Tag: Brewer

Matt Frendewey, director of communications for the Michigan Republican Party, issued the following statement:

"Democratic Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway must protect the integrity of Michigan's judicial system and immediately resign.

"Justice Hathaway's real estate scam involved transferring properties out her and her husband's name into the name of their children in order to obtain a short sale. Her actions are offensive to the many Michigan families who have faced difficult times during Michigan's economic down turn. As a justice on the highest court in Michigan, Hathaway's involvement in the alleged scam, the FBI investigation, and today's complaint undermines her ability to affectively sit in a position of judgment over Michigan citizens and the state's judicial system.

"Swift and immediate action is required before Hathaway's scandal scars the highest court. I can only hope that Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer, a lawyer himself, recognizes good policy must trump partisan politics and will join the Michigan Republican Party in calling for Justice Hathaway's resignation."

I wanted to get this out earlier, but have been slammed with other responsibilities.

Last night left me a little disappointed.  Perhaps if Republicans do not understand now, they may never. Though there might be time for redemption, (success)it will not come as the result of what was said in the Governor's state of the state speech.

Regulars will note my early opinions on Mr. Snyder prior to his becoming our nominee.  It was not at all flattering, and raised points questioning the involvement of Snyder's business interests with those 'government' incentives created by the entity HE in fact had a hand in creating.  As a businessman he did what was necessary to make his business survive, thrive, etc.. And had little problem disassociating any negative effect on those other businesses that pay taxes, from the government corporate welfare system known as the MEDC.

More information, more interviews, and an easier to follow trail to the Democrats. Including the following:

The Free Press found:

• Mike McGuinness, the recently resigned chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party, who had denied any role in the Tea Party controversy, recruited his former stepmother to run for state representative.

• Jason Bauer, 30, of Waterford, former operations director for the Oakland Democrats and McGuinness' roommate, notarized petitions for at least four affidavits to run for office for people who now -- directly or through a relative -- say they didn't sign the affidavits. Overall, he notarized 12 of 23 Tea Party candidate affidavits.

• State Senate candidate Frantt Whitehill of Midland, who insists he's a real tea partyer, is a Democratic donor who ran for precinct delegate as a Democrat in August.

Often we will find ourselves with opposing viewpoints from the Ivory Tower.  There is a point I guess, when things become more than obvious, and "bad" can be called what it is.   Apparently today we are allies:

If voters' faith has already been shaken by the corruption we've seen in southeast Michigan and the inability of public officials around the state to work together to solve our problems, this Tea Party nonsense rattles it further.

And how desperate do Michigan Democrats look by trying to pull this off? It's almost an admission that the party's candidates need something other than merit to win this fall.

The editorial is correct in questioning who planned, financed etc..  

The lawyer, Michael Hodge, is expected to be challenging the 2-2 decision by the board of canvassers tomorrow.  Who might he present as willing to stand for the party?  Will Mark Steffek show up? What of Jason Bauer, who now bears the tire tracks of Michigan Democrats on his back? Benson and Brewer, and McGuinness, Democrats who have effectively "blanket partied" that fourth stooge at the OCDP sure as heck won't, but will be there in spirit.. to be sure.

All I can say is I wouldn't want to be the dog waiting to be kicked when the Oakland County Chair gets home.  

According to the Detroit News, the Oakland County Democrat Party will:

"review its protocols after reports that a top staffer appears to be among the operatives behind the effort to get Tea Party candidates registered in Michigan.

County party Chairman Mike McGuinness said operations director Jason Bauer may have crossed the line when he notarized many of the affidavits filed by 23 candidates trying to get on the November ballot as members of the newly formed Tea Party."

He crossed the line.. the line on the side of the road.  Then he was hit by the bus McGuinness is driving, then backing up.

Yesterday's announcement of House Republicans' plan to rescue the state budget from drowning in red ink, free up millions of stimulus dollars to plug directly into the economy and completely avoid the tax hikes the Dillon Majority and the Granholm-Cherry administration have promised didn't just get short shrift... at one "news" outlet it actually got NO shrift.

MLIVE provided a prominent link for part of the day yesterday, the Lansing State Journal has the story and the Detroit News buried the story in fine print half-way down their front page but our friends at the Ivory Tower decided a massive package of reforms and cuts that'd actually solve this dag-blamed budget crisis simply wasn't news worthy.

What do we get instead from the FREEP?  The front page contains "above the fold" stories (as it were) about the Red Wings (which is actually OK with me), Michael Vick, Delphi workers frustrated by part of the "bailout" plan... and a discussion of a boat race.  

Maybe on their dedicated "Politics" page?  Nope.  The top five actual stories, in order:

-Obama defends healthcare plan to Americans
-Dems line up as possible Macomb County Exec
-Michigan Democrats test water for ballot proposals
-Union-tied lawyer joins Michigan governor's race

In between the third and fourth is a pro-Obama puff piece Q & A page ostensibly designed to help viewers better understand what the President said during last night's television address.  

Anyone notice a trend?  National Dems, local Dems, statewide Dems and Dems in the biggest race this election cycle.  

If you only read the FREEP it isn't that you don't know House Republicans proposed a massive spending and regulatory overhaul that ends the state's budget crisis without raising taxes... it's that you don't even know Michigan Republicans exist!

Alas... this morning eeeeeveryone knows that Mark Brewer exists and job providers across the Mitten have already begun looking at real estate listings in other states.  That's the sort of thing that can happen when the Chairman of the Democratic Party stands up in an overwhelmingly Democratic state and tells anyone listening that he may be looking to launch a ballot proposal aimed at using rocket fuel to propel the minimum wage to an astronomical $10 an hour.

(Read on...)