Only in Republicanland is this a good idea This is week in a somewhat surprising move, Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson proposed a rule to require transparency in the funding of so-called “issue ads” that don’t promote specific candidates. Millions and millions of dollars are spent every election cycle on these ads which are, more often than not, nothing […]

This is gonna be good Our pals at Progress Michigan have launched a new website called SnyderFails.org. The site will show the reality behind Rick Snyder’s failed policies as well as the reality behind his phony persona as a moderate nerd who’s just trying to do a “nerdy job”. The truth, as most of us know, is that Rick Snyder […]

What’s the hold-up, Mr. Boehner? In about 60 days, the current agreement to keep our federal government funded will run out. This sets the country up for another battle with tea party Republicans dead-set on repealing the Affordable Care Act. With the power of the Republican-led House of Representatives apparently in the hands of Senator Ted Cruz, there is, apparently, […]

The most progressive part of the Affordable Care Act is working the best. There’s no doubt that the craptacular launch of Healthcare.gov will go down in history with the vice-presidential nomination of Sarah Palin as one of the early 21st century’s great unforced errors. Calling it Obama’s Katrina is absurd, but we can’t ignore the fact that people will die […]

Drunk. With. Power. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation today that is one of the final steps in consolidating Republican power in Michigan. The new law moves the Court of Claims — the court where suits against the state government are heard — from the Ingham County Circuit Court where it’s been for decades to Michigan Court of Appeals. Governor […]

Michigan Republicans are starting look desperate and obsessed and controlled by the Mackinac Center It’s no secret that Michigan Republicans are hellbent on destroying unions. Teachers unions seem to be their prime targets, likely because teachers are particularly vulnerable because they are focused on educating our kids, not on political action and activism. When Republicans rammed right to work (for […]

They rock [All photos by Isaac Epstein, used with permission] In the spring of 2012, a handful of from various faith, labor, and community organizations began to meet to discuss building a local group to work on solving some of the intractable problem confronting their communities. Over time, that group swelled in size and became known as the Washtenaw Regional […]

C’mon, it’s not that hard to find black people in Detroit… [Photo credit: Anne C. Savage, special to Eclectablog] I want to start off by saying that I think Anthony Bourdain’s CNN program “Parts Unkown” is some of the best programming on television right now. From the insanely high-quality and artful videography to Bourdain’s ability to capture the heart and […]

They know what democracy looks like. If Gov. Snyder signs this bill into law, it will prove once again that he doesn’t. [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] The speed at which Republicans rammed through Senate Bill 652 is enough to give anyone legislative whiplash. And when bills are rushed through that quickly for no […]

Something very dangerous is going on in America: People are taking Republicans’ concern trolling about health care seriously. Of course, I have a lot of sympathy for people who are finding that their health insurance plans are cancelled and they’ll have to pay more to get the coverage they have. But I have no sympathy for those who are pretending […]

We appear to have made the successful transition to the new server without any serious hitches. Old posts are all still there, images are still there, and so far as I can tell, everything is working as it should. Three cheers to Charles Gaba of Brainwrap Web Design for his efficient work on a Friday night. Let’s all carry him […]