LSJ Blogs: Capitol Journal by Scott Davis

Republican bungling on display in fake candidacy bid

OK, first things first. Dirty tricks happen on both sides of the aisle, and they’ve been an unpleasant part of American politics since a Thomas Jefferson-operative accused President John Adams of being a “hideous hermaphroditical character.”

But you’d think after 230 years, an American political party would at least learn how to cover their tracks a little better when engineering a fake candidacy.

Keystone Cop-level bungling was on full display this week over state Rep. Roy Schmidt’s filing  – just 10 minutes before Tuesday’s filing deadline – in which he indicated he was running for re-election as a Republican, not a Democrat.

Since this caught Michigan Democrats completely by surprise, Dems had no candidate to run against Schmidt. But that was the point. State Republicans, primarily House Speaker Jase Bolger, had been recruiting Schmidt to run as a Republican for weeks, and if Schmidt switched parties at the very last minute, Republicans would all but eliminate viable competition.

So far, so good. These are the rules both parties play by. All is fair in love and war, and blah, blah, blah.

The embarrassing problem that emerged for Republicans was Matt Mojzak, a mystery candidate who had his paperwork filed to run as a Democrat for the 76th House District, as reported by Gongwer News. He is believed to be a friend of Schmidt's nephew recruited to make a viable Democratic candidacy more difficult.

More embarrassing for Republicans is that the same man that filed Schmidt’s candidacy papers Tuesday also filed Mojzak’s papers. Schmidt’s papers, incidentally, had been in Bolger’s possession before they were filed, according to Gongwer.

Now c’mon Republicans, that’s just plain sloppy. You have to cover your tracks better than that.

In that fallout that ensued, Mojzak has withdrawn his candidacy, but Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer has called on the state attorney’s office to investigate whether Mojzak committed perjury in misstating his address on his filing papers, Gongwer reported.

Through his spokesman, Ari Adler, Bolger denies ever meeting Mojzak, and state Republicans say they believe the matter is now closed since Mojzak has withdrawn his candidacy. Democrats now are trying to mount a viable write-in candidacy to Schmidt.

I suppose Republicans should chalk this up as a learning moment in the art of political subterfuge.

Yoopers forming a 51st state? Why not?

The U.P. apparently is getting P.O.ed.

Because of rising frustrating over state revenue sharing cuts and proposed tax changes that drain local government coffers, there is now talk of reviving a decades-old proposal for the Upper Peninsula to secede from Michigan and become the 51^st state.

It’s unclear whether the idea is being revived in good fun, but Marquette County Commissioner Michael Quayle said at least one county resident recently told him the idea should be explored, according to the Mining Journal in Marquette.

The idea was last explored in Michigan in the mid-1970s, but it didn’t go anywhere.

Then as now, what is fueling the sentiment is the idea the upper regions are constantly slighted by state leaders in Lansing, and that a disproportionate share of state revenue is funneled to the Detroit area.

Some Yoopers figure they can do better on their own.

Almost certainly, the idea will go nowhere. But it does give those in the northern regions a chance to shake their pitchforks at the rest of us.

Harley riders, ditch those helmets. And pray!

Freedom, once again, has triumphed in Michigan.

Under a bill signed  into law Thursday, motorcycle riders soon will have freedom to ditch their helmets, gun their Harleys down the highway like Peter Fonda in “Easy Rider,” and splatter their brains across the asphalt if their bike hits loose gravel.

For years, Michigan lawmakers have been clamoring to repeal mandatory helmet laws for motorcycle riders, but former Gov. Jennifer Granholm twice vetoed repeal bills.

Gov. Rick Snyder has been reluctant to support a helmet law repeal, saying that the medical costs from motorcycle injuries place an undue burden on other insured drivers. However, he finally signed on after a provision was added requiring motorcycle riders to carry extra insurance.

However, this ignores the obvious: A helmet requirement is not an example of a paternalistic government gone haywire. It’s a sensible, bare-minimum safety measure that saves lives – no different than seat belt requirements in cars or stop lights that function properly.

Yes, we all believe in freedom. But if motorcycle riders want to use a public resource – the roads – it’s only fair to ask them to abide by a few, sane rules.

And as for the argument the repeal will bring jobs by luring more vacationing, unhelmeted riders to our fair state, one hopes they will be the right kind of jobs. That is, tourism jobs, and not the need for more emergency surgeons following bike mishaps.

Ingham County judge puts hammer down on Republican House tactics

Was it a case where an Ingham County judge tried to quash Republicans shenanigans over at the state Capitol?

