliani, he's too left wing to get my support in the primary. That said, I'm glad he's running since he'll take votes away from Mr. McCain who I could not support for dogcatcher. I'd like to see Giuliani in a cabinet position - preferably in a Mike Pence administration.

Saul Anuzis for Michigan GOP Chair (and Stop McCain too)

I am endorsing the re-election of Saul Anuzis as state party chair.

This was a tough year, and I don't think most of Saul's work did anything but help us for not having it worse than it was. Indiana and Ohio (and I think Wisconsin) got hit worse than we did. We kept our Congressional seats, and didn't get smoked as bad as Ohio did - even though they are usually 4% more Republican than we are.

Saul is also the most accessible and active chair we've had since I've been active in Michigan politics. He organized more victory centers than any other time during a gubenatorial election. There were a record number of contacts made this election cycle. Saul is active on the grass roots websites for conservatives, such as redstate. With the rise of blogs and internet in politics, we need chairs who embrace the netroots, not reject them. Saul keeps us informed every day on his own blog and in his emails with a large collection of the current events around the state and country. The infastructure and groundwork was in place to win. That was Saul's job this year, and he did his part. It was simply a bad year for Republicans, the blame mostly deserves to be placed over in DC due to lack of leadership, poor strategy, and straying from the conservative values that brought them there in the first place back in 1994. Hopefully that changes and we can start with Mike Pence as Minority Leader, setting an example for us nationwide.

Besides Saul, the other names mentioned for chair have been Dave DiShaw, Jerry Zandstra, and Chuck Perricone. DiShaw is a good guy, as is Jerry Zandstra who I supported for senate before the primary. I have nothing bad to say about those two individuals. On the other hand Chuck Perricone destroyed the once formidable 2nd Amendment group - MCRGO. I won't go into all the details, but if you want to know what happened with MCRGO (since July 2002) under Mr. Perricone's reign as Executive Director - go to the CARE site or CPLTRAINER. I should also mention that Mr. Perricone is a John McCain guy. McCain is strongly anti-2nd Amendment and has a well deserved F rating from Gun Owners of America. What is a supposed gun rights leader doing supporting someone like that?

What this race is about, is the 2008 primary. McCain's people in Michigan are trying to rig the system so that McCain wins Michigan in the 2008 primary. As Hotline reports:

Allies of Sen. John McCain in Michigan have launched an effort to oust party chair Saul Anuzis, who they view as biased against McCain and beholden to established financial interests in the state party.

Today, in an unusually personal letter to Michigan Republicans, Anuzis announced his re-election campaign and blamed "presidential politics" and "personal agendas" for the opposition.

Let's not have a coronation in Michigan, especially for a guy like Mr. McCain.



Does this sound like a mainstream Republican or a RINO?

1. He's a gun grabber and wrote anti-2nd amendment legislation banning gun shows. If GOA isn't good enough, even the more mild NRA doesn't like him.

2. He opposes the 1st amendment with his draconian campaign finance law.

3. His "global warming" stance is hostile to the automobile industry.

4. He is part of the gang of 14 on judges. I can not trust him to appoint good judges.

5. He pushes for government involvement in areas it doesn't belong. He tried to ban the UFC (Competition for the boxing industry where he has ties) and stuck his fat in the baseball steroids dust-up.

6. He's a member of the Keating 5. Remember them? We had our own Keating 5 member in Don Riegle.

7. He supports Ted Kennedy and George Bush's amnesty bill for illegal aliens.

Americans rejected "Big Government" conservatism on November 7. We can not let Michigan have a coronation for another Big Government Republican in Mr McCain, who makes George Bush look libertarian. We need a limited government conservative as our nominee, and McCain is not it. Let's not have a coronation for him at our next State Party Convention.

Saul will build on his infastructure, expand the right-netroots, and will get us ready for 2008 - whoever the nominee is - not just the favorite of a few individuals.

Based on both Saul's record, as well as McCain's interests, I am endorsing Saul Anuzis for Michigan GOP Chair.

Human Events : Pence for Minority Leader

Human Events, an influential conservative newspaper endorses Pence.

Pence for Minority Leader:

When the now-defeated Republican majority in the House of Representatives was led astray on key issues by President Bush, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, it was Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana who rallied backbenchers to fight back in defense of conservative principles.

That is why Pence should be elected minority leader for the next Congress. Under Pence’s leadership over the next two years, HUMAN EVENTS believes, House Republicans can put themselves in position to retake the majority in 2008. More importantly, they can be counted on to fight for what’s right. Pence, after all, opposed President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, which the President is now hoping to re-authorize with the help of the Democratic majority. Pence also led the gang of conservatives who stood up against the bullying of Republican leaders who tried to make them vote for Bush’s $8-trillion Medicare prescription drug entitlement. He also led the conservatives who forced Congress to make spending cuts to offset at least some of the profligate spending President Bush suggested in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many conservatives rightly criticized Pence when, in the midst of the battle over immigration reform this year, he offered a compromise plan that would have made illegal aliens return to their home countries before they could qualify to come back as guest workers (and would have required the President to certify that the border had been secured before a guest-worker program was initiated). Still, Pence did support the tough border-security and immigration-enforcement bill that passed the House last December and counts now among his supporters for the minority leader post top GOP immigration hawks Tom Tancredo of Colorado and Steve King of Iowa.

Livingston Results

Dick DeVos - 57.01%
Mike Bouchard - 54.43%
Terri Land - 71.47%
Mike Cox - 69.42%
Mike Rogers - 63.63% (in county)
Valde Garcia - 61.60%
Chris Ward - 65.87% (in county)
Joe Hune - 61.56%


We can't let the numbers here fool us. We ran 6% behind our Bush 04 numbers, 5% behind our Posthumus numbers, and 2-3% behind our Bush 2000 numbers. To me, a 57.01% win is a defeat - as there's no way we win statewide without getting 63%+ in Livingston.

The DeVos numbers here were weak, but Bouchard's were extremely weak. It was the worst numbers in the county candidate since the sacrificial lamb campaign against Carl Levin in 2002 (a 52% "win"). I think he would have been a stronger candidate if he had help, but the lack of help before the last week, along with the national tide hurt us badly. What happened happened, and as I said before - Time for us to get up, walk it off, and be ready to fight.

Two exceptions to the setbacks were Terri Land and Mike Cox. They both won easily. The good news is that despite the setbacks, all of our county level candidates received over 60% of the vote.

We took our biggest damage in the Pinckney area. As a county party, I think we need to be more active out there and in areas around our entire county. There's too much of a disconnect between Brighton/Howell areas and the other areas of the county. With term limits hitting us hard in 2008 (house) and 2010 (senate), we better prepare for a tough race, as no open seat is 100% safe. Ask Bill Sali who had a close call in Idaho, or John Hunt/Terry Brown in the thumb. I'm taking our two open seat contests seriously.

Being followers does not work unless there are leaders to follow. Instead of looking for leaders to follow, I've always believed that we need to be the leaders ourselves. It is time for our county party to be the leaders. Will we step up to the plate as a party. That's for our committee to decide and I hope we as a committee make the right decisions over the next two years. Our communities are looking for strong positive leadership. It is time for us to provide it. Once we do, we won't be getting only 57% here in bad years, living and dying with out national and state partners.

On the county level, we got hit in the chin, didn't get knocked out, and survived a "decision". That said, it is too much of a close call here for my tastes, and I don't want to see this again any time soon. What are we going to do about it?

Up North Values. The key for winning Michigan

I saw the brutal state results as well as results from our own county. Overall, we underperformed by about 5-6%, and dems overperformed by about 5-6%. The 5-6% cost us the house. Based on the county results, the worst hit was among socially conservative and economic moderate independents.

I haven't seen the areas within the county outside of Livingston. I'll get to there later.

We lost areas we had no business losing, and got massacured in the swing areas outstate. The UP counties were often 60% democrat. The Northern Lower Penninsula also went democrat for the mostpart outside of the 4 or 5 Republican strongholds up here. Even those areas were narrow. Instead of their normal 58-62% GOP numbers, they were down to 50%-53% (Grand Traverse, Emmett, Antrim) Even some of the strong leaners flipped. Leelanau County flipped. Crawford County (Grayling) flipped.

The thumb was another disaster. The Conservative Populists flipped. Huron was split 50/50, as was St Clair County. Lapeer should be another Livingston County, but dropped to 52%. Tuscola flipped. Sainilac's still Republican (outside of Espinoza), but usually goes over 60% - it was 56%. That's not good enough.

Midland went Democrat for the first time since probably Bill Lucas. I'm not sure it was the city or rural areas which hurt us more. Saginaw and Bay are usually semi-close, but broke 60% democrat. Bush's 04 gains in Genesee County were eroded as well. 66% Democrat - 6% ahead of the recent numbers. Saginaw and Bay county are democrat, but not liberal. They prefer moderate democrats there like Jim Barcia. Socially conservative and populist.

Central and West Michigan's rural areas severely whipped us as well. Barry County was a narrow win. That's a 60% county most years. Ionia and Gratiot Counties were defeats. Clinton and Eaton Counties are tougher in off-years, but were disasters for us this year going 54% and 58% for Granholm. State workers are a part of that, but not all of it. Shiawassee was a disaster going 57% for Granholm. Bush won all three of those counties in a big way.

