A couple of years ago, I met with Michigan State AFL-CIO President Karla Swift to talk about the current state of the labor movement. During that conversation, she asked me what advice I had, if any, with regard to improving the labor movement in Michigan. I told her two things: change the face of labor in terms of people’s perceptions […]

If the legislation passes, many women won’t even know they’re pregnant before it’s too late to get a legal abortion. On the same day conservative Rep. Eric Cantor was primaried by his Tea Party candidate for being too liberal, Michigan Republicans proved just how far they’re willing to go to satisfy their extremist supporters. Rep. Tom Hooker and 16 co-sponsors […]

po·lit·i·cal – /pəˈlitikəl/ – adjective: of or relating to the government or the public affairs of a country Updated with video of Rachael Siemen asking her question. Yesterday at a forum at the Michigan House Office Building, the Mackinac Center brought in a representative from another notorious corporatist front group, The Heritage Foundation, to spew propaganda regarding the raising of […]

Back in 2012, Pontiac Emergency Manager Louis Schimmel signed an agreement with Oakland County to manage monies from a substantial HUD grant. That turned out to be a nearly disasterous decision that would have resulted in a loss of upwards of $800,000 per year for Pontiac. Thankfully, Congressman Gary Peters stepped in a saved the day (and the money.) At […]

NOTE: Updated to clarify the restriction on unions using official school emails to conduct business. NOTE 2: This post has been updated HERE. The anti-union corporatist group the Mackinac Center is using public school email systems to encourage teachers to leave the Michigan Education Association, one of two major teachers unions in the state. I have confirmed that at least […]

If there was one lesson of the last decade, it was that Texas Republicans weren’t extreme enough News that the Texas GOP is embracing the crock science of turning gay people into ex-gays known as “reparative therapy” has overwhelmed the bigger story coming out of the Lone Star State — the party’s latest platform is pretty much a complete list […]

The recent kerfuffle in the Michigan House of Representatives with three state Republican legislators posing with women’s fashion mags to show they “understand women” is generating the requisite amount of outcry and outrage from around the state. Having them openly mocking women in an election year is a display of such chutzpah that even Republican House Speaker Jase Bolger was […]

For Land, saying nothing is probably good campaign strategy — but it’s a very bad thing for Michigan voters. If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land has clearly fallen hook, line and sinker for the Koch brothers, who are pouring big bucks into her campaign. But what exactly are the […]

Unsurprisingly, they failed to offer a suitable explanation. The apology women deserve does not seem to be forthcoming. After posing for a photo holding fashion magazines and insisting that they understand women, three Michigan Republicans have made no attempt to apologize for their insulting behavior. Of course, they tried to make excuses, but I don’t buy it. No one should. […]

Daily Kos is the most widely read political blog on the planet and, according to Alexa, the 515th most highly trafficked site in the USA. So, when they make an endorsement, something they don’t often do, it rings loudly throughout the progressive blogosphere. Yesterday, Daily Kos took the unusual step of endorsing Mark Schauer for Governor of Michigan because, as […]

I had planned to write about the sad closing of the Catherine Ferguson Academy, a high school for Detroit girls who are pregnant or who have young children that gave them a second chance they can get nowhere else. However, Rachel Maddow covered this last night so much better than I could have so I’ll just let her take the […]