Is the GOP Honeymoon Over?

 

 Is the GOP Honeymoon Over?

Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Senate Democratic Leader

Friends –

Over the past 18 months, Governor Rick Snyder and the Republican legislature have passed more than 600 bills into law, one of the most aggressive legislative periods that Lansing has seen in years.  It often seemed over that time that no matter how controversial a proposal has been, whether it was taking billions of dollars from our public schools, raising taxes on seniors or throwing people off of the unemployment line, the GOP has put their stamp of approval on every single one of them with barely a whisper of disagreement.

Last week, however, that unified front suffered one of its very first public blows when Governor Snyder vetoed the most controversial portions of a package of anti-voter legislation being pushed by Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Speaker of the House Jase Bolger.

As groups like ALEC push these types of policies across the country with the sole purpose of disenfranchising voters, we see more and more clearly the blatant disregard they have for protecting the right of every single American to vote. The Governor's action in vetoing that package sent a message that Michigan would not have to be the next state in which thousands of voters have to go through the legal system to simply exercise their constitutional right to have their voice heard in the upcoming elections.

While the national media took note of the Governor’s veto and applauded him as the first Republican governor willing to stop these types of misguided policies from being implemented, those pushing the legislation in Michigan didn’t hide their displeasure with the Governor’s action.

Secretary of State Johnson blasted the Governor’s veto, stating she was “deeply disappointed” that the Governor would oppose the bills she had worked so hard to get passed, while a spokesperson for Speaker Bolger expressed apparent surprise that the Governor, “bought into the rhetoric being spewed by liberal special interest groups.”

Of course, what both Johnson and Bolger have yet to acknowledge is that neither of them could find a single instance of the type of election fraud taking place in Michigan that they claimed these bills were solving.  Instead, we see them angry to be left holding the bag as even Governor Snyder said these bills went too far and would make it extremely difficult for thousands of eligible voters to cast their ballots in the upcoming elections.

I welcome the Governor's action and hope that it is an indicator that he's willing to put aside the partisan politics that have dominated our state's capitol over the past 18 months and focus on the issues that really matter to the people of Michigan.  It remains to be seen whether the Governor and the GOP legislators can, or even will try to look past this very public disagreement, but as of today, their relationship is looking far rockier than it was only a week ago.

Thad McCotter’s Lesson in Selfishness

There were a lot of questions being asked last week as now Ex-Congressman Thad McCotter finished his professional journey of self-destruction:  How could he fail to get on the ballot for re-election? Who was behind the fraudulent signatures he turned in? Who will replace him in office now that he has resigned?

Unfortunately, one very important question was seemingly overlooked: How could he be that selfish?

Congressman McCotter was elected by the people of his district to serve his two-year term in office.  That wasn’t conditional on whether he made in on the ballot again this year to run for re-election.  It was a trust his constituents gave to him and in return, he simply chose to break that trust and resign rather than finish the job he was elected to do.

What kind of a lesson does that teach our children about leadership?  When the going gets tough?  Quit.  When the people of Michigan desperately need a strong voice in Congress?  Walk away.

I certainly did not always agree with Congressman McCotter’s policies or votes, but I would have expected him to at least fulfill his promise to Michigan and finish his term in office.  To walk out on us in the manner he did is the ultimate act of selfishness from an elected official.

Register to Vote!

Don’t forget, today is the last day to register to vote or change your voting address for the August 7^th primary election!  If you aren’t already registered, please make sure you do so today so that you can take part in these critically important elections.  You can get more information on how to register at the Michigan Secretary of State Web Site.

 Looking Ahead

1. Can the Governor and Republican legislators work out on agreement on moving a state Health Exchange forward to implement the Affordable Care Act in Michigan given their recent hostilities
2. Now that Governor Snyder has come out against the punitive GOP voter legislation, will he also avoid the pressure to hold a special election to replace Congressman McCotter that would be curiously timed to benefit Nancy Cassis, the handpicked candidate of L. Brooks Patterson who was exposed for having manipulated the Governor’s office into signing the Oakland County Commission redistricting bills last year?

