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Michigan Sen. Colbeck introduces “patriotism” bills modeled after bill pushed by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann

By on February 1, 2013 in Conservatives, Michigan Republicans, Tea Party

Draped in a flag, carrying a cross

With all of the struggles Michigan faces right now, it’s good to know that things aren’t so bad that religious zealots and “patriots” like Senator Patrick Colbeck have time to worry about censorship in the teaching of American History in our classrooms. This week, Colbeck introduced a bill to remedy this egregious (and essentially nonexistent) problem. The bill is modeled after legislation promoted and passed in 2001 by far-right conservative and tea party goddess Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota. Bachmann’s bill copies a law passed in North Carolina in 1997.

Details after the jump.


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Think electoral vote distribution-related election rigging is over in Michigan? It’s not.

By on January 31, 2013 in Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

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.


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Michigan House Republicans 2013-14 “Action Plan” released today. LOLs ensue.

By on January 30, 2013 in Michigan Republicans

Why do I get the feeling there’s a LOT they aren’t telling us?

The Michigan House Republicans released their “2013-14 House Republican Action Plan” (pdf) today and, while there’s much I still need to digest, there were enough glaring LOLs in it to warrant pointing them out.

The 21-page plan, titled “Brighter Days Ahead”, is almost half “Executive Summary” and is full of photos of happy, smiling white people. Reading the Executive Summary is an odd experience. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was either a Democratic proposal or something a bipartisan group put out. You honestly would never know that this is the party that focused so intensely over the past two years to crush unions, demonize teachers and other public employees and that led the way in the Republican War on Women.

Details after the jump.


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Electoral vote rigging scheme gets the dreaded “not on my agenda” label from Michigan Senate Maj. Leader Richardville

By on January 29, 2013 in Michigan Republicans

Ruh-roh, Raggy

The scheme to rig the distribution of Michigan’s electoral votes to make sure that Republicans can take full advantage of their gerrymandering of our Congressional districts has been given the dreaded “not on my agenda” label from Republican Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville.

When a Michigan Republican tells you something “is not on my agenda”, you should be very, very skeptical. Details after the jump.


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Michigan Gov. Snyder concerned about Medicaid expansion diverting uninsured from emergency room-based health care

By on January 29, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Michigan Republicans

Wait. What???

With Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act poised to free nearly half a million Michiganders from having to get their healthcare from emergency rooms and save the state $10 million in the first ten years, our Governor, Rick Snyder, appears to be wavering because of ‘capacity’. This is despite a report that came out this month indicating that Michigan doctors are ready, willing and able to take on the influx of uninsured patients.

So, what, we should just let them keep going to emergency rooms for their healthcare? More after the jump.


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Republican Senator Patrick Colbeck admits Dick DeVos bankrolled Right to Work drive in Michigan

By on January 29, 2013 in Conservatives, GOPocrisy, Michigan Republicans

Bra·zen [brey-zuhn], adjective: shameless or impudent

On January 15th, Americans for Prosperity held a “Citizens Watchdog Training” in Warren, Michigan. As usual, the entrance fee was a nominal $10 because he entire event was heavily subsidized and underwritten by the Koch Brothers-funded corporate front group.

At the event, tea party Senator Patrick Colbeck was very forthright in explaining how multimillionaire Dick DeVos and Michigan Republican Chair Ron Weiser bankrolled the effort to make Michigan the country’s 24th Right to Work state. Audio and transcript after the jump.


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Michigan doctors ready & willing for Medicaid expansion — IF the GOP allows it

By on January 28, 2013 in Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

How about it Republicans? Do you care for Michiganders or not?

With Republicans actively seeking to prevent the expansion of Medicaid in Michigan under the Affordable Care Act and Democrats seeking to make it happen, doctors in Michigan are ready, willing and able to take on the new influx of patients that would entail. Think about it: a savings of $1 billion over ten years, 400,000 new Michiganders covered by health insurance and doctors expanding their practices to accomodate.

Who could be against THAT? Only conservative ideologues, that’s who.

Details after the jump.


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Hurting the Middle Class to spite Obama: GOP Senator introduces bill to prevent Medicaid expansion in Michigan

By on January 28, 2013 in Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

Sorry face, this nose has got to go

It what can only be described as one of the most intentionally childishly mean-spirited, hurt-people-to-spite-Obama acts in recent Michigan history, state Senator Bruce Caswell from Hillsdale has introduced legislation that specifically prohibits Michigan from expanding Medicaid coverage as permitted under the Affordable Care Act.

Just so we’re clear: it’s not that he’s just suggesting that we not do this incredibly smart and money-saving, life-saving thing. He is actively seeking to make it illegal to do so.

Details of this pathetically childish insanity after the jump.


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Snyder admits making Michigan a Right to Work state was never about creating jobs

By on January 26, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Labor, Michigan Republicans, Rick Snyder

My, my, Governor. That didn’t take long.

Remember when Governor Snyder and his Republican colleagues were telling us all how important making Michigan a Right to Work state was for improving our economy? “It’s freedom to work!” they said. “It will make us competitive with other states!” they claimed. “It will create more and better jobs!” they told us.

Turns out that even Governor Snyder doesn’t believe that tripe. Less than a month after his Economic Development Corporation spent $144,000 on a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal touting our new Right to Work status as one of the attractive benefits of setting up shop in Michigan, this week Snyder admitted it’s all a damn lie.

Details after the jump.


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Michigan Republicans resort to rigging presidential elections knowing it’s their only hope of winning

By on January 25, 2013 in GOPocrisy, Michigan Republicans

Who wants to belong to a political party that can’t win fairly?

Michigan Republicans’ intend to change the rules to assign our state’s presidential electoral votes by Congressional District. While this may seem sort of innocuous, once you realize how severely they have gerrymandered our state, the implications of this begins to sink in. Here’s the reality:

  • More Michiganders voted for Democrats statewide than for Republicans
  • President Obama would have gotten less electoral votes than Mitt Romney in the 2012 election

I will be writing more about this topic but I wanted to draw your attention to some of the smartest writing and smartest advice on this topic that I have seen yet. It comes from MMColo at Daily Kos. Their article is titled “Republicans Plan to Steal the Presidency (And might not be able to ) and How Democrats Can Stop Them”.

It’s all there, waiting for you, after the jump.


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