Tom Wieder

Sat, Jul 31, 2010 : 10:46 p.m.

@Insane Geek I'll try this one more time. Here's what I said: "Does anyone have an example of a Democrat-funded group spending heavily in a Michigan GOP primary race?" I don't know what was done in Alabama, but no one's provided an example of Dems spending in a Michigan GOP primary.

InsaneGeek

Sat, Jul 31, 2010 : 10:33 p.m.

@Tom Wieder " I didn't say that Dems never pull any stunts, but no one, including you, has provided an example of a Dem-funded group spending substantial money in a GOP primary race. " So the article I posted days prior, from factcheck.org where the Co-Chairman of the Democrat party for the entire state of Alamaba helped funnel 1.4 million to be spent in the Republican primary by a PAC claiming to be Republican not be "substantial money", or is factcheck.org whom President Obama has repeatedly referenced as proof in speeches just not truthful?

Speechless

Sat, Jul 31, 2010 : 11:02 a.m.

"... Great Lakes Ed supports Byrnes beacause she is the lesser of two evils..." You probably have no idea of the full extent to which a line like that puts the Warren campaign in a positive light. Along with the Great Lakes Education Project mailers, statements like these coming from Engler/Mackinac conservatives and their local sycophants do more to indicate actual differences between Byrnes and Warren than most anything local liberals have said. Byrnes's more "practical" and "flexible" political nature means that on occasion she will vote "correctly" in accordance with GLEP, founded by believers in "intelligent design." "... Progressive Michigan ("one of the most far left wing groups in Michigan")...." No, they are definitely not one of the most 'far left' groups. I wish they were. "... Ah elections, always follow the money and man up!" Will some of us need a sex change before wooing the big bucks?

InsideTheHall

Sat, Jul 31, 2010 : 6:25 a.m.

Oh come on Holtz this is politics for crying out loud. Man up! Great Lakes Ed supports Byrnes beacause she is the lesser of two evils. Great Lakes Ed is hardly "one of the most fair right committees". What they are is for accountability in education in the classroom and the board room. Now the MEA may take issue with that but then again they are trying to protect their monopoly on educating kids. Perhaps A2.com should do the homework and see the cross over in donors between Progressive Michigan ("one of the most far left wing groups in Michigan") and the MEA the union who's members educate our kids. Ah elections, always follow the money and man up!

Speechless

Fri, Jul 30, 2010 : 10:22 p.m.

Judging from the Byrnes mailers going around now, which are sponsored by the campaign itself, a good portion of her content has turned seriously negative. Classic attack ads, with no further help from the Great Lakes Education Project.

Speechless

Fri, Jul 30, 2010 : 12:02 p.m.

From rulieg: "... you're whining about the 'evil' DeVos and Weiser because they're supporting a Democrat? because they agree with her pro-charter-school position?" Thanks for bringing up Byrnes's support for charter schools. There's reason to believe she shows a bit too much enthusiasm for the concept, which would make her a useful Democrat to the DeVos family, as they dearly love vouchers and charters — central to their efforts to cripple public education. This, in addition to her key support for Republican cuts on teacher benefits.

Tom Wieder

Fri, Jul 30, 2010 : 11:49 a.m.

@Jay Thomas - What I said was: "'Democrats do the same thing.' Really? Does anyone have an example of a Democrat-funded group spending heavily in a Michigan GOP primary race?" I didn't say that Dems never pull any stunts, but no one, including you, has provided an example of a Dem-funded group spending substantial money in a GOP primary race.

rulieg

Thu, Jul 29, 2010 : 9:48 p.m.

so wait--you're whining about the "evil" DeVos and Weiser because they're supporting a Democrat? because they agree with her pro-charter-school position? and that makes them--and Byrnes--bad? funny, but I bet you people would be the first to decry "the lack of bipartisanship in the country," wouldn't you?

Jay Thomas

Thu, Jul 29, 2010 : 6:46 p.m.

