Michigan Liberal: - Recommended Diaries

Help Take On Dave Camp

rab — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:42:48 GMT

ANDREW CONNCANON, DEMOCRAT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS IN MICHIAGAN'S FOURTH DISTRICT SENT THIS OUT EARLIER TODAY:

We are now entering into a new phase of our campaign. We are increasing our presence in all 14 counties, and we've had great success in energizing voters in the 4th District. Our campaign has been able to do that because of the support of people like you.

Dave Camp's campaign has been funded by big business and special interests in Washington. It's no wonder he's lost touch with the concerns of the average Michigander.

In order to have the resources to remain competitive, we need the continued help of supporters like you. Your donation will be used to bring Andy's message of change to all corners of Michigan's 4th District. Now is the perfect time to step up and own a piece of this campaign. If you make a donation right now, you'll receive a special gift. Make a donation of $50 or more, and show your support for Andy with an official campaign shirt and two bumper stickers.

By owning a piece of this campaign, you'll ensure that Andy will be able to stand up for your concerns in Washington.

Thank you for your support,

Thomas Roy
Campaign Director Concannon for Congress
1-866-764-2008

Show your support today!

On Imperfect Choices, Or, Jesus Ain't Running

fake consultant — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:54:31 GMT

A question has come across my inbox today, and as I am wont to do I began to answer my email friend (who I’ve known, by the way, since we both posted on the John Edwards blog). More or less 100 words into the reply it occurred to me that this was a question best answered in front of a larger audience.

The question? My friend is having trouble committing to Obama.

Why? I’m paraphrasing, but it would be fair to say that the sudden emergence of Obama’s “handlers” was a factor...and although it’s not in the note, I suspect the fact that Obama has “tacked to the center” recently on various issues is part of the problem as well.

It’s a great question...and in an effort to provide a great answer I’m going to offer a few words of my own—and then I thought we might reach back a bit into history and see if there might be something we can learn.

Having come to the metaphorical tee and taken the first shot, let’s head down the fairway and see where that ball might be...and where we can get it to go.

Our good friends at Democracy for America have been running “Night School” for those seeking to learn about the campaign process from the inside, and just a couple nights ago we held a training on “The Political Mind”, with George Lakoff leading the discussion.

Professor Lakoff talked about how to frame a discussion; and I’m going to see if I can apply some of what I learned in the response I offer here.

The question “should I vote for Obama, despite his imperfections?” which is the question I was asked, does not correctly frame the discussion...so allow me to offer a question from an alternative “framing”:

The real question you have to ask is which of the two candidates that might actually win—McCain or Obama—is less flawed than the other?

There will be no perfect candidates—now or ever...and waiting for the perfect candidate to support is guaranteed to lead to disillusionment every time.

To put it bluntly: Jesus ain’t running...and absent any other Deities appearing on the electoral horizon, perfection seems unattainable.

Between McCain and Obama, the choice gets quite simple.

McCain talks about military tactics, Obama talks about military strategy.

Obama talks about the ecomony, McCain talks about how his economic spokesman, Phil Gramm, the guy who wrote McCain’s economic policy, doesn’t speak for him on the economy.

For more McCain...issues...or, issues...or, ummm, issues, or just the fact that he, for some reason, hates Martin Luther King Day, check the Web.

Now for a bit of encouraging history.

We elected a President once before who was far from the President he became—a pro-business candidate who did not support the abolition of slavery, but instead a compromise leading to the gradual phase-out of the practice...something that was already occurring in the North.

“...You suggest that in political action now, you and I would differ. I suppose we would; not quite as much, however, as you may think. You know I dislike slavery; and you fully admit the abstract wrong of it. So far there is no cause of difference. But you say that sooner than yield your legal right to the slave -- especially at the bidding of those who are not themselves interested, you would see the Union dissolved. I am not aware that any one is bidding you to yield that right; very certainly I am not. I leave that matter entirely to yourself.

I also acknowledge your rights and my obligations, under the constitution, in regard to your slaves. I confess I hate to see the poor creatures hunted down, and caught, and carried back to their stripes, and unrewarded toils; but I bite my lip and keep quiet. In 1841 you and I had together a tedious low-water trip, on a Steam Boat from Louisville to St. Louis. You may remember, as I well do, that from Louisville to the mouth of the Ohio, there were, on board, ten or a dozen slaves, shackled together with irons. That sight was a continued torment to me; and I see something like it every time I touch the Ohio, or any other slave-border. It is hardly fair for you to assume, that I have no interest in a thing which has, and continually exercises, the power of making me miserable. You ought rather to appreciate how much the great body of the Northern people do crucify their feelings, in order to maintain their loyalty to the Constitution and the Union...”

--From a letter to Joshua Speed, August 24, 1855

And there was division from those in his own Party who were not inclined to make deals on the moral issues he was willing to make compromises upon:

“In the interior of the country, the cities as well as the rural districts, I found the people much more unanimous. The panic has not been felt so severely there, and the political feelings of the people are less controlled by mercenary motives. While some politicians in the large cities were somewhat inclined to smooth the difficulty over by a compromise, the Republican masses in the country are just as strongly and uncompromisingly opposed to anything that would look in the least like a lowering of the Republican standard.

I was in western New York when Thurlow Weeds compromise articles came out and when it was rumored that Seward was preparing to make a compromise speech. The feeling was very intense every where, Thurlow Weed's propositions were generally condemned, and I have heard the most conservative and moderate Republicans say, that Seward could not yield a single inch of ground without destroying himself and forfeiting forever the confidence of his friends.

