Speaking truth

My good friend Brit Satchwell, educator and president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, is always on the forefront of fighting for workers and for those in Michigan who are most acutely impacted by the Republicans that currently have control of our state government. Whether it’s circulating petitions for the repeal of Public Act 4 — Michigan’s vile Emergency Manager law — or to recall Governor Rick Snyder or to enshrine collective bargaining rights in our state constitution, Brit is there, defending our democracy.

When the Board of State Canvassers met last week and two Republican men betrayed and silenced the voice of nearly a quarter million Michigan citizens with a vote based on a concocted lie, Brit was there and on his feet shouting “Traitor!” at those men. Detroit News photographer captured the moment exquisitely (you can see it HERE.)

Brit took pen to paper recently and composed a heartfelt and perfectly-worded response to this egregious act which he then sent to the Board. I am reprinting here from the blog of Michigan Forward with permission…

I’m insulted that you’re insulted that we’re insulted

Mitt Romney surrogate, chicken hawk, pedophile and misogynist Ted Nugent is “insulted”

Why?

Because the Army cancelled the performance of this anti-American idiot at the Fort Knox Army base where he was scheduled to headline. They did this after he called President Obama and his administration “vile”, “evil”, and “America-hating”. [More after the jump.]

How the GOP plans to punish Barack Obama’s success. If you’re a homophobe, if you’re a health insurer who spends less then 80-85% of your revenue on actual health care, if you’re a member of Al Qaeda, the answer to the question “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” is simple. No. If you live in […]

Thank you for your support. Hint. Hint. Today is the final day of our quarterly fundraiser and the last time we’ll ask you to pitch in a bit to support the work we do — for a while. As I pointed out before, I was an Eclectablog supporter before I became a contributor. And if you’ve been debating about whether […]

Learning is not fundamentalist. What did the GOP learn from eight disastrous years of George W. Bush and the worst financial crisis in a half-century? Nothing good. If we’d followed their advice to shrink government spending dramatically, the US line in the chart below would be flat—much like Europe’s and the UK’s. It might even be nosediving as Italy’s is. […]

Thank gods someone is protecting us from errant barber poles I actually thought this was a joke when I read it this morning: As the historic barber pole has become an increasingly popular symbol, one lawmaker wants to make sure its use isn’t being abused. In Michigan and other states, lawmakers want to make sure the rotating red, white and […]

This is going to be big

Next Saturday, May 5, 2012 is the kickoff of the second attempt to recall Rick Snyder. It will start with a huge rally at the state Capitol building and you won’t want to miss it. The event starts at 2:00 and thousands of people are expected to attend.

In fact, it’s essential that thousands of people DO attend. The huge rallies in Wisconsin galvanized the activists and volunteers there and we need to do the same here as we fight back against a conservative/corporate takeover of Michigan.

Please plan to attend and help spread the word throughout all of your networks.

Speakers include…

Keepin’ the lights on, payin’ the bills

Welcome to the final stretches of our 7-day, second quarter fundraiser.

To recap, we don’t really make any money doing this so we hold fundraisers once a quarter to give you, our readers, a chance to help support us as we fight the anti-progressive monsters and LOL at the GOP as much as possible.

A big thanks to everyone who has contributed so far. If you haven’t donated, I have to say the odds of winning the iPod or one of the five Obama photomosaic posters is actually quite good. Remember, any donation at all enters you in the drawing for posters. Donations of $25 or more will be in a drawing to win a Democrat blue iPod Nano.

You can do so here::

[More after the jump.]

Mirror, mirror on the wall…

In one of the snidest, most nasty press releases I have ever read, the Romney campaign engaged in a round of psychological projection that is truly transcendent. It’s clearly an effort to take Mitt Romney’s Achilles Heel and then attempt to smear President Obama with the same tar brush.

The result is so comically laughable that even those on the right have to be giggling about it…

If you think elections just don’t matter, this should wake you up

Yesterday, two Republican men denied a quarter million Michiganders their political voice, a voice guaranteed by the constitution of the state and firmly-rooted in the basic tenets of our democracy.

Two men.

It’s astonishing that our system is set up to give two men this much power.

The excuse that both men gave was that, because the the heading on the petition was too small, the petitions were invalid.

But this was not and never should have been about the fonts.

Brothers and sisters, can ya spare a dime?

Hi there. Thanks for stopping by. Can I ask what brought you here today?

Is it first-hand reporting like you got yesterday when I covered the Board of State Canvassers meeting where two men stole the voice of a quarter million Michiganders?

Is it insightful commentary like you got yesterday from LOLGOP’s analysis of Why Mitt Lost Massachusetts?

Is it to keep up on all the news of interest with regards to state and national politics?

Whatever the reason, please consider how much you value what you find here and then make a donation to Eclectablog that’s appropriate.

[More after the jump.]