@ Model Tim, Tom Wieder and Karen Siegal: Yes, Democrats do underhanded things to advance their political agenda. To pretend that only Republicans do is to be willfully blind. This is from today's Detroit News... http://www.detnews.com/article/20100729/POLITICS02/7290469/1361/GOP-lawyers-join-in-as-battle-of-tea-parties-heats-up Phony Tea Party people (really Democrats) are working hard to put the Tea Party on the ballot in a host of state-wide races for the sole purpose of siphoning off votes from the Republicans (i.e. they are trying to steal the election). The real Tea Party people say it has nothing to do with them. Twenty three candidates running for statewide office and districts where Democrats are vulnerable and "tea party" votes might save them. Twelve of those filings were notarized by the Political Director of the Oakland County Democratic Party. The Democrat firm Progressive Campaigns is the one that collected the signatures necessary to put the phony tea party on the ballot. As informative as it is to read annarbor.com for local news, I would recommend other news sources as well if you want to keep up to date.

Bill Wilson

Thu, Jul 29, 2010 : 10:57 a.m.

Note to Devos: It worked! They're going to vote for Warren. Great job!

A2_2010

Thu, Jul 29, 2010 : 8:52 a.m.

Wow. This exchange makes me frightened for our democracy. It looks like Tea Party folks have come out in full force for R. Warren and are reading from an Oliver Stone script.

clownfish

Thu, Jul 29, 2010 : 8 a.m.

@STUNSHIF God Bless! A woman must be a learner, listening quietly and with due submission. I do not permit a woman to be a teacher, nor must woman domineer over man; she should be quiet. II Timothy 2:11-14

InsaneGeek

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 10:49 p.m.

As a full-on independant for multiple years, avoiding Dems & Repubs... to the question as to whether or Democrats do it as well... and the below example I think everybody probably can agree is way over the top: $1.4 million used in attack adds lead by a co-chairman of the Democratic party for the entire state of Alabama. If you want to continue to live in your black/white world where your party is angelic and the other party is demonic don't read any further and close your eyes to the truth. http://www.factcheck.org/2010/07/mystery-drama-deception-in-alabama/ A group calling itself the "Conservative Coalition for Alabama" is airing an ad that falsely accuses Byrne of a host of offenses. It says Byrne "took a 500 percent pay raise" (thats misleading); steered government contracts to "cronies" (theres no evidence of that); lost millions of dollars in the states prepaid college savings plan (so did nearly all other state plans); and ran up the taxpayers tab drinking "expensive wines" (false) and traveling in "style" (not entirely true). Byrne suspects that the Conservative Coalition is a front group for the Alabama Education Association. He has good reason. AEA Executive Director Paul Hubbert (who also is co-chairman of the state Democratic party) admitted that he used "True Republican PAC" as a front group to attack Byrne during the June 1 primary fight. In a May 2 story in the Birmingham News, Hubbert admitted that the organization helped finance True Republican through a series of PAC-to-PAC contributions that is commonly used in Alabama to avoid disclosing the true source of the contributions. Our own review of campaign finance records showed that the teachers PAC gave $1.5 million to 10 PACs, which in turn gave nearly $1 million to True Republican PAC. Joe Cottle, a lobbyist for the teachers group, is the treasurer of five of the PACs, and Rudy Davidson, a former education lobbyist and a contributor to A VOTE, was treasurer of four others. Such PAC-to-PAC contributions are legal. Cottle told us they are necessary in cases when a candidate or group doesnt want to be publicly associated with AEA which is unpopular in some circles, particularly in a Republican primary but wants its money, or when the AEA wants to help moderate Republicans. In all, True Republican raised and spent about $1.4 million during the primary, including on one ad titled "Peas in a Pod" that linked Byrne to Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Speechless

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 10:34 p.m.

