New Gun Rights Bill

There is a new gun rights bill in the Michigan legislature sponsored by Khaaan!

Senate and House introduce gun rights measures

------------------

LANSING—Bills to help ensure that all Michigan gun owners are guaranteed the right to lawfully store firearms in their locked and privately owned vehicles while in an employer’s parking lot were introduced Thursday in the Michigan Legislature, said sponsors Sen. Roger Kahn and Rep. Paul Opsommer.

Kahn, R-Saginaw Township, and Opsommer, R-DeWitt, were joined by Rep. Joel Sheltrown, D-West Branch, and Sen. Jim Barcia, D-Bay City, as primary bill sponsors.

The bipartisan, bicameral measures protect the rights of gun owners storing firearms in their vehicles, as long as all current storage laws are being followed. The proposed laws would not apply to company cars and would not alter Michigan’s concealed pistol law.

“Michigan residents have a right to have a firearm available for self-defense, if needed, during the daily commute to and from work,” Kahn said. “Concealed pistol license holders often face circumstances where they cannot be protected on their way to or from work because they have nowhere to store their gun once there.”

According to the National Rifle Association, 48 states, including Michigan, allow people to carry firearms in their vehicles for personal protection. More than one of every four of America’s 65-80 million gun owners carries a firearm in their vehicle for protection. Legislation similar to the Michigan plan was recently adopted in 10 other states.

Workplace Firearms Storage laws have been upheld by courts in other states. The courts have ruled that a business owner’s private property rights are not affected by laws preventing the micro-management of the lawful contents of a person’s privately-owned automobile.

Opsommer agrees, stating that, "We need to ensure that employers can not create over-reaching company policies that violate the Constitution and provide an excuse to terminate employees whose political views differ from those of management. People who lawfully own firearms and are following appropriate storage laws should not lose the ability to transport them in privately owned vehicles."

Senate Bills 792 and 793, and House Bills 5302 and 5303 will be considered in the early fall after work on the state budget has been completed.

Paid for by You

Living eco friendly with the new Eco Mug

In 2003 another EcoMug was introduced, but never really caught on. Two years later, the Western Student Association funded a third EcoMug until 2007.

The WMUGOP's finest moment.

Ted Kennedy's Terrible Legacy

Senator Ted Kennedy died on Tuesday. He was truly one of the worst figures in American public life.

A Conservative Reflection on Ted Kennedy

Kennedy was a reprobate in his personal life. He was kicked out of Harvard for paying another student to take a test for him. He was a lifelong drunk. He mistreated women through his entire life.

“He was my baby,” mother Rose remembered, “and I tried to keep him my baby.” When he was a man, this showed. He cheated his way out of Harvard. He led police on drunken high-speed chases while at law school in Charlottesville, Va. He bedded the most available women. When he finally settled down with Joan Bennett, his virgin bride surmised that he did so mainly because she refused to give him what so many of his girlfriends had “The only reason he wanted to marry me,” Joan reflected, “was because he couldn’t get me any other way.” The tone of the marriage was set when, upon watching the commemorative film of her wedding, Joan heard John Kennedy -- momentarily unaware that he was miked up for the wedding motion picture -- tell his youngest brother that being married didn’t mean he had to stop sleeping with other women. After a lifetime observing the brazen adultery of his father, and hearing stories of his grandfather’s liaisons derailing his reelection as mayor of Boston, the advice probably seemed redundant.

Kennedy's drinking and mistreatment of women came together when a drunken Kennedy drove his Oldsmobile off a bridge near Chappaquiddick Bay. He escaped from the car, leaving behind his passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kopechne didn't die right away. She was trapped in the car, surviving for hours on the air bubble until she slowly suffocated to death. Kennedy could have saved her life by just calling 911, but instead he tried to concoct an alibi to cover up his responsibility for the crash. He chose to let her die.

But at least he felt sorry about it later, right?



