ObamaCare is the best thing to happen to the middle class since Medicare — of course, the GOP wants to destroy it Republicans have fallen in love with repeating the warning from Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) that ObamaCare could be a “train wreck.” This has given them confidence to resume to their favorite pastime: pretending to repeal ObamaCare. It also […]

Please, just pack up your stuff and leave

Buena Vista Township Clerk Gloria Platko, a Democrat, revealed her inner racist when during a phone call with Interim Township Manager Dexter Mitchell, calling the Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker an “arrogant nigger”. Referring to Parker, she said, “He is just doing whatever he can. You know what I think of Mr. Parker right now, and I know you’re not even going to like this. But he’s just an arrogant nigger. And I’m sorry to say it that way, but that’s the way I feel.” Not so sorry that she couldn’t just keep her racist sputum to herself, it seems.

Much more including audio and video after the jump.

“I hope that people start thinking about campaign finance in a completely different way”

NOTE: This is part two of a two-part post on Lee Fang’s new book “The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right”. My review of the book can be found HERE.

After reading Lee Fang’s new book The Machine, I was interested in asking some questions about his research and his thoughts on a number of issues related to the rise of the corporatist conservative movement that so dominates our politics and our government today. I spoke with him on Saturday and our conversation ranged from the beliefs of the average Tea Party adherent to what the left is doing wrong in the battle for public opinion.

Enjoy (after the jump.)

Dude, slow down

It looks like expansion of the Education Achievement Authority (EAA) in Michigan is going to be put on hold, at least until this summer. Why? Because Republican Senator and Education Committee Chair Phil Pavlov is unhappy. Why is Phil Pavlov unhappy? Because the EAA legislation passed by the House only allows for FIFTY SCHOOLS to be taken over by the state and put into their “school district for wayward schools”. Apparently Sen. Pavlov wants to be able to take over even MORE schools than that.

Could it be because the EAA has become such a cash cow? I’ll explore this question after the jump.

Has Conan O’Brien gone to work writing talking points for Congress???

You know how all those gun shops are running out of ammo to buy? Well, two Republicans in Congress have figured out why: Obama is buying it all.

No, seriously.

Click through if you don’t believe me.

Those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it

This past week, journalist Lee Fang’s new book The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right was released. Fang is a reporting fellow with the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute and a contributing writer at The Nation and the book represents the culmination of several years of researching and writing about the intersection of conservative politics with corporate influence on our government. The book is, at its core, a history book, showing us how America arrived at a place where a relatively small number of wealthy individuals and corporate entities have shaped the national dialog, our elections, national policy, and even the laws of our land to their own benefit, privatizing wealth while socializing risk.

Click through for my review of this important new book.

This is not good government

I’ve been writing a lot about how both Republicans and Democrats submit identical legislation, sometimes in the same legislative session, in order to get credit for passing bills and joint resolutions that enjoy widespread bipartisan support (HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

After writing about this, I heard from folks across the country that told me that (a) this isn’t something that’s by any means unique to Michigan, (b) both Democrats and Republicans do it, and (c) “it happens all the time”. From the outside looking in, this looks like nothing more than plagiarism and credit stealing. In some cases, it certainly is, particularly in terms of getting credit for passing good legislation. However, there’s a bit more to the story that’s worth getting out there so that we can discuss the issue with as many of the facts in hand as possible.

It’s all there waiting for you after the jump.

Nom nom politics

This coming Sunday, the Ann Arbor Dems will host what has become one of Michigan’s premier Democratic events for bringing together Ann Arbor-area Democrats, politicians and elected officials for an afternoon of good food and conversation – their Annual Chili and Cornbread Cook-Off.

Details after the jump.

A government of, by and for the big banks The second hardest thing to explain to future generations — after trying to explain how George W. Bush was “elected” twice — is why we didn’t restore Glass-Steagall after the financial crisis of 2008. For more than 50-years, this Great Depression-era reform kept our economy from inflating a massive bubble by […]

A pox on ALL their houses…

Last Thursday, I wrote about the how legislators appear to be stealing each others legislation in order to get credit for something that seems to have widespread support in a piece titled “Michigan Republicans stealing bills introduced by Democrats to deny them legislative victories”. After writing it, I updated later when I learned the Democrats steal legislation, too, and posted about my frustration that good, bipartisan legislation is getting polluted by the politics of who gets credit.

It appears that the situation is even more complicated than I first realized. As it turns out, the legislation that Democrat David Knezek apparently had stolen from him by Republican Jim Stamas is identical to legislation that Stamas himself introduced or supported in the two previous legislative sessions and that Knezek himself lifted the language verbatim from them.

More after the jump.

“Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere”

President Obama delivered remarks to the national Planned Parenthood conference today. He had been scheduled to deliver them earlier in the week but, instead, delayed his speech to spend more time with the victims of the explosion in West, Texas. When it was announced that his original speech was cancelled, the anti-Choice group Susan B. Anthony List declared victory (as did others).

They were, of course, quite wrong.

Details and a full transcript of his speech after the jump.