Yesterday, people around the world rose as one to say that the fascist leanings of Pr*sident Donald Trump will never be allowed to spread without a powerful, unified resistance standing in its way. Anne and I were in Washington, D.C. to observe and participate in the Women’s March while similar Marches were happening across the nation and across the globe. […]

The way the Affordable Care Act helped her family transformed her attitude — and led to a touching interaction with former President Obama. Annette was not always a fan of President Barack Obama. In fact, in 2009 she went to a Tea Party rally protesting the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. She and her entire family were conservative Republican […]

In his inaugural speech, the newly installed President of the United States made the following comment: “An education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge”. Incensed, I immediately wanted to share my thoughts about these mean-spirited, belittling words–but I couldn’t. Because I was in Grand Rapids at the Michigan Music Conference […]

Why would the GOP blindly take on the political risk of uninsuring tens of millions? Tax breaks, of course. It’s obvious why some Republican donors are beyond eager to get the Repeal part of the “Repeal and Replace” of Obamacare out of the way as soon as humanly – or inhumanly – possible. They have no “Replace.” Never did. The […]

Anne and I were fortunate enough to attend President Obama’s first inauguration eight years ago today. Her photomosaic poster of Barack Obama, “Out of Many, We Are One”, had appeared in TIME magazine, had sold well and was being given out as a gift at the Michigan Ball. We also miraculously got tickets to the inauguration itself. Not only that, […]

It’s unmistakably clear that Republicans are doing everything they can to protect their corporatist benefactor Betsy DeVos from having to face any sort of real scrutiny in her bid to become the nation’s Secretary of Education. They scheduled her confirmation hearing BEFORE the U.S. Office of Government Ethics had released its report on her so that she can’t be questioned […]

To say that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State Address last night was a whitewash of the reality we face in our state is an understatement. He avoided any serious discussion about his plans to remedy the slow motion infrastructure catastrophe that is in visible progress. He never mentioned the tens of thousands of out of work Michiganders […]

Betsy DeVos believes these 5 things about government. As a career teacher, I thought I’d take this opportunity to grade Ms. DeVos’ responses as though they were answers on an exam. I understand she’s a big fan of “accountability,” so I’m sure she will appreciate the feedback, especially as she crams for her confirmation hearings, scheduled for later today… 1. […]

This movement moment is calling on those of us who believe in the vision of Dr. King to respond. This movement moment is calling on us resist. But, what does resistance look like? In 2014, I published an article in the beloved, but now defunct, Michigan Citizen newspaper called, “A Time for Visionary Resistance”. In that article, I said in part: We […]

Four years ago this weekend, my wife and I spent the day after Pres. Obama’s second inauguration touring some of the national monuments in Washington, D.C. It’s an incredible experience walking around our nation’s capitol and reading powerful progressive messages carved into granite and marble, a reminder that the truly great Americans in our country’s history all had messages that […]

An exclusive interview with one of the most outspoken champions for the American people in the U.S. House of Representatives. Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee gets it. He’s been fighting for the American people, particularly working families, his entire career. And when it comes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, he understands the human consequences better than most people: […]