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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

Bob Alexander to witness Gore’s Obama endorsement

By Todd Spencer | 06.16.08 | 6:34 pm

8th District Democratic candidate and former Michigan co-chair of Draft Al Gore 2008 reacts to historic endorsement at Joe Louis Arena

Before East Lansing consultancy owner Bob Alexander announced he would challenge Republican Mike Rogers in the 8th Congressional District, he was one of the Midwest’s strongest voices for trying to get Al Gore to launch a Democratic run for the presidency in the 2008 election.

Michigan Messenger spoke with Alexander via cell phone this evening while he was en route to Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena for Gore’s expected endorsement of Barack Obama.

“It makes perfect sense now with Hillary Clinton out, and he’s trying to get unity in the party,” said Alexander. “He offers Obama lots of credibility with environmentalists and also with a lot of corporate folks that Gore has worked with on global warming issues.”

John Edwards’ endorsement of Obama in Grand Rapids four weeks ago spurred speculation that the dramatic gesture captured by all the cable networks was a calculated laying of the groundwork for Obama’s ultimately choosing Edwards as a running mate.

With the possibility that such talk could turn toward Gore in the wake of tonight’s nod at “The Joe,” Alexander – who was a regional and national figure in the Draft Al Gore 2008 movement – gave us his insight:

“I don’t think Gore would take it. He has such freedom right now. Global warming is real, and he’s got his mission. Besides, he’s already done that. The VP’s role as the president of the Senate really, really bogs you down as the vice president. Let me put it this way: Al Gore would not be able to do what he does now [fighting global warming] if he were vice president.”

As such a staunch, early supporter of Gore, does Alexander now endorse Obama? “Oh yeah!” he said with no hesitation.

Changing the subject quickly to his own nascent campaign, Alexander reported that he got “tremendous” reception at the recent state central meeting of Democrats. “Party figures like [former governor] Jim Blanchard and [party activist] Debbie Dingell were great. Our campaign is getting a vigorous level of support, and it’s starting to reverberate.”

Comments

  • Amyinlansing

    Well of course Alexander supports Obama! I suppose you have to get it on record that Alexander endorses Obama, but to pose it as a question, like maybe he’d be still holding out for Gore sounded silly. Bob is a true Democrat and it seems to me his excitement about Obama is genuine. What’s really encouraging is to hear that state party bigwigs are supporting Alexander too. Let’s start acting united, up and down the ticket, and really WORK to take our country back.

    Oh, and I agree with Bob on why Gore wouldn’t take the veep seat. Now I’d like to hear from Bob what it was like at the Joe last night.

  • Rosemary F

    Let’s get behind Bob Alexander! Mike Rogers is only interested in serving big money, corporations, and special wealthy interests.  Rogers usually walks in lockstep with Bush and Cheney.

    We deserve a Representative in Congress who will fight for our interests. Bob will fight for good-paying jobs, health care for all, successful schools and less expensive colleges, a clean environment, and a more effective government at all levels.

    Over the last 7 years, Bob has helped raise the Michigan Minimum Wage. He worked on the Ingham Access to Health Care group that expanded health services for county residents.

    I’ve done some volunteering with Bob and I am planning to do more (seriously, Bob, I’ll be back). Each time I have worked with Bob, he has impressed me with his positive energy and his organizational skills. When we were collecting signatures for his nominating petitions, something happened that particularly impressed me. At the same time that we were collecting signatures for Bob, we were also collecting signatures for another Democrat. That individual had to submit her nominating petitions the following week. Bob told me that when I knocked on doors, to ask them to sign the other person’s petition first. I think that says a lot about Bob’s character. He is a team player.

    In a nutshell, Bob is interested in the common good.

    Please throw some support to Bob. We need to invest in Bob, he doesn’t have big corporations in his back pocket like Mike Rogers does. I just sent over another donation yesterday.  This is Bob’s ActBlue page:
    https://secure.actbl…

    Please donate today.

  • Amyinlansing

    Well of course Alexander supports Obama! I suppose you have to get it on record that Alexander endorses Obama, but to pose it as a question, like maybe he'd be still holding out for Gore sounded silly. Bob is a true Democrat and it seems to me his excitement about Obama is genuine. What's really encouraging is to hear that state party bigwigs are supporting Alexander too. Let's start acting united, up and down the ticket, and really WORK to take our country back.

    Oh, and I agree with Bob on why Gore wouldn't take the veep seat. Now I'd like to hear from Bob what it was like at the Joe last night.

  • Rosemary F

    Let's get behind Bob Alexander! Mike Rogers is only interested in serving big money, corporations, and special wealthy interests.  Rogers usually walks in lockstep with Bush and Cheney.

    We deserve a Representative in Congress who will fight for our interests. Bob will fight for good-paying jobs, health care for all, successful schools and less expensive colleges, a clean environment, and a more effective government at all levels.

    Over the last 7 years, Bob has helped raise the Michigan Minimum Wage. He worked on the Ingham Access to Health Care group that expanded health services for county residents.

    I've done some volunteering with Bob and I am planning to do more (seriously, Bob, I'll be back). Each time I have worked with Bob, he has impressed me with his positive energy and his organizational skills. When we were collecting signatures for his nominating petitions, something happened that particularly impressed me. At the same time that we were collecting signatures for Bob, we were also collecting signatures for another Democrat. That individual had to submit her nominating petitions the following week. Bob told me that when I knocked on doors, to ask them to sign the other person's petition first. I think that says a lot about Bob's character. He is a team player.

    In a nutshell, Bob is interested in the common good.

    Please throw some support to Bob. We need to invest in Bob, he doesn't have big corporations in his back pocket like Mike Rogers does. I just sent over another donation yesterday.  This is Bob's ActBlue page:

    https://secure.actbl…

    Please donate today.

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