Republicans

Freedom Fund Silent On MCRI Victory

Why is such an influential 'conservative' group so silent about such a civil rights victory?

cone-silenceA funny thing happened on the way to yesterday’s US Supreme Court victory for Michigan.

Greg McNeilly, and the DeVos funded Freedom fund were unusually quiet.  The all-things-go except true equality “Freedom Fund” was silent on the issue, offering no opinion, no support, or any insight where it stands with regard to racial preferences.  Apparently, this influential, well financed, political advocacy group had no qualms about the state constitution being squashed by activist judges.

The question if of whether we should be surprised was answered years ago.  In 2003, Greg McNeilly, who was the executive director under Michigan Republican party chair Betsy DeVos,  made it clear that voters should not be in charge of repairing the mistaken race based decision making process.

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For the Record…

Why primary Benishek???...

 

For the Record…
Why primary Benishek?
Let us count the whys…
Dan Benishek on Government Reform 
The 4 R’s: Read It; Reduce It; Repeal It; Reform It
Dan thinks the three R’s are great for schools. But Congress need’s 4 R’s:
Read It. Dan actually thinks it’s crazy that this should even need to be said, but the biggest change you could make to Congress is to make them all read the bills they’re voting on. Washington’s biggest messes are coming from legislation no one has read.
Reduce It. We’re $13 trillion in the hole, and on the brink of a financial meltdown that will ruin the nation because Congress won’t stop spending. Dan will. It will be hard. It will take lots of sacrifice. But we can’t leave this debt for our kids to pay back.
Repeal It. The health care bill is a mess. It needs to be repealed, and replaced with real reforms to put patients–not bureaucrats–in charge of health care.
Reform It. Out with the career politicians. Out with the special interests. And in with the voices of taxpaying American citizens who agree that enough is enough.

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Ethics, Integrity, And Long Knives

wayne-afp009“He’s our hometown boy.” Said one of the executive committee members of a vote taken this last Thursday.

The vote, was one by the executive board of the Grand Traverse County Republican Party on whether to endorse State Senate Candidate Wayne Schmidt over Greg MacMaster in the 37th State Senate primary contest.  The vote to choose one candidate over another in partisan (GOP) races would normally be considered off the table except under extraordinary circumstances.  At least that is how it is designated in the by-laws of a number of other GOP county parties.

Questions must be asked.  Is it prudent or even a legitimate practice? Is it fair to the candidates?  Is it fair to the membership, and does it misrepresent the opinion of the party at-large?

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Its Official – Arcand Is On The Ballot For CD1!

Incumbent Dan Benishek has yet to turn in any signatures and has not yet filed.

10255365_1422616394659740_9023389005365349001_nAs of this writing, Alan Arcand is the only candidate for Michigan’s first Congressional District.

Turning in 1300 signature today (picture on right) at the the Secretary of State’s office this morning in Lansing,  the Iron River native has made his mark.  He is challenging Republican incumbent Dan Benishek in the August primary for the House seat in Michigan’s largest Congressional district. Arcand, an Air Force veteran and father of three young boys, cites Constitutional violations by both Congress and the administration as reasons for his campaign.

“Washington is definitely broken, and I’ve been fixing things all my life. It’s time for some serious repair of the federal government. We need to enforce the Constitution and regain control of the government to ensure the future and prosperity of our children.”

Arcand will be forming his campaign committee immediately upon his return to Iron River.

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Oh Bouchard, you haz Some ‘Splaining to do

Interesting series on local government invasion of privacy events in the Detnews.com

Now, though, some privacy advocates question why one of the safest counties in Michigan needs the super-secretive Hailstorm device that is believed to be able to collect large amounts of cellphone data, including the locations of users, by masquerading as a cell tower.

“I don’t like not knowing what it’s capable of,” said county Commissioner Jim Runestad, R-White Lake Township, who has met in recent weeks with sheriff’s officials about his concerns.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is one of about two dozen forces nationwide — and the only one in Michigan — with the $170,000 machine. So little is known about Hailstorm that even national experts will only speculate about its capabilities. The technology from Florida-based defense contractor Harris Corp. is believed to be an upgrade of Stingray, a suitcase-sized contraption that is installed in cars and used to trick nearby phones into connecting with it and providing data to police.
….

