Final Journey

Clinton Machine Grinds On

Stealing Obama's votes

Make no mistake about it: Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer wants to make damned certain you never have a chance to cast a vote for Barack Obama. So does Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

They, and the ruthlessly ambitious Debbie Dingell, want to be behind-the-scenes kingmakers. They want to deliver the Democratic presidential nomination to Hillary Clinton, for the sake of their egos and their careers. But it isn't turning out the way they planned.

They are in trouble now, and starting to panic. The nomination is slipping away from Clinton, and from their grasp.

Having stupidly botched the primary, they are now fighting desperately to keep from doing the right thing.

Michigan needs a new round of voting. The national Democratic Party agrees, and wants the state to hold caucuses.

But our local party bosses say: No way.

Pfft. Democrats.

Ickey

Flip-floppin away-

WASHINGTON (AP) — Harold Ickes, a top adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign who voted for Democratic Party rules that stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates, now is arguing against the very penalty he helped pass.

In a conference call Saturday, the longtime Democratic Party member contended the DNC should reconsider its tough sanctions on the two states, which held early contests in violation of party rules. He said millions of voters in Michigan and Florida would be otherwise disenfranchised — before acknowledging moments later that he had favored the sanctions.

Campaigning in Wisconsin after Ickes' remarks, Clinton echoed his contention that a suitable arrangement could be worked out to seat the Michigan and Florida delegations.

"The rules provide for a vote at the convention to seat contested delegations," she said. "This goes back to the 1940s in my memory. There is nothing unusual about this. My husband didn't wrap up the nomination until June. Usually it takes awhile to sort all this out. That's why there are rules. If there are contested delegations, the convention votes on it."

Ickes explained that his different position essentially is due to the different hats he wears as both a DNC member and a Clinton adviser in charge of delegate counting. Clinton won the primary vote in Michigan and Florida, and now she wants those votes to count.

Good thing I'm not a democrat. As a resident of Michigan, I'd tell Hillary Clinton and her advisors to piss off. But that's just me.

Whaaaat?

Metro home sales up by 15%
Detroit leads gains with almost double amount of closings over same period last year.

Sales of residential and condominium units in Detroit nearly doubled in January, compared with the same month a year ago, and the region overall got a nearly 15 percent bump, according to real estate data firm Realcomp.

The city of Detroit led the gainers, posting a 45.5 percent increase in the month, with 736 closings.

Seven Realtors who deal primarily in downtown Detroit area property said they have enjoyed some of their recent best sale months in December and January. Sales of houses and condominiums in Detroit jumped by a 33.9 percent in December 2007, compared to December 2006. No other market in the Metro Detroit area came close to that kind of increase last year, according to Realcomp.

Realtors credit tumbling prices, low interest rates and sales of foreclosed properties or properties hoping to avoid foreclosures.

Looks like the recession is on .hold again.

Rules? What Rules?

Surprise, surprise: Hillary (and Governor Granholm) don't want to follow the rules:

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton desperately wants meaningless wins in Florida and Michigan to turn into votes she can count on. It won't be easy with the Democratic National Committee rules standing in her way.

The DNC is refusing to back down from the tough sanctions it imposed on the two states, which held early contests in violation of party rules. They have been stripped of all their delegates to the national convention in August where either Clinton or rival Sen. Barack Obama will be nominated for president.

The DNC has offered Florida and Michigan a couple ways out in compliance with party rules. First, they could hold second nominating contests, but Democratic leaders in both states reject that idea. Or they can appeal to the DNC's credentials committee, a 186-member body that usually operates in obscurity and has a complicated membership and rules process that will require deft maneuvering in this divided campaign.

Just like the some 800 superdelegates, this committee could hold the cards in helping decide the Democratic nominee if the race stays close.

I hope the DNC sticks to their guns. The Governor knew the consequences of holding the primary early and went ahead. Obama and the other candidates who had their names removed from the ballot played it straight, while Hillary said 'Screw You' to the party and her fellow candidates.

It would be fun to watch at the USSC. Ha!
What to do?

Monica Conyers, Lady of the Lame

DETROIT -- An aide to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick filed a police report Thursday claiming Monica Conyers, the short-tempered City Council president pro tem and wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, threatened to get a gun and shoot him at a city pension board meeting.

But a spokesman for Conyers says she was the real victim in the hubbub.

According to the police report filed Thursday by DeDan Milton, an assistant to Kilpatrick, Conyers "threatened to shoot (Milton) with her gun" and made "several aggressive movements" toward Milton "in a threatening manner."

Milton also reported to police that Conyers said she would "have my brothers (mess) you up."

David Clark, chair of Detroit's General Retirement System, backed up Milton's account.

"She ran at him," Clark told The Detroit News. "She told him she would get a gun if she had to and that she has four brothers and they would whup his a-- if she asked them."

Ah, Detroit. That liberal cesspool of brotherly love and government officials to lead the way. How embarassing.

Romney Endorses John McCain

From Congressman Ehlers

On February 7, 2008, Congress overwhelmingly passed an amended version of the economic stimulus plan, H.R. 5140. I voted in favor of the bill which provides rebate checks to individuals and families and tax benefits for businesses. It also increases the limits on loans that can be insured by the Federal Housing Administration and purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which will help stabilize our housing market. This bill injects $152 billion into the economy in 2008, which is about 1% of our gross domestic product. The rebates checks will likely be sent out by the Internal Revenue Service beginning in May.

Anyone who earned at least $3,000 in “qualifying income” during 2007, but paid little or no income tax, will qualify for checks of $300 ($600 for married couples filing jointly). “Qualifying income” includes wages, Social Security benefits, and payments to disabled veterans or their survivors. This means that over 20 million Social Security beneficiaries and 250,000 handicapped veterans or their survivors will qualify for rebate checks.

