Seriously, where did you Party lemmings find this buffoon?
Bottom line, y’alls Party sucks.
You Betcha! 
(18)Nuh Uh.
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(18)Nuh Uh.(0)Tag Archive for Kevin Cotter
80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy
Apparently We Need More Popcorn
by Kevin Rex Heine • • 17 Comments
Shakespearean tragedy, or phoenix rising from the ashes? At least now the voters will get the final say.
Clearly, she was serious about giving the voters in her district the final say in the matter. Just in case you’ve spent the past six days or so completely incommunicado, according to the Detroit News, WKZO-AM 590, WOOD-TV8, WXMI-TV17, the Lansing News, WWMT-TV3, the Detroit Free Press, WDIV-TV4, WXYZ-TV7, the Holland Sentinel, WZZM-TV13, and the Chicago Tribune, around 2:30 Thursday afternoon last, Cindy A. Gamrat has filed to run in the special election for the seat she was expelled from a week ago, as confirmed by the Allegan County Clerk’s Office. (Ironically, Chad Livengood got to be the one to break this story as well.) The joint opinion of the Grand Rapids Press and Kalamazoo Gazette editorial boards, whose newspaper coverage areas include the 80th District, was short and on point, but not necessarily shared by all of their readers.
Popcorn, anyone?
You Betcha! (25)Nuh Uh.(5)
(25)Nuh Uh.(5)80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans
Removing The People’s Voice
by Jason • • 15 Comments
Can Two Wrongs Make a Right?
Recall by constituents would have been a more appropriate option in the Todd and Cindy debacle.
In the hours leading up to what finally happened, deals were likely made that will hardly resonate later as good policy decisions. “get your merry caucus of non voting dems to do their job, and I’ll make sure you get …,” the highly probable statement from house speaker Kevin Cotter to house minority leader Tim Greimel. Greimel apparently held out for the ‘investigation’ carrot as well. Democrat Floor Leader Singh implied this after Roll Call 295, when he motioned to send the entire matter back to committee.
The House Democrats wanted – and got – more than just a couple of scalps. Their blackmail was effective because all of our representatives were bone tired after 13 plus hours of ‘Rule 32’ imprisonment and ready to go home for the weekend. A Michigan State Police investigation of this sorry situation will almost certainly embarrass House leadership far more than the behaviors of Representatives Courser and Gamrat. They made mistakes, but weren’t sufficiently connected or protected politically to extract themselves once exposed.
Apologies NOT accepted.
Gamrat believed she and her lawyer and all involved understood that it would be ‘censure, not expulsion’ if she prostrated herself in a very public mea culpa. Three hours of intense discussions between her, the House Majority counsel, and her own attorney fleshed out what she considered conditional admittance. According to Gamrat, Hassan Beydoun, Majority Counsel, told her “we can control our side ..” when sealing the ostensible censure deal.
Gamrat says the House leadership did not want to go all the way through removal. Leadership did not want to own an expulsion, which would encourage voters to examine other Lansing shenanigans. Approached multiple times by different legislators and implored to resign, Cindy Gamrat refused. She says the pressure was beyond intense. Gamrat’s resolve held all the way out to 4 AM when it became clear that the House leadership could not, or would not ‘control their side’.
You Betcha! (47)Nuh Uh.(7)
(47)Nuh Uh.(7)Cronyism, Michigan, Opinion, Part Time Legislature
Throwback Thursday
by Corinthian Scales • • 1 Comment
With full knowledge.
Just a reminder of who is pulling the strings of the Michigan Gang Of Polyps fellating losers.
You Betcha! (23)Nuh Uh.(0)
(23)Nuh Uh.(0)80th District Special Election (2015), Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Republicans, Taxes
Michigan House Leadership Off-The-Rail Witch Hunt
by Jason • • 5 Comments
Speaker Kevin Cotter's antics in Lansing may reveal an underhanded effort to raise taxes.
Michigan House speaker Kevin Cotter is turning out to be a real turd in the punch bowl.
Personal ‘Impropriety,’ and the lack of ‘qualifications’ are two very different things. Of course the State Constitution allows each house to determine the qualifications to occupy a seat as a representative. It ALSO allows the house under certain circumstances to (remove) “expel” sitting representatives with a two thirds majority vote.
§ 16 Legislature; officers, rules of procedure, expulsion of members.
Sec. 16.