Undersheriff Michael McCabe said, “Hailstorm helps us capture fugitives from the law, people wanted for murder and rape” and can be used only with a search warrant. He said the federal Homeland Security Act bars him from discussing Hailstorm, but he elaborated at length about what it doesn’t do.

“It’s not a tool to spy on people, unequivocally,” McCabe said. “It does not record cellphone conversations … Hailstorm does not capture personal information on anyone or store unintended target data. It does not take photos of anyone. It doesn’t take videos or fly in the sky. It’s a tool used for criminal investigations and it’s legal and lawful.”

McCabe recently gave similar assurances to county commissioners. He was prompted in part by persistent, anonymous emails that have been sent to county officials and others about the system, but also questions from Runestad.

MORE

Sure… like why would anyone question the on record judgement calls from the Oakland County Sheriff?

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The Reagan Rule Breaker

Here’s the deal people…I take a lot of grief from the establishment type Repubs for many things, and some from conservatives for not getting ‘on board’ with candidates that PRESENT themselves as conservatives…Reagan said that we “Shall NOT speak ill of another Republican”… Which Republican party was he referring to???…The one on paper, or the reality???

Conservatives need to realize that we need each other to win anything!!!…I have spent years trig to referee between Tea Party folks, GOP and blue collar Dem conservatives, and the C4L types…Being inflexible and unswerving to your own principles is admirable, but gets in the way when all the above can agree on 90% of any given issue or candidate…

What we all need to realize is that we are in dire need of conservative leadership, regardless of how one defines ‘conservative’…Let’s face it…even the liberals know a conservative when they see one!!!…So here is my Reagan rule breaker…

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Arcand Materializes As A Serious Contender In The 1st Congressional District

Michigan's First District Will Have A Primary Battle

arcandAlan Arcand (R-Iron River) announced today that his campaign has surpassed the 1,000 signature minimum to qualify for the August Republican primary race against incumbent Dan Benishek. Arcand achieved the benchmark during a weekend visit to the Traverse City area, collected some 300 signatures in 3 days.

A veteran of the Air Force, he will be gathering approximately 200 more signatures to ensure a cushion against any challenge, and will file in Lansing once this goal has been met. “Our visit to the Bay region was both fruitful and invigorating.” he said, “The reception and help we received was encouraging, and we look forward to our next visit in May.”

Arcand is challenging two term incumbent Republican Dr. Dan Benishek in Michigan’s largest Congressional district. His website is: arcandforcongress.com, and information on Arcand can also be found on Facebook HERE.

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BREAKING – Dave Camp To Bow Out

CampAnd the Michigan Congressional selection just got a little more interesting.

With only three weeks to the filing deadline, Congressman Dave Camp has said he will not seek re-election.  Rollcall reports his announcement:

“Today, I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to the United States House of Representatives,” Camp said in a statement. “This decision was reached after much consideration and discussion with my family.”

We wish him the best of luck in future endeavors.

We also hope that Peter Konetchy is ready to fend off an expected establishment chosen congressional candidate.  Konetchy is currently the only announced candidate for the 4th congressional district in Michigan

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Rogers To Move On

7 Term Congressman Is Moving On

rogersUS Congressman Mike Rogers is putting away his legislative pen.

Its apparently time to move on the the graveyard of political careers. The land of political punditry; broadcaster Nirvana. Talk Radio. The Detroit News Reports

The seven-term Howell Republican’s announcement comes less than a month before the filing deadline — and is the third major departure for the state’s congressional delegation following the decisions of Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, to retire. Last year, Rogers opted not to pursue Levin‘s seat, despite pressure from fellow Republicans, to focus on his job overseeing the Intelligence committee.

This of course presents yet another opportunity for a Michigan conservative pickup in the 8th congressional district. It also can go the other way if a decent candidate is NOT found by April 22, which is Michigan’s filing deadline for the Aug 5 primary.

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