Can the Candidates Do the Job?

March 4th, 2010 · 2 Comments

Can the CandidatesDo the Job? by John Lindstrom Gongwer News Service March 5, 2010 Herewith a point of argument that includes a prediction: if the professionals involved in government — that is, the people who work in and around state government, be they bureaucrats, lobbyists, policy analysts, reporters and others — were the only ones [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Truth in Advertising

February 25th, 2010 · 4 Comments

Truth in Advertising by Tim Skubick February 26, 2010 When the Snyder for Guv guys were fact-checking their notorious Nerd commercial, they missed one huge error. The announcer claimed that business guy Snyder had a Ten-Point Plan that the typical career politician would not understand. Turns out, every politician will understand. That’s because much of [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

Summer Scenario

February 15th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Summer Scenario by Craig Ruff February 16, 2010 The following events are fictional. Only the players are real. The Detroit Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference opens on Wednesday, June 2. Downstate in Lansing, the Big Three (Granholm, Bishop, and Dillon) concede that they are solar years away from hatching a budget deal for 2010-11. Fed-up business, [...]

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Tags: Craig's Grist

Budget ‘Cuts’ vs. ‘Reforms’

February 11th, 2010 · 3 Comments

Budget ‘Cuts’ vs. ‘Reforms’ by John Lindstrom Gongwer News Service February 12, 2010 With Governor Jennifer Granholm’s release of her final proposed budget, the lyric from a ridiculously popular ’60s tune comes true: second verse, same as the first. The legislative response, especially from Republicans, mirrors that verse as well. Since fall, since the ill-fated [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Game Face for State of the State

January 28th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Game Face for State of the State by Tim Skubick January 29, 2010 It would be a hoot if the governor began her final State of the State message thusly: Good evening. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Majority Leader, members of the House and Senate. I am not going to introduce any common citizens in the audience [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

Politics after Cherry

January 7th, 2010 · 2 Comments

Politics after Cherry by Gongwer News Service January 8, 2010 For all his angels on the head of a pin, Thomas Aquinas is not easy to simplify, but he did speak of knowing by faith and knowing by reason. On Monday, January 4, Michigan Democrats knew both by reason and faith that Lt. Governor John [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Pick Your Conventional Wisdom

December 10th, 2009 · 4 Comments

Pick Your Conventional Wisdom by Tim Skubick December 11, 2009 Popular wisdom is often unpopular and often wrong, but what the hey. The popular wisdom is Andy Dillon can’t beat John Cherry for the Democratic nomination for governor. Here’s why the Dillonites reject that notion: (1) Cherry has only 20-percent support in the polls, which [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

Know Nothing Journalism

November 30th, 2009 · 14 Comments

Know Nothing Journalism by Susan J. Demas December 1, 2009 A few weeks ago, I covered Sarah Palin’s pop-star-worthy greeting by more than 1,000 screaming fans gathered in Grand Rapids for her first book signing. It was quite the media event, evidenced by the fact that “Access Hollywood” was on hand. MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell was [...]

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Tags: Press Box

Cherry the Alternative

November 12th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Cherry the Alternative by Gongwer News Service November 13, 2009 Right now there are at least 11 people running for, or thinking about running for, governor in 2010, and in the last two weeks the one who has done the most interesting stuff in the still-nascent race is the one who already has a governor [...]

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Tags: Weekly Update

Obama Watching Michigan

November 5th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Obama Watching Michigan by Tim Skubick November 6, 2009 They pretty much bungled it in New York, but did better in New Jersey. So who knows how well they will do regarding the Democratic race for governor in Michigan. Sources confirm the Obama White House is already watching from the sidelines. Recall that the Obama [...]

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Tags: Tim Skubick

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