Time to change quarterbacks?

Mark Brewer has been the chair of the Michigan Democratic Party for the past 18 years. This year, however, the leadership of both the UAW and the Teamsters have pulled their support. Today, in a signal that this power struggle for control of the MDP may have legs, Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin along with every single Michigan Democratic member of Congress sent out a letter in support of Lon Johnson who has been selected to run against Brewer at the statewide Democratic Party Convention on February 23rd.

The letter was sent out under Stabenow’s letterhead and was signed by her, Senator Levin, and Congressmen John Dingell, John Conyers, Sander Levin, Gary Peters, and Dan Kildee.

You can read it in its entirety after the jump.

Big Oil subsidies are, simply put, indefensible

Conservatives who are dead set against making any investments in new technologies that can help propel our country and its economy forward are famous for using the argument that this is “picking winners and losers”. The irony is that, in order to even be considered for federal government subsidies, new technologies — like renewable energy projects, for example — must have already proven themselves as winners that are simply in need of a kickstart to make them affordable and profitable.

With negotiations over the upcoming sequester — automatic, across the board budget cuts — ready to dominate the headlines, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the Obama administration are suggesting that it’s time to end one the most glaring examples “picking winners” that we have in this country today: $4 billion in subsidies to Big Oil companies.

More after the jump.

Really? NOW you bring this up?

During the summer of 2010, across the state you could find paid petitioners circulating petitions to put the “Tea Party” on the November ballot. Candidates were recruited and it looked as if the tea party folks were finally going to get some skin in the game instead of trying to take over the Republican Party.

It later turned out to be a giant scam, orchestrated by people in the Oakland County Democratic Party including its chair Mike McGuinness. He and another party employee, Jason Bauer, were both convicted of forging election paperwork to put people on the ballot as Tea Party candidates, some of whom were never even contacted about running as phony candidates.

Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Chair Mark Brewer denied all knowledge or involvement in the embarrassing scandal. However, out of the blue, McGuinness resurfaced this week in the comments section of the Michigan Liberal website to say he was recruited by Brewer for this scheme. With Brewer being challenged as MDP Chair, the timing is so suspicious as to be completely unbelievable.

More after the jump.

But did we mention that Marco Rubio’s parents were born in Cuba? Immigration reform isn’t a chance for Republicans to win more Latino votes. It’s their only hope to stop getting fewer and fewer Latino votes. Senator Marco Rubio, who would like to be the GOP nominee in 2016, knows that to win the presidency, he at least needs to […]

The most energizing conference you will EVER attend

As regular readers of this blog know, I am a regular attendee of the national Netroots Nation conference. Last year, Anne got involved as a staff photographer and you can be sure we’ll both be there again this year in San Jose, June 20-23. Netroots Nation is, simply put, the most high-value conference of the year for progressive activists. You can get a flavor of it by reading our posts from last year HERE, HERE, and HERE.

A big part of what makes Netroots Nation work is that the panels and trainings are put on by some of the top activists in the country. Some you may know, others you may not. Either way, the quality of the panels and trainings is exceptional. Along the way, you’ll make some amazing connections, as well, connections that will stay with you into the future.

Find out how YOU can participate by submitting a panel or training proposal for Netroots Nation 2013 after the jump.

You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means

With the reelection of Barack Obama and the subsequent resurgence in tea party rhetoric about “tyranny”, stoked white hot by talk of enacting a handful of sensible gun regulations, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our present-day “patriots”, and I use that phrase very loosely, have perverted the meaning of the word tyranny and the philosophies of our Founding Fathers.

Although it is widespread across the nation, one particular example of it here in Michigan really ignited my thinking on this. A tea party state Senator, Patrick Colbeck, has taken to posting passages from the Declaration of Independence on his Facebook page this week. That, in and of itself, is no big deal, of course. However, the quotes he has chosen make it clear that he is making a direct comparison between the King of England during the period before the American Revolution and our current President, Barack Obama.

Much more after the jump.

A progressive gift to Michigan returns to the airwaves

I have been woefully remiss in not writing about the disappearance of our beloved progressive voice of the Michigan radiosphere, Tony Trupiano (probably because it was too painful to contemplate.) Right before the holidays, the radio station that he was on was closed by Clear Channel and with it went Tony’s show, First Shift with Tony Trupiano. Though it wasn’t a political move by all accounts, it was a huge loss to Michigan progressives.

Thankfully, after some hard work and what I can only imagine was a great deal of anxiety and heartburn, Tony has landed an evening show on 1130 AM WDFN. The show, called “Night Shift”, will stream via iHeart radio from 7-8 p.m. and then be on “regular” radio as well from 8-10 p.m. You can read Tony’s piece on this HERE.

There’s more after the jump.

The fight continues…

My good friend Bonnie Bucqueroux, a professor at Lansing Community College and owner of the esteemed Lansing Online News, has joined with the American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition labor groups to file a lawsuit intended strike down Michigan’s recent Right to Work law. The suit contends that the legislation was passed in violation of the Open Meetings Act when Republicans locked down the Capitol and wouldn’t even allow journalists, including citizen journalists like Bucqueroux, to cover the unfolding drama.

Details after the jump.

Your tax dollars at work

Domino’s founder and billionaire Tom Monaghan filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration late last year, fighting the mandatory coverage of contraception provision in the Affordable Care Act. Monaghan calls contraception use “gravely immoral” and doesn’t want to have to pay for his employees’ health insurance if the insurance covers birth control.

This 19th Century puritan is using his vast wealth to promote his religious “morality” and force others to abide by his rules. It’s not enough for him to make the personal choice not to use contraceptives. Instead, he feels the need to impose it on others as well.

Our far right conservative Attorney General here in Michigan, Bill Schuette, has now entered the suit, filing a brief in support of Monaghan’s moral crusade.

Details after the jump.

Do NOT trust Michigan Republicans on this

There are reports all over the internet saying that the Republican plan to change how electoral votes are assigned in order to exploit their insidious gerrymandering of Congressional districts is dead in the water in Michigan.

It’s not.

The reports about the death of this scheme, which is basically a billboard saying: “Welcome to the Michigan Republican Party where we can’t win elections unless we cheat”, are based on comments made by both Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville and Governor Rick Snyder. But, as I pointed out earlier this week, both Richardville and Snyder said nearly the exact same words regarding making Michigan a Right to Work state only to turn around and jam it through in less than a week during the inflamed duck session.

More after the jump.

And then there were three

Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer announced today that she will NOT be a candidate for Governor in Michigan in 2014. Her stepping aside narrows the immediate field from four to three: 2010 candidate and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, Detroit-area Congressman Gary Peters and former MI-07 Congressman Mark Schauer. While that’s not to say that others won’t throw their hat into the ring, these three are certainly the top three at the moment.

My analysis after the jump.