Hammer time!

A recent poll shows that 57% of women would be more likely to support a candidate who opposes the Knobby Jobby decision.  Seventy-one percent of women think a candidate who supports corporations being allowed to dictate birth control choices has his or her priorities out of whack.

So...can anyone explain to me why, here in Michigan, where we have a close contest for the Senate seat of retiring U.S. Senator Carl Levin, Democrat Gary Peters isn't absolutely lambasting republican Terri Lynn Land over this issue?  I mean not one commercial--and it's not like Land has any choice other than to back corporate rights on birth control.  Anti-choice forces here would crucify her if she didn't.

And it would be a nice reminder to that majority of women who do support Democrats on why they vote for us in the first place.  And it could be simple, too:  "Terri Lynn Land believes corporation have the right to make your family's birth control choices...."  Fade out.

Sheesh, it's politics--whenever the Gods throw you a hammer, pound away.

Peace,
emaycee

Republicans' war on teenage girls

I'll be the first to admit that when Gary Peters was anointed to be the Democratic nominee for Carl Levin's Senate seat here in Michigan, I was lukewarm at best (truth be told, the first time I got an e-mail from his election committee I unsubscribed).  He's a pro-Business, somewhat Conservadem, endorsed by Debbie Stabenow (leading the Dem charge to slash food stamps) and Carl Levin (usually reliable, but very weak in his last year--food stamps, voted against filibuster reform, voted against the Gillibrand amendment on military rape)--he'd obviously get my vote, but I'd be holding my nose while checking his name.  After a little more than a year of watching Elizabeth Warren be the kind of Democrat we all hope for, Peters was a little disappointing.

Leave it to republicans to to change all that.  As if the Koch brothers trying to buy his seat by having a cancer victim lie in pathetic commercial after pathetic commercial, Right to Life of Michigan has come out and said that Peters spoke out against Michigan's rape insurance law so he could keep abortion "accessible and cheap for his [teenage] daughters."

There's some political courage for you--attacking teenage girls.  Want to guess how much more fired up for Peters I am these days?

Keep in mind that Right to Life of Michigan's website lists all kinds of links to christian/religious/catholic doctrine.  Kind of makes you wonder:  what would Jesus do in light of watching his name being used to attack teenage girls?

My guess is puke.

Peace,
emaycee

The not so great state of Michigan

Yesterday, the year long work of republicans in my home state of Michigan came to fruition:  women here will now need rape insurance just so they can make decisions about their own bodies.  To make matters worse, when Gretchen Whitmer wanted to speak against this horrible law, republicans shut down the Senate so that the great people of the state of Michigan could not hear what they had done:  make the wives, mothers, and daughters of Michigan buy rape insurance (you can read the statement she wanted to make at the link) so they can choose to not carry to term the product of a despicable act of violence.

Michigan's republicans are doing their level best to make our state as culturally and politically relevant as North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho--God only knows why the best and the brightest would want to stay in the land of increasing insanity, or businesses subject their employees to the whims of the batshit insane.

One thing is certain:  come November, from Governor Gutless Rick Snyder, to Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land, to their majorities in the Michigan House and Senate, we need to make them pay.

Out of step with the times, out of office on their ears.

Peace,
emaycee

Bottled Kochs

I've been pretty lukewarm on Michigan's Democratic candidate for Senator Carl Levin's seat, Gary Peters, because he seems to me to be a milquetoast candidate, i.e., he's always come across as republican lite.  When we run republican lite, we lose.  Guess what?  In what should be a safe seat for Democrats, the last few polls have shown Peters trailing.  His opponent, Terri Lynn Land, is your run of the mill republican toadie and despite millions being spent on her behalf by the Koch brothers it's still in a statistical dead heat.

Apparently Peters is having a come home to Jesus moment--this week he gave a big fuck you to the Koch brothers (a la the increasingly feisty Harry Reid) by reminding Michigan voters of their true agenda:  watching ordinary Americans live in a Road Warrior post-apocalyptic world while they sit around their four Olympic sized pools enjoying circle jerks while they count even more billions of dollars.

Peters is correct to point out to Michigan voters that the Kochs don't live here and are trying to buy our state's Senate seat to entrich themselves and themselves alone.  He would be wise to spend the next eight months hammering home how his opponent is leading their charge at every Michigander's expense.

Peace,
emaycee

One lyin' nerd

Kudos to our new Governor--in less than three months, his approval rating has already dipped to a low point it took former Gov. Granholm six years to reach: 33%. His approval rating among Democrats is 10%--ten fucking percent! Man, that's George W. Bush territory, and he hasn't even been in office 90 days. If the election from last November were held today, Virg Bernero would defeat Snyder 47-45--that's a 21 point turaround from the 59-41 troucing Snyder gave Bernero. Think those approval ratings are bad now? Wait until the fine citizens of Michigan find out that Snyder's $1.8 billion tax giveaway to the businesses of Michigan resulted in next to no new jobs. How low can you go, Governor? Continuing the cheery thread, thanks to Snyder's overreach, Debbie Stabenow's re-election chances have improved dramatically: she now holds double digit leads over four hypothetical republican challengers (including former Michigan Secretary of State, Terri Lynn Land, who I believed was the republicans best potential candidate). And party I.D. now has the Democrats back to 2008 levels, which has to be good news for President Wishy Washy. Note to republicans: if you're going to run as a moderate, it really helps if you govern as such. Governing as a radical tends to really piss off the opposition--and, surprisingly enough, the people whose very names implies their centrist nature: Independents. Anybody want to guess how many Michigan Democrats vote for a "moderate" republican in 2012? My guess is pretty darn close to zero. Peace, emaycee