                                                                                            

Sincerely,

Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Senate Democratic Leader
  

National News

The past two years of the 111th Congress have been tough, maybe the toughest since I came to the Senate. Still, we got a lot done during 2010, making the 111th one of the most productive Congresses ever.

We'll have to keep the battle going for working families in 2011. While too many Americans are struggling to find a job, Republicans in Washington have tried to block nearly every attempt to rebuild our economy, and even our attempts to put in place new rules to keep economic crisis from striking again.

Just how much obstructionism did we face in 2010? Republican filibusters forced the Democratic majority to use a lengthy procedural process, known as cloture, to end the filibuster 62 times. Compare that to the entire decade of the 1960s, when the Senate invoked cloture only four times during those pitched civil rights battles. The minority's roadblocks stopped or delayed major legislation that our constituents wanted and our nation needed.

Still, we got lots of important work done. We sent the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to the President's desk, fulfilling a goal Democrats have held for decades. We passed bills to help create jobs, including the HIRE Act, which includes tax incentives for businesses to hire people who lost their jobs in the recession and provisions to reduce small business taxes. We passed the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act, which will help businesses get the loans they need to grow.

In 2010, we also put a cop back on Wall Street. The Wall Street reforms we passed will help rein in the heedless risk taking that brought down the economy. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and I overcame strong opposition to include language that will restrict banks from making risky bets that benefit the banks when the bets pay off and cost the taxpayers when they lose, and limit conflicts of interest that have plagued the financial system.

Republicans used the filibuster threat to hold hostage tax relief for the middle class and continued emergency unemployment benefits. Only if we included tax cuts for the very wealthy would they allow us to keep taxes on the middle class from going up. Their plan added more than $100 billion to our deficit over the next two years. To me, the price was just too high, and I voted against the deal the President reached with Republicans.

We also did much in 2010 to make our nation more secure. In August, President Obama succeeded in handing over military responsibility for Iraq to the Iraqis. We made significant progress in Afghanistan as well, and have done quite a bit there to reverse Taliban and al Qaeda gains. I will keep pressing to make sure Afghan troops take the lead more and more often and carry the fight to the maximum extent possible, because ultimately, only the Afghan people can secure their own future. In another plus for our national security, at year's end we ratified the New START treaty, reducing the number of nuclear weapons that we and Russia deploy and making our nations and the entire world safer.

And we ended "don't ask, don't tell." Now, our military leaders can bring to a close a policy that, as Admiral Mullen eloquently put it, forces brave men and women "to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens."

So, in spite of a record number of filibusters, the 111th Congress produced much historic legislation. But it sure wasn't easy, and the coming year probably won't be any easier. Already, the Republican leader in the Senate is saying: "If they think it's bad now, wait till next year."

That's truly unfortunate, because we have plenty of work left to do. We have to do more to help Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. At the same time, we do have to be concerned about our long-term debt issues. We will need to continue monitoring progress in Afghanistan toward President Obama's decision to reduce U.S. combat troops beginning in July 2011. We need to do more to protect our environment, such as continuing to provide funding for restoration of the Great Lakes. And we must keep planning and acting to end our dependence on foreign oil, a dependence that threatens our security, our environment and our economy.

It's a long to-do list, and none of it will be easy. But there is no reason we can't continue our progress out of recession and toward a safer world.

Thank you so much for your support. Best wishes from Barb and me for a healthy and happy 2011.

Sincerely,

Carl Levin

MICHIGAN NEWS

Michigan News

 Is the GOP Honeymoon Over?

