Political News and Commentary with the Right Perspective. NAVIGATION
  • Front Page
  • News
  • Multimedia
  • Tags
  • RSS Feed


  • Your New Scoop Site

    Welcome to Scoop!

    To help you figure things out, there is a Scoop Admin Guide which can hopefully answer most of your questions.

    Some tips:

    • Most of the layout is changed in "Blocks", found in the admin tools menu
    • Features can be turned on and off, and configured, in "Site Controls" in the admin tools menu
    • Stories have an "edit" link right beside the "Full Story" link on an index page, and right beside the "Post a Comment" link on the full story page. They can also be edited by clicking the story title in the "Story List" admin tool
    • Boxes are what allow you to write new features for Scoop; they require a knowledge of the perl programming language to work with effectively, although you can often make small changes without knowing much perl. If you would like a feature added but cannot program it yourself, ScoopHost does custom Scoop programming as one of its services.
    • If you aren't sure where to look for a particular feature or piece of display, try the "Search Admin Tools" link in the admin tools menu.

    For support, questions, and general help with Scoop, email support@scoophost.com

    ScoopHost.com is currently running Scoop version Undeterminable from .

    Tag: Special Election (page 2)

    When is flipping a Congressional District officially a mixed bag?


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 01:00:38 PM EST
    Tags: 19th Senate, special election, Mark Schauer, Mike Nofs, redistricting, Jon Stryker (all tags)

    It would be hard to argue that the decision by national Democrats to lure Mark Schauer away from his day job for a Congressional bid in a GOP district was a tactical misstep.  Despite broken promises that the former state Senator wouldn't run for Congress in 2008, accusations of anti-Semitism, revelations that he'd lied to the press and his constituents about campaign donations from controversial oil industry figures and a state investigation into egregious campaign finance violations that recently culminated in the largest financial penalty in Michigan history, he is now, officially, Congressman Mark Schauer.

    Last November Schauer unseated an incumbent Republican and is now a part of the largest Democratic majority of this generation.  That's a win for the Dems, any way you cut it.

    It would be similarly silly to argue, though, that Schauer's sudden absence in Lansing hasn't saddled the left with a glaring (and likely very expensive) problem at the worst conceivable time.

    Michigan has been trending bluer in recent years with Democrats holding both seats in the Senate, a majority in the Congressional delegation, the Governor's office and an overwhelming numerical superiority in what was, until recently, a Republican state House.  The GOP held the state Senate in 2006 by only a few thousand total votes and currently enjoys a tenuous 21-16 majority.

    Control of the upper chamber after the 2010 general elections is critical since the Senate will be a major player in redrawing the state's legislative districts for the next ten years.  

    For this reason more than any other, conservatives at the state and national level are thrilled about the prospect of picking up a seat and an "incumbent" designation when voters go to the polls early this November.

    Former state Representative and law enforcement vet Mike Nofs has already all-but sealed up the Republican nomination for a run at the 19th state Senate district while the Democrats could very likely be staring down the barrel of a drawn out primary between bitter rivals from the state House.  

    Nofs is a solid conservative with an impressive resume and a reputation as a bi-partisan problem solver.  He's also a proven vote-getter in the one largely Democratic portion of the District, the Battle Creek area (home to Kellogg's Company).  Had Schauer remained at home he likely would have faced a serious challenge from Nofs in 2010.  The Republican's chances look that much better without having to worry about a seasoned incumbent.

    State Democrats aren't willing to go down without a fight, though, and are expected to bring out their "big guns."  Kalamazoo billionaire and gay-special-rights extremist Jon Stryker poured millions in soft money into legislative races in 2006 and 2008, purchasing monumental liberal gains in both chambers.  

    With an entire decade of electoral advantage on the table in the 19th this fall, he is widely expected to spend more and politic dirtier.  Democrats simply can't afford this loss this year.  It'd almost be enough to make a Party wish they'd done without one extra member in Congress.

    (4 comments) Comments >>

    RightMichigan Exclusive: An Interview with MRP Chairman Ron Weiser


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Tue Mar 03, 2009 at 11:30:39 AM EST
    Tags: Exclusive, interview, Ron Weiser, 19th, special election, Cherry (all tags)

    Late last month at the Michigan Republican Convention in Lansing, delegates from across the state elected a new MRP leadership team including a new Chairman, former Ambassador and longtime GOP activist Ron Weiser.

    Chairman Weiser was kind enough to speak exclusively with RightMichigan.com to answer a few questions about his approach to the coming cycle and where the Party's focus will be in the coming year.  (I'll give you a hint... it starts with the number "19" and ends with "th state Senate District.")

