Michigan’s been in the news a LOT lately. From our governor forcing the Att. Gen. to intervene against himself to Militiamen Gone WildTM, things are a bit crazy.
Now come the Howell Teabaggers:
Starting Monday, Livingston County will be “ground zero” for an effort to place a proposal for Michigan to opt out of federal health-care law on the November election ballot, according to the county-based organizer of the push.Marion Township resident Wendy Day, a Howell Public Schools Board of Education member and head of Common Sense in Government, organized Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom after last week’s approval of federal health-care reforms.
Yeesh. And there’s more. Oh so, so, so much more…
The meeting mentioned in the article linked above took place Monday. They had 200 folks show up which isn’t too surprising. Ask any Michigander about Howell, Michigan and you’ll instantly get into a conversation about the KKK and its history in Howell. The KKK may no longer be overtly active here but it still remains an intensely conservative, mostly-white area and is a hotbed of teabagger activity in our fair state.
The woman leading the charge, Wendy Day, is also a member of the Howell School Board and is in the news regularly for her spirited imposition of her conservative views on the community. Their goal is to gain 380,000 petition signatures to put opting out of the health insurance reform law on the Michigan ballot in November.
Ms. Day is a consumate professional. For instance:
She told potential petitioners to expect to be falsely accused of being racists and radicals when circulating petitions in their communities.She warned them not to be distracted in their mission by leisurely pitfalls, such as being consumed by “American Idol” and drinking beer, in the coming months.
Day narrated a video presentation that began with an image of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
“That must be pre-Botox days,” Day joked in her presentation.
Ha ha.
The Livingston County Press & Argus did a full-frontal assault this week on the new health insurance reform LAW. In addition to this article on the front page, they ran one citing a recent USA Today-Gallup poll saying that 50% of Americans don’t like the new law. No mention of a similar CNN poll with the numbers reversed, of course.
They are also reporting on four separate measures before the state Congress, two from Democrats and two from Republicans, all of which “challenge new federal law, which carries requirements for Americans to carry health insurance or pay a fine.”
All four resolutions would prohibit federal law from compelling Michiganders, employers or health-care providers to participate in any health-care system.
Two days ago, they ran an editorial from MI-08 Congressman Mike Rogers who said:
After carefully reviewing this 2,409-page bill, I believe to my core it will make our health-care system worse, not better.
Meanwhile, MI-07 Democratic Congressman Mark Schauer is out talking to his constituents about the new law. Although he told the crowd, “This is a patients bill of rights on steroids,” it’s clear that a whole year of lies and misinformation is paying off for opponents of health insurance reform.
Richard Dykstra, 57, of Charlotte, accused Schauer of being misinformed or lying about the bill.“Who pays for this? If you went out and bought an Airstream jet and charged it to your grandchildren, would that be responsible?” he asked.
Dykstra said after the meeting he heard “the same old Democratic talking points” and learned nothing new about how the reforms would contain costs.
Larry Fitzpatrick, 68, of Grand Ledge wanted to know: “If everything is so urgent about this plan, why does it take four years to kick in?”
Meanwhile, Schauer’s potential Republican opponent, Tim Walberg, today sent out an email that chocks several lies into one sentence, something Republicans seem to be getting better and better at:
President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Mark Schauer have made their choice. Instead of listening to the American people, they decided to enact into law a trillon dollar government takeover of health care that will raise taxes, reduce access to care and ultimately increase our national debt.
Strikes one, two and three, Mr. Walberg. You’re OUT!
So that’s the lay of the land in Michigan this week and it’s only Tuesday.
Good times, kids, good times.
Hey, at least our governor, Jennifer Granholm, is vowing to defend the new law. We’ll take what we can get, I guess.
I’m just sayin’…
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P.S. The best part of the article about Monday night’s meeting was this:
Also on Monday, Organizing for America, a group that champions federal health-care reform, celebrated passage of the new health-care law at the Livingston County Democratic Party headquarters in Brighton Township.
Suck it, teabaggers!
