George McGovern receiving hospice care
The Huffington Post reports:"He's coming to the end of his life," his daughter, Ann McGovern, told The Associated Press. She declined to elaborate but noted that her 90-year-old father has suffered...
View ArticleBrothers and Sisters: Quarter-Century Edition
This is going to be short and sweet.Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses...
View ArticleBrothers and Sisters: Remember
Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious language, but may...
View ArticleDemocrats Favored to Retain Senate in 2014
2012 was supposed to be the year the Republicans regained the Senate. Just a year ago, with the retirements of Democratic Senators in Hawaii, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia, and...
View ArticleBrothers and Sisters: Peace and Blessings for 2013
Happy New Year!Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious...
View ArticleMI-Sen: Peters making first moves toward succeeding Levin
Less than 24 hours after Sen. Carl Levin announced his retirement, a couple of tell-tale signs have emerged that Rep. Gary Peters will run to succeed Levin next year.Earlier today, Peters met with the...
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The Grieving Room: Nine Years Later
Welcome, fellow travelers on the grief journey and a special welcome to anyone new to The Grieving Room. We meet every Monday evening. Whether your loss is recent, or many years ago; whether you've...
View ArticleBrothers and Sisters: Strive
Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious language, but may...
View ArticleMichigan filing deadline presents (relatively) few surprises
Here's the unofficial list of Democratic and Republican candidates who filed to run for Governor, US Senate and House, state legislature, and judgeships before Michigan's 2014 filing deadline today....
View ArticleGrand Rapids to Koch Brothers: Oh No You Don't!
Thinking they could send an anti-tax message ahead of this year's midterm election, the Koch Brothers' Americans for Prosperity shoveled nearly $6,000 into Grand Rapids and tried to deceive people into...
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Michigan Victories Prove LGBT Democrats Can Win Everywhere
There's a fear in some Michigan Democratic circles that LGBT candidates can't win swing seats.There are many possible reasons for this. Some of it may be attributed to the fact that, until recently,...
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10 reasons Mitt Romney isn't running
His poll numbers weren’t the right height.Not sure he can get binders full of votes.47% of corporations are dependent on the government for corporate subsidies. He’s not going to get their votes.Jeb...
View ArticleMichigan, Ohio Democratic Parties file joint SCOTUS brief for marriage equality
The Democratic Parties in both the Wolverine and Buckeye States have come together to file a joint amicus curiae brief in the Supreme Court on the marriage equality case.“Elected officials from across...
View ArticleWYFP? Stereotypes and assumptions
Mom once said that to assume is to make an ass of u and me.WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures,...
View ArticleDemonizing the Poor
One of the many consequences of having so many states controlled by Republicans is that there has been a flurry of bills demonizing the poor. One of the most common ways of doing so is by dictating...
View ArticleWYFP? Tempus fugit way too fast edition
You have thirty seconds - or, one hour - to read the description of WYFP.WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice,...
View ArticleWYFP: Hodgepodge Edition
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think...
View ArticleWherein This Ex-College Democrats Leader Calls for Change
In 2008 I had the privilege of serving as Deputy National Communications Director for the College Democrats of America. As the official branch of the Democratic Party on college campuses, CDA has...
View ArticleWYFP: Sick of Everyone Getting Sick Edition
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think...
View ArticleExpelled GOP lawmaker wants her job back. Editorial boards' response? Priceless.
By now you know about the infamous Michigan sex scandal that caused the resignation of Rep. Todd Courser and the expulsion of Rep. Cindy Gamrat. (They were forced out not for the affair per se, but...
View ArticleRubio aide punches Paul aide at Michigan Republican conference
This has not been a banner week for the Republican Party, especially here in Michigan.A few weeks after two Tea Party darlings were revealed to have had an affair, both were forced out of office late...
View ArticleWYFP? Give Me A Brake Pad Edition
I am the proud owner of a 1997 Buick LeSabre. It’s a great car, and it has gone over 135,000 miles over its lifespan. But it’s starting to show its age.Last year I had to take it in because it died...
View ArticleWhy I'm Running to Join the DNC
In a couple months, a new Democratic National Committee Chair will be elected. But before that — on December 3 — the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee will elect seven people to represent the...
View ArticleWYFP? (Besides the Obvious)
So, uh….Yeah….Uh….….that happened.The election results are everybody’s biggest effing problem — but what are some of the other FPs you are dealing with?Here are a few of mine:1. I need a new car (a new...
View ArticleEllison supporter elected to DNC from Michigan
The Michigan Democratic State Central Committee today elected six Democrats to represent the Great Lakes State on the Democratic National Committee — and at least one of them has publicly pledged to...
View ArticleJudge: Michigan recount must start at noon
Breaking:A federal judge early Monday morning ordered a recount of Michigan's presidential ballots to begin at noon on Monday, and for the state to "assemble necessary staff to work sufficient hours"...
View ArticleWYFP: "Be Ready" edition
Like that commercial says, “Life comes at you fast.”For us Catholics, advent is a time of preparedness. Even some of the Bible readings at Mass center around being prepared for the second coming....
