Perish the thought See updates below As Democratic candidate for governor Mark Schauer racks up endorsements around the state from elected officials, progressive groups, and labor unions, one group is notably missing from the list: the United Auto Workers (UAW). Although Schauer is clearly going to be the nominee come August of this year, the UAW’s lack of early endorsement […]

Of puppets and strings and doing the right thing This morning Democratic candidate for governor Mark Schauer called for increasing the minimum wage in Michigan to $9/hour. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s wildly popular. A Gallup poll released last week shows that a full 76% of Americans support this move, up 5 points from just last […]

Not so fast, governor [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] It’s common knowledge that one of Michigan governor Rick Snyder’s top advisors, Richard Baird, is being paid from a secretive slush fund called the NERD Fund. Because Snyder continues to refuse to disclose the donors to the NERD Fund, there’s no way to know what […]

A hearty welcome to all of you joining us from GOP.com! I want to clear up a little misinformation you received from your Republican friends regarding rate increases in Michigan. Despite what they told you, the actual average increase in rates being asked for by health insurance companies is a scant 2.2%. Yes, some were higher but there were also […]

Standing proud for kids, teachers, and public education The Michigan Education Association (MEA), Michigan’s largest teachers union, threw their support behind Mark Schauer for governor today, giving him their official endorsement. Schauer is the son of a high school teacher and a product of Michigan’s public school system. As governor, he’ll be a fierce advocate for public education, our educators, […]

Dude, we KNOW the difference between a nerd and a corporatist [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] Rick Snyder has begun his campaign to remain governor of Michigan with a new website, a new video, and repeated statements that he hasn’t announced his candidacy. A website and Twitter and Facebook accounts used by the campaign […]

“I tried to do stuff” isn’t really a platform, is it? [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] I find it a bit puzzling that Rick Snyder hasn’t yet confirmed that he is running for governor in 2014. Most people didn’t know about his 2010 candidacy until he ran the now-famous “one tough nerd” ad during […]

“There is a group of extremists in the House that is controlling the agenda and that has to stop.” – Sen. Amy Klobuchar When Wyandotte was in Congressman John Dingell’s district, every year he held a fundraiser at the Yack Arena. That ended in 2001 when redistricting took Wyandotte away. But, now, thanks to re-redistricting, Wyandotte is again represented by […]

Don’t stop believin’… Back in February, I penned an essay titled Why I, as a dedicated and stalwart supporter of OFA, am asking you NOT to work with OFA in Michigan. In it, I implored Michigan Democratic activists to focus their attention solely on the task at hand: defeating Michigan Republicans at every juncture. It’s not going to be easy. […]

Now THAT is a party!

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Rene and Matt Greff, owners of Arbor Brewing Company and the Corner Brewery are huge supporters of Mark Schauer to be Michigan’s next governor. This past Saturday, they held a fundraising party for him at their home in Ypsilanti and it was a rousing success.

After the jump are some photos taken by Anne C. Savage along with some choice quotes from the evening. More photos can be seen on Anne’s Facebook page.

Two of Ann Arbor’s most stalwart & savvy progressives talk politics

Anyone who has worked with me in organizing things in the Ann Arbor area knows that I’m fond of holding meetings at Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor or the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti. They have an inviting atmosphere, vegetarian-friendly food, and excellent beers. However, since 2010, I have occasionally had pushback for giving them my business from Democratic purists who can’t get past the fact that the owners, Matt and Rene Greff, donated to fellow Ann Arbor business owner Rick Snyder during the 2010 Republican primary.

To hear some people talk, you would have thought that the Greffs had gone out and campaigned for Rick Snyder. While these same critics will patronize nearly every other business in Ann Arbor without administering a political litmus test, Rene and Matt seem to get special attention and invective others do not.

A couple of weeks ago, the Greffs announced that they would be holding a fundraiser at their home for Democratic candidate for governor Mark Schauer. Anne and I sat down with the two of them last Friday night in Ann Arbor to talk about their experience in the Democratic limelight over the past few years, their long history of supporting Democrats and progressive causes, and their excitement about the Schauer candidacy. During the conversation, we joked about them doing a “Greff Apology Tour” but the fact is, they were far more level-headed and realistic about the state of the race in 2010 than most of their critics and, in fact, do NOT apologize for their decision.

Enjoy after the jump.