Politics have many unofficial rules and philosophies that have been followed for years. Pundits of all political persuasions sometimes use these “excuses” to strengthen their point of view, or to protect their party’s candidate and to justify inconvenient truth(s). One such inconvenient truth is that incumbents for office, like Governor, for example, don’t need to debate their opponent. The conventional […]

Move to Amend’s David Cobb Tomorrow night, the Ann Arbor-area group Reclaim Our American Democracy (ROAD) will livestream a public debate between Move to Amend‘s David Cobb and corporate attorney James Bopp over the Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision. The event takes place at the Pittsfield Township Hall (Pittsfield Township Administration Building, 6201 W. Michigan Ave., Ann Arbor) and starts […]

Republicans and their friends in the media keep squinting at the horizon hoping to see a GOP wave forming for November’s elections. Their biggest argument for it is that it should be coming. “This year, Republicans should do not only well, but very well,” wrote The Weekly Standard’s Jay Cost, one of the many right-wing pundits who predicted Mitt Romney’s […]

Tim Walberg is one of the most hypocritical politicians I’ve ever had the displeasure to have met. This guy, who claims he “was a tea partier before there was a tea party”, talks a lot about reining in government waste and holding elected officials accountable. Yet he himself is a big part of the problem. He has helped lead the […]

It’s tough being a member of Congress. Your constituents are always up in your grill, holding you accountable for your votes, and wanting answers. “Do you support this bill?” “Why did you vote this way?” “Why did you vote that way?” “Will you try to shut down the government of the United States of America to prove a political point […]

As Republicans around the country work hard to restrict voter access, Democrats are doing the opposite. On the same day a federal judge forced Ohio to reopen early voting for its residents, the Michigan Democratic Party announced an important and major step forward in helping Michiganders access the ballot by apply for them online using a mobile device (smartphone or […]

After winning a hard-fought primary against two opponents, Bobby McKenzie now faces millionaire foreclosure attorney David Trott in the general election in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Trott poured millions of dollars of his own money into his primary campaign to defeat Kerry Bentivolio who essentially did not campaign and has received donations from other über-wealthy corporatists like Mitt Romney and […]

Yesterday, residents of the Detroit zip code 48217 held a press conference where they invited U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land to spend a day in their community to “enjoy” the polluted environment they live in every day. It’s polluted largely because those supporting Land’s failed candidacy have polluted it; groups like Koch Carbon and Marathon Oil. They want Land […]

A conversation with the co-founder of Lady Parts Justice on feminism, grassroots activism and using humor to drive serious change. Lizz Winstead is a woman with a mission. If you’re lucky enough to talk with her one-on-one, there’s no missing her fiery determination. She’s serious about changing the landscape of reproductive laws across the country that hold women back — […]

After losing in court countless times, the corporatist front group Mackinac Center has finally won a round. This week, an administrative law judge ruled that the Michigan Education Association (MEA) teachers union must end its decades-old policy of having an “opt-out month” and allow its members to leave at any time. The judge’s ruling is essentially a recommendation to the […]

In June of last year, I was contacted by someone who works for the state government who told me a few things about Richard Baird, the man who shared office space and a phone number with Gov. Rick Snyder but, at the time, was paid off the books by the so-called NERD fund which was funded by secret financial contributors. […]