Clinton Presses Obama on Efforts For Revotes in Florida and Michigan

Washington Post

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) shifted her schedule to make a last-minute visit here Wednesday, demanding that the state's Democratic Party hold another primary vote or count the results of the earlier disqualified balloting, and she challenged Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to live up to his claim that he cares about making sure people's votes count.

"This is a crucial test: Does he mean what he says or not?" Clinton said.

Her decision to plant the flag in Michigan came amid ongoing wrangling between the Clinton campaign and state parties there and in Florida, another state with a disputed primary. The Michigan legislature has not yet voted on a bill that would establish a state-run primary in early June, replacing the unsanctioned voting that took place in January. Florida and Michigan Democrats were stripped of their convention delegates after scheduling their primaries earlier than national party rules permitted.

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Michigan Under Fire Over Athletes' Academic Integrity

U.S. News

The University of Michigan has come under the harsh glare of its local paper, the Ann Arbor News, whose four-day journalistic bonanza investigates the eyebrow-raising activities of the school's athletic department as they pertain to student-athletes.

According to the News:

1. A large number of student athletes have been steered toward a psychology professor's independent study courses over the years. Since the fall 2004, the professor has taught 294 independent studies and 85 percent of those courses were with athletes. According to some students, the three- to four-credit courses met as little as 15 minutes every two weeks, while others admit the courses were used to boost the GPAs of potentially academically ineligible athletes.

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Detroit council wants mayor out

USATODAY.com

The Detroit City Council voted 7-1 Tuesday to call for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's resignation as Kilpatrick seeks to survive a text-messaging scandal that revealed an affair with a former top aide.

The resolution is non-binding, and Kilpatrick has dismissed it as irrelevant and vowed not to resign.

A last-minute change to the resolution struck language calling for the City Council's independent attorney, Bill Goodman, to "explore the proceedings by which the mayor may be removed from office" if Kilpatrick stands by his promise to stay in office.

The resolution cites 33 reasons for Kilpatrick to quit, including failing to inform the council of a secret deal the mayor made to settle a whistle-blower lawsuit that could have exposed the affair.

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Genesee County residents rushing to parties giving green for gold

MLive.com

There's a gold rush going on around here.

Spurred by skyrocketing gold prices -- which jumped from about $650 an ounce at the end of January 2007 to about $970 this week -- people are raiding the backs of their jewelry boxes and turning their bling into cha-ching.

Direct Gold & Diamond started hosting Gold Rush Parties about six weeks ago. They are kind of like a Tupperware party, except you could walk away with cash for that lone gold earring or herringbone necklace.

Paula Peera, office manager at the jewelry store, said a friend first asked her to host one about six weeks ago and the idea has taken off since.

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One Solution to the Florida-Michigan Dilemma: Split the delegates

MLive.com

In a burst of clear thinking, the national Democratic Party in 2007 permitted just four states -- New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina -- to hold their presidential nominating contests before Feb. 5, 2008.

The argument was straightforward: All four states are small enough that an underdog, underfinanced candidate who is not a household name -- with ideas, energy and appeal -- can break through and connect. In big states, where paid television advertising is the primary means by which candidates communicate with voters, the advantage goes to the candidate with the biggest campaign treasury and greatest name recognition.

Forty-eight of the 50 states abided by the Democrats' "Four State Rule" and did not schedule their primaries and caucuses until Feb. 5 or later. Florida and Michigan Democrats, with the express objective of having greater influence upon the selection of a presidential nominee, voted to thumb their noses at party rules and hold their primaries in January.

As punishment, the national party disqualified the convention delegates from both states. All the major Democratic presidential candidates publicly agreed to abide by the party's "Four State Rule" and not to campaign in the unauthorized primaries.

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Detroit mayor sees support diminishing

The Washington Times

The walls continue to crumble for embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is under increasing pressure to resign over his role in a police whistleblower settlement scandal that many say is paralyzing the already struggling city.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, a Republican, was the latest high-profile critic to call for Mr. Kilpatrick's resignation, telling a Detroit radio station today that the mayor, a Democrat, is a liar who lost the public trust in using the race card at a Tuesday night State of the City speech.

"It was race-baiting on par with David Duke and George Wallace — all to save his political career," Mr. Cox said in an interview on talk-radio station WJR–AM.

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Stripper claimed Detroit mayor's wife attacked her, former clerk says

Detroit News

A retired Detroit Police Department clerk said an exotic dancer whose murder remains unsolved filed a police report in 2002, wanting to press charges against Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's wife after she allegedly beat the stripper during a party at the Manoogian Mansion.

The claim, made Monday in a federal court filing, alleges that Tamara Greene was sent to the hospital after Carlita Kilpatrick walked in, saw Greene touching the mayor and then beat Greene "with a wooden object."

Joyce Rogers, 65, of Troy, signed an affidavit saying she saw the police report in 2002. The startling accusations, if true, could put a dent in claims that the party and the beating never took place. On April 30, 2003, Greene was murdered and her family has said top city officials interfered with the murder investigation for political reasons.

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Madonna, Mellencamp leads class into rock hall of fame

Baltimoresun.com

Madonna, pop music's quick-change artist, joins the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday with a class that includes heartland hitmaker John Mellencamp, literate songwriter Leonard Cohen and Philly soul legends Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

British rockers the Dave Clark Five, surf rockers The Ventures and blues harmonica ace Little Walter were also being inducted.

The annual ceremony, at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, was scheduled to be televised live on VH1 Classic.

Michigan native Madonna Louise Ciccone transplanted to New York and became not only the queen of pop music during the 1980s and 1990s, but a cultural icon. "Like a Virgin," ''Papa Don't Preach," ''Cherish," ''Like a Prayer, "Vogue" and "Ray of Light" are among her many hits.

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Red Wings could play in last game at Yankee Stadium

Detroit Free Press

The Red Wings could play an outdoor game against the N.Y. Rangers as the final event ever at Yankee Stadium next season, according to a report in Monday’s New York Daily News.

Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios and forward Kris Draper said after Monday’s practice at Joe Louis Arena that they had rumors about an outdoor game being played at Yankee Stadium.

“I heard it’s a done deal already,” Chelios said. “I heard Detroit’s playing that game. The last event actually in Yankee Stadium."

Chelios said it would be “awesome.”

“Not just because of the history of Yankee Stadium, but to be able to be a part of the last event ever to be played is going to be something special,” he said.

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