Or was it a situation where an activist judge, once again, overreached his authority and meddled in political matters in which he had no business?

It likely depends on which side you butter your political bread.

Ingham County Judge Clinton Canady III found himself in the crosshairs Monday after issuing a temporary restraining order that hinders the ability of House Republicans to not accepting Democratic written motions for roll call votes for immediate effect on bills, Gongwer News reported.

Democrats wanted roll call votes on at least three bills, including one that barred university graduate student research assistants from forming unions, partly as a means to hold individual Republican accountable for their votes. Republicans contended they could summarily dismiss these motions for roll call votes under existing House rules. However, the Constitution requires either chamber to record a roll call vote if more than one-fifth of the members, 22 in the House, request it.

Democrats took the matter to court, and Canady sided with the Dems on the issue.

Republicans, who plan to appeal, were not happy.

"Today's ruling is an unfortunate overreach by the circuit court to interject itself into the operations of the Michigan House of Representatives and attempt to circumvent the constitutional authority of the state Legislature by overturning the actions of a co-equal branch of government that was acting constitutionally," the caucus said in a statement. "House Democrats have clearly shown they are interested in fighting only for the wishes of union bosses, but House Republicans will continue with a strong reform agenda. Immediate effect was not an issue for House Democrats until we attempted to change the status quo on behalf of Michigan's hardworking taxpayers who were tired of excuses and deficit spending schemes."

For now, Dems are enjoying their victory.

"I appreciate the diligence of the court in making a timely ruling granting our request for a preliminary injunction," House Minority Leader Richard Hammel, said in a statement. "I look forward to a final decision affirming our claims protecting the Michigan Constitution and protecting against - as the judge said - irreparable harm to the public.”

Tea party activist issues threat to caucus to unseat Richardville

Tea Party politics is Michigan is suddenly taking a much nastier tone.

Gongwer News is reporting that Senate Republicans may ask police to investigate an apparent threat from conservative activists toward the chamber’s Republican caucus in an effort to remove Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville from his post.

On Tuesday, an email from tea party activist Randy Bishop was sent to all 26 members of the Senate Republican caucus. It included unsubstantiated claims by Al Bain, a Monroe GOP activist, that Richardville committed adultery.

The email states a Monroe County Republican "is preparing a personal letter she intends to mail to the wives of all 25 Republican Senators, unless RR steps down as Senate Majority Leader immediately!!!”

"We are looking into the possibility that what they did was illegal. It certainly was inappropriate at best. I would just characterize it as disgusting," Amber McCann, Richardville's spokesperson, told Gongwer. "Whatever the intent of the communication was, the result is that the senators have rallied behind their leader. ... Whatever the sender's motivation is, it's had the opposite effect on the caucus."

The situation became public after  Bishop discussed allegations involving Richardville on a Charlevoix talk radio program. Tea party activists are upset with Richardville because of his reluctance to push right-to-work legislation in the Senate.

In the land of the free, the Pledge should be a choice

 There are many wonderful things about this country that set it apart from Communist China or Stalinist Russia.

This country’s ritualistic reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance is not one of those things.

As a boy, when I was required to recite the pledge every school day through the sixth grade, I understood, even at that young age, that I was being subjected to a form of brainwashing. I clasped my hand over my heart, I said the words, I probably even meant them, but I realized there was something idiotic about pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth (i.e. the flag.)

When I entered the seventh grade and no longer was forced to say the pledge, I felt a sense of relief.

So naturally, I’m disheartened by a new push by Senate Republicans to force all public school students in Michigan in grades K-12 to recite the pledge every school day, unless their parents object. I know that Republicans (and most Democrats) love their Pledge of Allegiance,  and I don’t fault them for that. There’s nothing wrong with patriotism. Pledging allegiance to one’s country can be a very powerful, meaningful act, if it is done voluntarily.

A mandatory, daily reciting of a pledge, of course, is not voluntary.  It’s anti-democratic, anti-individualistic, and as I suggested earlier, similar to the brainwashing and indoctrination of the young in Communist countries.

People in this country worship the pledge, despite knowing nothing of its origins. Republicans might be surprised to learn that it was written by a socialist, Francis Bellamy, and it was not composed until 1892. The most beloved part of the pledge -- “under God” -- was added much later in 1954, when the nation’s leaders wanted to claim God was on Uncle Sam’s side during the Cold War.

Proponents no doubt will say the pledge is not mandatory because parents can always opt out. But we all know how children respond to those who are different. With bullying and teen-age suicide on the rise, do we want to give students one more reason to persecute and humiliate their “non-pledging” peers?