Anyone seriously contesting Michigan or recruiting a candidate needs to ask themselves a few things before telling the candidate to run. Can he win in places like Grayling, Cheboygan, St Ignace, Newberry, Escanaba, Alpena, Clare, Gladwin, and Roscommon. Those areas are conservative - but not necessarily republican. Can they win in Shiawassee County and get Clinton and Eaton to come home? Can they win in the thumb.

These are some of the most independent voting areas around. They are conservative, but not republican. Granholm won here. Bush won here. Stupak won here. Spence Abraham won here. Stabenow won here. A lot of areas there are locally democrat/republican, but split their tickets higher up. They are intelligent voters and it takes more than talking points to earn their vote.

Elitism = defeat. The 2004 attitude among democrats killed them here. How often did you hear them complain about people "voting against their best interest." No they didn't. They didn't then. They didn't in 2006 when they sent us a message either. We can not take them for granted.

If I was running a candidate up there, I'd find a good speaker with a working class background, is socially moderate/conservative with a libertarian streak, is pro-2a and pro-life, is fiscally responsible, is tied to small business, but isn't 100% tied to big business. Most importantly, he has to be REAL on those issues and not a phony, nor even have the appearance of a phony by taking some bad advice by Washington 'consultants'. Until next season, I think our party should spend a lot of time up there and simply listen to the concerns there.

This should work more than just Up North. Those same values that will win us Up North and in these rural areas work in a couple of other key counties in Southeast Michigan. One is Monroe County. The other is the epidomy of a swing county - Macomb County.

To sum it up into one sentence - we need to win back the "Reagan Democrats."

Mike Pence for Minority Leader!!

It's no secret that I'm hoping that someone like Indiana Congressman Mike Pence or South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (Both election day surviviors by a good margin) step up to the plate and run for president in 2008 as they have walked the walk when it comes to limited government principles. Indiana was a very rough spot due to the unpopularity of Mitch Daniels there, as well as the national picture. We lost three seats, two in seats which went heavily for Bush. Pence survived the dem wave due to his strong message and consistency.

Now Mike Pence is running for minority leader and would be a strong, principled voice against Nancy Pelosi, John Conyers, and worst of all - the fascist Henry "Ban everything" Waxman. After too many years of Bill Kristol's "Big Government Conservatism" and the "Prescription Drugs and No Child Left Behind" wasteful spending, it is time to go back to the good ole days of what gave us our majority in the first place - common sense conservatism based on limited government. As President Reagan says - "Government is the problem."

Go Pence!!!

Dear Republican Colleague,

I am writing to announce my candidacy for Republican Leader in the 110th Congress and to ask for your support. I will make every effort to speak with you about this personally before our leadership elections, and I am anxious to hear your thoughts and counsel.

Like all of you, I was deeply disappointed with the outcome of Election Day 2006. I am saddened to think of the men and women who will leave our ranks and cannot reflect on the names without emotion or ask, as Gideon did in defeat, "why has all this happened to us?"

I urge you to consider this specific question as we return to the Capitol to choose the men and women who will lead us back to the Majority. I look forward to your analysis but, as Sen. Phil Gramm once said, "I've got an open mind, but not an empty mind." Here is my take.

I am running for Republican leader, because I believe that we did not just lose our Majority-we lost our way. We are in the wilderness because we walked away from the limited government principles that minted the Republican Congress. But there is a way out. "The way out of the wilderness," author Mark Helprin wrote, "is the truth; recognizing it, stating it, defending it, living by it." Here is the truth as I see it.

The Truth:


After 1994, we were a Majority committed to a balanced federal budget, entitlement reform and the principles of a limited federal government. We delivered on balanced federal budgets, welfare reform and responded to a national emergency with defense spending, homeland security and tax cuts that put our economy back on its feet.

However, in recent years, to the chagrin of millions of Republicans, our Majority also voted to expand the federal government's role in education by nearly 100% and created the largest new entitlement in 40 years. We also pursued domestic spending policies that created record deficits, national debt and earmark spending that has embarrassed us and caused many Americans to question our commitment to fiscal responsibility.

This was not in the Contract with America.

Our opponents will say that the American people rejected our Republican vision. I say the American people did not quit on the Contract with America, we did. In so doing, we severed the bonds of trust between our party and millions of our most ardent supporters.

As we choose who will lead us in the days ahead, it is essential that we learn from the lessons of 2006. It is more important that we move forward with a renewed commitment to our principles and the vigor to do our duty.

Our mission has now changed. Our mission in the Majority was to pass legislation reflecting Republican principles. The duty of the Republican Minority in the 110th Congress is to defeat the liberal agenda of the Democrat Party and become the majority in Congress again. We will only defeat the Democrat agenda by presenting a positive, conservative message in vivid contrast to the big government liberalism of the new Majority.

New Vision:

To renew our Majority, we must offer this nation a compelling vision of fiscal discipline and reform. It is written "without a vision, the people perish." What is true of a people is also true of any political movement. Our new Republican minority must rededicate itself to the ideals and standards that minted our majority in 1994. Only by renewing the promises of the Republican Revolution will we attain Majority status again. Now, as then, we must pledge ourselves to promote and defend the agenda the American people elect Republicans to advance; defend our nation, our treasury and our values. We must again embrace the notion that Republicans seek the Majority not simply to govern but to change government for the better. We are the agents of change and we must return to that reformist vision.

New Voices:

I have great respect and appreciation for the hard work and leadership provided by our current leadership. Like most members of our conference, I have stood behind our leaders through good times and challenging times. However, in this new time of challenge also comes opportunity. I believe we must confront this moment with new leadership and new voices. We must take a page from the playbook of President Ronald Reagan who taught us that it is not enough to believe great things, we must effectively communicate great things to the American people.

In various roles, over the past six years, I have worked to provide a credible and persuasive voice for the Reagan agenda. Credibility will be essential for our primary task these next two years-to expose, dismantle and defeat the Democrat agenda. Without the votes necessary to stop the advance of their liberal priorities, our mission will be one of persuasion and tactics. Each of us must commit ourselves to using our voices and areas of expertise to dismantle Democrat arguments and expose their liberal, big government agenda at every turn. I see every Republican member as a leader, with unique gifts and talents, and I am asking for the privilege of serving this team of leaders.

These are anxious times, and we all feel the pain of opportunity lost. I encourage you to act without fear or inhibition, to be bold in your choices, and return this conference to the ideals and standards that created our national governing Majority. To retake our Majority, we must "be strong and courageous and do the work." We must renew our commitment to the agenda of the Majority of the American people, and defend our nation, our treasury and our values for ourselves and our posterity.

I am ready to work with you to restore and renew the Republican Congress. I ask for your support to serve you as Republican Leader in the 110th Congress.

Most sincerely,

Rep. Mike Pence

Time for us to get up, walk it off, and be ready to fight

If you read this site, you've followed what happened in the elections. It looked like a Detroit Lions game against the Bears.

What we first need is an honest look in the mirror to why this happened. The democrats didn't win the house. We lost the house. IMO, these are the biggest reasons.

1. DMFs giving everyone a bad name. D stands for dumb. I'll let you fill in the rest. With people like Mark Foley, Don Sherwood (Losing a 60%+ GOP seat), Bob Ney, Curt Weldon, and Tom DeLay - we have a real weakness at the top. This killed us in the last month of the election.

2. Iraq. What's the plan? If there is a plan, it need to be communicated to the populace.

3. What has Congress done? What's the plan?

4. Most important. Republicans forgot where we came from. First of all, the leftward movement within the party needs to STOP and stop now. Spending is out of control. We need a return to fiscal sanity. People like Mike Pence and the Republican Study Committee need a more active role in setting the agenda for the party. What do Republicans stand for nowadays? I have to clarify myself these days by saying that I'm a 1994 Republican.

As for the governor's race, I had a bad gut feeling after the first debate. DeVos was simply too nice of guy. He had a plan on his website, but he should have been more specific on his plan in the debate and in TV ads. This was a repeat of 1996 with the losses Up North and weak showing across the board. From what I saw across the state, the biggest loss was among social conservative independent voters.

I'll go more into detail in the future. Until then, I'll just say that it is past time to return to our roots of limited government, low taxes, low spending, protecting our rights, and supporting life. We have to stand for something. We fell for anything and it cost us.

One we go back to where we come from, we'll take back the house. It's time to stop the "They suck, we suck less" and go back to "They're wrong and we're right."

Update

Reports:

High turnout in the Brighton side of Genoa Twp. High absentee turnout in Green Oak.

Weather - Rain in Ann Arbor and Brighton areas. Reported rain in Detroit area.

Election Results

I'm going to be away from a computer for much of tomorrow.

For election results, here are two sites to check out.

Secretary of State

Livingston County Clerk

And last buy not least.

FIRE MILLEN! FIRE GRANHOLM!

Chris Ward - Legislator of the Year

Chris has always fought hard for education here in Livingston County (As well as Milford which is also in his district). The Michigan School Counselor Association awarded him as legislator of the year.

Earlier, he was given the Make a Difference Award by the Huron Valley School District Milford) due to his efforts to close the funding gap.