Vivienne A.: "... Why should Byrnes involve herself in a discussion about the GLEP's behavior? She has already disavowed any knowledge or responsibility for the piece.... To entangle her in such a discussion would take away from the campaign points that she is trying to focus on. She has not run a negative campaign but has run on her record...." So far, the closest thing to a direct answer from Byrnes in regard to speaking out on the GLEP mailers can be found in these several lines near the end of Tom Wieder's earlier post, which 'warren-ts' some additional emphasis here: "... The same inaction followed the distribution of the groups piece attacking Rebekah. When I suggested to Pam that she take some action to publicly disown the groups actions and call for them to stop meddling in the Democratic primary, she said that shed have to consult her 'political advisors.' So much for her leadership qualities." Then there's the question as to why the far right wing DeVos & Co. would strategically ride to the rescue of the Byrnes campaign as it faces a strong primary challenge. Probably the best clue, after all, is provided in the article itself, in a passage helpfully noted in a comment several posts above: "... the two state representatives voted differently on a plan to revamp the teacher retirement system. Byrnes was one of a handful of Democrats who joined the House Republicans to pass the legislation, which increases teacher retirement premiums and removes any guarantee of retirement health benefits...." So, it looks as if Byrnes has received a campaign reward from the GLEP for having joined state Republicans on a vote that was important to the group. GLEP — the so-called Great Lakes Education Project — functions as a political arm for the DeVos family and their political allies. It strongly promotes vouchers and charter schools, while seeking to undercut support and spending for public schools at all levels of government. It wants to return systems of education back to a 19th century arrangement, parallel to the efforts of their good pals at the Mackinac Center, who wish to return labor law standards to the robber baron era — and who target teachers' unions.

stunhsif

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 9:36 p.m.

Vote ABAD, Anybody But A Democrat! Rebekah Warren is closer to a socialist which I am certain "delights" most folks in A2. God Bless Dick DeVos.

JMA2Y

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 8:42 p.m.

In the past year, I've had the pleasure of being in Lansing for a day with Warren and staff and saw how hard they all work. Warren is very involved in everything that she is concerned about. She is very knowledeable, very intelligent, very connected to the issues, and like any good manager, has a team behind her that is also intelligent and hard working. I had a chance to see all the running back and forth from their offices to the Capitol bldg; from within their office building to numerous meetings that are scheduled back to back and on top of each other; how well organized she and her staff must be to deal with all the work required. She has an amazing team and they have an amazing leader. Vote for Warren!

JMA2Y

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 8:41 p.m.

In the past year, I've had the pleasure of being in Lansing for a day with Warren and staff and saw how hard they all work. Warren is very involved in everything that she is concerned about. She is very knowledeable, very intelligent, very connected to the issues, and like any good manager, has a team behind her that is also intelligent and hard working. I had a chance to see all the running back and forth from their offices to the Capitol bldg; from within their office building to numerous meetings that are scheduled back to back and on top of each other; how well organized she and her staff must be to deal with all the work required. She has an amazing team and they have an amazing leader. Vote for Warren!

Roadman

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 7:17 p.m.

Nothing new here. I remember the 2006 State House race where Albert Berriz, currently the CEO of McKinley Associates and a heavy donor to the Michigan Republican Party, gave funds to the Leigh Greden campaign when he fought Rebekah Warren for the State House seat she currently occupies. Greden lost that race by 20 percentage points. Warren has been a vocal pro-choice activist most of her political career and its probable that Byrnes is seen as a more palatable moderate to the GOP.

MorningGirl

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 3:29 p.m.

"Byrnes was one of a handful of Democrats who joined the House Republicans to pass the legislation, which increases teacher retirement premiums and removes any guarantee of retirement health benefits." If this is true, I will support Warren, no matter who said what about whom. I haven't been teaching for more than 30 years so that I can retire and find I have no health benefits.

Vivienne Armentrout

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 3:11 p.m.

@Basic Bob: that's funny, I thought about the Princess Bride bit when I was writing my comment about whether the negative hit on Warren was intended to hurt Byrnes (as it clearly has). But recall that the answer to the riddle in that case was that it was not a fair contest. The hero was immune to the poison and both cups contained it. @Veracity: obviously I think you make a lot of sense. @Speechless: you are setting too high a bar. Why should Byrnes involve herself in a discussion about the GLEP's behavior? She has already disavowed any knowledge or responsibility for the piece. Further, it is not her place to make judgments about the information conveyed in the piece. To entangle her in such a discussion would take away from the campaign points that she is trying to focus on. She has not run a negative campaign but has run on her record, and I'd like to see her stay with that. It is difficult to know what the exact motivation is behind this but things get confusing about now in elections. Let's not forget that some people just filed to be on the ballot as the Tea Party at the same time that "official" Tea Party representatives are vigorously disavowing it.