Nor was this his only crime, though it was the only one for which he was convicted (he got a slap on the wrist). Kennedy was a long-time supporter of imprisoning citizens who want to protect their lives against criminals (aka gun control). But he flouted federal gun laws by having machine gun toting guards protect a convicted criminal.

Kennedy was also a traitor. Yes, a giving aid and comfort to the enemies of America traitor.

Ted Kennedy's Soviet Gambit
Remembering Teddy’s KGB Connection
This is Treason

He secretly contacted the Soviet KGB to attempt to undermine America's defenses against the Soviet Union. This began even under pansy Jimmy Carter. But Kennedy's efforts to undermine America really got going under Ronald Reagan. He attempted to arrange a propaganda tour for Soviet dictator Yuri Andropov.

"On 9-10 May of this year," the May 14 memorandum explained, "Sen. Edward Kennedy's close friend and trusted confidant [John] Tunney was in Moscow." (Tunney was Kennedy's law school roommate and a former Democratic senator from California.) "The senator charged Tunney to convey the following message, through confidential contacts, to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Y. Andropov."

Kennedy's message was simple. He proposed an unabashed quid pro quo. Kennedy would lend Andropov a hand in dealing with President Reagan. In return, the Soviet leader would lend the Democratic Party a hand in challenging Reagan in the 1984 presidential election. "The only real potential threats to Reagan are problems of war and peace and Soviet-American relations," the memorandum stated. "These issues, according to the senator, will without a doubt become the most important of the election campaign."

Andropov wasn't even your average Soviet dictator. He was a longtime head of the KGB. He was "the leader of the Soviet Union, a former director of the KGB and a principal mover in both the crushing of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring". Andropov authorized the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II, the leader of the church that Kennedy claimed to be a member of. Later in 1983, the Soviet Union shot down a Korean airliner, killing an American congressman, Larry MacDonald.

Soviet assassinations

Thankfully, Kennedy failed and so did the Soviet Union. His treachery was exposed thanks to the discovery of documents in the Soviet archives following its collapse.

Kennedy's legislative efforts have been just as disastrous. While he was a long time supporter of a government takeover of health care, he had no problem availing himself of the best private medicine, instead of the government-run VA hospitals. He supported the bill creating HMOs, which he would later attack.

Kennedy consistently advocated disastrous immigration policy. He led the floor efforts for the disastrous 1965 immigration bill. During debate, he argued

“First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same… Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset…. Contrary to the charges in some quarters, [the bill] will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and deprived nations of Africa and Asia….

In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think.”

Kennedy never apologized for being so wrong. He was a leading supporter of the 1986 amnesty, and a main sponsor of the failed 2006 and 2007 amnesty efforts.

Kennedy was also a leading supporter of cutting off all aid to South Vietnam. This is not American troops or bombing, mind you, but aid that America had committed by treaty to provide. This snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and led to the slaughter of millions of Vietnamese by the communists.

When it was convenient, Kennedy opposed abortion.

“[O]nce life has begun, no matter at what stage of growth, it is my belief that termination should not be decided merely by desire.”

But when it was politically necessary, he became a staunch defender of baby-killing.

While the "McCarthyism" of Joe McCarthy is a myth, Kennedy did something like it with his ludicrous "Robert Bork's America" speech smearing a highly distinguished judge. (Ironically, Robert F. Kennedy worked for McCarthy.) (see Blacklisted by History)

Contrary to the plaudits of liberals, Kennedy didn't give a damn about the common man. He cared about Ted Kennedy first and only. Where was Kennedy's compassion for others when he was letting Mary Jo Kopechne die? Kennedy never gave his millions in inherited wealth to the poor, but he was always eager to take money in taxes away from Americans far poorer than him.

Kennedy's longevity in politics says a lot about the liberals who covered for and defended him through the years. Somehow, it seems unlikely that a Republican (much less a conservative) could have gotten away with Kennedy's actions.

Kennedy's record speaks volumes about both Kennedy himself and the modern American left.

