How much more time can they possibly need? Oh, and didn’t they claim they were working on this while they’re on vacation this month? This is getting ridiculous. After gaveling in and out of session in just 10 seconds earlier this week, Michigan Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville said Senate Republicans are going on a retreat “in a week or […]

You got your Right to Work and your corporate tax cuts. Now show us the jobs. For two months in a row, Michigan’s unemployment rate has gone up. It went up 0.3 points to 8.7% in June and, in July, it was up another 0.1 points to 8.8%. In contrast, the US unemployment rate was flat at 7.6% in June […]

What’s this? ANOTHER judicial smack-down of Governor Snyder and his Republican colleagues? Yes. Yes it is. [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] Another day, another Republican bill signed into law by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder ruled unconstitutional. In this case, it’s not the entire law, just the part that requires state employees to pay 4% […]

Please, Congressman, join the rest of us in the reality-based world I’m going to break my rule about promoting OFA events today because this one is aimed directly at Congressman Tim Walberg, my “representative” and someone I want to see go down in flames in November 2014 when Pam Byrnes cleans his clock in the 7th District. Organizing for America […]

Go away, Janice. Just. Go. Away. Former Troy, Michigan mayor Janice Daniels was recalled from office last year. Her public homophobic statements, incomprehensible tea party rants at public meetings, and damage to the local economy by impeding a major public transportation hub from being built in Troy all led the citizens there to unceremoniously toss her out of office. You […]

Rising to the level of his incompetence, maybe? Michigan state Treasurer Andy Dillon, the man in charge of assigning and overseeing not only Michigan’s finances but all of the state’s many Emergency Managers, is attempting to close his 2010 gubernatorial campaign committee. However, there is over $100,000 not accounted for so the elections division will not allow him to close […]

We already pay for each other’s health care in the dumbest possible way Republicans are debating right now about which scheme the should use to try to destroy Obamacare before the most compelling benefits of the law and taxes on the rich and corporations kick in on January 1, 2014. Defund or delay. The “defund” people think that Republicans should […]

This is your weekly reminder. Senate Republicans need to hear from you now. As I wrote here last week, Tea Party groups are asking their members to call their Senators every single day, urging them to vote no on Medicaid expansion. Putting aside my curiosity about how these folks have so much spare time (and, if they don’t work, how […]

You have GOT to be kidding me [Photo credit: Anne Savage, special to Eclectablog] After high school kids in Steubenville, Ohio were busted for repeatedly raping an unconscious 16-year old fellow classmate and then posting their exploits on the internet, a federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, has come up with a solution: teach young rapists how to avoid […]

Wait. What??? As I wrote about a month ago, Republican House Representative Bob Genetski has a solution to Michigan’s budget problems: blow an $8.3 billion hole in it by repealing the state income tax. Well, the bill has been introduced: House Bill 4898. Here is the part that eliminates the tax: HOUSE BILL No. 4898 July 18, 2013, Introduced by […]

“I tried to do stuff” isn’t really a platform, is it? [Caricature by DonkeyHotey from photos by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog] I find it a bit puzzling that Rick Snyder hasn’t yet confirmed that he is running for governor in 2014. Most people didn’t know about his 2010 candidacy until he ran the now-famous “one tough nerd” ad during […]