While Chris Ward's opponent has tossed negative after negative attacks led by his blog spokesman Kevin Shopshire (also known as Communications Guru/Kevins), Chris has taken the high road and got things done for us. The stealth school elections are no more. The effort to close school funding gap is lead by Chris Ward and Joe Hune, who have passed several bills through the house addressing this problem. While we didn't get all we wanted, we took what we could get, and it is much better than what we had before Chris and Joe were in office. Over 50 measures introduced by Chris have become law, despite a passive state senate and hostile governor.

For those who support the Second Amendment, Chris has been there. On life issues, Chris has been there as well. He walked the walk. If it wasn't for Governor Matt Millen, I mean Jennifer Granholm, we would have had the road funding here as well. That will change in two days. Chris did his part there.

Chris is now continuing his work at cleaning up the elections here in Michigan. This is project he's worked on for at least 4 years. Most parts of his plan I agree with, including requiring an ID to vote. This shouldn't even be an issue here, especially when there is no "poll tax" involved in it.

If we want to finish the job and close the gap in school funding, we can elect someone who has walked the walk. If we want to bring Michigan back against a governor who is fighting everything our leaders are moving toward, we can elect someone who has walked the walk. If we want to protect life and our Second Amendment freedoms, we can elect someone who has walked the walk...or we can elect someone whose spokesman only says how bad he sucks without giving us a plan. For the readers here, do we want to elect "Communications Guru" or "KevinS" as our state rep?

I'll stick with Chris Ward.

Dumb-arsed infighting

The last thing we need right now is infighting over the state chair position. Yet, it already made DC's Hotline and the LSJ. This is ridiculous. We have an election Tuesday. The other stuff needs to wait till December and January.

I'll have a lot more to say on this stuff after the election. All I'll say now is that it isn't the time for it right now, especially for this crap to be in the Lansing State Journal.

I agree with the Giuliani Blog take on this for the most part. That's all I'm saying on this matter for now.

(Disclaimer - I'm not a backer of either McCain, Romney, or Rudy currently - and in McCain's case, never will be)

Election thoughts.

Election thoughts.

It’s now election weekend, and here’s the last minute post for 2006. Due to law school stuff, I won’t be able to update the site until late Monday at the earliest, so here goes.

Governor – DeVos has my vote hands down. We have the Matt Millen of governors and that needs to change. I expect a typical very close race within 3% either way. DeVos has the business background, right values, and right leadership to get the state back in the right direction.

Senate – Bouchard. While there were some gun questions related to Bouchard, he earned GOA and SAFR’s endorsement. Those two are more reliable and less “internal political” IMO than NRA when it comes to this. He’ll be alright there. We can have a do-nothing obstructionist (who voted for outsourcing in the past BTW – Most Favored Nation trade status with China) who is to the left of Chairman Mao. We can have someone with mainstream Michigan values. I’m going with Bouchard. I think this race will be close as all strongly contested races tend to be. Stabenow is a weak incumbent and weaker senator. I think this could be the upset special of the election.

Attorney General – Anyone who supports the 2nd amendment needs to vote for Mike Cox. He’s has been above and beyond for us gun owners. He promised to improve reciprocity agreements for concealed carry holders and he kept his promise. He did not promise to improve NFA clarifications in this state, but he delivered there. I have high expectations, but they were exceeded. Amos Williams is the “Butch Hollowell” of 2006 – a sacrificial token black man the democrats need to bring to the ticket. While that’s harsh, he certainly hasn’t gotten a lot of real support from the party, and could have been a strong candidate if he had some help. I don’t expect this to be close, about an 7% win, which is a landslide by Michigan standards.

Sec of State – Terri Land won easily in 2002 against Butch Hollowell. She’s improved the system quite a bit and is working on election reform measures. I was impressed at the quick update of the election precinct results from the 04 races. Her opponent (Sarbaugh?) brings Macomb to the table, but I doubt it will be enough as it is a non-existant campaign. I expect Land to win by 10%.

Unfortunately, the University Board of Trustee decisions are often decided on straight ticket decisions. The politics here is more internal than partisan and only in rare circumstances are “cultural wars” fought at the trustee level.

Michigan State Trustees – Dave Porteous needs to stay. He’s IMO the best member on that board. Dee Cook is the other incumbent and received my vote. Academics are getting stronger there, and MSU seems to be moving in the right direction.

Former AD and football coach George Perles is challenging them. He needs to lose. Perles put MSU Football on probation when he was doing double duty as AD and coach. For that reason, I don’t want him meddling with the new football hire. I wish Joel Ferguson was up for election so I could vote him down too for running his mouth and meddling in the football affairs.

UM and Wayne St. Trustees/Regents – I didn’t go to those schools, so I won’t comment on them.


Congress – Mike’s a good guy and should win big. Marcinkowski has a lot of bluster, but no substance whatsoever beyond “You suck” and “I’m Joe Wilson’s hanger-on, vote for me.” Marcinkowski has temperament issues, and loses by at least 15%.

State Senate – Valde Garcia has done a good job for us. He is probably the most active rep in our community. I see him everywhere.

State Representative – Joe Hune’s one of the most practical reps I’ve ever worked with. He’s not a guy who caves when the pressure hits. Chris Ward is a strong leader who simply gets things done. Don’t take my word for it, go to the michiganlegislature.org site and see for yourself what Chris (and Joe for that matter) has gotten through. On school funding, Chris and Joe did their parts and got bills through the house. On a voter ID law, Chris is working hard there to get it passed to clean up the vote fraud. On life and second amendment issues, both are solid. I’ve been disappointed in Chris Ward’s opponent and his all-negative campaign. I think he took some bad advice from kevins/Communications Guru. This reminds me of the old saying about “the company one keeps.” If you go to McGonegal’s blog, 99% of it is saying that the other person sucks.

County Commission – While I personally like most of our commissioners, I’ll be honest. Our commissioners need some close races to wake them up when it comes to spending and tax issues. I have not been impressed over the past two years from a fiscal conservative standpoint. We need more David Hamilton types there. His watchdog role on the board is sorely missed. He’s going to kill me for saying this, but I wish Bill Johnston would run…..

Judges
Supreme Court – I voted for Maura Corrigan and Kerry Morgan. Corrigan is one of the best on the Court. Morgan could be the next Alex Kozinski. http://revivetherepublic.com/ With this much, I am taking a chance on the Libertarian here.

4th Appeals – Both unopposed. I left O’Connell blank over his anti-gun ruling on conceal carry back in 01 as a symbolic protest. Not that it matters.

Circuit – LaTrielle and Russell both seem like good people, but I went with LaTrielle. He’s shown himself to be a straight shooter, especially over the Island Lake firing range. He deserves one more term.

District – I’m going to copout and say I think McCririe and Reader both would be excellent judges. I like both of them. While I made my personal decision here, I’m keeping this one quiet.

Probate – Between Carol Garagiola and Bob Parker, I went with Garagiola. I’ve been impressed with Garagiola’s work ethic on her campaign. I am still troubled with Mr. Parker over his 2004 campaign against Dave Reader.

District – Last but not least, Jay Drick. Jay would be an excellent judge with his calm demeanor, strong work ethic, and strict constitutionism. He’ll follow the law and not legislate from the bench, and is second to none in his knowledge of district court issues.

Robocalls

Robocalls. Personally, I'd like to drive down with my shotgun and shoot all the equipment of the people behind this things. I can't do that though, so I'll voice my displeasure here instead. I got about 20 of those robocalls from "American Family Voices" alone, a thinly-disguised DNC front group. I don't like them, and if I ever run for anything, refuse to use robocalls. IMO, they cost as many votes as they gain. They offend people more than the phone banks.

The reason they are used is because they are CHEAP. They are about 5 times cheaper than a mailing. Until either that changes or until those numbers are added to do-not-call lists, they will continue to be used. It doesn't mean I have to like it.

From the Argus.

Plenty of hang-ups surround 'robo-calls'

The recent blitz of recorded political messages, or "robo-calls" as they are called, are "ripe for a lot of dirty tricks," according to one local legislator.
State Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton Township, opposes the use of the typically 30-second ads that are being telephoned to residents and left on answering machines throughout the county, state and country.



"It's an environment that's ripe for a lot of dirty tricks, people calling and saying things that aren't true or are unsubstantiated," Ward said, adding there is no law requiring a tag line of who paid for the messages.


State Rep. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg Township, recently recorded a robo-call in support of Republican gubernatorial challenger Dick DeVos.
"I think that they work if you can't get out and meet the voters yourself," Hune said. "I should apologize because everyone opens their mailbox (and) it's full of literature. Every time they answer the phone, it's a politician. But soon it will be all over."

Neither Ward nor Hune are using robo-calls for their own re-election campaigns, with the latter saying he has received a "couple of anecdotal things" about robo-calls from people he's met while out in the field.

Both have said they wouldn't be opposed to adding robo-calls to the list of prohibited calls on the National Do Not Call Registry.

We're number one!!

I received this in an email. In three of the last four years, our school was tops in the state when it came to bar passage rates. That says much about the teaching here.

The results of the July Michigan Bar exam were received today. I am very pleased to announce that 25 of 26 members of the Ave Maria School of Law Class of 2006 passed the Michigan Bar, which is a pass rate of 96%. Please join me in congratulating these graduates for their outstanding performance.