UPDATE: Not funny, indeed.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Government

This update focuses on government. Government spending and regulation continues to damage America.

Don Devine: Obama Public Service
Becky Akers: “Your Papers, Please!”
Ron Paul: Cash for Clunkers
Gary North: Medicare Went Broke in 2008
Ben O'Neill: "It's Discrimination!"
Art Carden: The Freedom To Discriminate
Charles Scaliger: Freedom and Progress
Larry Greenley: Dangers of a Constitutional Convention
Thomas Woods: The Non-Orwellian View of American History
Thomas DiLorenzo: Who Will Regulate the Regulators?
Ann Shibler: From Farming to Serfdom
Steve DuBord: "Ten Thousand Commandments" of Federal Regulation

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Local News

Local news around Kalamazoo.

Calvin College professors seek discussion of ban on homosexual advocacy
Congressman Fred Upton fights to keep Kalamazoo postal plant open
Elections: Many issues on Nov. 3 ballot

WMU's Colony Farm plan advances
House committee advances legislation that would help clear way for WMU to expand business park to Colony Farm Orchard
Oshtemo Township seeks compromise with Western Michigan University on business park expansion at Colony Farm

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Stephanie Moore to seek second term
Portage City Councilman Terry Urban to run again
Portage school board delays vote on tax renewal
Vice Mayor Hannah McKinney announces bid for re-election on Kalamazoo City Commission

City commission to vote on health-care reform
Kalamazoo City panel embarks on health-care work: Subcommittee to make recommendations for national policy

Responsible Voters

Check out the website of Kalamazoo Citizens Voting NO to Special Rights Discrimination, the group opposing the discrimination ordinance passed by the city of Kalamazoo. They have a lot of good information on the effects of similar ordinances.

http://responsiblevoters.org/

Dome of Deceit

The Gazette has an update on the plan to force taxpayers to subsidize the businesses of local bigshots with a government-run arena.

Kalamazoo arena could revitalize 'desolate' downtown area, but voters must approve new taxes to make proposal a reality
How the arena would be paid for: taxes and bonds

The commenters on the first article are scathing. They overwhelmingly oppose this plan. Moreover, they clearly understand that WMU Board of Trustees Chairman Ken Miller is promoting his own personal interest, not the public good.

A couple interesting tidbits.

"I don't believe it's going to be a prohibitive issue to too many people," Kenneth Miller, chairman of the Western Michigan University Board of Trustees and member of Suite Idea, said of the possible taxes.

Miller may be seriously misreading public sentiment. In a bad economy, with high unemployment, it doesn't seem likely that voters will go for this. The vote has been put off until May 2010, instead of November 2009, which would have seen disproportionate numbers of tax-friendly Kalamazoo residents at the polls. This plan doesn't have an obvious ideological constituency, either.

In 2008, State Rep. Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo, put into motion a way to fund the proposed arena in downtown Kalamazoo.

Jones fast-tracked an amendment to a 1991 state law, Public Act 180, making Kalamazoo County eligible to use hotel, rental car, bar and restaurant surcharges to finance construction of a public arena.

Also noteworthy is state Rep. Robert Jones' involvement, smuggling a bill through Lansing making this whole fiasco possible. Jones may pose as a champion of the little guy, but he was all too eager to champion corporate welfare for Kalamazoo's most influential citizens.

Previous:
Arena of Conflict
Forum of Discontent

Metal Monstrosities

From WMU News:

Sculpture Tour recognized internationally

Western's 'sculpture tour' is recognized locally as a collection of bizarre eyesores scarring campus.

There's a reason that nobody, including most liberals, will put these metal monstrosities on their own private property. Only on government property can the tiny clique of modern art enthusiasts hold enough sway to get these things put up.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Health Care

This update focuses on health care. While the health care debate roils America, more facts about the proposals in Congress continue to emerge.

