Issues swirling around the Michigan primary

mlive.com:

"The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 Wednesday that the Jan. 15 presidential primary could go forward. A look at some of the issues swirling around the primary:

The Michigan Republican and Democratic parties say holding a primary will encourage millions of voters to go to the polls, increasing voter participation far above what it would be if the parties picked their political favorites through caucuses or party conventions.

Supporters of the Jan. 15 primary such as Michigan Democrats Debbie Dingell and U.S. Sen. Carl Levin say the presidential candidates will have to pay far more attention to Michigan issues since the state will hold its election just after Iowa, Wyoming and New Hampshire. Backers say that could help the state's troubled economy as candidates spend money on rallies and advertising."

Harbaugh: No interest in Michigan job

San Jose Mercury News:

"Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh commended Lloyd Carr's tenure as Michigan's coach but said he has no interest in returning to his alma mater as Carr's successor.

'The Michigan people will do a great job in selecting someone that will carry on that tradition,' Harbaugh said Tuesday. 'But it's not going to be me. I am happy where I am. I could not be happier with the job that I have.'

Harbaugh was a star quarterback for Michigan in the mid-1980s, leading the Wolverines to 21 victories in his final two seasons and making good on his promise to beat Ohio State."

Michigan Democrats say they'll stick with primary — for now

mlive.com:

"Michigan Democrats said Wednesday they're sticking with the Jan. 15 presidential primary — for now.

But Democrats are holding onto the option of switching to a caucus if the primary isn't held, or even if it is.

It's unclear at this point what will happen. A circuit court last week ruled the law setting up the primary is unconstitutional, and the Michigan Court of Appeals has agreed to hear oral arguments in the case Thursday. State officials have asked that the ruling be overturned and that the court hand down a decision quickly."

Michigan's jobless rate hit 7.7 percent in October

mlive.com:

"Michigan's unemployment rate increased to 7.7 percent in October, the highest rate since late 1992. Michigan has had the nation's highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for several months. The state's September jobless rate was 7.5 percent. The rate in October 2006 was 7.1 percent."

Dow Cleans Up Saginaw River

Bloomberg.com: U.S.:

"Dow Chemical Co., the largest U.S. chemical maker, and U.S. environmental officials have begun emergency removal of a previously unknown ``dioxin hot spot'' on the Saginaw River in Michigan.

The hot spot, found by the company a half-mile (o.8 kilometer) below the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers, has a level of dioxin 50 times higher than the highest amount previously discovered on the Saginaw, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement. It is also 15 times higher than any dioxin levels found at hot spots in the Tittabawassee River, the EPA said.

The emergency removal of the hot spot qualifies for a ``Superfund'' order, the EPA said. Such an order quickly allows the dredging of the hot spot before winter arrives, Dow Chemical spokesman John Musser said in an interview."

Michigan: Teenagers Charged in Dismemberment

New York Times:

"Two teenagers stabbed an adult acquaintance, took a blowtorch to his corpse and threw his severed head into a river, prosecutors said. The teenagers, Jean Pierre Orlewicz, 17, and Alexander James Letkemann, 18, ambushed 26-year-old Daniel Sorenson last Wednesday in a garage owned by Mr. Orlewicz’s grandfather, said Kym Worthy, the Wayne County prosecutor. "

Senate plan would hurt Michigan rivers, critics say

mlive.com:

"A plan before the state Senate would let farms, factories and others pull enough water from some rivers and streams to reduce their flow rates significantly, environmentalists said Tuesday.

The legislation's chief sponsor said its critics were exaggerating.

The plan is contained in a package of bills that would give Michigan's approval to a regional compact to prevent Great Lakes water from being sent to water-poor regions. All eight states adjoining the lakes must ratify the compact for it to take effect."

Google Ranks To Grow

Freep.com:

"Google Inc. continues to build its presence in Michigan. The world's leading Internet search engine is growing its workforce at a major office for its AdWords division that was established in downtown Ann Arbor a little more than a year ago.

The office employs about 100 workers, the majority of whom help Google's advertisers. Within the next few years, the company expects to hire at least 900 people.

Led by University of Michigan graduate Grady Burnett, the office may be the only place in Michigan that feels a bit like Silicon Valley. Ann Arbor Googlers enjoy free food and snacks, massage chairs and a game room -- just like their colleagues at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif."

