Local control, local government, local self-determination. These are the hallmarks of the tea party Republicans and conservatives in general. Recent efforts by Michigan Republicans prove conclusively that this is a lie. They are not interested in local control; they are interested in conservative control. Period. In September, I wrote about two bills passed by the House to limit domestic partner […]

Last month, I wrote about how Michigan Supreme Court Justice Stephen Markman was being asked to recuse himself from the suit challenging the constitutionality of the Emergency Manager Law. Lawyers fighting Michigan’s tough new emergency manager law want a Michigan Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from the case because his wife represents the government in a separate lawsuit challenging […]

They’ve pretty much villified and demonized the unionized teachers in Michigan and taken every available step to stripping them of any ability to bargain for and/or receive decent labor agreements. So who is next on the Michigan Republican’s hitlist? Police and firefighters, of course. Police and fire unions are opposing a bill they said would limit compensation and suitable health […]

The University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC) has been in contract negotiations with the University of Michigan for over six months. The University has been holding firm on not making any significant concessions which is making the possibility of a strike by the 4000 unionized nurses more and more likely. I have a friend who is a U of […]

My good friends at the Washtenaw Community Action Team are hosting a film series and social forum called “The Power of Working People”. Their announcement follows. Highly recommended! The Washtenaw Community Action TeamPresents The Power of Working PeopleA Film Series and Social Forum The Washtenaw Community Action Team (WCAT) announces — The Power of Working People – A Film Series […]

I want to take a moment to appreciate the readers that I have at Eclectablog. While I don’t get scads of comments, the ones I do get are generally high quality, even from those that disagree with me. Yesterday I got what I consider to be the best comment I’ve ever received on this site. I was in regards to […]

Here’s a good one. Who said this? “The purpose of the First Amendment is to protect the free exercise of the Christian religion.” Answer after the jump. The answer is Bryan Fischer, an official at the American Family Association (AFA), a virulently anti-gay and anti-Mormon organization. We have the “pleasure” of having and AFA moron running for Senate in Michigan […]

Hooray! A Wisconsin man who left his Presbyterian ministry in California more than 20 years ago after telling his congregation that he is gay was welcomed back into the church leadership on Saturday as its first openly gay ordained minister. In a quavering voice ripe with emotion, 56-year-old Scott Anderson told the hundreds of friends and backers who packed Covenant […]

Nolan Finley, the editorial page editor for the Detroit News, is never a person I would expect to understand what it means to be unemployed, losing your home, or otherwise a victim of the banking collapse that resulted in the economic tar pit we find ourselves in today. He has proven, time and again, that he’s an staunch ally of […]

Martin Bashir of MSNBC completely nails it with his contrast between the extraordinary genius Steve Jobs and the extraordinary grifter, Sarah Palin (the transcript is below.) It’s time now to clear the air and today, we’ve marked two important stories: the tragic and sad passing of a true creative genius at the age of just 56 and, hopefully, the end […]

I don’t what I did to deserve this idiot as my Representative to Congress. Here’s his latest lie-filled drivel: More than two and a half years after the Obama Administration’s trillion dollar “stimulus” package, the Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate remains unchanged this month at 9.1 percent. Yet, the Administration continues to undermine job creation with the […]