Tag Archives | Gretchen Whitmer

Western Washtenaw Dems host Right to Work forum this THURSDAY, MARCH 7

By on March 4, 2013 in Events, Michigan Democratic Party, Michigan Democrats

The fight to preserve workers’ rights is FAR from over. Get informed.

One of the premier Democratic Party clubs in the state is the Western Washtenaw Dems, a club I’m proud to be a member of. Started in 1999 by former House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, the group is both a social club for Democrats on the western side of Washtenaw County as well as an active political force in our county. They regularly sponsor important and timely speakers, panels and forums and this Thursday is one that area Democrats won’t want to miss. It features Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan AFL-CIO president Karla Swift, Michigan AFT president David Hecker along with moderator Ron Motsinger from the IBEW.

Details and a downloadable flyer after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 1 }

Democratic Senator Gretchen Whitmer drops out of 2014 gubernatorial race

By on January 30, 2013 in Michigan Democrats

And then there were three

Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer announced today that she will NOT be a candidate for Governor in Michigan in 2014. Her stepping aside narrows the immediate field from four to three: 2010 candidate and Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, Detroit-area Congressman Gary Peters and former MI-07 Congressman Mark Schauer. While that’s not to say that others won’t throw their hat into the ring, these three are certainly the top three at the moment.

My analysis after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 6 }

2012: The Year of Michigan Women in Politics

By on December 29, 2012 in Debbie Stabenow, Michigan, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans, Pete Hoekstra, Planned Parenthood, War on Women

Chapeau: doffed

2012 was a year full of politics in Michigan. As a political writer, particularly one writing from the progressive side of things, I never had a single day where there wasn’t something happening in Michigan worth writing about. We weren’t far into 2012 before I realized that women were standing up and speaking out in larger numbers and with a louder, stronger voice than any other group of people in our state. So much so that I have taken to calling 2012 the Year of Michigan Women in Politics.


Read full story • Comments { 6 }

INTERVIEW – Gretchen Whitmer: “Michigan Democrats are not demoralized, we’re fired up!”

By on December 20, 2012 in Interview, Michigan Democrats, Michigan Republicans

Using the power of personalizing issues to make change when you’re in the minority

One of the most outspoken and eloquent Democrats in the legislature for the past two years is Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer from East Lansing. Whenever there was a major issue making the headlines that Republicans were on the wrong side of, Senator Whitmer was there to be sure that they were not only held accountable but that their actions would not go unnoticed.

Given the Republicans’ recent flurry of ideologically-driven activity and the fact that Republicans still control both houses of the state legislature, control the state Supreme Court, and that the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State are all Republicans, I wanted to see how the top Democratic leader of the state Senate (and longest serving sitting Senator) was feeling about the road ahead. I sat down with her in a coffee shop in East Lansing this week for an interview.

(It’s all there, after the jump.)


Read full story • Comments { 5 }

Women for Obama event in Ypsilanti THIS THURSDAY featuring Obama political director Katherine Archuleta

By on August 20, 2012 in Events, Obama for America, War on Women

A side benefit of being in a swing state: you get ATTENTION!

This Thursday, August 23, 2012, the Obama campaign is hosting a special Women For Obama event at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5:00 p.m. The event will feature special guest Katherine Archuleta, Political Director of the Obama for America.

Other guests include State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, State Senator Rebekah Warren, DNC Member Debbie Dingell, Working America State Director Fran Brennan and State House candidate Gretchen Driskell.

Please RSVP for the event HERE.

More information and a printable flyer after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger should resign. NOW. – Updated

By on July 20, 2012 in Michigan Republicans

You call that “Leadership”? That’s not leadership, that’s corruption.

After the incredible revelation that House Speaker Jase Bolger conspired with Representative Roy Schmidt to commit blatant and disgusting election fraud in May, it’s now time for him to step down as the so-called “leader” of the House. No group can be called legitimate that has at its head someone so clearly corrupt and fraudulent as Jase Bolger has proven himself to be.

He doesn’t deny doing what he did. He simply says that it’s okay because it was legal.

Nobody else believes that.

Much more after the jump.


Read full story • Comments { 4 }

The Vagina Monologues at the Michigan state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan – June 18, 2012 – PHOTOS & VIDEO

By on June 19, 2012 in Events

Vagina POWER!


l-r: Rep. Rashida H. Tlaib, Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Lisa Brown, Eve Ensler, and Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes

Yesterday, Monday, June 18, 2012, upwards of 5,000 women and men and children descended on the state Capitol in Lansing, Michigan to reclaim that place of power for women and their vaginas. After being told that uttering the word “vagina” was dirty and “lacked decorum”, Representative Lisa Brown and her colleague Barb Byrum were censored and banned from speaking.

Eve Ensler, the creator of The Vagina Monologues worked with Senator Rebekah Warren and others to stage a reading of the groundbreaking and magnificent play on the steps of the Capitol. But, what transpired there was more than just a theatrical event. It was an empowering event and a tranformative event for the state of Michigan. The thousands that gathered shared their anger and disgust and their refusal to continue being treated like children or second class citizens.

Follow us after the jump for many photos, video and more.


Read full story • Comments { 38 }

Michigan Republicans look to take another half-billion from cities to give to businesses

By on April 20, 2012 in Michigan Republicans

Kicking cities while they’re down

Michigan Republicans passed a budget last year that gives businesses $1.6 billion dollars in tax breaks, paid for by slashing school funding and raising taxes on over half of Michiganders. Now, they are about to hand them another half billion dollars by phasing out the personal property tax (PPT).

It’s generally agreed that the PPT is not a particularly smart tax. It forces companies to pay taxes on equipment that they purchase which has the effect of encouraging them NOT to make capital investments that can help them thrive and grow.

However, here’s the rub: getting rid of it will take nearly half a billion dollars out of city budgets, many of which are largely dependent upon this tax. If you think the problem with bankrupt cities and Emergency Managers is bad now, this will make it worse.

Have a look at this chart from the Michigan Municipal League’s Replace Don’t Erase website…


Read full story • Comments { 9 }

Sometimes “relentless positive action” doesn’t work – a photographer’s attempt to photograph the State of the State address

By on January 20, 2012 in Michigan Republicans

My wife, Anne C. Savage accompanied me and Christine Barry, owner of Blogging for Michigan, to the State of the State address on Wednesday. She was there, as were we, with media passes. However, her effort to actually do any photographing of the event was completely shut down by overly-aggressive security and what seems to be a clear effort by Republicans to limit our access.


Click the image above for more photos

From her post about her experience:

We went to our assigned room and I asked the gentleman in charge of the press area about the wait list for photographers.…

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

MI GOP Sen calls PR Exec a “hooker”, Gretchen Whitmer responds & GOP strategist calls her a “govt hooker”

By on January 9, 2012 in Michigan Republicans

Last week, Senator and serial sexist Rick Jones from Lansing called public relations executive Kelly Rossman-McKinney a “hooker”. Brian Dickerson of the Detroit Free Press describes the situation:

[Senator Jones] likened longtime Lansing public relations executive Kelly Rossman-McKinney to “a hooker” in the Michigan Information and Research Services’ widely read Capital Capsule, a daily report on state government news.

Rossman-McKinney, a self-described “tough old broad” who has worked in both houses of the Legislature and three executive branch departments, has been a fixture in the state capital for decades. She’s about as thin-skinned as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and she says she figured Jones would swing back after she named him one of Lansing’s Biggest Losers of 2011 in an another MIRS interview.

…


Read full story • Comments { 2 }
eXTReMe Tracker