Gregory Hession:
ObamaCare Shocker: Taxes to Go Up; Way Up
ObamaCare Shocker: Rationing - The Doctor Will NOT See You Now
ObamaCare Shocker: Send in the Social Workers
ObamaCare Shocker: They Really Do Want to Croak Granny
ObamaCare Shocker: Gov't Sees You Naked Too
ObamaCare Shocker: Gov't Healthcare System Already Broken

Thomas Sowell: Whose Medical Decisions? Part II Part III Part IV

Ann Coulter: Liberal Lies About National Health Care: First In a Series
Edwin Rubenstein: Legal Immigration—The Bigger Obamacare Problem
William Hoar: Washington Gives Us the Treatment

Phyllis Schlafly: Obama Brings Chicago-Style Intimidation
Lew Rockwell: Post Office, MD
Thomas DiLorenzo: Single-Payer Groceries, Anyone?
Steven Dubord: Obama’s Healthcare Prescription
Cort Kirkwook: All Doped Up
Ron Paul: Healthcare Plan Based on Economic Fantasy

See also: Sick in America with John Stossel

City Commission Update

More candidates have announced their intentions regarding the Kalamazoo City Commission.

City Commissioner Barbara Hamilton Miller announces re-election bid
Two announce plans to run for Kalamazoo City Commission
Kalamazoo mayor to seek re-election

Mayor Bobby Hopewell and Commissioner Barb Miller will seek reelection. Sean McCann has previously announced that he will not seek reelection and will instead pursue the 60th state house seat. That leaves longtime commissioners Hannah McKinney and Don Cooney, plus David Anderson and legally troubled Stephanie Moore yet to announce their intentions.

Challengers so far include Terry Krueske, who heads the city Planning Commission and has been involved with many other boards. Asha Khazad appears to be a much less credible candidate.

There is also Kai Phillips, a business-owner who opposes the 'gay rights' ordinance passed by the commission.

Candidates have until October 2 to announce for election.

Local News

Local news around Kalamazoo.

City Commissioner Barbara Hamilton Miller announces re-election bid
Two announce plans to run for Kalamazoo City Commission
Kalamazoo mayor to seek re-election
Portage Mayor Pete Strazdas wants his experience used in 3rd term

Voters to decide Kalamazoo gay-rights issue in November election
Language of ordinance no. 1856
Advocacy groups decry assault on gay teen in Portage

Kalamazoo rally draws advocates for health-care reform
Undisclosed advocacy group joined health-reform meeting
Consensus lacking on health care at forum in Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo County Metro Transit considers fare increase, variable pricing for buses
Petition signatures validated in recall drive against Alamo Township supervisor
Western Michigan University plans to raze buildings downtown where arena would be located
Kalamazoo political-action committees buck downward trend in contributions
Only 16 percent of Michigan high school graduates 'college-ready'

Mark Schauer's Astroturf Supporters

Michelle Malkin (via the Jackson Citizen Patriot) reports on astroturf supporters of government health care being bussed in to a rally at Mark Schauer's office. The buses were organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

All aboard the Astroturf bus!

Mark Totten for Senate?

Someone named Mark Totten has organized a campaign committee to run for state senate in the 20th district as a democrat.

http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/com_det.cgi?com_id=514404

He is an MSU law professor affiliated with something called the Truman National Security Project, which bills itself as "Training a New Generation of Progressives to Lead on National Security". He is active in the local democrat party.
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/mark-totten/7/398/619
http://www.trumanproject.org/programs/fellowship/people/mark-totten
http://www.westmichiganrising.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1638
http://www.westmichiganrising.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1618

POLITICAL UPDATE--News from Abroad

This update focuses on news from abroad. Trouble continues in Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