 

 Friends –

Over the past 18 months, Governor Rick Snyder and the Republican legislature have passed more than 600 bills into law, one of the most aggressive legislative periods that Lansing has seen in years.  It often seemed over that time that no matter how controversial a proposal has been, whether it was taking billions of dollars from our public schools, raising taxes on seniors or throwing people off of the unemployment line, the GOP has put their stamp of approval on every single one of them with barely a whisper of disagreement.

Last week, however, that unified front suffered one of its very first public blows when Governor Snyder vetoed the most controversial portions of a package of anti-voter legislation being pushed by Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Speaker of the House Jase Bolger.

As groups like ALEC push these types of policies across the country with the sole purpose of disenfranchising voters, we see more and more clearly the blatant disregard they have for protecting the right of every single American to vote. The Governor's action in vetoing that package sent a message that Michigan would not have to be the next state in which thousands of voters have to go through the legal system to simply exercise their constitutional right to have their voice heard in the upcoming elections.

While the national media took note of the Governor’s veto and applauded him as the first Republican governor willing to stop these types of misguided policies from being implemented, those pushing the legislation in Michigan didn’t hide their displeasure with the Governor’s action.

Secretary of State Johnson blasted the Governor’s veto, stating she was “deeply disappointed” that the Governor would oppose the bills she had worked so hard to get passed, while a spokesperson for Speaker Bolger expressed apparent surprise that the Governor, “bought into the rhetoric being spewed by liberal special interest groups.”

Of course, what both Johnson and Bolger have yet to acknowledge is that neither of them could find a single instance of the type of election fraud taking place in Michigan that they claimed these bills were solving.  Instead, we see them angry to be left holding the bag as even Governor Snyder said these bills went too far and would make it extremely difficult for thousands of eligible voters to cast their ballots in the upcoming elections.

I welcome the Governor's action and hope that it is an indicator that he's willing to put aside the partisan politics that have dominated our state's capitol over the past 18 months and focus on the issues that really matter to the people of Michigan.  It remains to be seen whether the Governor and the GOP legislators can, or even will try to look past this very public disagreement, but as of today, their relationship is looking far rockier than it was only a week ago.

Thad McCotter’s Lesson in Selfishness

There were a lot of questions being asked last week as now Ex-Congressman Thad McCotter finished his professional journey of self-destruction:  How could he fail to get on the ballot for re-election? Who was behind the fraudulent signatures he turned in? Who will replace him in office now that he has resigned?

Unfortunately, one very important question was seemingly overlooked: How could he be that selfish?

Congressman McCotter was elected by the people of his district to serve his two-year term in office.  That wasn’t conditional on whether he made in on the ballot again this year to run for re-election.  It was a trust his constituents gave to him and in return, he simply chose to break that trust and resign rather than finish the job he was elected to do.

What kind of a lesson does that teach our children about leadership?  When the going gets tough?  Quit.  When the people of Michigan desperately need a strong voice in Congress?  Walk away.

I certainly did not always agree with Congressman McCotter’s policies or votes, but I would have expected him to at least fulfill his promise to Michigan and finish his term in office.  To walk out on us in the manner he did is the ultimate act of selfishness from an elected official.

Register to Vote!

Don’t forget, today is the last day to register to vote or change your voting address for the August 7^th primary election!  If you aren’t already registered, please make sure you do so today so that you can take part in these critically important elections.  You can get more information on how to register at the Michigan Secretary of State Web Site.

 Looking Ahead

1. Can the Governor and Republican legislators work out on agreement on moving a state Health Exchange forward to implement the Affordable Care Act in Michigan given their recent hostilities
2. Now that Governor Snyder has come out against the punitive GOP voter legislation, will he also avoid the pressure to hold a special election to replace Congressman McCotter that would be curiously timed to benefit Nancy Cassis, the handpicked candidate of L. Brooks Patterson who was exposed for having manipulated the Governor’s office into signing the Oakland County Commission redistricting bills last year?

                                                                                            

Sincerely,

Gretchen Whitmer
Michigan Senate Democratic Leader
  

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