One of a rash of recent decisions by Michigan Democrats that seem to fly directly in the face of decades worth of established lefty thinking.  Only a couple of days from 4/20 it makes a brother wonder... what are they smoking over at MDP and did they get into the good stuff early?

The Stupak about-face is maybe the most confounding.  We've got the highest unemployment rate in the nation.  We're one of only two states over 6% for crying out loud.  And he's actively fighting in Congress to help businesses avoid hiring Michigan residents?  

At issue are the work visas of hundreds of employees of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.  There used to be a federal loophole where aliens who'd worked here in the past didn't count against the federal cap on work visas but the Dem Congress let that expire last year.  Now Bart wants a do-over.  

The Ivory Tower reports:

In prepared testimony to the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Musser said the Grand Hotel tries to recruit Americans to work at the hotel, but they aren't available on a seasonal basis. The immigrant workers, he said, "are the lifeblood of our seasonal business."

"Our workforce during the summer is made up of approximately 600 employees -- 250 American citizens and 350 or so H2B workers," he said. "Our American jobs depend on our H2B workers..."

Said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney: "Until this program undergoes major reform -- such as a more transparent recruitment process, a meaningful way for workers to enforce promises made to them by employers, access to legal services and receive fair prevailing wages -- Congress should not vote to extend or expand any exemptions."

So the union doesn't like Stupak's idea either.

Those of you fortunate enough to have never stepped foot in the Grand Hotel don't know what you're missing and that's a good thing.  I don't mean to speak ill of a "primo" Michigan tourist destination but the whole plantation-chic thing never really worked for me.  The place goes out of it's way to convince you you're hanging out in the 1830s on a cotton farm and you couldn't do that if you had to hire native yoopers.  Their skin just isn't dark enough.

But let's ignore (if we can) the overwhelming institutional racism of the place and the way everyone turns a blind eye and pretends they're clueless about their little adventure in role-playing.  We've got a 7.2% unemployment rate.  The Dems are talking about giving folks 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits.  The Grand Hotel needs seasonal help for the summer.  Hundreds of jobs.

I suppose I could be wrong, but I think that's what the kids these days are calling "an opportunity."

Instead of doing the right thing, Stupak's doing the politically opportune thing.  He's protecting the only place in Michigan where everyone who isn't a Caucasian is forced to dress like a lawn jockey, working for peanuts so that he can give the white folks sitting at home on their fat backsides a fatter check for doing nothing.  

Lefty logic, apparently.  Hey, I don't get it either.  I'm just telling you about it.  And, sadly, the insanity is contagious.  It struck the Michigan House yesterday as a panel officially moved the first part of Andy Dillon's big energy plan to the floor of the chamber where action could come today.

Read on...