Listed below for your review are the results of all Michigan law schools on the July exam. This is the third time in the last four years in which our graduates have earned top honors among Michigan law schools on the Michigan bar exam.

First-Time Takers

Ave Maria School of Law: 96% Pass

Michigan State University: 94% Pass

University of Michigan: 93% Pass

Wayne State University: 93% Pass

University of Detroit Mercy: 92% Pass

Thomas M. Cooley: 80% Pass

All First-Time Takers in State: 91% Pass

This goes WAY too far

This drill really chafes at my libertarian side is another reason why I plan on sending my kids to Catholic schools. From the GR Press.

Realistic school drill riles parents
Saturday, October 28, 2006
By Barton Deiters
The Grand Rapids Press
WYOMING -- Students at Lee Middle and High School got a realistic look at what could happen if there was a threat in the school building. But some parents are saying it was too realistic.

On Thursday afternoon, Wyoming Police officers in riot gear with weapons out entered one high school and one eighth-grade classroom, both filled with young teens and announced there was a threat to the school. Students were unaware it was a drill.

Students were taken from the classroom into the halls and patted down by officers and asked what they had in their pockets.

One student responded he had a "razor," which got the attention of officers, but quickly added he was referring to a "Razr" brand cellular phone, according to reports from students, parents and Principal David Britten.

Officers were wearing their protective tactical gear, which includes vests and helmets, and carried rifles that were unloaded and marked with colored tape designed to indicate they were not live weapons.

"Some of these kids were so scared, they just about wet their pants," said Marge Bradshaw, a parent with four children in Godfrey-Lee Schools. "I think it's pure wrong that the students and parents were not informed of this."

Argus endorses DeVos

Frankly, I'm shocked. The Argus endorsed the entire top of the democrat ticket in 02, and backed John Kerry in 04.

Michigan, perhaps more than any other state, is mired in a sea of high unemployment and the continued loss of attractive manufacturing jobs. The result is a drain on state revenue, which limits the funds needed to provide essential state services.

A governor cannot fairly be blamed for the global changes that have wreaked havoc on the state's economic base. But a governor must provide the leadership for our state to reinvent itself so that its citizens can thrive in the 21st century.

While undeniably an intelligent, caring and charismatic person, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has failed to demonstrate the required level of leadership needed in Michigan. Her style has failed. That's why voters should select Republican DICK DeVOS as Michigan's next governor.

Granholm's defenders argue that she has been prevented from dealing with a bad economy by obstructionist Republican lawmakers. That's a bad argument on two fronts.
First, that indicates that she will be no more effective in a second term if Republicans continue to rule both the House and the Senate. Second, the governor has come up short when it comes to specific programs that the Legislature could support or block.

Anti-2nd Amendment group endorsements

This is a good guide on who NOT to vote for. The Brady Campaign to take away our freedoms endorse the following jokers. Let's send these people (all democrats) home.

U.S. Senate
Debbie Stabenow
U.S. House of Representatives
Dale Kildee (5)
Sander Levin (12)
Carolyn Kilpatrick (13)
John Conyers (14)
The endorsed State candidates are:

State House of Representatives

Coleman Young (4)
Steve Tobocman (12)
Andy Meisner (27)
State Senate

Martha Scott (2)
Irma Clark-Coleman (3)
Liz Brater (18)

More on the dangerous wingnut Jon Stryker

Bill Nowling at the Lunch Bucket Conservative has done a superb job at unconvering the shady gazillionaire Jon Stryker.

Campaign finance reports filed today with the Michigan Secretary of State show that Kalamazoo billionaire Jon Stryker has pumped in $4.6 million of his own money into the so-called "Coalition for Progress" while his sister, Patricia Stryker of Colorado Springs, contributed another $500,000.

There's more.

MSM Starting To Shine Light On Ultra-Liberal Billionaire Stryker's Hidden Agenda

And one more that covers what his agenda is

Over the years, ARCUS and Stryker have spent millions supporting benefits for same-sex couples, special rights to allow Gay couples to adopt, and efforts to get pro-homosexual courses included in elementary school curricula.

Leave the kids alone, Jonny.

Democrats abandon working families and kiss the ring of rich leftists like Jon Stryker

From the AP

Republicans have good reason to be worried about an unprecedented and expensive ad campaign designed to help Democrats win control of the GOP-controlled Legislature for the first time in years.

Democratic billionaire Jon Stryker of Kalamazoo has given $4.6 million to the Michigan Coalition for Progress, a new political action committee he founded. The committee is targeting Republican incumbents in key legislative races with negative ads and campaign literature

It looks like the dems are controlled by four wings. Hollywood, union leadership (Who sold out workers on issues including outsourcing) convicted criminal billionaires like the George Soros, and this wingnut Jon Stryker.

So who is the wingnut Jon Stryker? He's a gazillionaire who inherited billions from his grandfather and never had to work for a living. (DeVos has money, but actually does work for a living). Stryker founded the Arcus Foundation, which support radical gay causes (pushing the agenda on the kids - that's what is radical), killing babies (planned parenthood), and animal rights causes which is bad news for hunters and gun owners.
Arcus Foundation website

Don't take my word for it - take a look at the website itself.

If the democrats take the state legislatures and win the statewide officers, they are going to have to kiss this guy's ring. God help this state if that happens. We don't need Jon Stryker running this state even further into the ground.

Marcinkowski fails to get endorsement of Lansing State Journal

Amazingly, the famously left-wing Lansing State Journal does not endorse Jim Marcinkowski.

If Marcinkowski displayed more depth and temperament for the wide array of issues that will confront any congressman, he might have been a choice.

It sounds like his "Vote for me, I'm a Joe Wilson hanger-on" and loose cannon temperment turned even the LSJ off. His campaign's whining email about no endorsement made their point too.

DeVos in Genoa Twp, Howell Schools update

First off, DeVos was in town yesterday for our county's Reagan Day Dinner. His speaking is much improved from the debates, and he makes a good case in replacing our current "Matt Millen" of governors.

I missed the fiasco at the Howell School Board meeting going on at the same time but talked to a few people for a recap. For background information, go to Wendy Day's blog. Apparantly, the place was backed and split about 50/50 between her supporters and opposition. Much of the opposition have turned out to be real jokers and then some with their personal attacks. Granted what I heard there is secondhand, but I've seen the firsthand stuff on this blog. A couple of jokers on Wendy Day's blog are resorting to the juvenille (apologies to juveniles) tactic of posting under someone else's name (including mine). That's just stupid. This stuff makes Kevins/Communications Guru look like a statesman. At least he posts under his own screenname and gives an arguement.

Let's put this thing into some perspective. You have a few establishment types all in a snit because Wendy posted information about a SILENT protest organized by a chuch in Virginia. Wendy herself only made one comment about this supporting free speech. Granholm pushed for a similar type of protest over gay issues a few years back. I doubt the same people all in a snit over this had one over Granholm's event. Let's at least have some consistancy here. Also, why is the left so up in arms about ONE person on the school board.

Also, rumor has it that Howell Schools' tax raising leader Bonnie White is behind the recall and is passing out fliers promoting it. I also heard that any recall effort against Wendy will be brought against at least three of the sitting Howell School Board members. If there's one recall, they will all recall.

I can't speak for the LOVE Group as I'm not a member. However, as a member and former treasurer of the Concerned Taxpayers Group and its PAC, I'll be urging our members to get involved in any recall attempt/defense if either A. A fiscal conservative is being recalled or B. A big spender is being recalled. This is as much about fiscal issues as it is social issues, especially when Bonnie White is involved in this.

My own preference - No recalls, and settle everything in the scheduled elections.

Obama running in 08

Let's get a sports chant going...OV-ER-RA-TED! OV-ER-RA-TED!

From the AP:

WASHINGTON - Sen. Barack Obama acknowledged Sunday he was considering a run for president in 2008, backing off previous statements that he would not do so.

The Illinois Democrat said he could no longer stand by the statements he made after his 2004 election and earlier this year that he would serve a full six-year term in Congress. He said he would not make a decision until after the Nov. 7 elections.

"That was how I was thinking at that time," said Obama, when asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about his previous statements.

Obama is your typical "talk centrist, vote leftist" chamelion senator. He certainly is no friend of freedom with his anti-2nd amendment votes, even voting to ban .30-30 ammunition - one of only 31 senators (including leftist extremist Stabenow) to do so. He also supports junk lawsuits against firearms manufacturers.

He's just a "nice guy" variation of Hillary Clinton. Jimmy Carter circa 2008 is not what we need. That said, I can't see anyone with the last name of Obama winning nationwide anyway.

Chris Ward receives “Make a Difference Award”

Chris Ward Receives Recognition for Fighting for Equity in School Funding

Representative Chris Ward recently received the “Make a Difference Award” from the Huron Valley Schools Board of Education in recognition of his support to narrow the gap in the per pupil foundation allowance of Michigan public schools, and also for his continued support for Huron Valley Schools.

“It is truly an honor to receive this award from the Huron Valley Schools Board of Education,” said Ward. “Every budget cycle, I have fought hard to continue to lessen the gap in funding for school districts. Although it’s a first step in that process, securing equity payments for lower funded school districts is one of the greatest accomplishments of my legislative career and I remain committed to continue to fight for dollars for our area schools.”

