Charles Gaba's blog

From DFA National:

With all the media attention on the presidential primaries, it would be easy to think they are the only elections in 2008.

DFA endorsements have always been driven by our members. You're the boots on the ground making a difference in your community. When you tell us who you support and why, we listen.

As it happens, here in Michigan's 9th CD, BOTH of the Democratic candidates--Nancy Skinner and Gary Peters are currently in the top 4 in the DFA contest! We're the only district to have two candidates for the same seat in the top 10, so now's the time to visit DFA and vote for the candidate you support!

This is a test, this is only a test.

(cross-posted at dKos, MichLib & BfM)

Part 9 in an ongoing series about the Nativity Display on City Hall battle here in Berkley, Michigan.

(NOTE: While I am a member of Citizens for Religious Freedom, I am posting this as an individual, NOT as an official representative of the group.)

THE SHORT VERSION: We're facing a local ballot proposal in less than 30 days which, if passed, would FORCE the city council to build a Nativity display on city hall property. While this sort of issue pops up several times every year somewhere or another in the nation, to my knowledge this is the first time that there's been a city ordinance on the ballot which would specifically REQUIRE church & state to mix in such a fashion. The backstory can be read here, here, here--oh, never mind; just visit our website to learn more.

(cross-posted at dKos, MichLib & BfM)

Part 7 in an ongoing series about the Nativity Display on City Hall battle here in Berkley, Michigan.

(NOTE: While I am a member of Citizens for Religious Freedom, I am posting this as an individual, NOT as an official representative of the group.)

THE SHORT VERSION: We're facing a local ballot proposal which, if passed, would FORCE the city council to build a Nativity display on city hall property. While this sort of issue pops up several times every year somewhere or another in the nation, to my knowledge this is the first time that there's been a city ordinance on the ballot which would specifically REQUIRE church & state to mix in such a fashion.

The backstory can be read here, here, here--oh, never mind; just visit our website to find out what the deal is.

THE GOOD NEWS:

http://www.petersforcongress.com

"A public servant with a record of fiscal discipline, Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) today announced he will run for Congress in 2008, pledging to fight outsourcing, help strengthen the economy and resolve the war in Iraq.

“I’ll be a strong voice for Oakland County families in Washington and fight tooth-and-nail for every Michigan job,” Peters said. “For too long, our representative in Washington has been a rubber stamp for the Bush administration’s failed policies in Iraq and failed policies on the economy. It’s time for a change, and I will always put the citizens of Oakland County ahead of partisan politics and special interests."

Peters is the first Democratic candidate to officially announce his entry into the MI-09 U.S. Congressional race against incumbent Republican Joe Knollenberg.

D4MD will post other formal candidate announcements as they are made.

Liberal Lucy at MichiganLiberal just broke the news--Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop is censoring progressive blogs from being viewed by senate offices:

After a post went up today on Blogging for Michigan about the wrong-doings one of Bishop's cronies, out-of-touch Senator Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), Mike Bishop's Chief of Staff Matt Miner, called Secretary of the Senate Carol Viventi and instructed her to block access to all blogs from the Senate offices.

After quickly realizing that all blogs also included the blogs on the Gannett-owned Republican rag, The Detroit News, they specifically only blocked Blogging for Michigan.

Check out the full post and the original BFM story.

Last year my town of Berkley experienced a bit of a media circus due to one of the most cliched local political brouhahas around--the City Hall Holiday Nativity Scene.

The Berkley City Council, facing a potential ACLU lawsuit, and recognizing the separation of church & state, came up with a practical solution to the issue which solved the Constitutional crisis while still maintaining the city's tradition of displaying the nativity scene in question every holiday season--they struck a deal with the various churches throughout city limits to display the nativity in front of a different church each year.

Since the solution was pragmatic, legal, practical *and* respectful of both Christians as well as those of other denominations (or those of none whatsoever), those who came up with it were naturally attacked for being "anti-God", etc etc.

Things calmed down after the holidays, of course, but like a fungus, the issue is back again this year--it seems that a ballot proposal FORCING the city to display a nativity scene at City Hall is going to be on the ballot this fall:

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/OPINION/...

http://www.tmz.com/2007/07/21/mitt-catches-s-t-over-hillary-bashing-sign...

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tmz.com/media/2007/07/0720_brookshire_...

Yes, that's our favorite dog torturer and ex-Michigander (Michiganian?) showing what a classy guy he is, by comparing a United States Senator to one of the most evil mass-murderers of our time:

Bonus: the sign misspells "momma" as well.

And just in case he tries to pull the "hey, that woman doesn't necessarily speak for me" crap, forget about it--he's actually HOLDING THE SIGN in the second pic. What an ass.

The Michigan blogosphere wouldn't be complete without Liberal Lucy of Liberal, Loud & Proud and Michigan Liberal fame.

Today, she asks for our help in spreading the word about Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

In particular, she'd like to bring attention to an upcoming event, the Get Your Guts in Gear ride. Please check out her post on the subject, the event itself, and spread the word.

(originally posted at MichiganLiberal.com by LiberalLucy. Reprinted in full with permission.)

In the wake of the Don Imus disaster, one would think that Corporate America would be highly sensitive to the promotion of hate speech, if not for morality's sake, for their profit's sake. For our sake, it's time to fight back and simply say 'No' to Coulter and her hate-mongering.

Unfortunately that's not true in one community in Michigan, already branded with a decades-old racist reputation and where, even today, its children are publicly being called racists just for living there.