This is good. This is VERY good

Two Democrats first elected to Congress together in 2008 are rapidly becoming the unrivaled choices of the Michigan Democrats. This bodes well for uncontested primaries for both of them which will help them use their campaign treasuries for beating their Republican opponents and avoiding bruising primary races.

Details on this exciting news after the jump.

One more step toward a Schauer gubernatorial candidacy

This morning John Austin, President of the Michigan State Board of Education, announced that he will not run for Governor of Michigan, something he has openly shown interest in over the past six months. Instead, he released a statement throwing his support behind yet-to-announce candidate Mark Schauer.

Click through for President Austin’s statement.

Time to go now, Ms. Platko

Last night, the Buena Vista Township Board passed a resolution calling for the resignation of Gloria Platko for calling Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker an “arrogant nigger” on a phone call with Interim Township Manager Dexter Mitchell.

Details after the jump.

You heard it there first Gary Peters with Lizz Winstead at kick-off of Winstead’s WTF Tour to support Planned Parenthood, photo by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog. The National Journal is reporting that Congressman Gary Peters will announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Carl Levin sometime this week. That and a Mark Schauer gubernatorial […]

A rare opportunity

The Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner is the biggest fundraising event of the year for most state Democratic Parties and Michigan is no exception. Named after Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, these events draw big name speakers and candidates for office.

This year, the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) has scored a real coup: Vice President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker. The dinner is on the evening of Saturday, April 20th at the Cobo Center in Detroit. It kicks off at 6 p.m. Tickets are available HERE.

More after the jump.

The fight to preserve workers’ rights is FAR from over. Get informed.

One of the premier Democratic Party clubs in the state is the Western Washtenaw Dems, a club I’m proud to be a member of. Started in 1999 by former House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, the group is both a social club for Democrats on the western side of Washtenaw County as well as an active political force in our county. They regularly sponsor important and timely speakers, panels and forums and this Thursday is one that area Democrats won’t want to miss. It features Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan AFL-CIO president Karla Swift, Michigan AFT president David Hecker along with moderator Ron Motsinger from the IBEW.

Details and a downloadable flyer after the jump.

Earlier this week, I wrote an “open letter” to newly-elected Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson. My primary goal with the piece was to start a conversation with Chair Johnson and among Michigan Democrats across the state about the future of our party. There’s no question that we must evolve as a party in order to retake control of our state from the overreach of our drunk-with-power, ideologically-corrupt Republican opponents. From new ways of engaging activists to improved communications with the citizens of our state, if we’re not moving forward, we’re losing ground.

It is my opinion that Lon Johnson gets that. However, there are many across the state who are reluctant to adopt new ways of doing things. Perhaps they are fearful of change. Maybe they enjoy the voice they have and the power they have now and don’t want to challenge the status quo. Whatever the reason, change is hard and will not always come easily. The first step is to have the conversation.

I was thrilled, therefore, when Chair Johnson took time from his crazy first-week-on-the-job schedule to respond to my letter.

His response is after the jump.

Lead on, Lon!

Dear Mr. Johnson,
First of all, sincere congratulations on your recent election to the position of Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. I was impressed that you ran a completely positive campaign that focused on your own strengths and vision and didn’t resort to tearing down your opponent. That one thing makes me confident that your stated desire to move forward with a unified party, united in our focus on winning back control of our state, is not just sincere but entirely possible.

Having spent a great deal of time speaking with people around the state, including you, and covering your rise to the chair of the Party, I want to take advantage of my cyber megaphone to share some thoughts with you. Some are from people I have talked with, most are my own, and I offer them as a perspective from “the trenches” as someone who has put considerable time and effort organizing at the local level, knocking doors, making phone calls and getting others to do the same.

Read the rest of my letter after the jump.

This should be a non-partisan issue

As I wrote about last week, the Justice Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party held a discussion panel at the statewide convention on Saturday titled “Citizens United v. FEC – The Invisible ‘Person’ in Michigan Elections”. Organized by former Washtenaw County Democratic Party Chair and well-known Michigan attorney and activist Stu Dowty, the panel discussion was wide-ranging and covered everything from undisclosed donors in our judicial elections to the repeal of the odious Citizens United Supreme Court ruling.

My write-up after the jump.

THIS is how it SHOULD be done

It was a day that promised to be memorable and the 2013 Michigan Democratic Convention at the Cobo Center in Detroit did not disappoint. In addition to electing the Party Chair, Michigan Democrats are coming off a 2012 election where they experienced mixed results. On one hand, we elected President Barack Obama by 9 points, Senator Debbie Stabenow by more than 20 points, and picked up 5 seats in the Republican-dominated House. On the other hand, we still don’t control any major power position in Michigan whatsoever.

So Michigan Democrats are fired up. Based on the number of voting delegates, 3,677 compared with the Republicans paltry 1,500 and change, Michigan Democrats are more fired up than ever before and poised to fight back HARD in 2014.

The day ended unexpectedly when Mark Brewer withdrew his nomination for Chair of the MDP, paving the way for Lon Johnson to be voted in by unanimous consent. My report after the jump.

It didn’t have to be this way

For the past two weeks, Mark Brewer and Lon Johnson have been running positive campaigns in their race to be Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. They have both had nice things to say about each other but have made strong cases for themselves and their qualifications.

This week, that changed. An Eclectablog reader sent me copies of a mailer attributed to “Mark Brewer for MDP Chair”. The two-sided mailer says nothing about Mark Brewer. Rather, it is an attempt to slam Lon Johnson for his voting history in Michigan.

Have a look at the flyer after the jump.