Those taxpayers that make more than $3,000 and who pay federal income taxes will receive rebate checks of $600 ($1,200 for couples filing jointly). Eligibility for the rebate checks will phase out for individuals who earn more than $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly). Anyone qualifying for a check will receive an additional $300 for each dependent child under the age of 17. The bill also ensures that illegal immigrants will not be eligible to receive these benefits.

For businesses, the stimulus bill will provide enhanced depreciation and expensing intended to spur investment in equipment that can be put into service this year. Hopefully, this incentive will encourage businesses to buy more goods and hire new employees.

Although I voted for this bill, I am disappointed that it did not include a provision to extend unemployment benefits. Michigan continues to struggle with the highest unemployment in the country, and I understand that many willing workers are simply unable to find work. I believe we should continue the unemployment benefits for those who have tried to find work for months and still have not found anything.

I am also very concerned about this bill’s effect on our nation’s debt. If this bill in fact stops a recession, it will be worth it. If it does not, it will certainly be an expensive mistake.

If you have any questions about the economic stimulus plan, please feel free to contact me.

Best Wishes,

Vernon J. Ehlers

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Salute! National Guard

HOOAH!

San Fran Toledo

Mayor kicks Marines out of Toledo

1-24th Marines were scheduled for weekend urban warfare training in downtown Toledo, when Carty gave them the boot

TOLEDO, OH -- Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Friday ordered some 200 members of , out of Toledo just before the unit was suppose to start a weekend of urban warfare training downtown.

The mayor’s spokesperson Brian Schwartz said, “the mayor asked them to leave because they frighten people. He did not want them practicing and drilling in a highly visible area."

The Marines frightening people is bad, ok got it. Can you believe the nerve of some people?

Toledo police said they knew about the training and had approved the unit’s use of the Madison Building and the Promenade Park area. The training was scheduled to start Friday afternoon and last until Sunday. Police said the unit’s presence would have a minimal impact on the city. Police issued a press release earlier in the week saying the marines would be wearing green camouflage uniforms, operate military vehicles, carry rifles, perform foot patrols, and fire blank ammunitiion during the exercise.

So permission was granted and everyone who was supposed to be aware was aware.

Schwartz said there was a breakdown in communication between police and the Finkbeiner administration that led to the mayor’s action.

“The marines drilled here three times during the Ford administration and once under the Finkbeiner administration. After the last visit, the mayor told then police chief Jack Smith, that he did not want the marines back. Smith failed to inform the current police administration of the mayor’s feelings,” Schwartz said.

NBC24 spoke to Jack Smith who recalled that after the marines last visit, he and the mayor had a heated exchange about the training.

“He told me he did not want them, as he put it, “playing war in Toledo’”, Smith recalled. I told him, as a former marine, “that if one young marine’s life is saved because of training he or she received in Toledo, Ohio, then it was worth the inconvenience.”

Smith said if the mayor objected, then he should have been the one to convey those feelings to police. Smith took his run-in with the mayor as an objection to that last visit, and not future training in Toledo.

What a disgrace.

Romney Speaks At CPAC 2008

Hoekstra on Romney, McCain & Huck

While Hoekstra said he will be comfortable with McCain, and will campaign on his behalf if asked, he admits he felt a lot of disappointment when the Romney campaign folded up its tents.

He met with Romney Thursday afternoon in Washington D.C., shortly after the announcement was made. He said he wasn't surprised that Romney dropped out, even though he clearly had the financial resources to fight on.

Romney simply decided to put his country and his party first, Hoekstra said.

"He believed he still had a shot, but the odds were really long," Hoekstra said. "He knew he might be forced to do things he would have regretted, like sharply comparing and contrasting himself with Sen. McCain. He decided that would be wrong for the country and wrong for the party, so he decided not to do it.

"I agree that we should focus on uniting the party behind one candidate and focus on the ideals that we agree are most important. There are more important things than Mitt Romney campaigning for another three months."

Hoekstra endorsed Romney about a year ago and became his unofficial national security advisor. He also invested time and effort in the campaign, barnstorming on behalf of Romney in Michigan, Iowa and Florida.

And Hoekstra said his support became more than just a political endorsement over time.
"I really like Mitt Romney -- I not only like his positions, but as my wife and I got to know Mitt and Ann, we really enjoyed them and liked them as people," Hoekstra said.

While Hoekstra readies himself to support McCain, he hopes he won't have to do the same for one of the other remaining Republican candidates, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Hoekstra recently told the Chronicle that he considers Huckabee a negative and divisive force in the Republican Party. While some pundits are speculating that McCain will take Huckabee as his vice presidential running mate, Hoekstra hopes that doesn't happen.

"I'm not a big fan of Gov. Huckabee," Hoekstra said. "As Sen. McCain starts looking to put together a package, he's got to look for a running mate that can help us win in Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania. I don't think that's Gov. Huckabee."

Hoekstra/Romney

Ehlers Endorses Romney

HOLLAND -- As he prepares for a Wednesday campaign stop in Holland, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is bringing a second key West Michigan endorsement with him.

U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, is adding his backing to Romney, calling him "a candidate with an innovative vision for America."

"In the course of his impressive career, he has earned a solid reputation for successfully solving enormous problems that others thought couldn't be solved."

His endorsement follows that of U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, who announced his support for Romney in January.

Romney is slated to appear for a meet-and-greet session at the Alpenrose Restaurant & Cafe at 8:30 a.m., before moving on to a stop in Atlanta.

Ehlers/Romney