Sticking it to Faux News

I unfortunately missed this a week or so ago, but I thought it was good enough (and meant enough to me personally) to resurrect it here ...

I lived in the Lansing, Mich., area from 2001 until 2004, when I returned to Florida. During that time, I got to know Virg Bernero, who then was a member of the Michigan Senate. A good guy who really cared about the average person, Virg ran for mayor of Lansing in 2003 but lost in a squeaker. However, he tried again in 2005 and won handily.

That was probably the biggest victory of his life ... that is, until this interview with Fox News aired last week. Watch Mayor Bernero take apart the propagandist anchorman:

Yeah, okay, so it was a little shouty. But it's so refreshing to see someone stand up to the asshats at Faux News and give them what they deserve: a firing squad good tongue-lashing.

You go, Virg!

(h/t Progressive Junction)

Too stupid to breathe: Shirley Nagel

Once again, I'm not entirely sure whether this falls under the category of "stupid" or merely malicious. But either way, Shirley Nagel of Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., is a nasty, pathetic individual.

Nagel, a supporter of Huggy Bear, declared that only certain children -- namely, those whose parents shared her limited, closed-minded ideology -- would get Halloween candy at her home last Friday night:

Fox 2 News says a sign posted outside Nagel's house, about 12 miles west of Detroit, served notice to all trick-or-treaters. It read: "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters."

Nagel tells WJBK-TV that "Obama's scary." When asked about children who'd been turned away empty-handed and crying, she said: "Oh well. Everybody has a choice."

Okay. It's one thing, say, if you jokingly -- or not -- refuse to let Obama supporters park in your parking lot. But to send children away crying without candy? How much of a black, smoldering mass do you have where your heart should be, Shirley?

I'm sorry. Say what you will about my candidate ... hell, say what you will about me ... but leave my kids out of it. And that goes for every child in Grosse Pointe Farms who had the misfortune of encountering Shirley Nagel, the Wicked Witch of Wayne County, on Friday night.

Florida: not ready for prime time

Well, this ought to put all of our minds at ease ... NOT.

According to Common Cause, Florida is one of several states whose myriad voting problems risk the validity of and confidence in the conduct of the November 4 election.

"It is unfortunate that even after the debacle of 2000, Florida continues to have many significant problems with its election administration system," said Ben Wilcox, Florida Common Cause president.

"We're going to have to cross our fingers that the huge turnout in the coming election doesn't overload our rickety system and end up disenfranchising voters."

Florida officials said the Common Cause report included incorrect and incomplete information and that the state is prepared to handle what is expected to be a major surge in voters.

The report examined voter registration, voter identification, voting machine allocation, poll worker recruitment and training, provisional ballots and other issues.

It said that Florida could mistakenly reject many eligible voters by requiring that prospective voters prove eligibility by providing the exact information that appears on existing state databases.

They're alluding, of course, to the law recently activated by Republican secretary of state Kurt Browning wherein even a minor typographical error in Tallahassee might disenfranchise any one of us ... especially those people who are targeted by this GOP master stroke: new voters, largely young, minority, and -- oh, yeah -- Democratic.

"Florida could mistakenly reject many eligible voters" ... don't you get it, Common Cause? That's exactly what the Republicans have in mind! The reason that "even after the debacle of 2000, Florida continues to have many significant problems with its election administration system" is because Republicans continue to game the system to make sure they do everything in their power to prevent lawfully registered voters -- Democrats -- from exercising their constitutional right. Since the Republicans can't win on the issues anymore, their only real option is disenfranchisement.

This is what passes for democracy in 2008, folks -- one party trying to fix elections in advance, any way they can. While in Michigan, the GOP in one large county outside Detroit is pushing to keep voters whose homes have foreclosed away from the polls -- thereby giving those folks a double whammy from the economic woes the Republican president's policies have caused! -- and the Obama campaign is challenging that practice, here in Florida ... crickets so far.

Republicans can't plausibly claim that this new law in Florida is intended for any purpose other than disenfranchisement of registered voters. No bleating about "accurate records" or "the need for certainty" can dress up their obvious ploy to fix the election. In other words ... you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

So there.

Remind me: which party is divided again?