Michigan Legislature's top Republican could become recall target

mlive.com:

"Add Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop of Rochester to the list of possible recall targets. The chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party says he soon will file paperwork to start a recall attempt against Bishop, the Legislature's top Republican. The Legislature's top Democrat is House Speaker Andy Dillon. He already faces a recall threat."

Charlie LeDuff on life as a stay-at-home dad

My cousin, Charlie LeDuff, wrote this article for Mens Vogue. To all those Stay-at-Home Dads out there, check this out.

mensvogue.com:

"Before my daughter was born, men my age were happy to lather on the unsolicited advice about what being a dad would be like. I would eventually come to find that it wasn't really advice at all, but rather a sort of superficial observation, masculine margarine about what it feels like to be the Fatherly Influence. I would come to realize how little these freelance counselors knew about their own children.

'For the first seven months, they're pretty much just digestive tracts,' said one friend, whom I shall call Mr. Half-at-Home.

'It's the most meaningful thing that will ever happen to you,' said Mr. Oprah's Book Club.

'To tell you the truth, I can't wait to go to work in the morning,' said Mr. End of His Rope."

Muggs bounced from band search

Detroit News:

"The Detroit-based blues band the Muggs had a great run on Fox's 'The Next Great American Band.' Their luck ran out on Friday's episode, however, when it was revealed the band didn't rack up enough votes to continue on the show. Both the Muggs and all-girl band Rocket were eliminated.

The Muggs were chosen by producers as one of 61 bands to audition for the show. Celebrity judges Johnny Rzeznik, Sheila E. and Australian Ian Dickson were floored by the trio's audition, gave them a flawless review and invited them to be one of 12 bands to be part of the show.

The band survived the first round when they had to play an original and a Bob Dylan cover. Judge Dickson gave singer Danny Methric a hard time about his voice, saying he's not a very good singer. Methric's response: 'I could've told you that.'"

Primary Calendar Drama Continues in Michigan

Real Clear Politics:

"Michigan's drive to hold one of the earliest presidential primary contests in the nation suffered a substantial -- but perhaps not fatal -- blow yesterday when Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette ruled that a law moving the primary date to January 15 violated the state constitution.

At issue are the voting lists created by the state-funded primary. The newly passed law stipulates the two major parties will get exclusive access to the list of voter names, but because the state bears the costs of putting on the primary -- estimated to be $12 million -- Judge Collette said this de facto transfer of public property to private interests was unconstitutional.

What now? Proponents downplayed the ruling as a 'hiccup' that could be remedied by a quick trip back to the state legislature to strike the offending provision. Others are not sure that the legislature, which spent months in intense negotiations crafting the original bill, can act in time to meet a critical and fast approaching deadline. No later than November 14, the two parties must declare to the Michigan Secretary of State whether they intend to use a statewide primary to select their presidential delegates."

Pop Quiz: How Well Do You Know Michigan?

The Center for Michigan:

"If a candidate for governor or state legislature came knocking at your door, what would you have to say? What tough question would you ask? What answers might sway your vote?

Among the things we do at the Center for Michigan is strive to educate voters, to distribute facts and figures about where Michigan stands so that we citizens have a more informed playbook when we go to the polls.

So, what do you know about your state? Here’s a quick Michigan pop quiz divided into three subjects:"

Michigan Senate votes to kill new sales tax

MLive.com:

"As expected, the Michigan Senate voted 23-15 on Wednesday to repeal a tax on more business services set to take effect Dec. 1. Republicans who control the Senate supported the bill as a step forward while Democrats said they could not back it unless the lost tax revenue is replaced, because the money is part of a deal to balance state government's budget. The 6 percent sales tax on more services such as consulting and landscaping appears likely to die before it ever takes effect, although Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm says an alternative must be found to replace the $614 million it would bring in this fiscal year to support schools and other services."

Michigan Primary Temporarily Derailed

The Associated Press:

"The law which pushed Michigan's presidential primary up to Jan. 15 was ruled unconstitutional by a court Wednesday, at least temporarily jeopardizing the state's plan to leap to the front of the 2008 nomination contests. Ingham County Circuit Court Judge William Collette ruled that part of the law passed by the state Legislature setting up the primary election is unconstitutional because it prevents public access to some information related to voting records in the primary. The ruling could be appealed. The Legislature also could go back and change the law in time for the primary to be held."

