The President, speaking at Kalamazoo Central High's graduation yesterday, tried for a JFK "ask not" speech about civic duty and being a good American and all that. It was pretty good. But one kid could barely stay awake. Video!
Nine members of the Michigan-based Hutaree militia, who plotted to kill police officers and establish their own country, were ordered to be put on house arrest until trial because prosecutors could not prove that they pose a threat. What?
Chris Hansen traveled to Detroit, Michigan for a Dateline special that aired tonight on the state of what is probably America's most desolate city. And in aerial footage—devastation porn at its best—Detroit's grim plight was revealed. Video inside.
A militant, Midwestern Christian group called the "Hutaree" was reportedly the target of government raids this weekend. Their leader, Raddock "RD" Merzonick, was arrested, and now, their web site is being attacked by internet trolls armed with gay porn.
As Lewis Black harangued about last night on The Daily Show, there is some seriously silly newly-minted Barack Obama merchandise. Like those horribly cheesy collectible plates, and all the newspapers in the land that have become "November 5th Edition" souvenir stores. And now, from beautifully blue Michigan, come the tiniest and perhaps most "really reaching here, guys" of Obama-associated products. They're called Nanobamas and they're each smaller than a grain of sand. And, OK, they're not technically for sale, but they're still weird! A mechanical engineering professor at the University of Michigan created the minuscule Obama portraits "to raise awareness of nanotechnology and science." Yes, there needs to be more awareness of science! Like about what science is and why it can be used, for some reason, to make wee portraits of our newest president-elect. The coolest part of the whole project, though? How cool everyone who worked on them is:
A report on "liberal blog" The Michigan Messenger claimed this week that Macomb County (Michigan) Republicans have quietly gathered a list of foreclosed homes in their area and are planning to use it to challenge the addresses—hence, the eligibility—of voters on Election Day. (Macomb holds much of the middle class northern suburbs of Detroit.) There are also allegations of shenanigans between John McCain's campaign and a law firm that specializes in foreclosures. The county chairman says the charges are a complete lie and that his quotes in the original story are fabricated, but the reporter didn't tape the conversation (which is like, Journalism 101, right?) so who the hell knows what's going on? Still, this it brings to mind all the electoral problems that were supposed to be fixed eight years ago and somehow still aren't. This is how elections are rigged won these days. You don't stuff the ballot box or "misplace" one—you close it before anyone can put it a name in. In many ways, Michigan is the swingiest of swing states. It went blue in 2000 and 2004 (narrowly) and has a Democratic governor, but the state has been hit harder than any by recession and unemployment and Jennifer "Aunt Jenny" Granholm doesn't have a ton of fans right now. (She's also Canadian! And not the good moose-hunting kind.) It isn't generally mentioned as one of the key battleground states, but Michigan could easily become the one, especially with the local apparatus in Detroit a complete shambles right now. (What with Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick going to jail and everything.) If Ohio and Florida have taught us anything, it's that it doesn't take much to take away someone's voter card—but did they teach it to us too late? Or is simply no one listening? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s famous Rolling Stone piece was a scathing indictment of local party politics, but it came two years after anyone could do anything about it. So is this the first of many shady stories we'll hear about in 2008? Or is it an outright lie that damages the media's ability to do its one civic duty—keeping people honest? Or will we wake up sometime in December and think, "Gee, how did that happen?" Lose your house, lose your vote [MichiganMessenger.com] GOP won't use foreclosure list to block voters [Detroit Free Press]
"Democratic Party leaders agreed Saturday to seat Michigan and Florida delegates with half-votes at this summer's convention with a compromise that left Barack Obama on the verge of the nomination but riled Hillary Rodham Clinton backers who threatened to fight to the August convention. 'Hijacking four delegates is not a good way to start down the path of party unity,' said adviser Harold Ickes. Clinton's camp maintains she was entitled to four additional Michigan delegates."
