Time to update my chart… Back in December, I took a look at how many cities and schools were in financial crisis under Governor Rick Snyder compared with his predecessors. The results were pretty shocking: When you look at the situation under Governor Snyder compared with his predecessors, the data is striking. Including all cities and schools that have either […]

Oh, hardy har har har…

A recent fundraising email from GOP.com was disguised as a “help us pick our presidential candidate for 2016” poll. The list of candidates shows in vivid detail just how shallow their bench actually is.

Check it out after the jump.

When the numbers don’t support you, myth-making is your only other option Last week House Speaker Jase Bolger told the Detroit Free Press that Governor Snyder’s biggest challenge as a campaigner is his biggest asset as he governs. “The governor insists on no credit and no blame,” said Bolger. This was only one day after the Michigan Republican Party sent […]

come·back – noun \ˈkəm-ˌbak\ — A return to a former position or condition (as of success or prosperity) I feel like Governor Snyder and his administration have a different dictionary than I do. He has repeatedly claimed lately (as part of the non-launch of his 2014 campaign) that Michigan is the “Comeback State”. The only thing that I can figure […]

The GOP believes they simply need to talk about issues that African Americans care about, not actually do anything about them Kentucky Senator Rand Paul came to Michigan today to be part of the opening of the Republican’s Detroit “African American Engagement Office”. No, seriously. Before the Republicans got their day started, Democrats had a press conference nearby where they […]

Transparency, schpransparency… Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has released its “Worst Governors in America” list and, for the second year in a row, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is on it. This year he is cited for his lack of transparency, particularly with regard to his NERD slush fund, now disbanded, which paid for state employees from donations […]

Governor Snyder: it’s not working Three new municipalities are now under consideration for an Emergency Manager: Lincoln Park, Royal Oak Township, and Highland Park. If Highland Park goes, it will be its second time around and it will be the third city to come out of financial crisis under an Emergency Manager only to go back under an Emergency Manager […]

Oh, this is rich The Michigan Republicans have found a way to solve the problem of “indigent and needy individuals or individuals in medically underserved areas of the State”. Is it by offering financial assistance to people without health care? – NO Is it by creating new programs to serve people without health care? – NO Is it by expanding […]

Non-problem: solved! Michigan Republican Represenative Mike Shirkey introduced House Bill 4044 last January. The bill’s intent is to ensure that companies selling health insurance on the Michigan health care exchange that was made possible by the Affordable Care Act can sell insurance off the exchange as well. Here’s the bill in full: Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an insurer […]

It’s easy to make a fool look foolish As I mentioned earlier the other day, Michigan Congressman Gary Peters pledged to donate his salary to charity if Republicans were successful at shutting down the government. The story took an interesting turn when, earlier this evening, Luke Russert tweeted this little tidbit about Texas Senator Ted Cruz: Ted Cruz will copy […]

Aren’t there laws against false advertising??? Yesterday, I published a piece titled “Debunking the Republican lie that health insurance costs have skyrocketed under Obama”. In it, I showed how the right is telling outright lies about the rate of cost increases of health insurance under President Obama. In that piece, I missed something. The GOP is claiming that the cost […]