Cort Kirkwood: Crescent Over Europe
Steve Sailer: Christopher Caldwell's Reflection On The Revolution In Europe: Now He Tells Us?
Charles Scaliger: Book Review: Triple Cross
William Jasper: Communism Still Stands in the “Stans”
William Jasper: Terrorist Targeting of Police
James Perloff: China Betrayed Into Communism
William Jasper: "Islamists" Denounce Capitalism, Call for Global Caliphate
William Jasper: Hizb ut-Tahrir: KGB-FSB Connection?
William Jasper: Decades of Suicidal Policies Vis-à-vis Russia and China
Cort Kirkwood: Muslim Face of the EU
Don Devine: Real Iranian Revolt
Gustavo Coronel: The World Upside Down: Honduras
Kathryn Gaines: America is Vulnerable to An Electromagnetic Pulse Attack

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Republican Michigander Endorses Mike Cox

Longtime Michigan conservative blogger Republican Michigander has endorsed Mike Cox for Governor of Michigan.

Mike Cox for governor

His analysis of the Republican field is worth reproducing in full.

---------------------------

Mike Bouchard - Bouchard is a good guy who should be in the US Senate right now. That's the problem, he SHOULD be in the senate, but he was clobbered against Stabenow in 06 and could not win his home county. Not all of that is his fault as he had Jack and Squat for support from NRSC, but he should have at least gotten it within 10%. 58%-42%? Can he get that extra 8%? I don't know. I do think he should instead run against Gary Peters in the 9th district, which would be a better matchup. I'd back Bouchard for that seat. Bouchard for Congress, not governor.

Tom George - State Senator from Kalamazoo. He's a more moderate (not liberal or RINO, actual moderate) candidate who was a state rep and senator in Kalamazoo county. He's won in tough areas, but it not well known statewide.

Pete Hoekstra - Congressman representing the Lake Michigan shoreline. Hoekstra's from Ottawa County, and is one of the better congressman from this state. I do worry however about anyone from Washington winning statewide, and Hoekstra has one vote that has left a real nasty taste in my mouth. The bailout. The banks bailout. Hoekstra voted against the bailout the first time, but when push came to shove on that second vote, he flipped. That one hurts, and I think he will be beaten over the head for that bailout vote.

Tim Rujan. I never heard of him before his announcement. He's up from the thumb in Huron County. He says some good things to the website, and I think can bring some ideas to the debates. Name recognition is his biggest obstacle.

Rick Snyder. There's only one republican running that I am really against, and that's Snyder. The "non-politician" who gives the most political answers in his statements and answers to question. If Snyder is the nominee, 57-40% loss, and Cherry is governor. Mark it down. I'll have another post on this guy soon. Right Michigan has several threads about Snyder. I commended on Snyder here. Gateway has its outsourcing issues as well.

That leaves Mike Cox. I first heard of him in 2001. I was actually skeptical of him at first because he is from Wayne County and worked at the time for Mike Duggan. As someone active in the 2nd Amendment movement, there's nobody that was worse than Duggan. At the time, Cox was running against an establishment backed opponent. Cox went and campaigned in our area several times and I talked with him on several occasions. I then backed him for AG after he promised CPL reciprocity with other states in a clear manner without politicalese statements. Cox won by 5000 votes in an upset. Within a few months, Cox kept his promise. Since then, he's not only continued to kept his promise, but came through with an amicus brief several times in support for the 2nd Amendment. While it is great that he's pro-2nd Amendment, what is MORE importantly is that he made a clear promise, kept it, and even when above and beyond what he promised.

Mike Cox is not afraid to take a stand, no matter what the establishment thinks. When it came to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative banning government sponsored racial preferences, the political class in both parties was against it or silent. Mike Cox supported it. Mike Cox is active in taking a stand against the runaway tax and spending. He was the only candidate to take a no tax pledge. He has consistently been pro-life. He's stood up to the giant bureaucracy, Blue Cross.

Mike Cox is a winner. He won statewide twice, by 5000 votes in 02 against a strong candidate in Gary Peters, and despite the 2006 disaster for Republicans statewide and nationally, he won again, this time, by 330,000+ votes. He only lost Alger, Genesee, Gogebic, Ingham (barely), Iron, Marquette, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties. He won Oakland. Big. He won Macomb. Big. More impressively, he won Kalamazoo, Bay, Saginaw, Alpena, and Muskegon counties. All those lean democrat. Some are blue collar union areas, and Kalamazoo is social liberal and university area. He won both types of areas.

