So, about Virginia… The election in Virginia was not about “education”–it was about racism, and white supremacy. Maybe if establishment Democrats hadn’t tacked hard right on education, starting with Bill Clinton and reaching a crescendo with Barack Obama and Arne Duncan, we wouldn’t have given up the “high road” on public education. There’s been a lot of discussion about the […]

The only evidence backing up its wild claims are racist innuendo What’s the difference between David Duke and Donald Trump? If you’re a liberal, you’ll probably say, “Nothing” and high five a fellow vegan. But the difference is crucial and needs to elevated beyond subtext; it’s the difference between white supremacist policies being laughed out of polite company and them […]

Like Barry Goldwater’s campaign to “Save America” in 1964, Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign unearthed a marginally suppressed anger rooted in white supremacist racism, fear, and capitalism. Goldwater’s opposition to big government and civil rights had come at a time when the country was wounded and struggling to move forward. It came at a time after a presidential assassination, […]

As LOLGOP has been telling us for years (like HERE), President Obama has created a green energy revolution that is unparalleled in American history. Not only that, his administration has done more to curtail the emissions of greenhouse gases than anyone before him. Earlier this month, his administration took a huge step forward in limiting greenhouse gas emissions when they […]

President Obama’s nomination of the moderate federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court is, perhaps, his most blatant trolling of Republicans during his entire presidency. Make no mistake, Garland is eminently qualified. Not only that, he’s liked by Democrats and Republicans alike. NPR’s SCOTUS-watcher Nina Totenberg described Garland as a “gentle individual” and pointed out that Republican […]

Fantastic news for the 600,000 low-income Michiganders who rely on the program for their health insurance. When the Michigan Legislature submitted their plans for a customized version of Medicaid expansion to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2013, there was no guarantee CMS would sign off on either of the waivers to require more “skin in the […]

There’s been so much in the news about over-the-top idiocy from Michigan Republicans lately that I thought I’d just put them all in one post. Over the past week or so, they’ve been trying to further degrade a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion and to corrupt our democracy by rigging the electoral system in favor of […]

Last January, a federal appeals court struck down rules promulgated by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) that ensure net neutrality, the idea that internet service providers should not regulate access to the internet by allowing some customers to get better, faster, and/or more reliable access through pricing arrangements or other deals. It’s a big deal because the ability of small […]

Anyone who thinks that the wealthy who are buying elections are doing it to help the country is in for a rude awakening. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission is a staggering blow to democracy. But it’s certainly not the only obstacle average Americans face in the fight to maintain a fair election process. Because […]

All photos by Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog President Barack Obama traveled to East Lansing, Michigan yesterday to sign the federal farm bill into law. Last updated in 2008, the bill in its current form has been worked on for four years. Much of the wrangling was contentious and no topic was as contentious as its impact on the […]

From my view inside the White House, I saw what every other American watching the President’s speech did: true leadership. I believe in the dream of America. I always have. So has President Obama, which is why he’s always had my support. In his 2014 State of the Union address, he made it clear that his optimism is unwavering. Despite […]