Under budget agreements approved by the Legislature late this summer, public education received the highest levels of funding in the state’s history with an additional $210 in per-pupil funding; $20 million to bolster middle school math programs; $20 million to decrease the funding gap between the state’s lowest- and highest-funded school districts; and $10.7 million in additional funding for early childhood education.

In addition to the foundation grants, Representative Ward fought hard to see that a $23 per-pupil equity payment used to bring lower-funded schools in line with higher-funded districts was included. Area schools have been receiving less than $7150 per-pupil foundation allowances and this equity payment helps bring them in line with other districts.

“I’ve said time and time again that our local schools are among the fastest growing in Michigan but receive some of the lowest foundation grant allotments of any area in the state. This equity payment helps lessen the gap,” Ward said. “Even though Proposal A has been somewhat successful in lessening the gap between the highest and lowest funded schools, we still need to do more to work towards greater equality when it comes to funding our children’s education. Students in all school districts deserve the best possible education we can provide them no matter where they live.”

Argus gets one right

I don't usually agree with editorials in the Argus, but they got one right on the money here regarding the latest hornets nest in Howell Schools. We need to put this issue into perspective

To the many people who are getting too worked up about what was going to be an understated protest against abortion in a couple of Howell-area schools on Tuesday, we have some advice:
Take a deep breath, relax and try to put this issue in perspective. Let's remember who the adults are here

Howell Schools hornets' nest

I've never seen so much "tolerance" in my days after reading much of the comment section. The angry leftists and old boys club are having a fit and are showing some fascist tendancies in their hatred of free speech and opposing views. Read some of the comments. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAOWW.

The facts are this. A non-governmental organized a protest. Some school kids in Howell schools are going to have a silent protest against abortion. WHMI mistakenly reported that Wendy Day has organized this. That is incorrect. These are the organizers. Brian Kemper and Stand True Ministries. If Wendy organizated this, I would not support this as government should not be pressuring towards views.

Wendy's only involvement is this comment on her blog.

One Tuesday, October 24th, students will be entering our schools with duct tape on their mouths, or red arm bands to show their support for the unborn. These kids will take a brave step toward civil activism. I hope these kids are supported as they exercise their freedom of speech. So far, Howell High School and Hutchings will have students participating.

For more information go to : http://www.silentday.org/

Give up your voice for those who have no voice.

Her only involvement in this is that one comment. For that, the left went off their rocker once again. Never mind that fact that Wendy is one person on the school board, surrounded by a board of Chuck Breiner yesmen. The old boys club is threatened and is no longer unopposed. Wendy had the highest number of votes in the highest recent turnout in a school board election.

I do have to wonder if the left there would have the same reaction if the students were wearing rainbow armbands? I highly doubt it. In the left's view, only one side should be allowed. Theirs.

For the record my stance is this. Government shouldn't organize, nor censor this. Free speech isn't just what one side agrees with.

Updates

The Lansing State Journal mentions this blog, along with five others, both right and left.

Chris Ward has been endorsed by the Free Press

The leftist national press ignores Harry Reid's shady land deal.

Argus endorses Chris Ward!

Considering that the Argus endorsed Theresa Brennan for the primary, John Kerry in 04, and Granholm, Levin, Butch Hollowell, and Gary Peters in 02, this is a bit of a shocker to me. I think the negativity from McGonegal's "Communications Guru" has hurt him badly.

Chris has done a good job for us. He's been in the forefront for trying to tackle the school funding issue and road funding. I don't agree with all of his campaign finance measures (We had a lot of discussions over that issue), but he's taken a stand there, and has been consistant there for the past four years which I respect. He's also solidly pro-2nd Amendment and pro-life. He's always pushed for election integrity, and after Gore tried to steal the election in Florida (and Kerry stealing Wisconsin, and Dino Rossi "losing" in Washington) - we need election reform in the worst way. Requiring photo ID to vote is a much needed start. We need to keep our elections watchdog and send Chris back to Lansing.

From the Argus

As a township trustee and later a clerk in Brighton Township, Ward was a key player in forging regional cooperation between the city of Brighton and neighboring townships to more effectively provide government services for taxpayers.
He has shown that same skill in Lansing, where his peers selected him as the House majority floor leader.

In his position, he has worked with some notable success at gaining additional revenue for Livingston County's under-funded public schools and roads. He took the lead in writing and passing legislation that consolidated all Michigan elections into four specific dates. And he has worked diligently — sometimes to the chagrin of members of his own party — at seeking more effective ethics and campaign finance reform laws.

Ward has an impressive grasp of the issues at play. He is a proud Republican, but he has shown that when it comes to issues, he is both well-versed and willing to work constructively with legislators on both sides of the aisle.

As part of his effort to address public school financing, Ward also understands that spending is an important part of the equation. Despite discouraging recalcitrance by many in the House and Senate, Ward continues to work to address the untenable costs of health-care benefits and retirement obligations in the public school system.

Updates

I have been caught up in a ton of work here, so I haven't been able to post updates. Things should open up slightly after Monday.

The judges had their debate Tuesday. All of them did well. Jay Drick did a very good job of contrasting his experience advantage against his pro-abortion opponent, Theresa Brennan.

In other news the absentee voting ballots are now stating to come out. Election Day for all intents and purposes - is now.

How to vote on the ballot proposals
1. Tough Call
2. Yes (Ban Affirmative Action)
3. Yes (Hunting - a yes keeps, a no bans)
4. Yes (Eminent Domain, Yes bans, no puts dependency on the Michigan Supreme Court)
5. No (Increases spending on MESSA and Pensions, not classrooms)

Lastly, good news for the GOP - Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner is NOT running for president. Warner, IMO was the dems best shot for winning.

Debate

UPDATE - Argus Article and audio of debates

Mary Andersson v Joe Hune - This was a civil debate about the issues. Andersson seemed nervous, but it's easy to say that from the seats. I've done some public speaking, but not in that setting. Public speaking isn't easy. Her main issues are environment and increasing health care. Joe is one of the best at giving straight answers and is a less government conservative. I always know where Joe stands, and he did a very good job tonight.

Mike McGonegal v Chris Ward - McGonegal did not do bad until the end where he got away from his vision and went negative. He could have been stronger, but he took too many pages out of the "KevinS/Communications Guru" playbook with his attacks in his closing statements. Chris brought his A game and was ready for a "Communications Guru" style of attack, and it showed. Chris emphasised his accomplishments in education and elections issues and took the high road.

Donna Anderson v Valde Garcia - I don't agree with Donna Anderson on 90% of the issues. (Term limits and to some degree, the Great Lakes) That said I give her some credit here. She did not give us politispeak and smoke. There is no doubt where she stands. Valde did a good job and detailed his work in the legislature. This debate was mostly about issues and did not have many attacks.

Jim Marcinkowski v Mike Rogers - Marcinkowski's a Class A jackass who spent all his time braying and yapping about how the other guy sucks. This guy doesn't have the temper to do the job. Mike kept the high road and talked about his work in DC. Marcinkowski showed himself to be a bigtime leftist as well, braying his support of socialized medicine.

County Budgets

From the Argus

For years, our county used growth as increased revenue to pay for the spending. With the slowdown in this county's growth (and Michigan overall), that's now catching up with us.

I have to give a democrat of all people some credit here on fiscal matters. Matt Evans has raised some good questions on the county budget and spending. Most of it was about the Sheriff's department, but I think the most important part is this.

Evans also took the commission to task for the 3.1 percent spending increase in the 2007 budget proposal. He said that's a larger increase than the rate of inflation as predicted by the Bush administration's Office of Management and Budget, 2.6 percent.

"On fiscal policy, I don't think that's conservative enough," Evans said.

He said he prefers "zero-based" budgeting in which the county would essentially start from scratch at the beginning of a budget year, determine what services it wants to provide and how much money it has, and then start writing the budget. That's instead of starting from last year's budget and making adjustments.

I have to agree given the current situation in Michigan, especially when I see Jack LaBelle make this comment.

"The county, despite having the lowest allocated millage in the state of Michigan, has maintained a balanced budget while giving due compensation to employees."

I'm going to have to talk to Jack about that. Granted it is hard to read the tone of a comment from a news article, but it sounds like he is not happy about the low millage here. Lower taxes means more productivity, which increases growth (Laffer Curve). The Laffer Curve works well when spending is held in check. We just had the 911 and several ballot measurers this August. Most of them passed, due to it being fire/police related. What's next? Times are tough here, and we do not need new taxes, and we do need ALL of our governments to live within their means.

I think we can start by cutting the full health benefits of the commissioners. If sacrifices need to be made, the buck needs to start at the top - the board.

Candidate Forum Tonight and tomorrow

The Argus has a candidate forum tonight and tomorrow. Tonight is for congress and state legislative races, and tomorrow is for judicial races. Both events are at 6:30PM at Howell High School's auditorium.

The candidates invited tonight are U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, and his Democratic challenger Jim Marcinkowski; state Sen. Valde Garcia, R-Marion Township, and Democratic hopeful Donna Anderson; state Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton Township, and Democrat Mike McGonegal; and state Rep. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg Township, and Democrat Mary Andersson.