The Colors of Fall...

From my buddy in Alaska ...

Buford T. Porcupine's Wild and Wacky Adventures:

"Up in the early morning's as usual, pre-dawn for many of the sunrises, I finally, with some patience and persistence, was able to get in close to the spruce grouse. In my travels around the area, I've seen this bird along the back roads, always having the worst kind of luck coming upon them as they suddenly flew up into the nearest evergreen or running for cover. With a little luck being patient, I found more than enough opportunites to creep up on this bird throughout this fall season. In my last encounter with the spruce grouse, not only did I get in close enough to grab all the photos I felt I needed, I pursued this game bird into the woods."

Michigan asks for photo ID for first time on Election Day

mlive.com:

"Despite complaints from the NAACP, state officials are reporting that Michigan's first effort at requiring photo identification to vote was 'smooth and orderly.'

Detroit NAACP chapter general counsel Melvin 'Butch' Hollowell said early Tuesday afternoon that the organization had received 'complaints from all over the city.'

'Voters are angry and confused about the voter ID process,' said Hollowell, adding that NAACP monitors observed problems at some polling places."

Stabbed her husband with a fork at a restaurant

A headline from my hometown....

Kansas City.com :

"A woman accused of stabbing her husband with a fork during a fight at a restaurant has pleaded no contest to reduced charges of being drunk and disorderly. Canton Township police and the Wayne County prosecutor’s office had pressed a felonious assault case against Kelly Campbell-Baumgartner, despite her husband’s objections. But a county judge dismissed the felony charge, and Campbell-Baumgartner entered the plea Monday in exchange for the dismissal of a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. The judge ordered her to pay $350 in fines."

Judge approves deal on Indian hunting, fishing rights in Michigan

mlive.com:

"Five American Indian tribes in northern Michigan will try to develop similar hunting and fishing regulations following a federal judge's approval of a deal acknowledging their rights under an 1836 treaty.

U.S. District Judge Richard Enslen of Kalamazoo signed a consent decree between the state of Michigan and the tribes on Monday. It was the final step in a 4-year-old lawsuit rooted in decades of debate over the meaning of tribal rights in modern times.

The document says tribal members can hunt, fish and gather plants for subsistence and medicinal purposes on public lands and waters covered by the treaty. They will need owners' permission to use private property."

Children who stay up late at risk of obesity: study

National Post:

"Children who stay up past their bedtimes may not just be frustrating their parents -- their health may also be in jeopardy, according to new research.

A new U.S. study of nine-to 12-year-olds suggests that children who do not get enough sleep are also at an increased risk of being overweight. Pediatric researchers at the University of Michigan also found children's sleep patterns in the third grade could help predict their subsequent weight.

Those who generally got less than nine hours of sleep were more likely to be overweight in Grade 6, regardless of their weight in Grade 3 and other factors such as race, gender, and class."

Romney tailgates at Michigan-Michigan St. game

mlive.com:

"Presidential politics has entered the Michigan-Michigan State football rivalry. Republican Mitt Romney visited tailgate parties before the Spartans and Wolverines played Saturday in Spartan Stadium. But Romney would not pick sides in the heated rivalry. He said he was bipartisan when asked which team he supported."

Edwards National Campaign Manager Prefers Iowa over Home State of Michigan

Iowa Independent:

"Recently, my home state of Michigan violated Democratic National Committee rules by scheduling its primary before February 5. In response, John Edwards removed his name from the Michigan ballot, as did three other Democratic candidates. Senators Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Senator Mike Gravel stayed on. John Edwards' decision has generated a lot of controversy, especially in Michigan - a state that I had the honor of representing in Congress for 26 years. But John's decision was the right one. "

Gardner on N.H. primary date: "It's all Michigan"

mlive.com:

"Secretary of State William Gardner said Friday that his announcement of a New Hampshire primary date depends on the maneuverings of Michigan, which he believes still may move its Jan. 15 vote. 'It's all Michigan,' Gardner said on Friday evening, at the close of New Hampshire's three-week filing period — the eighth of his tenure — for candidates to get on the primary ballot. He previously said Friday would be the earliest a date could be announced. Gardner has indicated the primary will happen no later than Jan. 8, based on the Jan. 15 date for Michigan's primary."