What would our founding fathers say about a pledge? The fact is, the country got along fine for more than a century without one.

Is the contest sliding in Romney's favor?

The latest polling, released at 6 p.m. Wednesday, showed a neck-to-neck race between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in Tuesday’s Michigan presidential primary.

But those results were released two hours before Wednesday’s Republican debate, which could very well tip things in Romney’s favor.

By many accounts, Romney performed better than Santorum, who fielded many attacks from both Romney and Ron Paul. At many times, Santorum seemed flustered, especially when the former senator defended his early support (now reversed) for No Child Left Behind and defending the Congressional practice of earmarking as a “transparent” way to fund projects.

In what could be considered a weakness for Romney in his native state – his opposition to the GM bailout – Romney seemed to hold his own. That’s mostly because his chief opponent, Santorum, also opposed the bailout.

Instead, the two candidates bickered back and forth, claiming the other was inconsistent for supporting earlier bailouts.

In a primary debate season in which Romney has committed some hilarious gaffes, he came out Wednesday as disciplined, aggressive and on message. Romney even appropriated some of Santorum’s social conservative focus during the debate by talking about his efforts to protect embryos and fetuses during his stint as Massachusetts governor.

Add this all up, and it seems Santorum’s chances on Tuesday are weakening.

House Republicans target epidemic of 'coerced' abortions

Yep, it’s an election year.

To address what apparently is an epidemic of Michigan women being coerced to have abortions, a state House committee today has reported out a bill that would make such coercion a crime, Gongwer reported. Among other things, it would make stalking or assault a woman to convince her to have an abortion a crime.

Stalking and assault, of course, already are crimes.

This, of course, is an attempt by Republicans to play into the far-right paranoia that abortion providers, or doctors or counselors that discuss abortion as an option, are part of a baby-killer industry that preys upon unsuspecting naïve, pregnant women. It’s all part of an escalating attempt to demonize abortion providers; in recent months, Planned Parenthood has been vilified, even though only 3 percent of its resources are used toward abortions.

One might think that the Michigan legislation is so off-the-wall that it couldn’t possibly do any harm, even if it is passed. But, in my view, it could have a chilling effect on the kind of advice or counseling a medical professional might provide.

And it could create some legal problems for boyfriends or spouses of women who are considering an abortion. Let’s say a boyfriend raises his voice as he pleads with his girlfriend to proceed with an abortion. Is he coercing her? Or is he just having an emotional discussion (about a very emotional issue)?

Possibly, under this law, that boyfriend could wind up behind bars for voicing an opinion.

The House may take up the bill in coming weeks.

Michigan primary: Is Romney now sweating?

Is the conventional wisdom surrounding Mitt Romney’s bid to win the Republican nomination for president spinning into a ditch along a Michigan snow-slickened highway?

New polling shows that challenger Rick Santorum, who recently turned many heads by surprisingly winning a handful of Midwestern primaries, is leading Romney in his native state.

Weeks ago, such polling would have been unthinkable. Most political insiders in Michigan seemed to agree that Romney, son of a former Michigan governor, would win the state’s Feb. 28 primary without working up a much of a sweat.

Possibly, Romney is sweating now.

As expected, Romney’s campaign staff is downplaying the numbers, saying Santorum, a former Pennsylvania U.S. senator, remains relatively unknown, and that support will peel away once voters become familiar with his positions.

More likely, that support will peel away once the super-Pacs supporting Romney’s bid slide into full gear, flooding Michigan airwaves with TV and radio ads.

At any rate, it makes Michigan’s Republican primary a much more interesting race.

Granholm, TV star: A new voice for liberalism?

Those who pine for the days of Jennifer Granholm can now catch her week nights on her new political talk show program, The War Room, on Current TV.

The former Democratic governor launched her new show Monday – the first time she has really seen the limelight since she left office Dec. 31, 2010.

Time will tell how Granholm fares with the new program, but her first night included some interesting guests, including Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat running against Tea Party favorite U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in Massachusetts, a former top campaign official for Newt Gingrich and Robert Gibbs, President Obama’s former spokesman.

In recent months, Granholm has said the program will have a liberal slant while it analyzes political news (what else would one expect on Current TV), but the real question is: Just how far left will the show go?

There are already leftwing TV news personalities seen by some as too mean-spirited or shrill. Commentators like Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz.

I’m confident that Granholm, typically a voice of moderation, will never drift quite that far left, and my hope is that she’ll provide a strong, credible voice for liberalism in the circus of the modern, hyper-partisan TV news cycle.