On Tuesday, judicial candidates are invited. The second forum is at the same time and place. The candidates in the nonpartisan judicial races are Circuit Judge Stanley Latreille and challenger Bill Russell; District Judge Theresa Brennan and challenger Jay Drick; Carol Hackett Garagiola and Robert Parker, who are running to replace retiring Probate Judge Susan Reck; and Carol Sue Reader and Bill McCririe, vying to replace retiring District Judge John Pikkarainen.

Unfortunately, I usually only see political junkies there and few undecideds. These events should be packed.

Look out for deer

From the Argus

The numbers are pretty staggering.
In Livingston County alone, there are more than 1,200 car-deer accidents annually.

That averages out to more than three a day.

Given our high traffic counts and many areas that are still relatively rural, then perhaps it isn't surprising that five of the state's top 10 sites for vehicle-deer crashes are in Livingston County.
With deer season upon us, the Michigan Deer Crash Coalition has provided tips to avoid a crash with one of the state's 1.75 million deer.

Let's all be careful out there. Almost every time I drive to my parents house lately, I see at least two deer. They are very common, and with the building around, they will adapt to more suburban and semi-rural areas - double the case when some of the residents feed the deer.

Watch for deer especially at dawn and dusk. They are most active at those times, especially during the fall mating season. In spring, deer will move from cover to find food, and back to cover. Often they will feed along road rights-of-way, where grass greens up first.

If you see one deer, approach cautiously, as there may be more out of sight.

Deer often travel single file, so if you see one cross a road, chances are more are nearby waiting to cross, too. When startled by an approaching vehicle, they can panic and dart out from any direction without warning.

Be alert all year long, especially on two-lane roads. Watch for deer warning signs. They are placed at known deer-crossing areas and serve as a first alert that deer may be near.

Slow down when traveling through deer population areas.

Luckily, I've never gone one on one with a deer when I've been driving. I'd like to keep it that way.

Trouble in Marcinkowski's paradise

I'm not usually a fan of the NY Times, but they had an interesting article here about Marcinkowski.

He talked to Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader; Steny Hoyer, the Democratic whip; and Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. All urged him to run, especially Mr. Emanuel, who called several times, and even shipped him a thank-you cheesecake after he had agreed to run.

Mr. Marcinkowski says everyone promised their full support.

“That and a buck-seventy will get you a nice cup of coffee at Starbucks,” he said, adding that if he could do it again, he would have sought assurances that the campaign committee would devote ample “resources” — also known as money — to his race.

He says many of the Democrats who enticed him to run abandoned him after his fund-raising lagged and they deemed other races to be more winnable. “Sometimes I feel like the marine who they sent charging up a hill,” he said. “Then the marine looks back over his shoulder and wonders, ‘Hey, where’d everyone go?’ ”

Now there are several scenarios plausible here.

1. The Times made the whole thing up. Possible, but unlikely considering the stuff I've seen from this campaign.
2. Overrated candidate. Marcinkowski's whole plan is "Vote for me, I'm a buddy of Joe Wilson." Since it wasn't Karl Rove that ran his mouth, the whole thing crashed and burned, causing Rahm Emmanuel to cut his losses.
3. Rahn's a jackass and played Marcinkowski to get him to run. I don't agree with the far left Daily Kos crowd on much, but when it comes to Rahm Emmanuel, they are right. The Bill Clinton disciple has the loyalty of his mentors.
4. Mike Rogers is going wipe the floor with Jim Marcinkowski, and both Marcinkowski and Emmanuel wants to avoid blame for this loss, passing the buck to each other.
5. Combination of #2,3,4.

I'm going with scenario 5 here.

Tigers defeat Yankees in first round of playoffs

Good Job Tigers!

For years the Tigers were a highly respectable team who usually finished above .500 and even won titles every now and then, most notably the World Series in '68 and in '84, but there were other years when they won their division championship and even the American League Pennant. This was no small accomplishment in the 1960's and 1970's, an era when the mega-rich New York Yankees dominated baseball. These are the Tigers that I like to remember, the Tigers of my youth.

But an entire generation in Michigan had never seen a good Tiger's team, at least not until this year. After the struggles of recent years I had been hoping for nothing more than a team capable of winning more games than it lost, an indicator that they were finally getting serious about playing baseball. To have such an outstanding season was icing on the cake. Defeating the Yankees is like adding premium ice cream on top.

I'll be cheering for the Tigers as they compete for the American League Pennant and I hope they achieve much higher honors, but for me the Tigers are already big winners, much like the Tigers I remember growing up.

Now about the Lions . . . . .

Marcinkowski LIES again

From the Argus

But Marcinkowski put the blame for Michigan's economy squarely on Rogers' shoulders for voting for free-trade agreements. He said the agreements don't require other countries to ban child labor or force them to pay fair wages.

Jim, stop LYING. I repeat. Stop LYING.

NAFTA and GATT (The bigger problem) were both passed in the mid 90's. Off the top of my head, somewhere around 1993 and 1995.

They were both signed by Bill Clinton. In 1995, Mike Rogers was a first term state senator who only voted in Lansing, not DC. He did not enter Congress until 2001. He had no chance to vote on Clinton's NAFTA and GATT.

So stop LYING Jim.

DeVos Granholm - Debate 1

Some good news and bad news. The good news is that this is only the first debate and that the debate does not affect my vote. The bad news is that the first debate was brutal. I'm not even going to spin this one.

I don't know how else to explain this. It was brutal and painful to watch, especially since I've seen DeVos speak several times in person - and have spoken with him several times. He's better than that. Much better.

It wasn't due to Granholm's not lacking any openings. She kept attacking, but led with her chin and was open to a good political counterpunch. DeVos should have countered with "We've had 4 years of your plan. It hasn't work. Here's my plan" and then go down the list with the plan right there. I expected all attacks as that's all Granholm had. She's done about as good of job running the state as Matt Millen has running the Detroit Lions.

I did not expect DeVos to beat Granholm (a lawyer who also went to acting school) in a TV debate. I did expect DeVos to rise above Granholm's slogans and attacks with more substance than was at the debate. What's worse though is that he HAS a plan, and did not mention it at the debate. I was waiting for the next step in the debate after "We need new leadership." Both candidates had too many dodges, too much politispeak, and not enough substance. I expected that from Granholm (all flash, no substance), but not from DeVos. I've see the other DeVos, and that's what the rest of the population needs to see.

I know it's easy to armchair QB, but if I was DeVos' debate prep team, I would just trash the slogans completely, be all business, and be himself at the next two debates - treating the crowd as 5 million Board of Directors members. Just be straightforward, no slickness, answer all the questions, and go forward with the Michigan Turnaround plan. That's just my own opinion.

There's two more debates to go. We'll see what happens.

October 9 and 10 - Debates

The Argus and League of Women Voters are holding debates for legislative candidates on the 9th and judicial candidates on the 10th.

The debates are at Howell High School at 6PM.

20,000 participate in youth hunt

Now this is a great story about the great outdoors. From the Grand Rapids Press

20,000 participate in youth hunt
Friday, September 29, 2006
By Howard Meyerson
Press Outdoors Editor

When Matt Spaans went out to hunt his first deer last Saturday, the opening day of Michigan's two-day youth deer hunt, his father faced more than a few surprises.

The two were sitting in an elevated shooting shack when three does wandered by followed by a five-point buck. The male stopped and turned broadside, just 30 yards away, presenting the young hunter with an ideal target.

The rest of the article is good reading as well. One of the gifts of living in Michigan is being close to the wilderness and some of the best hunting grounds East of the Rockies.

All we need are hogs and mule deer here, and it'd be perfect.

Jim Marcinkowski interviews and lays another egg

Recently, Jim Marcinkowski had an interview with Burl Schwartz of the Lansing City Pulse on an East Lansing Radio station. I’m not sure if it was Impact or the Edge, but it was one of those. I was just given a transcript of the interview and am posting excerpts of that here. Jim once again does not answer questions well, similar to his interview with the leftist Booman Tribune blog.

BS – Burl Schwartz
JM – Jim Marcinkowski

BS: How are Democrats taking to you given that up until 2000 you were a Republican?
JM: Well I don’t know at what point I switched exactly.
BS: Well didn’t you run for a township office in 2000?
JM: Yeah I was put up by the slate because of a political battle we were going on and I did not put enough effort into it. It was kind of a neighborhood ground support. It was a small position but I wasn’t really that into it.
BS: Was that a slate of Republicans or a non-partisan ticket?
JM: I don’t know. I was thinking that was, I really couldn’t tell you. Well Republican or Democrat it doesn’t really matter here. I just think that the Republicans have become very radical and that the middle class just cannot connect with them anymore. If you look at their disasters on international relations such as the war on terrorism and the economic policies that are affecting the jobs here, it’s not working. You look at those policies and you see what’s really important for the country and partisanship becomes secondary.

This is horse manure, Jim. Either you are a LIAR, have a really bad memory, need to retake a civics class, need to read a ballot, or as I suspect - all of the above. Orion Township is solidly republican. You were not on a slate, since the winner of the primary has an easy ride to election there. You ran and finished dead last in the Republican primary. It was a partisan primary in August as all township offices are. As for the Republicans becoming radical, that’s even more horse manure. 1994’s Republicans were much more conservative than today’s crowd.