    -Aside-

    Should note, too, that this is the Chairman's FIRST official statewide interview... and he granted it to the Right Roots, not the same old traditional gate-keepers.  That's a reflection of the weight each and every one of you carry right now... the strength of Michigan's conservative blogging community!  So kudos to the whole Right Roots team.

    Interview after the break...

    (1 comment, 1060 words in story) Full Story

    A Message To Our Legislators - Beware False Choices

    Granholm FINALLY calls Special Election for 19th Senate


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Fri Feb 20, 2009 at 10:04:23 PM EST
    Tags: 19th, Special Election, Mike Nofs, Mike Simpson, Marty Knollenberg (all tags)

    I'd say "better late than never" but that'd be giving the Governor too much credit.  Nearly four months after Mark Schauer broke the promise he'd made to his constituents, running and winning a seat in Congress despite pledges he'd serve his full term as the 19th District's state Senator, Jennifer Granholm has finally called a special election.

    Over the last two months, residents in Calhoun and Jackson Counties have been without representation in the Michigan State Senate.  Despite the Governor's announcement, that won't change anytime soon.

    Instead of calling the special during the local May elections, she's decided to wait until August for the Primary and November for the General.  Unclear immediately just how many extra tax dollars will be wasted by forcing local clerks to ramp up otherwise unneeded efforts in August but I'll see what I can do to crunch some numbers.

    Worth asking the question why she'd bite the bullet and waste the extra cash, though.  The answer won't surprise you.

    The unofficial scuttle-butt around the Capitol today is that Dem polling looks down right ugly.  Rumor has it they had a poll in the field, testing a variety of candidates.  Republican Mike Nofs positively cleaned the floor with likely Democrat candidates, Reps Mike Simpson and Marty Griffin.  A certain freshman Democratic Rep fared better than the longer tenured Dems but even she lost in the head-to-head.

    I spoke with Senate Republican officials at Convention this evening and they claim to have polling that shows the exact same thing.

    By holding off, avoiding an election as long as they can, the Granholm-Cherry administration is hoping against hope that the local political environment will shift back in their favor.  This was a Dem seat and it looks like a real GOP pick-up opportunity.

    And all they have to sacrifice to protect their partisan political interests is the fundamental right of citizens to equal representation under the law.

    Comments >>

    << Previous 8
    Advertise on RightMichigan.com

    Login

    Make a new account

    Username:
    Password:
    Tweet along with RightMichigan by
    following us on Twitter HERE!

    External Feeds

    Metro/State News RSS from The Detroit News
    + Craig: Cushingberry tried twice to elude police, was given preferential treatment
    + Detroit police arrest man suspected of burning women with blowtorch
    + Fouts rips video as 'scurrilous,' defends Chicago trip with secretary
    + Wind, winter weather hammer state from Mackinac Bridge to southeast Mich.
    + Detroit Cass Tech QB Campbell expected to be released from custody Friday
    + New water rates range from -16% to +14%; see change by community
    + Detroit's bankruptcy gets controversial turn in new Honda ad
    + Royal Oak Twp., Highland Park in financial emergency, review panels find
    + Grosse Ile Twp. leads list of Michigan's 10 safest cities
    + Wayne Co. sex crimes backlog grows after funding feud idles Internet Crime Unit
    + Judge upholds 41-60 year sentence of man guilty in Detroit firefighter's death
    + Detroit man robbed, shot in alley on west side
    + Fire at Detroit motel forces evacuation of guests
    + Survivors recount Syrian war toll at Bloomfield Hills event
    + Blacks slain in Michigan at 3rd-highest rate in US

    Politics RSS from The Detroit News
    + Apologetic Agema admits errors but won't resign
    + Snyder: Reform 'dumb' rules to allow more immigrants to work in Detroit
    + GOP leaders shorten presidential nominating season
    + Dems: Another 12,600 Michiganians lose extended jobless benefits
    + Mike Huckabee's comments on birth control gift for Dems
    + Granholm to co-chair pro-Clinton PAC for president
    + Republican panel approves tougher penalties for unauthorized early primary states
    + Michigan seeks visas to lure immigrants to Detroit
    + Peters raises $1M-plus for third straight quarter in Senate bid
    + Bill would let lawyers opt out of Michigan state bar
    + Michigan lawmakers launch more bills against sex trade
    + Balanced budget amendment initiative gets a jumpstart
    + Feds subpoena Christie's campaign, GOP
    + Poll: At Obama's 5-year point, few see a turnaround
    + Obama to release 2015 budget March 4

    create account | faq | search