You made this ridiculous claim, "Andy Dillon's house, facing a $1.6 billion budget deficit in FY08 and still working on a replacement for the SBT has decided working this Thursday is for the birds. Or, well, for the Senate.  They'll be in session."

The Senate convened at 10 a.m. today and adjourned at 11:05, for a total of 65 minutes. Fifty-five minutes were taken up by a tribute to the 100th anniversary of President Teddy Roosevelt's visit to the Capitol, complete with a TR look-alike giving the same speech given in the Senate in 1907. Of the 10 minute left, not one vote was taken. Why bother?

I'll say it again...

Highest unemployment rate in the nation (7.1%)?  Check.

College graduates rushing for the borders after graduation?  Check.

3 million new jobs in the United States just not in Michigan?  Check.

SBT replacement MIA?  Check.

$1.8 billion budget deficit for FY2008?  Check.

Bond rating in the toilet?  Check.

Full-time legislature?  Check.

Top 5 pay scale nationally for state legislators?  Check.

Following a two-day work week with a five-day weekend at Michigan's premier vacation destination, bicycling, taking carriage rides, lounging on hotel porches and eating fudge?  Check.

And lest we forget, it was 141 Days ago now that Andy Dillon said:

"We are facing a budget shortfall this current fiscal year in excess of $500 million and next year's is in excess of $3 billion. Bottom line: We have a lot of work to do...

"We did this in anticipation of the looming budget crisis and the need for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work immediately."

Ignore the facts? Check.

Michigan's three largest universities outperform some of the best-known university research systems in other states? Check.

House Speaker Andy Dillon and Mike Bishop publicly agreed for the first time that they reached a consensus on replacing the SBT Thursday during a forum at the Detroit Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island.