If you're not in Florida or Michigan, you might have missed the fact that both states had their full delegations and voting rights restored at the Democratic National Convention -- but not so with the Republicans. Yes, the GOP is sticking it to Florida and Michigan by giving them only half the votes to which they're entitled -- meaning that, for example, Florida's votes count just as much as Indiana's, a state a third the size of America's Wang™.

But it's the Democrats who are hopelessly divided? Puh-LEEZ.

Still, the bright, shiny faces representing Florida at the GOP wankfest in St. Paul are making the best of their "honored guest" status.

"It makes not one bit of difference," said Nancy Watkins, an honored guest from Tampa.

"It's much better to be an honored guest," deadpanned Jamie Johnson of Winter Garden. "That's what it says on the pass I have and that's what I'm sticking to."

Even before Hurricane Gustav prompted historic changes in the 2008 Republican National Convention, the gathering of GOP faithful was destined to be odd for the Florida and Michigan delegations. As punishment for holding their primaries earlier than sanctioned by the national party, the votes and floor seats of those states were initially cut in half. Thus was raised the specter of delegates with half a vote.

However, a compromise was reached last week where all the delegates would be seated — 114 in Florida's case — but half of them would be called "honored guests" and not have votes.

In Florida, the "grassroots workers" were given delegate passes and higher-ups and elected officials were designated as honored guests, said Jim Greer, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, who wore an honored guest pass himself.

"Being an 'honored guest' is an honor," said Margi Helschien of Boca Raton.

Asked if she felt slighted, she said, "Not at all. I get to be a part of everything."

Sure, Margi, and if you keep clapping, maybe Sarah Palin's political career will live again!

Seriously, these Republicans are creeping me right the fuck out. Sure, there's no controversy -- allegedly -- over their party's choice for the presidential nomination. But the blast fax orders from On High must have been pretty serious in tone for these non-delegates to be all smiles over their vote being taken away from them.

Don't worry -- you won't hear this from the mainstream corporate media. But it wouldn't hurt for you and me to spread the word that Florida and Michigan are second-class states as far as the Republicans are concerned ...

More primary shenanigans threaten to divide Dems further

This is beginning to get out of hand.

There are people -- largely Clinton supporters, of course -- planning to protest -- yes, actually protest -- about the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan. Not surprisingly, the Clinton supporters are most vocal in demanding that the election results from those states in January stand as is. The DNC committee in charge, the Rules Committee, meets tomorrow in Washington.

Among those who may go to bat for Florida on Saturday: Florida Democratic Party chairman Karen Thurman, Florida's Sen. Bill Nelson and DNC petitioner Jon Ausman.

"Clearly, (Nelson) is going to let the committee know his preference that the entire delegation be seated in accordance with the votes that were cast in January," said Bryan Gulley, a spokesman for Nelson, who endorsed Clinton.

"This isn't about Obama or Clinton," Gulley said. "It's about doing the right thing and seating the entire delegation. We want to make sure Florida is seated at the convention and that their voice is heard."

[...]

Outside the meeting, several hundred Floridians plan to protest on the sidewalk in front of the Marriott-Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Many of them will be Clinton supporters, but others say they are simply angry at the party.

"To say that we don't matter because of a rule that was not of our doing, that's unconscionable," said Blaine Whitford, who is a "special events" organizer for a group called Florida Demands Representation. "I don't mean to sound jaded, but I am. I prefer Democratic policies on the whole, but I don't like this. We don't elect presidents from 48 states in this country."

Florida Demands Representation and Florida Hispanic Caucus said they had 700 people register for the bus trip to Washington, which could get on the highway as early as today. Also, a group of Clinton supporters called Hillary Rapid Responders will be there. The Clinton campaign on Wednesday eagerly pointed out all the protesters, denying they had a hand in organizing it.

I've never seen such internecine squabbling within one party in my life. (Admittedly, I was just a tot in 1968, so forgive me if my political memory doesn't stretch back quite that far.) The Clinton backers really will stop at nothing to promote their candidate, even if it means that Huggy Bear gets a boost, or even wins the election in November.

This is unconscionable. Can't the Clinton supporters see that the country would be vastly better off with a President Obama than with a President Huggy? Don't they realize that if the tables were turned, Sen. Obama would have stepped aside long ago? In short: what the fuck is wrong with you people?

