Godspeed 1463rd Trans Co.

Army Spc. James Cooley, left, of Caledonia, kisses his girlfriend, as Army Pfc. Josh Dietrich, of Grand Rapids, hugs his girlfriend after a send-off ceremony Monday at the Grand Valley Armory in Wyoming.

HOOAH! Deployment ceremony pix link.

Gore endorses Obama in Detroit

Michigan might matter this election!

DETROIT - Al Gore made his debut in the 2008 presidential campaign Monday night, encouraging voters to back Barack Obama because "take it from me, elections matter."

The former vice president's speech at the Joe Louis Arena was part endorsement and part blistering attack on the man who denied him the White House eight years ago.

"After eight years of incompetence, neglect and failure, we need change," Gore said. "After eight years when our Constitution has been dishonored and disrespected, we need changes."

Hey Al? BJ Clinton wasn't President the last 8 years you know.

Edwards Endorses Obama in Grand Rapids

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards endorsed Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday at a campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John Edwards in a CNN sponsored debate in South Carolina in January.

"The reason I'm here tonight is because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I," he told the boisterous crowd.

"There is one man who knows and understands that this is a time for bold leadership. There is one man that knows how to create the change, the lasting change, that you have to build from the ground up," Edwards said. "There is one man who knows in his heart there is time to create one America, not two ... and that man is Barack Obama."

Edwards also praised Sen. Hillary Clinton's candidacy.

"What she has shown ... is strength and character, and what drives her is something that every single one of us can and should appreciate," Edwards said. "She is a woman who, in my judgment, is made of steel, and she's a leader in this country not because of her husband but because of what she has done."

Edwards is such a phoney. He wants the Attorney General spot so badly, he waited until an obvious nominee and then this.

Update!
A couple pics from inside. The arena was filled to capacity, over 10k people attended.

More pictures here.

Iraqi Boy Recovering At DeVos

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -- The Iraqi 7-year-old who came to Grand Rapids for heart surgery is doing well, according to a spokeswoman for DeVos Children's Hospital.

The boy, Hasan, had a hole in his heart closed and his blood flow enhanced in surgery on Tuesday. The hospital expects him to be well enough to be discharged Friday. He should need about six weeks to recover.

Here's the story, pics and video. Good job to all involved in this endeavor and may Hasan have a speedy recovery.

Obama To Come To VanAndel Arena

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) -- Sen. Barack Obama will be in Grand Rapids Wednesday for a public appearance beginning at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are NOT required, but an RSVP is encouraged. To RSVP, members of the public can do so at BarackObama.com.

Many Democrats see Obama's visit as a sign the drought is over, with Michigan returning to the national political stage.

The controversy over how to seat Michigan's delegates at the national convention after the state broke party rules by holding their primary early. Armand Robinson is a delegate - officially listed as "Uncommitted" - but is a staunch Obama supporter and eager for the visit.

"I'm willing to bet 99.9 percent I'm going to be there in Denver with a seat," he told 24 Hour News 8. "He needs to be part of us, he needs to be here. He needed to be here three months ago, but the way he saw it, playing by the rules, I think he wasn't able to."

Robinson is hoping Obama's visit will heal any rifts in the party, and convince the undecideds, adding momentum that will carry through November.

If anyone attends, please give us a report on the event.

Michigan Will Sit Down

The beat goes on.

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan Democratic leaders on Wednesday settled on a plan to give presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton 69 delegates and Barack Obama 59 as a way to get the state's delegates seated at the national convention.

Clinton won the Jan. 15 Michigan primary and was to get 73 pledged delegates under state party rules, while Obama was to get 55. The state also has 29 superdelegates.

The state party's executive committee voted Wednesday to ask the national party's Rules and Bylaws Committee to approve the 69-59 delegate split when it meets May 31. The plan would allow the state's 157 delegates and superdelegates to be seated at the convention.

A separate plan submitted to the rules committee by Democratic National Committee members Joel Ferguson of Michigan and Jon Ausman of Florida, both superdelegates, apparently will be withdrawn now that the Michigan executive committee has settled on the 69-59 plan. Under their proposal, delegates would have been allocated based on the primary election results, but have had only half a vote each. The superdelegates would have had full voting rights.

The 69-59 split was proposed last week by four prominent Michigan Democrats who have been working for months to find a way to get Michigan's delegates seated at the Aug. 25-28 convention in Denver: Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger, Sen. Carl Levin and DNC member Debbie Dingell, wife of Rep. John Dingell.

Granholm made a fine mess of the primaries.

Are You Smarter Than A Sixth Grader?

For Monica Conyers, I'd have to answer "No".

Rep Ehlers on Gas Prices

From the desk of Congressman Ehlers:

The price of gasoline has risen dramatically in West Michigan over the last month. It shot past $3.50 per gallon this week, and in some parts of my district it is as high as $3.70. I have a number of suggestions to alleviate the burden we are experiencing at the pump. This week, I wrote a letter to Speaker Pelosi, President Bush, and Congressional leaders outlining some of those ideas, which I would like to share with you.