BS: You’re running against a well-moneyed candidate. How are you doing in fundraising and try to be specific with me if you can.
JM: We’re doing better than any challenger in the State of Michigan. We’ve probably gotten around four times as much money together as the last couple sets of challengers against Mike Rogers. Of course, as you indicated, he is well-oiled monetarily, he’s a machine, and where that comes from is a whole other story.
BS: Tell us that story later but how much money have you raised so far?
JM: We’re approaching some 400,000 dollars.
BS: And what do you think it’s going to take to beat Mike Rogers?
JM: Well I don’t think money is going to be the bottom line it’s going to be people on the ground. If we raise a million dollars, Mike will have raised two (million). If we raise two, he’ll raise four.
BS: Well aren’t you going to need a lot of money to run television commercials, which is really important?
JM: Well stand by, you’ll see in four days.
BS: And what are you going to be saying in it?
JM: Well bottom line is we’re going to hold Mike to his record and indicate what that record is as far as the impact on the State of Michigan.

Jim, why not tell us where YOU stand. I don’t need to hear why Mike supposedly sucks. What is Jim Marcinkowski’s plan? The truth is that there is no such thing. His only message is that “I’m a hanger on of Joe Wilson, vote for me!!”

BS: And what part of his record?
JM: We’ll be talking about gasoline profits, record oil profits and I’m sure a lot of people know that in fact the oil industry was handed a multi-billion dollar tax relief within the last year. They’re making record profits, we’re paying record prices, and Exxon Mobil recorded profits last quarter of 1328 dollars per second. And you got to remember when you pull up to the pump that Exxon Mobil is making 1328 dollars per second.
BS: That’s an impressive number.
JM: I don’t think they need a tax break what do you think?

What are you going to do about it, Jim?

BS: Jim on another topic, the Republicans have accused you of being a flip-flop on abortion. They say that when you were a Republican running for the state legislature you were strongly anti-abortion and now they say you’re pro-choice. Are they right?
JM: Well I don’t think it’s a flip-flop that’s changing their own position. I’ll give you an example. I don’t think anybody when you start out, I mean no one likes abortion, alright, I think that’s just a given. It’s something that’s sought and I don’t think it’s something anybody seeks unless they find themselves in a particular situation that they can’t get themselves out of. That being said back in the ‘80s and ‘90s if you recall the fight you know was over abortion. What’s happened with that movement and it’s become very extreme and the debate today revolves around contraception and that whole debate has changed. The bottom line is you see more legislative action being proposed that would ban contraception and it seems to me that when the debate moves to such an extreme, it is a clear signal to me that the government now needs to get out of that question altogether and let individuals decide. The bottom line is that the movement has become very extreme going now in attempt to regulate contraception and because of that extremism that signals that the government needs to get out of that decision making altogether.

Jim, I know you have to kiss the ring of Emily’s List and NOW to get any support among democrats, but this is ridiculous. The fight over abortion today is the same as it was then, and every year since 1973 when 7 tyrants in black robes led by Harry Blackmun disregarded the constitution and created law that did not exist thanks to Doe v Bolton and Roe v Wade. The problems are Roe V Wade, Planned Parenthood v Casey, and Stenberg v Carhart. It has not changed since then, despite what you say.

BS: But also to get out of it in the sense of undoing Roe v. Wade or keeping Roe v. Wade?
JM: Roe v. Wade is a law of the land and that’s going to be up to the court to decide. What I mean to say is that the argument when you look at the abortion area we’re talking about restricting stem cell research, making contraceptives harder to get at, we’ve had debates going on for years about the morning after pill. It all tells me that this movement has become such an extreme movement that they’re stepping into an area they don’t belong in and the only way we’re going to end it is if they listen. Those are the kinds of decisions that should be made by the individual. The government shouldn’t be involved at all, therefore you should have your own personal choices.

So you support 9 month abortions? Sounds like it from what you said. And as for stem cell research, the fight at the federal level is over FEDERAL FUNDING of EMBRYONIC stem cell research. Stem cell research isn’t controversial at all.

BS: Jim, do you think that the Supreme Court should continue to support Roe v. Wade?
JM: Well it’s been the law of the land since 1973. Seems to me that most people don’t really have a problem with Roe v. Wade; it doesn’t prohibit abortion, simply restricts abortion. I think your average citizen out there doesn’t really have an issue with Roe v. Wade and it’s one of those issues that should really go back to the individuals and we don’t really need to change the constitution and its individual choice.

Jim, again you said a lot, but didn’t answer the question.

BS: Finally, Jim, in City Pulse this week, you were quoted as saying you were opposed to gay marriage, why is that?
JM: Well I don’t think it’s an issue that should be decided by the Congress on.
BS: Well I’m not asking whether Congress should decide or not but you were asked whether you were for or against gay marriage. You said you were against gay marriage, why?
JM: Well I don’t think it should be decided by the Congress.
BS: Jim! I’m not asking you what Congress is doing. I am asking you why you’re against gay marriage.
JM: Well I have to represent everybody within a district and I think that there is mainstream thought here that perhaps we ought to have something along the lines of civil unions and not have gay marriage but provide the rights the people need to have a family.

This shows that Jim Marcinkowski is full of so much horse manure that his eyes are turning brown. Why not simply be honest and say why you oppose it?

This guy's a joke. After all the hype, I think Mike's going to have a much easier race than expected.

Are Democrats Seeking Voter Fraud?

Article From Human Events Online.

Last fall, the non-partisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former president Jimmy Carter, recommended a proposal to ensure voting integrity in federal elections . . . :

“To insure that persons presenting themselves at the polling place are the ones on the registration list, the commission recommends that states require voters to use the REAL ID card, which was mandated in a law signed by the President in May 2005,” said the commission. “The card includes a person’s full legal name, date of birth, a signature (captured as a digital image), a photograph and the person’s Social Security number. This card should be modestly adapted for voting purposes to indicate on the front or back whether the individual is a U.S. citizen.” . . .

Good so far. Most of the Democrats on the Commission seem to understand that for elections to have integrity, voters should be required to show a government issued ID card containing proof of citizenship.

On September 20, 2006 legislation came up before the House to implement this recommendation.

"House International Relations Chairman Henry Hyde (R.-Ill.) sponsored the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 (H.R. 4844) to do exactly what the commission recommended. In 2008, it would require voters in federal elections to present a government-issued photo ID when they vote. In 2010, it would require them to present the REAL ID card, modified as suggested by the Carter-Baker commission to show whether or not the holder is a citizen."

To eliminate the "poll tax" argument, this bill requires states to issue the ID to poor people for FREE (states to be reimbursed by the federal government.) The bill also allows voters who forget their ID card to cast a provisional ballot which would be counted as long as the voter returns with the valid ID within 48 hours. Keeping in mind that senior citizens, sick and disabled voters, and travelers out of town on election day are already allowed to cast absentee ballots, this bill is very reasonable. Yet when it came up for vote, it passed largely along party lines with only 4 Democrats voting for it.

Four Democrats? After years of screaming and hollering about how elections in the U.S. are supposedly corrupt, only four Democrats are able to work up the courage to vote for this long overdue reform? What are they afraid of, that they won't be able to win any elections once illegal aliens and dead people are prohibited from voting?



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Hey anti-hunters. Go back to the city.

I didn't think this kind of sneering was invading Brighton, but with the cityfolk moving out this way, it's bound to happen. Newsflash to this guy. Livingston County has a lot of hunters so this is news since it is not every day that one gets a moose. If you don't like it, Ann Arbor is just down the road. I suspect this guy is one of those types who feeds the bears at Yellowstone as well.

From the Argus

was sickened by a front-page story in your Sept. 22-23 issue: "The Big Game."
What's so newsworthy about a man killing such a beautiful animal? He also brags about killing a 350-pound black bear.

I realize that hunting is a "sport" and there are times when the herd should be "thinned out," but when you look at that beautiful moose, you wonder why it should be killed. I'm sure that the Yukon is not overcrowded with moose.

I don't see that it's such a big story that it deserves front-page coverage. Maybe the Daily Press & Argus is running out of "positive" news to print.

I've never had moose, but I've had elk before, and it is some of the best venison I've ever had. It's great eating. I don't have a problem with individuals who choose not to hunt. My problem is with anti-hunters who think food is magically created at the supermarket, eat meat, and bash hunting. I don't always agree with Ted Nugent, but he is right when he says. "You can't grill it till you kill it."

Nature needs to be respected, and for more than just its beauty.

Finally some Conservative Leadership?

Mike Pence may be making a run for leadership after this election. He can bring some fiscal sanity to the house.

From Hotline

CROSSING OUR TRANSOM


Associates and GOP staffers say that Rep. Mike Pence has designs on a senior leadership position in the House regardless of whether Republicans keep control of the House. Remember that he shrugged off pressure from House conservatives to run in November. It just wasn't his time. But now -- it might be. Another insurgent, Rep. John Shadegg, also publicly dipped his golden toe in the water two weeks ago by making sure that his fundraising efforts on behalf of Republican candidates were picked up by the publications that cover Capitol Hill.

