ampdead

Paging General Ripper

This is fun.  The S.S. Kidz at Michigan State invited the British version of Ahmadinejad (though Griffin is only in the wannabe phase at the moment) to speak on campus and then, through some uncanny mental gymnastics, wrote the following about Little Green Footballs on their precious little blog:

In case you do not read Little Green Footballs, the blog is pro-Muslim, left-wing, politically correct, and basically a front for neoconservative foreign policy (instead of defending their culture, they want to build schools in the Anbar province). They are basically a puppet of the multiculturalists and believe that Islam is not the enemy of Western civilization and Christendom. Only Bush-bots read the Little Green Footballs blog.

See, kids, this is why Michigan sucks right now.  Blame the politicians all you want, but it's the idiots in the voting booths who gave the politicians power.  This moonbattery - of which I once thought the Kos Kidz were the best example of - will get you nothing except maybe a flogging from your betters.

I don't know, maybe it's something in the water?  East Lansing and Lansing are pretty close to each other afterall.  Have you people O.D.'ed on fluoride?

Special:  S.S. Kidz chased by cane-wielding mob.  Did they have walkers too?

Posted by: Jason at 01:15 AM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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You compromise, we lose

First I heard it on the local news the day the state government shutdown.  Then I heard it from my political science professor.  Now, thanks to Republican Michigander pointing it out, I'm reading it from Chris Ward in his Free Press editorial about the grand compromise.

Gotta love the title of that editorial:  Compromise avoided state crisis. 

Is that a joke?  Avoided a crisis?  This is a crisis.  That idiot's compromise wasn't a fix for Michigan.  New taxes on an economy screaming "Uncle!" is not the sort of compromise anyone but those with a certain viewpoint could want.  And that's the thing.  All this talk about bipartisanship and compromise and getting along, getting together, kumbyya nonsense is not the stuff change and betterment are made of. 

No, Rodney, we can't all just get along - every single one of us has a differing opinion.  We can alter small things in order to form consensus, but shooting yourself in the foot instead of in the head is not a rational compromise.  How can you vote for something you think is bad policy?  That makes no damned sense.

Right Michigan links to this article Crain's Detroit Business.  Moral of the story:  Expenditures will continue to out pace revenues - even as Rep. Ward congratulates himself on selling out.  Then what?  Punish business more for the state's lack of responsibility?  Punish Michigan more as long as our fearless leaders in Lansing can pat themselves on the back for coming up with asinine compromises?

It's sort of like the Christian Coalition gang refusing to vote for a Giuliani - which would be a rational compromise given the alternative and given what Giuliani has been saying.  While Giuliani himself may not be in the gang or even agree with the gang, he's committed himself to forming the means to the end the gang does agree with - namely, SCOTUS justices.  Also, given what's happened recently with Limbaugh, Medved, and O'Reilly, voting against the Republican candidate would be voting for a huge impediment on the gang getting their message out.  What do you think the Fairness Doctrine would do to, say, Catholic radio - nevermind mainstream commercial radio?

See, I'm all for compromise and getting along, getting together, singing ridiculous songs around the campfire - when it makes sense to do so.  But compromising shouldn't mean getting the opposite of what you want.

Posted by: Jason at 09:48 AM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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Forgot about that

The Boston Globe (9/26/07):  Hsu raised big money for Clinton supporters

In other cases, Clinton helped direct Hsu's money to influential politicians who have yet to endorse her but hail from key presidential primary states.

And at least some of the $17,000 that Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan collected from Hsu and his associates in 2005 and 2006 stems from a Nov. 29, 2005, fund-raising reception for her hosted by Steven Rattner, a New York investment firm executive and major Clinton donor seen as a candidate for US Treasury secretary if Clinton wins. Granholm's office said she has not made an endorsement decision.

Someone should bring that to the party - add it to that $116 million no-bid contract to a campaign donor.

Posted by: Jason at 03:55 PM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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Pheer meh!

First:  Background on the radio fiasco involving the Granny on WJR's Frank Beckmann show this morning (from Right Michigan).  I tuned in late - about the time Liz Boyd, the governor's spokesman, came on Beckmann's show to "clear things up."

One of the first things Lizzy said was, "I instill fear in people."  I'm sure she was joking.  Or it was satire.  Nuance maybe.  But, given what happened on Beckmann's show, it was pretty dumb.

What happened in a nutshell:  Beckmann taped an interview the Granny.  He asked her why she went back on the extending the sales tax to services thing (video at the end).  He also asked her about a $116 million no-bid contract that went to one of her campaign donors.  Granny didn't like her answers and asked or demanded the interview be held - with threats apparently.

Posted by: Jason at 09:59 PM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yes

Republican Michigander outlines what needs to happen to yank the Granny out of office.

Posted by: Jason at 09:10 PM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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Eject

Michigan is officially bankrupt.

The solution?

Taxing coin-operated blood pressure testing.

We're not only looking under the cushions, we're tearing the whole damned couch apart.

I wonder if anyone noticed the record levels of revenue the federal government is taking in.  With less taxing.  Nah.

Who knows, maybe he's right.

In political ads airing this week, the Democratic Party confidently compared Granholm's tactic with Bill Clinton's politically-successful showdown with Newt Gingrich in 1995 to shutter the federal government.

But Clinton was not demanding an income tax increase in the middle of an economic recession. There is an unwritten political rule that government shutdowns hurt Republicans most. But in Michigan's current economic state, politicians asking more pain from citizens may not just be fiscally irresponsible - they might be committing mass political suicide.

I almost forgot since I don't watch football (hockey starts in three days!).  My sister told me the Lions matched last season's win total today with a rally against the Bears.  Huzzah!  Good news from Michigan.

The Tigers, however, choked in the second half of the season.

The Wings start on the 3rd.

Also, the casinos in Detroit will stay open regardless of what Lansing does or doesn't do.  But if you haven't bought your Mega Millions tickets already, you're even more out of luck.

Shame:  Representative David Agema (R) was over in Russia hunting sheep.  Sure, he had planned this trip for three years - prior to becoming a representative even.  Sure, it's a once in a lifetime experience.  Sure, he may have lost thousands of dollars if he had backed out to see the obligations his job entails.  Apparently, he's not cutout for this type of job.

Rep. David Agema stayed in session until 4 a.m. Saturday and voted three times against a proposal by Democrats to raise the state income tax before leaving on the two-week trip, said his chief of staff, Karen Spoelman. The House of Representatives worked without a resolution throughout the weekend.

That income tax increase just passed by one vote.  Lieutenant Governor Cherry threw the winning blow to tax payers.  Good one, Dave.  I hope the sheep keep you warm.

Bonus:  Interesting play on the local news.  I usually don't watch the local news, but WDIV has to be the least partisan news program I've watched in a long time.  Devin Scillian is actually asking questions from both sides (yes, that's him - journalist, children's books author, songwriter, and musician).

Whoa.  the WXYZ anchors are lamenting the possible new sales tax on various services (that blood pressure link lists them all).  By George, they get it!  Higher taxes on so-called luxury items will harm everyone.

I think I'm having delusions.

Posted by: Jason at 12:10 AM in Michigan | No Comments | Add Comment
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