Because of his promises kept, political philosophy on my major issues, and his history of winning statewide elections, I will be voting for Mike Cox in the 2010 primary election.

A Coalition of One

The Gazette reports on fundraising for some local PACs, including Jon Stryker's 'Coalition for Progress'.

Kalamazoo political-action committees buck downward trend in contributions

But a review of major local PACs shows that Jon Stryker's Coalition for Progress and Jones Advocating for Michigan, the leadership PAC of state Rep. Robert Jones, D-Kalamazoo, both registered double-digit increases for the period of Jan. 1 to July 20.

Stryker's organization, the state's 12th largest political-action committee, reported receipts of $200,390, with contributions up nearly 55 percent from 2007.

My first thought upon reading this was, 'That means they got $200,000 from Jon Stryker and $390 from other people.'

According to the Michigan Secretary of State's campaign reporting Web site, $200,000 of the Coalition for Progress' $200,390 was contributed by Jon Stryker, an architect, founder of the Arcus Foundation and an heir of the Stryker Corp.'s founder.

Yup.

That means 99.8% of their receipts came from Stryker. Some coalition.

Previous:
Michigan Coalition for Lying
Politics Blizzard

Who Are They Talking To?

In the face of massive grassroots outrage against the liberals attempt to take control of Americans' health care, leftists are trying to smear opponents of their plans as a small band of extremists, or paid by lobbyists, or paid by Republicans, or something. They have not offered a shred of evidence to support this claim.

Claims that the protests are organized by the Republican party are especially comical to anyone who has been involved in the Republican party organization, who know that the Republican party organization is not capable of organizing a car wash in less than six months.

But the more interesting question is who this argument is being directed at. Who are they talking to?

Certainly not conservatives, who know it's not true. Not liberals, who hardly need any justification to hate conservatives. Moderates? Perhaps, but it's not clear that this would help convince them to support their plans.

No, the real target of this argument is democrat members of Congress. If their constituents are as outraged as the town meetings suggest, voting for a government takeover of health care would mean sure defeat come 2010.

So far, it doesn't appear that the lies are working.

Two Facts on Health Care

Any discussion about health care should begin by acknowledging two basic facts.

First, no matter what health care system we have, we are all going to die. At best, medical treatment can extend life, but only so long.

Second, no matter what health care system we have, there will be procedures to extend life that are possible, but not affordable. If an operation costs a billion dollars, you're not going to get it.

For most of human history, there was no health care. If you got sick, you either got better or you died.

Keep this in mind when you hear sob stories about people who died when they couldn't afford treatment.

The Latest from Lorence

What follows is an actual email from former state Rep. Lorence Wenke.

-------------------

You can pass a test, pass gas, pass the car in front of you, pass the mashed potatoes, make a touchdown pass and pass away. But, if you enjoyed watching this video - all we ask is that you pass it along to a friend.

Thanks and have a wonderful day!

Paid for by Lorence Wenke for State Senate
2525 N 30th St
Kalamazoo MI 49048

Please reply to this email if you wish to be removed from our email list or if you want us to use a different email address.

-----------------------

Why is Nancy Wenke wearing a wedding dress?

POLITICAL UPDATE--Liberalism

This update focuses on liberalism. Liberals continue to sympathize with and excuse communists. Feminism continues to harm both men and women. The Obama administration has promoted radicals such as John Holdren, Harold Koh, and ACORN.