View ArticleJason Sokol calls out the misappropriation of Dr. King's legacy
While we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. today, The New York Times’s Jason Sokol cautions us to view that legacy in terms of what King really did and stood for — and not the...
View ArticleGrand Rapids superintendent agreed to all-expenses-paid trip to back Betsy DeVos
Very disappointing news from Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos’s back yard.Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal recently broke from the education crowd when she...
View ArticleWYFP: Trump-Free Open Thread
Well, I don’t have as many FPs to complain about as I thought I’d have.I mean, besides the fact that it’s cold. But it’s February in Michigan.Oh, and I got a flat tire yesterday.Oh, and… everything...
View ArticleKerry Eleveld's father has passed. And what a life he lived, right up to the...
Most of us have our obituaries published — and our life celebrated — only after we pass away.Bob Eleveld wasn’t most of us.Upon learning that his time was coming to a close due to cancer, Eleveld —...
View ArticleAngry about Gorsuch on SCOTUS? Want to fight back? Here's your chance!
Angry about Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation?Looking for a way to fight back?While the U.S. Supreme Court is important, so are other courts, such as the Michigan Supreme Court. 2018 gives us the chance to...
View ArticleWYFP: Bring Back Meritocracy Edition
I was going to start this off by saying that we are not a meritocracy. But that is so obvious to pretty much everybody in Kosland.Amidst everything else that makes this administration an utter disaster...
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WYFP: Who You Represent Edition (with a nod to Richie Righteous)
This used to make me proud.Good representation is important.Bad representation is a source of shame.Amidst the horror of everything else that this administration has done and been, one of the things...
View ArticleThe DeVoses backed my mayor. Now I'm running.
This happened a few years ago in my hometown:Stephen Kepley got a flood of cash from the DeVos family and other Republican donors late in his campaign to become Kentwood mayor. The surge in fundraising...
View ArticleAP can't help but weave a jab at Hillary Clinton into their 9/11 remembrance...
The AP reported this morning on some of today’s observances marking the 16th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The piece included remembrances from victims’ relatives, future plans for Ground...
View ArticleWe the people? Or they the billionaires?
On this day 230 years ago, our Constitution was signed after months of debate in Philadelphia. As then-Senator Barack Obama said in 2008, "The document they produced was eventually signed, but...
View ArticleWYFP? Dirty 30 Edition
Today’s my 30th birthday!Of course, it’s in the midst of my mayoral campaign, so I haven’t really stopped to reflect on the last three decades and my hope for the next year and decade. I promise that...
View ArticleWYFP: 11,000 Days Old Edition
October 21, 1987. The stock market was recovering from its crash two days earlier. Robert Bork was two days from being, well, Borked. And a woman at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC, gave birth to...
View ArticleWYFP: Driving Me Crazy Edition
As of Thursday, I’m no longer driving my FP.In last week’s WYFP, I ranted about the many problems that I had with my 22-year-old, 159,200-mile car:The windshield is cracked.The right window won't roll...
View ArticleAngry about the Janus v. AFSCME decision? Want to fight back? Here's how:
Today’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME is obviously disappointing to us progressives.So how will we respond? Will we wallow in defeatism or self-pity? Or will we fight back?I’m fighting back — and I hope...
View ArticleMe vs. right-wing groups - in the *Democratic primary*
You know as well as I do that our freedoms are in jeopardy. Many wealthy people and groups are trying every day to undermine our rights. But there are also people and groups who are working to protect...
View ArticleWYFP: Last-Minute Hiring Freeze Edition
I was THIS close to being offered a job through the November election.Two different people within the organization said that they were planning to make me an offer (one said that to me; the other said...
View ArticleGreat news: All Michigan voters to get absentee ballot applications!
To quote a certain former VP, this is a big [freaking] deal!Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday all of Michigan's 7.7 million registered voters will be mailed absentee ballot applications so...
View Article"Someone who is the demographics of my district": Rising Dem star's opponent...
Darrin Camilleri’s star has been rising in Michigan Democratic politics.In 2016, Trump won the 23rd State House district by 12 points. Yet Camilleri, the young Maltese-Mexican-American and first-time...
View ArticleWYFP: F*** Cancer
When I signed up to write this week’s WYFP? diary a couple weeks ago, I planned on talking about how my digital media and writing business is struggling. More specifically, I sometimes wonder if I’m...
View ArticleDems win a HUGE upset in Michigan House special election
Wonderful news from here in West Michigan:xBREAKING: @caglanville just FLIPPED Michigan’s HD-74, defeating a GOP extremist who made rape jokes, defended Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, & advocated...
View ArticleKyra Harris Bolden to be the first Black woman on Michigan Supreme Court
Exciting news in the Great Lakes State: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will appoint Kyra Harris Bolden to the Michigan Supreme Court! Bolden will be the first Black woman ever to serve on the state’s highest...
View ArticleA big day for Michigan voters: Single-signup absentee voting kicks off
Election Day 2024 is 628 days away — but as of today, GOTV is now underway in one of the most important states in the nation.Last fall, Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed Proposal 22-2, which...
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