A major factor contributing to the price we pay for gasoline and diesel fuel in the United States is global demand for oil. Oil is traded for well over $100 per barrel today, and reducing demand will help reduce the price. As you can see in this graph from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the price of gas is greatly affected by the cost of crude oil. With this in mind, there are a few things we can do to reduce the price of fuel.

First, I propose we consider suspending petroleum acquisition for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The reserve is filled to 96 percent of its capacity, and while the stockpile plays an important role in protecting the United States from oil supply disruptions, we can help reduce the demand for oil by suspending acquisitions, thus impacting the price we pay for gas.

Second, I am urging the Bush Administration to streamline the permitting process for building or expanding oil refineries in the United States without waiving environmental laws. It has been 30 years since a new refinery has been built in the United States, and adding capacity could improve the supply of fuel in the U.S. market, which would help lower prices.

Also, I would like there to be more transparency from oil-producing countries. Private oil companies are required to be transparent in their business dealings, but the majority of the world’s oil comes from nationalized oil companies controlled by foreign governments. The United States should consider working more closely with those countries so that information about production and oil reserves would be more reliable.

Finally, while it is difficult to change, the low value of the U.S. dollar is having a negative impact on how much we pay for fuel. If the dollar had the same value as it did one decade ago, it would drive down the cost of oil dramatically. The weak dollar makes it much more costly for the United States to import oil, which makes our fuel more expensive. Despite this, I do not think it is appropriate for the United States to drill for oil in protected areas. The risk of destroying our environmental assets is not worth the potential benefit.

None of this will happen overnight, but there are some things that you can do right now to make your vehicle go farther on a tank of fuel. Inflating your tires to at least the maximum pressure specified on the sidewall of the tire, driving less aggressively, keeping your car well-tuned, and carpooling can do a great deal to increase your gas mileage and reduce the financial burden of today’s high fuel prices.

More information on increasing your vehicle’s fuel efficiency can be found at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/.

I have been a strong advocate for improving public transportation in West Michigan. I am helping local officials at The Rapid establish a bus rapid transit system. Nationwide projects such as this, which is currently under development, can help drive down the price of fuel for everyone in our area.

I am well aware that fuel prices are putting an incredible burden on people who rely on a vehicle to get to work, take their children to school or day-care, and perform other necessary tasks. Gasoline and diesel fuel prices are crippling local businesses where transportation is an integral part of their livelihood. I rely on my car, and I am feeling this pain as well. I will continue to work hard in Congress on this issue so that we may all find some relief at the pump.

Best wishes,

Vernon J. Ehlers

Thanks Vern!

Iraqi FM Refutes Sen. Levin's Claim

Carl Levin. He's one of the "See No Progress" Democrats.

Isn't She Precious

I'm glad I don't live in Detroit, and if I did, I think I'd deny it.

Cockrel brought a special investigative hearing into the police whistle-blower lawsuit settlement to a temporary adjournment Friday after Conyers interrupted him and the two got into an argument.

Conyers, wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, demanded that Cockrel respect her and twice called him Shrek.

"You're not my daddy," Conyers yelled. "You do that at home, not here. Give me some respect 'cause I'm tired of that. You may not do that at home, but you gon do it up in here.

"Grow up!" she continued. "Control your house and you'll know how to treat women better."

Cockrel responded by saying that Conyers had little room to talk about the issue of respect and interrupting others.

Monica Conyers gets into physical bar brawls and threatens to shoot. Cockrel is right on.

Moments later, Conyers interrupted Cockrel as he was questioning Carl Edwards, an independent Detroit attorney who was testifying at the hearing. Cockrel reminded Conyers that he had the floor and banged his gavel repeatedly.

When he threatened to adjourn the meeting, she responded: "Do it, baby. Do it. Do it."

As the two yelled at each other, residents attending the hearings yelled, as well: "You're disrespecting the citizens!" and "This is a shame!"

Conyers later told the Free Press that she does not have a temper, and that her Shrek moniker for Cockrel was spontaneous.

"My position is about the Shrek is ... he's a big guy ... the president is a big guy," she said. "I felt as if he was trying to bully me into not letting people know the information.

Unbelievable.

The exchange.

Wash That Man Outta Your Hair

This is disturbing:

TROY -- The husband of Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow told authorities that he used the Internet to arrange a $150 sexual tryst with a prostitute at a metropolitan Detroit hotel, police said.
Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by police who were investigating Internet-based prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.

Athans, in a statement issued by his attorney, apologized and said he "fully cooperated with law enforcement. My family and I are dealing with this matter in a personal and private way."

Stabenow, in a separate statement, said it was "very disturbing and serious. Obviously it's a deeply difficult and personal matter."