Any rational, objective observer can see that the only fair way to fix the Florida-Michigan mess is to have a do-over -- a new primary or a caucus or something, as long as it was a fresh start and run as fairly as the primaries and caucuses in other states have been. Why? Because the January primaries weren't fair and weren't necessarily an accurate representation of the voters' wishes. You just can't seat delegates based on those primaries -- period. In Florida, many Democrats stayed home rather than vote in what they thought might be a meaningless primary. Michigan's case is even starker, as Sen. Obama wasn't even on the ballot there, while Sen. Clinton was. Any contention that either primary, especially Michigan's, was fair is a farcical argument on its face.

Of course, the Democratic Party in each state decided, in their infinite wisdom (yes, that's snark), that a revote just wasn't going to be possible -- I don't know about Michigan, but I'm sure the fact that the decisionmakers in Florida are Clinton supporters was purely coincidence (that's not just snark, that's outright sarcasm, people).

This has gone far enough. The time to unify behind a single candidate is now -- well, actually, it was weeks ago, but now is the best we can do at this point. We can gripe about why things are the way they are and why the DNC screwed up and why Florida sucks, etc., until we're blue in the face. But it's far more important to make sure that America is blue on the map in November.

Quit fighting each other and start fighting the Republicans. Before it's too late.

Sun-Sentinel gets revote issue wrong

If, like me, you read the post this afternoon on the Sun-Sentinel's "This Just In" blog about Hillary Clinton pushing for a revote in Florida and went, "What the fuck?," then you'll either be relieved or disappointed to learn that the post is wrong.

Josh Hafenbrack of the Sun-Sentinel wrote:

For the second consecutive day, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is taunting her rival, Barack Obama, to support a revote in Florida. Speaking to reporters in Indiana, Clinton suggested Obama is "afraid" to run again in Florida.

Of course, that's not what Sen. Clinton actually said. Here's what she did say:

It’s really important that we try to get as many people here to participate in this important primary election.

That’s why it’s critical that we figure out a way for the people of Michigan and Florida to have their votes and their voices count. As you know, I went to Michigan yesterday because I feel so strongly that it is not in the best interest of our party or our chances for victory in November to deny the rights of the people of Florida and Michigan.

I do not see how two of our largest and most significant states can be disenfranchised and left out of the process of picking our nominee without raising serious questions about the legitimacy of that nominee.

So again, I would call on Senator Obama to join me in supporting the rights of the people of Michigan and Florida to have their voices and their votes counted. I have, as the Democratic National Committee has, come out in favor of an effort for a re-vote in Michigan.

I do not understand what Senator Obama is afraid of, but it is going to hurt our party and our chances in November and so I would call on him, once again, to join me in giving the people of Florida and Michigan the chance to be counted as we move forward in this nominating process. We’d be glad to take your questions.

I've asked Josh, via comment on his blog, to correct the post to reflect what Sen. Clinton really said, which was that Florida's votes should be "counted" -- meaning the votes cast on January 29. In fact, in her remarks she specifically states her support for a revote in Michigan, but not in Florida. Having attended the press conference yesterday headlined by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Clinton supporter who repeatedly said the January 29 results should be the basis for seating delegates in Denver, I know that Sen. Clinton does not support a revote.

It's an honest mistake, I think, but I hope it is corrected posthaste. After all, we wouldn't want to give those crazy supporters of democracy any false hopes about a revote here ...

UPDATE (6:21 pm 3/20/08): I definitely commented at "This Just In" -- three times, in fact. However, only one of those comments (which refers to an earlier comment, thereby making it rather confusing) has appeared on the site as I write this. Well, I tried ...

Biggus caucus

Hey, remember that "meaningless" primary in which we Floridians voted a week ago Tuesday? And remember how I said it would count for seating delegates (which would help Hillary Clinton, who won a large majority of votes here)? Well, I'm probably still right ... but there is some hint of change taking place for both Florida and Michigan.

Evidently the DNC, whose asinine rule got us into this mess in the first place (yes, I know the Legislature did it, but no rule, no mess), is pushing America's Wang™ and Michigan (America's Mitten™?) to hold caucuses in order to seat the delegates ... which would make our efforts on January 29 truly meaningless.