Go Tigers

It's been a long time. Last time the Tigers made the playoffs, Reagan was president, the Red Wings had a 32 yr Cup drought, The Pistons were struggling to beat the Celtics in Boston, The Lions "only" had a 30 year championship drought, and I Latson/Grand River, the NW end of Challis/Grand River, and mand of these subdivisions that are around today all were still undeveloped.

Tigers 11, Royals 4
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers had a 220-bottle champagne celebration Sunday and they hope to have even a bigger one later this week.

The Tigers fought off their late-season slump and clinched their first playoff berth since 1987, scoring nine runs in the second inning Sunday and coasting to an 11-4 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Accidents galore at Green Oak Roundabout

And I thought driving by Brighton High School at 2:30PM was bad.
What a zoo - from the Argus

Fifth accident at double roundabout site

Police said there was a minor accident this morning at the controversial new double roundabout in Green Oak Township. It's the fifth recorded accident since the controversial system of traffice circles opened last month. All have been relatively minor, say police, and all have been caused by a failure to yield.

Commiefornia AG needs to get fired

From the AP

I hope Lockyear is forced to pay for this frivolous trash out of his own pocket.

California AG sues automakers over vehicle emissions
9/21/2006, 7:30 a.m. ET
By SAMANTHA YOUNG
The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is suing the auto industry over tailpipe emissions, marking the first time a state has sought monetary damages for the impact of global warming by vehicles.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer on Wednesday sued the six largest U.S. and Japanese automakers, claiming they have causing millions of dollars in damage by creating greenhouse gases.

Lockyer is suing on the theory that greenhouse gases are a "public nuisance" under both California and federal law, an argument similar to one being pursued in a case before the 2nd U.S. District Court of Appeals in New York.

And Nero fiddled while Rome burned . . .

The August unemployment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are out.

U.S. unemployment rate: 4.7%
Michigan rate: 7.1%

Michigan is tied with Mississippi for the highest unemployment rate. It could be a lot worse too. Nearly all of the folks losing their jobs from the "Big 3" are taking early retirement or special termination packages and are not included in the unemployment rate. Imagine what the unemployment rate would be had they been laid off instead . . .

The only winners in this crisis are the moving companies struggling to keep up with the demand from job seekers moving out of Michigan.

And what has Granholm been doing during the 4 years this crisis has been developing? (Besides twiddling her thumbs) Cool Cities. Cool Cities? Someone needs to tell Granholm that cities with high unemployment rates are NOT cool!

47% all

Latest poll - 47% Granholm, 47% DeVos
It's anyone's game still.

Welcome Keith Richards

With my limited time updating this blog due to law school and moving (finally finished), I'd like to welcome Keith Richards to the team. Keith is a long time commenter who has been promoted. He'll add much to the articles here, and will contribute much to this site.

Minimal revenue from new Green Oak mall

Remember how the Green Oak Township board voted to upgrade to Charter Township status in order to keep the City of Brighton from annexing the site of the proposed mall, thereby gaining all the new tax revenue?

According to an article in the 9-18-06 Argus, the new $100 million dollar mall will not benefit Brighton schools and will provide little extra revenue to Green Oak Township.

"With its nonhomestead tax rate of 18 mills, the district could be looking at almost $1 million in new tax revenue from the mall. However, Brighton Superintendent Jim Craig said the mall won't boost the district's revenue that much because the state will reduce its contribution by whatever new tax revenue is generated by the mall."

Fair enough, since the new mall won't create any additional burden for the school district. However,

"St. Charles said the Green Oak Township Police Department will receive an estimated $76,000 in new revenue yearly. The Fire Department would see $70,000, and the township general operating fund would get about $40,000 in new revenue."

A major mall like this will generate frequent calls to the police and fire department, to cover both the mall itself plus problems from the additional traffic. The additional tax revenue won't even pay for the cost of adding 1 additional person to each department by the time the cost of training, equipment, and benefits is added in. The township gets an extra $40,000 per year, but how much will it cost to provide maintenance for and make improvements to area roads in order to accommodate increased traffic?

This hardly seems like a tax boon for the township. If this article is correct, at best the mall is break even and it could end up being a tax liability for the township. Is this information accurate and complete, or are we missing something?

Crosstown Trail project gets state grant

The Detroit News reports that the State of Michigan has stepped in to help build a walking/biking trail along M-59:

The city and township will begin constructing a portion of the long awaited Crosstown Trail project next year thanks to a nearly $455,000 transportation enhancement grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The trail is included in the $2.3 million project to widen M-59 next year, said state Rep. Joe Hune R-Hamburg, who announced the grant Thursday.

Thank You, Joe Hune! Exercise paths like this should be built anytime busy roads are paved or reconstructed, because the additional cost is minimal if done as part of a road project. M-59 is a good start. It would be great to see paths along other major routes, notably Grand River, old US-23 from Whitmore Lake to Hartland, D-19, and M-36.

Why? Because a large portion of our population does not get enough exercise and is growing fat. In coming decades this will add tens of billions of dollars to health care costs in Michigan alone. We can't make people exercise but we can provide more opportunities for people who wish to do so.

What about the cost? Sometimes it is tough to justify the cost of projects like this. But this is really a "pay me now or pay me later" situation. In the long run, if paths like these help even a few people get exercise and lose weight, the cost of laying pavement will be dwarfed by healthcare cost savings. Also, these paths make Livingston County a much more attractive place to live and will ultimately raise property values, benefiting homeowners both while they live here and when they eventually sell.

Government isn't trust. In other news the Pope is still Catholic

and bears dump in the woods.

From the Lansing State Journal

But a new report out of Michigan State University shows they do have plenty of reasons to worry about their jobs; man-made reasons.

For starters, mentioning the government in any evacuation order will make Michiganians less likely to comply with it.

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That's just one fascinating and disturbing finding in a poll conducted through MSU's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (www.ippsr.msu.edu).

The survey sought to identify Michigan attitudes toward emergency evacuation orders, with some respondents first prompted by reminders of 2005's destructive hurricanes.

If you are a disaster-response official, the best news is that 69 percent of all respondents said they were "very likely" to comply with an evacuation order.

From there, though, it gets murky.

Researchers found attitudes toward evacuation shifted along with government involvement. The best response came with an evacuation order that made no mention of any government agency. Likely compliance rates dropped with each successive level of government, with the mention of the Federal Emergency Management Agency getting the worst response.

If the #@%@ hits the fan, I certainly won't be counting on government. Government isn't competent, nor trustworthy enough to get the job done.

NRCC wastes money in losing effort

The NRCC jumped into the open primary and received a professional butt kicking in response. This was a monumentum waste of money that could have been spent elsewhere where it is needed.


From the AP

Arizona GOP primary won by conservative
9/13/2006, 5:53 a.m. ET
By ARTHUR H. ROTSTEIN
The Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Former state lawmaker Randy Graf won the GOP primary for an open U.S. House seat despite lobbying from the National Republican Congressional Committee against his candidacy.

His closet rival, state Rep. Steve Huffman, received a late-campaign boost from the committee, which in a rare move broke its neutrality in a primary race by spending more than $122,000 on TV ads on his behalf. Party officials had expressed concerns Graf may be too conservative to win the seat in November.

But that move prompted a local Republican backlash, drawing a joint letter and a joint news conference in Washington by Huffman's four GOP opponents expressing their "unified outrage" at the national committee.

"You suck" is not a valid campaign message

Carl Levin recently had a bashfest down in Berrien County. Michael C. Guilmette of the Niles Daily Star had a good editorial on the matter.

The old adage, 'You can attract more flies with honey than you can with vinegar,' would have been good advice for Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., to follow when he visited Niles last Friday. But, he didn't.



Instead, Michigan's longest-serving senator chose to throw barbs and spit venom at whatever displeased him.

Granted, he has his reasons for being upset. His party isn't in power in the U.S. Senate and, except for a brief period in 2001 and 2002, hasn't been in power since 1994 - one of the longest stretches in the last 50 years. Republicans also control the House, and in the White House sits a man who Levin truly seems to despise - President George W. Bush.

Levin's animosity was obvious. Using colorful language, Levin made his feelings well known while he was speaking at the American Legion hall, ranting about the Bush administration, U.S. involvement in Iraq and the GOP prescription drug plan. He even took pot-shots at Michigan Republican candidates.

These tactics may resonate inside the Beltway, but out here in the proverbial sticks, not so much.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy to see our politicians - particularly one of our federal senators - show up in our humble little town. But with his ample criticism, I would have really liked to have heard just what Levin thinks should be done in the alternative - aside from simply voting Republicans out of office.

"You suck" is not a valid campaign message. It is also all the democrats have had to offer since 2000. For a clear example of that, take a look at Mike McGonegal's campaign against Chris Ward or Jim Marcinkowski's campaign against Mike Rogers. The only campaign message I've seen from those two is how bad the other guy sucks. Where's the plan?

Bad news - Stop Overspending Proposal is DOA

Bad news. My top ballot issue is DOA. This is a major defeat for fiscal conservatism. From the AP.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan elections board on Friday voted against putting a measure on the November ballot that would limit state government spending, agreeing that backers did not collect enough valid signatures.

The bipartisan Board of State Canvassers' 4-0 vote came after state election officials estimated the Michigan Stop Overspending Committee fell about 20,000 valid signatures short of the 317,757 needed for the proposed constitutional amendment to go before voters.

We need to try again for 08.