How do you attack a law that’s already responsible for covering millions of Americans, providing more than a billion in rebates from insurance companies and is literally saving kids’ lives? Republicans have two strategies: 1) make things up and 2) sabotage. The most constant effort to sabotage comes from the House GOP who are continually pretending to repeal the law. […]

Somebody tell America The day President Obama stepped into office he inherited a record projected $1.2 trillion deficit that turned out to be $1.4 trillion by the end of fiscal year 2009. This year the projected deficit is $759 billion, down from a projected $973 billion. That means the deficit of the president’s first year of his second term is […]

[Please see the update below] Last week, I questioned whether or not Michigan Senator Joe Hune is actually intelligent enough to be a senator. Today, that question is just as pertinent as we learn that Senator Hune is adamantly opposed to marriage equality in Michigan, despite the sea change happening in the opinions of Michiganders. In a recent article in […]

Chief Justice John Roberts, the man who appointed ALL of the judges to the FISA court Even before this session the Supreme Court, the Roberts “Citizens United” Court had already demonstrated an frightening willingness to rule on the behalf of corporations whenever possible. Senator Elizabeth Warren recently noted the 70% win rate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — America’s […]

“When you let creatives be creatives, magic can happen.” I finished reading Lizz Winstead’s book Lizz Free or Die (purchase it HERE) a couple of months ago and, via Twitter, she agreed to an interview. Realizing that Netroots Nation was coming up and that we would both be there, I sent her a direct message saying, “What’s the chance I […]

First amendment, schmirst amendment…

Philadelphia Republican Daryl Metcalfe is a deeply religious man. So deeply religious that he believes his God hates gays and so deeply religious that he believes his version of God’s Word allows him to prevent gay people from exercising the right to free speech.

Yesterday, during a state House session, Democrat Brian Sims, an openly gay man, rose to give comments on the floor of the House regarding the Supreme Court’s rulings striking down the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s anti-gay Prop 8. Metcalfe used a parliamentary procedure to prevent him from speaking. Why? Because “there’s no free speech on the floor”. Not for gays anyway.

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While Senate Democrats push for a vote, their Republican counterparts claim they need more time to think. Honestly, what is there to think about? It’s not as if Medicaid expansion hasn’t been in consideration for a year. Even with the recent tweaks in a bill introduced and approved by the Michigan House, this is not a difficult decision. Medicaid expansion […]

Can you hear me NOW? Anne and I were up until after 1:00 a.m. watching the livestream of the Texas Senate last night, riveted by the drama and tweeting like mad people. We weren’t alone. At 1:00 a.m. ET, there were nearly 200,000 people watching the livestream. In the end, I ended up with three new heroes yesterday, all of […]

The people are leading their “leaders” This afternoon, a coalition of LGBT leaders and Michigan House Democrats announced package of legislation that will repeal the ban same-sex marriage in Michigan, a position supported by a majority of Michiganders. According to a statement by House Dems, the package of legislation involves two bills and a resolution: The first piece in the […]

They can’t pass a farm bill but they can pass indefinite detention In the weeks since Edward Snowden released classified details about the NSA’s programs, the House GOP has reaffirmed the indefinite detention of American citizens, blocked the president’s plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison and held a hearing to defend the NSA. Meanwhile, Speaker Boehner joined Dick Cheney and […]

Eclectablog himself wasn’t able to attend the grassroots-organized rally in support of the public school system in Lansing this morning; fortunately I was able to attend, with a contingent of my fellow Bloomfield Hills-based public school advocates. Yes, that’s right: Even in Bloomfield Hills, where most of the residents seem to think that the deliberate, systematic destruction of the Michigan […]