DNC member Debbie Dingell of Michigan said it's unclear whether either state would hold caucuses since they've already held primaries, Michigan on Jan. 15 and Florida on Jan. 29. She said the committee is asking the states to consider such a plan.

Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said the party has no intention of holding another election.

"We've said all along that we're going forward with our delegate selection program using the vote on Jan. 29," he said. "We've got more delegate applications than ever."

Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said the committee isn't saying anything it hasn't said before to Michigan and Florida.

"Everybody involved, the candidates, the DNC and we, need to remain open-minded. So if someone comes up with a creative way that meets everyone's interests, we can do that" and get the delegates seated, he said.

As big a mancrush as I admittedly have on DNC chair Howard Dean, even I have to admit that this is getting ridiculous. If there's a way for the DNC to fuck things up even worse than they already have, this might be it.

And the bigger problem is that regardless of what ultimately happens, the discussion itself could fracture the Democratic Party even further. The dispute, if one exists, will pit the pro-primary folks, who support Clinton, against the pro-caucus people, largely Obama partisans whose favored candidate likely would do well in caucuses.

I'm still uncommitted on which candidate I support at this time, but at present, I believe we've made our bed and we ought to lie in it. The votes have been cast and the delegates have been selected. As I've said all along, it's going to be up to the eventual nominee to determine whether delegates from Florida and Michigan are credentialed and seated in Denver, and no nominee would refuse to seat them. So, ultimately, I think it's a moot point.

At any rate, the issue threatens to exacerbate a bad situation. I'm all for fighting Republicans and the Bush crime syndicate, but can we please stop eating our own first?

You give Gov a bad name

Could there be a Governor Bon Jovi in New Jersey's future?

New Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi lives with his family in Soho, but he's keeping his Garden State home because he "could be planning one day to run for governor of New Jersey," the New York Post reports.

Bon Jovi, who often helps Democratic candidates raise money, hired Ken Sunshine, one-time chief of staff for ex-Mayor David Dinkins, the newspaper reports.

Must. Not. Make. Fun. Of. Ken. Sunshine.

But it's intriguing to think that Jon might have political aspirations. He certainly has the money. And politics aside, you might have governors' summits with a kick-ass concert, with Gov. Bon Jovi (D-N.J.) and Gov. Nugent (R-Mich.) headlining.

So, when is Buffett running for governor of Florida?

UPDATE (2:24 pm 11/14/07): I had to update the title. It's much more appropriate now. (It was "Campaigning on a prayer" ... see what I mean?)

Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Michigan

For the first time (I think), an entire state gets the Daily Schadenfreude award. And it's a state for which I have a great deal of love and respect (at least in the six months it's not winter there), having lived in Michigan from 1966 to 1973 and again from 2001 to 2004. It's a beautiful place and the people (most of 'em, anyway) are just wonderful.

But I have to laugh, and yes, commiserate a bit, because native Michigander Ted Nugent is talking about running for governor:

For all of his wild-man antics, the politically conservative Nugent is talking about following in the footsteps of celebrities such as actor Arnold Schwarzenegger or wrestler Jesse Ventura, who won gubernatorial races.

"That would be beautiful," Nugent said when asked if he would run for governor of Michigan in 2010. "I have threatened to do so and I was sincere."

Some of Nugent's antics make even Schwarzenegger's past outspokenness appear measured by comparison.

"Michigan was once a great state. Michigan was a state that rewarded the entrepreneur and the most productive, work-ethic families of the state. Now the pimps and the whores and the welfare brats are basically the state's babies."

Oh, my, wait till the pearl-clutchers get a hold of that! ... oh, wait. IOKIYAR. I forgot for a moment there. Sorry.

Well, then, what about this?

Nugent refuses to mince words and often uses a racial epithet to describe blacks that normally would mean political suicide. He says his embrace of the word reflects his respect for the black contribution to rock and roll and has another expletive for anyone who disagrees with him.

Uncivil!! Uncivil!! Uncivil rationalization, too!

Nugent currently lives in (you're not going to believe this one) Crawford, Tex., of all places, but the Detroit native maintains a home and a hunting preserve in Michigan. Sorry, Michigan, but you're going to be the laughingstock of the U.S. if Nugent runs. Well, that is, the laughingstock after California, Minnesota, Texas ...

Anyway, congratulations to the Great Lakes State! Today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!