What I have seen and heard, not only in New York, but in Pennsylvania and New England also, forces the conviction upon my mind, that every serious attempt on the part of the Republicans in Congress, to patch up a compromise by yielding a single one of the principles of the Chicago platform, will inevitably result in the immediate disruption of the Republican party. It turns out again what I have observed quite frequently, that as far as courage and consistency are concerned, the rank and file are far ahead of their leaders.”

--From a letter written by Carl Schurz, December 18, 1860

This candidate wanted a bi-partisan Administration...and that wasn’t making the Party faithful happy, either:

“...We have now a still higher issue -- a higher duty -- the preservation of the Republic itself! We must not "back down" -- we can make no compromise with traitors, but we can, and I think we must now, as we did in 1854-5, ignore all other issues for the time being, and invite the co-operation of men of all parties in putting down treason. The enemies of the Republic appear to be fearfully numerous, and to prevent accessions to their ranks, the friends of the Union must evrywhere become united.

To accomplish this, I beg respectfully to suggest, whether it may not be necessary to organize the administration different from what your friends, under other circumstances would have expected -- to exclude men, however worthy or prominent, who would be objectionable to the friends of the Union in other parties?

In Ohio, I am quite sure that no man would be more [accessable?] in this view, than Thomas Ewing. All parties regard him as by far most able man in the State. For the firmness and courage exhibited by him in cabinet of President Taylor, he is admired, and would be trusted by all reasonable anti slavery men. I have been intimately accquainted with him for many years, and am satisfied that upon all important public questions, his opinions do not differ from yours. While it is true that he has not professed to be a Republican, I know that he has...acted with no other party -- has voted for Republicans or not voted at all...”

--From a letter written by Thomas C. Jones, December 24, 1860

And from that highly controversial candidacy, we got Abraham Lincoln.

So what am I trying to say?

Politics is a process made up of humans.
All humans are flawed.
Therefore, we will never have a perfect candidate.
We will have to settle.

In choosing between McCain and Obama, ask yourself: who is going to be your best candidate...who is more likely to get you to the place you want to be on the issues that matter to you—and just like the SATs, there may not be a perfectly correct answer...instead, you may have to choose the “most correct answer”.

Dave Camp's Vote On Medicare

Andrew Concannon — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:04:41 GMT

In recent months, the economic situation in Michigan has gotten increasingly worse. People are worried about their employment and their access to healthcare. Just this week, General Motors terminated access to healthcare for its retirees in order to cut costs. General Motors took this action at a time when employees all over this District and State are worried about meeting their future healthcare needs.

Given our economic situation in Michigan, Rep. Dave Camp's vote to sustain the President's veto of H.R. 6631, a bill that would prevent the reduction in payments for Medicare and help ensure that seniors have access to doctors, is simply inexcusable. Once again, Mr. Camp has sided with President Bush and the ideological right-wing of his party instead of making his constituents and their well-being his priority.

The veto override received overwhelming bipartisan support, by a vote of 383-41. The law that has now gone into effect provides for improved reimbursement rates of physicians, which was designed to prevent physicians from opting out of Medicare participation in rural and low income areas. As one of the most rural districts in the state, residents of Michigan's 4th district cannot afford a representative in Congress who cares so little about their access to healthcare.

This is just more of the same from Mr. Camp, who has repeatedly voted against the interests of constituents in his District by siding with special interests. He has sided with pharmaceutical companies over our seniors, the mortgage companies instead of homeowners, and insurance companies over children.

It is time for voters in the 4th District to take a hard look at Mr. Camp and his priorities. Instead of working in the interests of hard-working regular people - the families in Midland, children in Big Rapids, and senior citizens in Traverse City - he has served a different constituency: the special interests in Washington.

It is time that Michigan's 4th District got its voice back and had a Representative with a different agenda, one whose priority is to try to make life better for people in our District. I am running for Congress to do just that.

Andrew Concannon
Democratic Candidate - Michigan's 4th Congressional District

In order to have the resources to remain competitive, we need the continued help of supporters like you. Please make a donation, which will be used to bring Andy's message of change to all corners of Michigan's 4th District. Now is the perfect time to step up and own a piece of this campaign. If you make a donation right now, you'll receive a special gift. Make a donation of $50 or more, and show your support for Andy with an official campaign shirt and two bumper stickers.

Fundraising Update.....We Did It!

djtyg — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:07:04 GMT

Woo-hoo! The $500 was raised as of Tuesday. Sorry for being so late in getting the word out, I've been working a lot and haven't had time to post.

Thank you to everyone who donated. If it weren't for the support of the blogosphere, I wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell in this election. You guys have proven the effectiveness of people-powered politics.

A big thanks to the UAW members as well, whose support has been greatly appreciated.

I'm still going to need to raise a lot of money for direct mail, so please continue to give generously. Thanks for everything, guys.

http://www.bortzforoaklandcoun...

Help us get Michigan moving again!

danscripps — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:55:26 GMT

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We need to get Northwest Michigan moving again and this is the year to do it. With your help we can bring job growth, improve our schools and protect our great outdoors.

As we near the end of the primary race, now is the time to show just how much support we have as we move towards November. We need to prove both to the decision makers in Lansing and the voters here at home that this is a race to watch and support. State parties and other organizations use the financial reports from the July 20th filing to determine how viable a candidate is. We know we have a strong campaign, now we need to prove it.

We're trying to raise $1500 by midnight on July 20th. Please go online to danscripps.com and click contribute. Every dollar you give helps ensure that Northwest Michigan will have a voice in Lansing that will truly represent you.

Please, visit danscripps.com and contribute by midnight on July 20th.

Thank you for your support,

Dan Scripps
Democratic Candidate-- Michigan 101st District

If we're going to have a shot at beating the GOP cash machine, I need your help today! Please go to danscripps.com and help us meet our financial goals. It's time to get Michigan back on track.