Each house, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, shall choose its own officers and determine the rules of its proceedings, but shall not adopt any rule that will prevent a majority of the members elected thereto and serving therein from discharging a committee from the further consideration of any measure. Each house shall be the sole judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of its members, and may, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all the members elected thereto and serving therein, expel a member. The reasons for such expulsion shall be entered in the journal, with the votes and names of the members voting upon the question. No member shall be expelled a second time for the same cause.
Qualifications, elections, returns, are all specific to the elections, and the follow up is the expulsion clause.
You Betcha! (28)Nuh Uh.(4)
(28)Nuh Uh.(4)80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Part Time Legislature, Republicans
Remember This When Party Jagoffs Call for “Unity”
by Corinthian Scales • • 5 Comments
I’m starting to develop a real disdain for this smarmy, slimy, term limited p****.
With @CindyGamrat sitting 10 feet away, @Rep_Cotter says he rejected her request to apologize to @MIHouseGOP caucus. pic.twitter.com/5yP1qT8EgO
— Chad Livengood (@ChadLivengood) August 18, 2015
You Betcha! (23)Nuh Uh.(2)
(23)Nuh Uh.(2)80th District Special Election (2015), Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy
Repentance, Reconciliation, and Restoration
by Kevin Rex Heine • • 7 Comments
Two apostles can teach us much about handling a current scandal.
For a little over a week now, we’ve been . . . treated . . . to a bit of a media circus revolving around a couple of tea party legislators in the Republican House Caucus in Lansing. Predictably, there has been much hand-wringing and calling for heads coming from key figures within the statewide republican establishment. Also predictably, there has been much hand-wringing and calling for heads from within the statewide tea party movement.
I say “also predictably” because many of the high profile tea partiers in this state have developed a habit of happily piling on any politicos from “our side” who screw up publicly. Given the way that these people are finding fault with every single republican POTUS candidate for 2016, I suspect that Jesus Christ himself could be on the ballot, and two out of every three tea partiers in Michigan would still figure out a reason to crucify him. Speaking of which . . .
You Betcha! (13)Nuh Uh.(3)
(13)Nuh Uh.(3)2015 MIGOP State Convention, 80th District Special Election (2015), Conservative News, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy
The Cover-Up Is Always Worse
by Kevin Rex Heine • • 15 Comments
Did Watergate teach you nothing? (Yet another case of not learning from history.)
I got wind of this via a phone call at around 07:41 this morning, while I was still getting my head screwed on straight (on my first actual day off in about three weeks), and quite frankly, I have no idea how to categorize this one. “Wrong-headed thinking” seems like a solid characterization, and I’m well-aware of the double entendre involved.
You Betcha! (15)Nuh Uh.(0)
(15)Nuh Uh.(0)Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans
Say NO to Al Psholka
by Jason • • 0 Comments
A Conservatively Strong GOP house needs a true Republican leader.
A message from your conscience.
PLEASE consider talking to your newly elected rep about one of the most important decisions he/she will make very soon. The Hastert rule being ignored brought us medicaid expansion, and will cost us more in gas taxes very soon. From a Facebook post:
After the shellacking of the Dem Progressive agenda yesterday, it is time for the MIGOP to wake up and change direction. They need to realize that they dodged the bullet and rode the wave of Anti Democrat voter sentiment, NOT a wave of Pro Republican Sentiment.
The MI House republicans could start by electing a new House leader that will not be a rubber stamp for the Guvnerds’ agenda. Rumor is that many of the House Republican caucus want a chance to vote on the Hastert rule. I would challenge Cotter to make a Few Points into a Platform that would Garner him support from many of the incumbents and from most of the Newly minted Freshman.
1. Promise to allow the Caucus to vote on adopting the Hastert rule.
2. Promise to allow Tom Hooker’s heartbeat bill to be put on the floor.
3. Promise to allow ALAC (Rep. Tom Hooker again) to be put on the floor.
4. Promise to not allow Elliot Larsen, and other Legislation that does not have Majority Republican support to see the light of day.We already face too much danger from the Lame Duck session. We can expect many of those term limited out, Jase Bolger, randy Randy Richardville, Haveman, and others seeking future appointments and Government job opportunities, to attempt to curry favor with the Guvnerd, and special interests.
A strong stand now would garner support, and help place those currently seated on notice that Business as usual will not be part of the agenda after Jan 1.
Call your newly elected Rep and tell them to support Kevin Cotter for speaker.
You Betcha! (14)Nuh Uh.(4)
(14)Nuh Uh.(4)
