Photo by Anne C. Savage for Eclectablog In 2008, former Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz jumped party lines and endorsed Democrat Mark Schauer in the 7th Congressional District race (which Schauer eventually won.) It was a strong statement about Walberg’s far-right tea party obstructionist positions to have a well-known Michigan Republican endorse his Democratic opponent. Schwartz later went on to say, […]

This past weekend, the Chairs of both the Michigan Republican Party, Bobby Schostak, and the Michigan Democratic Party, Lon Johnson appeared on Fox 2’s “Let it Rip!” program to discuss the upcoming election. Schostak showed up without a tie, carrying an aloof and almost derisive attitude. He struggled to defend his candidates time and again. In contrast, Johnson was well-dressed, […]

The last of the truly reasonable Michigan Republicans…

When I was just a lad and an aspiring activist, I volunteered for a group called “The Three O’Clock Lobby”. It was a youth-run, youth advocacy group and we endeavored to make sure the voice of young people was represented in policy-making, law-making, and government in general.

It was during my time there that I first met Governor William Milliken when I and another young person asked him to wear a button saying “I support youth participation” at a celebration of the International Year of the Child (this event is actually mentioned in the Wikipedia article.) Milliken was not only a really nice and sweet man, he was a listener and he was reasonable. Considered a moderate, a man with his approach to leadership and governance would have no home in the Republican Party today, especially not in Michigan. William Milliken was willing to compromise and there’s no compromising in today’s Republican Party.

Today, Professor Bridget McCormack, candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court, announced that she has received the endorsement of William Milliken. It’s a clear sign of where things are in Michigan today, politically-speaking.

More after the jump.