Senator, your hubby sucks.

West Michigan Stimulus Info

A note from Congressman Ehlers:

Many people who do not normally file an income tax return may be eligible for economic stimulus checks, but will not receive their check unless they submit a tax return this year. That is why the Internal Revenue Service and its partners are holding special office hours this Saturday to help people prepare Form 1040A. This simple form is being used by people who are filing a return solely to receive their stimulus payment. People who earned more than $3,000 in "qualifying income" in 2007 are eligible. Qualifying income includes benefits from the Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, and the Railroad Retirement Board.

In the Third Congressional District, which includes Barry, Ionia, and Kent Counties, the IRS Offices at 678 Front Ave. N.W. in Grand Rapids will be open from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 to assist people with Form 1040A.

View map.

Also, the Kent County Tax Credit Coalition at Davenport University will be offering assistance. It is located on the first floor of 415 Fulton St. E in Grand Rapids, and will be open between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

View map.

People may also dial 211 on their phones in Kent, Barry, and Ionia Counties to schedule a free appointment with a tax assistance provider at their convenience.

I have done quite a bit of work lately to spread the word about this, including some special workshops I held last week in Ionia, Hastings, and Grandville. I encourage you to share the information in this message with your friends and family as well. People who did not earn enough taxable income to file a return, but did earn over $3,000 in other qualifying income, may lose money that is entitled to them through the economic stimulus plan approved earlier this year by Congress and President Bush. More information may be found on the IRS's Web site: Economic Stimulus Payment Information Center

Vern Ehlers

As always, thanks Vern.

Kwame Kills Kareer

Finally!

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and former chief of staff Christine Beatty were charged today in a 12-county indictment with perjury, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office and conspiracy because of their conduct in last year’s police whistle-blower trial, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced.

Kilpatrick is charged with eight felonies and Beatty with seven. They are: perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

Worthy said the perjury charges accuse the two of lying during a whistle-blower lawsuit about the firing of Deputy Police Chief Gary Brown and about their romantic relationship.

See here.
And here.

Charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty include conspiracy to obstruct justice, a five year felony.

Worthy said Kilpatrick is also charged with a count of misconduct in office and perjury in a court proceeding, a 15 year felony. Beatty will face separate perjury charges, Worthy said.

"Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people's lives were ruined, the justice system was severely mocked and the public trust was trampled on," Worthy said.

Justice hurry up!
Hip-Hop Mayor faces 15 years.
Perjury, conspiracy, misconduct.

Kym Worthy announcing indictments.
Kwame Kilpatrick's statement to the media.

Economic Stimulus Guide

Guide to the Economic Stimulus Plan via Vern Ehlers:

In February, Congress and President Bush approved a $152 billion economic stimulus plan that will provide tax refund checks to individuals and families, as well as tax incentives intended to spur business investment. You may be wondering if you or your family qualify for a refund, and if so, how you can claim it.

Around two-thirds of the funding created by the stimulus plan will go directly to eligible taxpayers. Taxpayers who made more than $3,000 during 2007 and who pay federal income tax will receive a rebate check of $600 ($1,200 for married couples filing jointly). Eligibility will phase out for individuals who make more than $75,000 ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly). Eligible individuals or families will receive an additional $300 for each dependent child under the age of 17 in their household.

Additionally, 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. Safeguards are in place to ensure that illegal immigrants will NOT be eligible to receive these benefits.

In order to receive the benefit, all you need to do is file a federal income tax return for 2007, even if you don’t owe any income taxes. If you qualify, you will receive a check in the mail this May.

Unfortunately, there are some crooks and scam artists taking advantage of this and are trying to lure victims into providing personal information. The IRS does not gather information by phone nor does it send unsolicited emails to taxpayers. Be wary of anyone claiming to offer you a refund, and do not give out your Social Security number or bank account information over the phone or through e-mail.

If you have more questions about the stimulus payments, the IRS has a comprehensive Web site on the issue: Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center

If you are a business owner, the IRS has information on tax incentives for businesses provided by the Economic Stimulus Act: 2008 Economic Stimulus Act Provides Tax Benefits to Businesses.

Granholm's Gaffe

Governor Granholm would not pay for $10 million Michigan re-do
neither would national party

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is urging Michigan and Florida party officials to come up with plans to repeat their contests so state delegates can be counted in the close race.

Governor Granholm said she does not disagree, but "it would have to be a primary-like election, probably on a Saturday."

Granholm also told WJR radio in Detroit that the tab for a May or June election run by the Michigan Democratic Party could approach $10 million. She warned the cost and logistics could be insurmountable.

The Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan of all 156 delegates to the national convention as punishment for moving its primary to Jan. 15 in violation of party rules.

Governor Granholm is backing Hillary Clinton, whose campaign long has called for the Jan. 15 results to be honored. Barack Obama's campaign opposes that.

Of course she is.

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.