This will blow your mind…err…wind turbine

In an effort to jump start a recently-announced $180 million initiative to spur the development of offshore wind energy projects, the Obama administration and the Department of Energy today announced the formation of 5-state, 15-agency consortium in the Great Lakes region to cut through red tape and shorten the licensing period for new offshore developments. (I have written about the various types of offshore wind turbines HERE.)

More after the jump…

Imagine the media freakout if Romney led the President by 12% Here’s something you may not have heard: In the Pew Research Center’s most recent national survey, conducted March 7-11, Obama led Mitt Romney by 20 points (58% to 38%) among women voters. It marked the second consecutive month that Obama held such a wide advantage over Romney among women […]

I’m heading off to East Lansing this morning to record a “Bloggers Edition” of “Off the Record”, Tim Skubick’s political talk show. If you’re not from Michigan, this is sort of the state-level version of “Meet the Press”. I’ll be on the show with Democratic political consultant Joe Disano and the Mackinac Center’s Jack Spencer. The show airs this evening […]

This is NOT what Democracy looks like As I reported yesterday, on Monday Ingham County Circuit Judge Clinton Canady III will consider whether to grant the Michigan House Democrats a Restraining Order against Republicans who they say are violating the state constitution by denying them roll call votes on making laws take “immediate effect”. The Michigan Republicans in a rather […]

Stop Public Act 4! The Michigan Secretary of State’s (SOS) office has confirmed that the Stand Up for Democracy coalition has turned in 24,151 valid sheets containing 225,885 signatures, exceeding the 161,305 needed to put the law on hold and the referendum on November 2012 ballot. [NOTE: this does NOT mean the signatures themselves have been validated, just that they […]

Only 12 percent of Americans blame the President for the high price of Newt Gingrich pictures. With even his billionaire sugar daddy Sheldon Adelson telling Newt that his campaign is “at the end of his line“, Newt Gingrich still has one amazing asset that no one can take from him: America’s insatiable desire to pose in a picture with Newt […]

A Campaign for us ALL

Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District is currently represented by Tea Party member Justin Amash. Polling shows that Amash is vulnerable and that this seat is actually competitive for Democrats. In February, I wrote about the Trevor Thomas filing paperwork to unseat Amash. Here is what I wrote about Thomas a week before he announced:

After spending some time speaking to Trevor Thomas, I came away impressed. He is smart, eloquent, fiery, and charismatic. He is a passionate advocate for the middle class and those without a political voice. At the same time he is pragmatic and a realist. I believe he will appeal to a broad section of Michigan voters. He is pro-Choice, a supporter of the rights of young people, vets and union members and he is decidedly NOT an establishment candidate, something that many voters will find compelling in the current political climate.

Today I’m joining a host of other bloggers in a blog swarm to help the “Campaign for us all” raise some funds. You can contribute to Thomas’s “Campaign for us all” HERE. It’s important to contribute TODAY because his campaign has a critical fundraising deadline in the next 24 hours.

Oh, now THAT is funny. Not.

Mitt “I’m-a-Michigander-through-and-though” Romney barely got his foot out of his mouth before he stuck the other one back in today. This time it was to have a good belly laugh at the expense of — wait for it — Michigan.

Speaking to a group of Wisconsinites from Texas, he related a “humorous” story about his dad, former President of American Motors and Michigan Governor George Romney sending jobs out of Michigan and to Wisconsin:

“One of most humorous I think relates to my father. You may remember my father, George Romney, was president of an automobile company called American Motors … They had a factory in Michigan, and they had a factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and another one in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” said Romney. “And as the president of the company he decided to close the factory in Michigan and move all the production to Wisconsin.”

Improving education by attacking teachers? Michigan Republicans are not done with teachers yet, not by a long shot. Now they are going after their pensions and healthcare. Lawmakers and Michigan’s largest teachers’ union are locking horns over how to bring the state’s school employee retirement system — underfunded by some $44 billion — back into the black. The Michigan Public […]

Medicare for me only. The definition of freedom is at stake this week in the Supreme Court. Franklin Roosevelt defined the state that all Americans hope to enjoy best with the Four Freedoms. Freedom of speech and expression Freedom of worship Freedom from want Freedom from fear Conservatives have a different kind of freedom in mind. They want freedom from […]

Constitution schmonstitution [NOTE: This story has been updated HERE.] The Michigan Republicans in a rather remarkable display of arrogance have taken to passing bills lately and voting to give them “immediate effect”. They are, in general, allowed to do this and it bypasses the normal 90-day waiting period after the bill is signed into law by the governor. However, under […]