William Jasper: Communist Ties Become Issue in NYC Politics
Phyllis Schlafly: Family Court Injustices to Men
Phyllis Schlafly: The Feminists Demand and Receive
Will Grigg: Too Many (Other) People
Phyllis Schlafly: Why Women Are Unhappy
Thomas Eddlem: How the New York Times Helped Tyrants
William Jasper: Leftists in Tizzy Over Exposure of KGB Ties
Phyllis Schlafly: Harold Koh Is Too Dangerous for America
Phyllis Schlafly: ACORN Should Not Receive Taxpayers' Money
Ion Pacepa: Believers in Hate

Much information on liberal individuals and organizations can be found at David Horowitz's Discover the Network site.

More Technology Isn't Always Better

On Thursday, a 'meltdown' of the Department of Public Safety computers resulted in Western's electronic door locks 'randomly locking and unlocking', according to one WMU employee.

Keys work just fine without computers.

Welfare Test

America should provide aid to those who genuinely need it, but lots of people who don't need it will attempt to get it. How to tell them apart?

Here's my test: Are you capable of spending money on your own?

If you are, then you are capable enough to earn money for yourself. If you aren't able to buy your own food, then you genuinely need assistance.

Local News

Local news around Kalamazoo.

Voters will decide gay issue, Metro Transit tax request

City of Kalamazoo may cut at least 30 positions
Kalamazoo city layoffs, unpaid furloughs possible

Bill would allow Western Michigan University to expand business park to Colony Farm

Brian Johnson, Sean McCann may run for House in 60th District

Alamo Township Supervisor Bob Vlietstra says recall is based on 'big lie'

The Struggle for Sixty

Two candidates have expressed interest in running for the 60th district state house seat being vacated by Robert Jones to run for state senate.

Brian Johnson, Sean McCann may run for House in 60th District
McCann announces candidacy for 60th House seat

Brian Johnson is a Kalamazoo County Commissioner. He began his current stint in office when he was elected in a 2003 special election. The article indicates that he was a legislative staffer for former representatives Mary Brown and Ed LaForge.

Johnson is said to be a bigshot in the local democrat party. He may be able to rack up a lot of endorsements from local party leaders and raise a lot of money. But Johnson is in the odd position of representing only one precinct in the 60th district. The rest of his county commission district is in Kalamazoo and Oshtemo Townships, which are in the 61st district currently represented by Larry DeShazor.

Sean McCann has been elected to five terms on the Kalamazoo City Commission. He has finished as high as third and as low as seventh, with the top seven vote-getters becoming commissioners. McCann is certainly a familiar name to voters in the 60th district, but he has never been overwhelmingly popular, either. McCann has been supported by the local democrat party in at least one past campaign. McCann has announced that he will run for the 60th district in 2010, and he will not run for reelection to the city commission this year.

McCann's claim to fame at Western is having written the constitution of the Western Student Association. That document was widely regarded by WSA leaders as a poorly written document full of strange provisions.

Both Johnson and McCann are plausible candidates, but neither are the strongest possible. Either Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell or Vice-Mayor Hannah McKinney would be favored over them if they chose to run. However, the second article indicates that all the other commissioners have endorsed McCann.

The prospect of an actual contested democrat primary in the 60th is interesting, given that the last three times the seat has been open, it was essentially uncontested.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Health Care

This update focuses on health care. The disastrous plans for a government takeover of health care have stalled in Congress, but the threat remains real.

Phyllis Schlafly: Reading the Fine Print in the Health Care Bill
Thomas DiLorenzo: Socialized Healthcare vs. the Laws of Economics
Ron Paul: The Immorality of Taxpayer Funded Abortion
William Andersen: The Cause of Teddy Kennedy's Life
Ann Coulter: Take Two Asprin and Call Me When Your Cancer is Stage 4
Thomas Sowell: Magician Politics
Thomas Sowell: Medical Care Confusion
Don Devine: Infecting the Republicans
Phyllis Schlafly: Obama's Health Care Plan Can Be Defeated
Michelle Malkin: Obamacare for Illegal Aliens
Michelle Malkin: Inside the Monstrous Obamacare Bureaucracy
Chelsea Schilling: House health care bill 'outlaws private insurance'

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.