Steve Norton, MIPFS

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 12:44 p.m.

I think this affair highlights the problems with how campaign finance works here and elsewhere. While campaign committees can only receive $1000 from each individual or "sponsored" PAC (and $10,000 for established independent PACs), "independent" PACs such as GLEP can receive and spend an unlimited amount of money, as long as it is not under the control of a candidate. In this case, GLEP has received substantially all its money from various members of the DeVos family, state GOP chair Ron Weiser, and JC Huizenga (founder of National Heritage Academies, a charter school operator with a Christian bent). Contributions from the DeVos' and Huizenga to GLEP this year so far amount to some $90,000. What I found more interesting was that the group's July triennial campaign finance filing (covering the period through July 20) makes no mention of any spending in support of Pam Byrnes, or opposing Rebekah Warren. Pretty close timing, since I got the third postcard on Saturday, July 24. I suppose the checks were written conveniently after the deadline, and the next report will not be due until October. Until then, no one will know exactly how much has been spent. I am personally supporting Warren, though I have great respect for Byrnes. But I am disappointed with what I've seen so far of the Byrnes campaign's response to the independent efforts by GLEP.

Tom Wieder

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 11:05 a.m.

As an active Democrat for 40 years who lives in Pam Byrnes State Representative district, I have voted for her in three general elections. I am, however, supporting her opponent, Rebekah Warren, in the State Senate primary, and people ask me why. Most importantly, it is a question of political ethics and principles. In 1996, Pam and Catherine McClary ran for the Democratic nomination for Washtenaw County Treasurer. During that campaign, Pam made unsubstantiated, cheap-shot allegations against Catherine. The allegations concerned supposed improprieties in Catherines private career as a local stockbroker/financial advisor. I was a minor customer of Catherines and thought the charges were nonsense. The Ann Arbor News investigated the allegations, found them to be baseless and endorsed Catherine. She easily defeated Pam. Apparently, Pam didnt learn from this experience or improve her campaign ethics. Now, she attacks Rebekah for filing her campaign finance report one (business) day late, although Pam was late with one of her own reports previously and failed to put legally-required disclosure information on her billboards. She also attacks Rebekah for allegedly violating the spirit of the campaign finance law in the handling of her own PAC money, while acknowledging that what Rebekah did is legal. Its also perfectly legal for each of them to use leftover funds from their State Representatives campaigns for their Senate campaigns, but how would past contributors, who primarily gave money to them to beat Republicans, feel about their contributions being use to beat a fellow Democrat in the same community? Pam has used over $37,000 in these funds to Rebekahs $10,000. And then there is the issue of the DeVos-funded conservative group supporting Pam and attacking Rebekah. I have no evidence that Pam had any knowledge of this groups efforts before they became public, but Pams actions since the first brochure from the group appeared more than a week ago are not reassuring. She quickly learned of the group's GOP pedigree, but did nothing in response. She didnt ask them to butt out of the Democratic primary or publicly disown their efforts and disassociate herself from them. The same inaction followed the distribution of the groups piece attacking Rebekah. When I suggested to Pam that she take some action to publicly disown the groups actions and call for them to stop meddling in the Democratic primary, she said that shed have to consult her political advisors. So much for her leadership qualities. Either candidate would vote correctly, from a liberal Democratic perspective, on most issues, but Pams character problem makes Rebekah a clear choice for me.

HBA

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 10:35 a.m.

It is quite obvious that this example of dirty politics has been meant to smear Pam Byrnes and her candidacy. Judging from many of the comments, it appears to be succeeding to a degree. We hope that common sense will prevail; that voters will view all the facts rather than react emotionally. Pam has been an excellent Representative for our community. She has shown time and again that she is willing to cross party lines in order to benefit her constituents and get things done. Would that we had more candidates of her quality and calibre.

Speechless

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 10:12 a.m.

"... The "Great Lakes Education Project", paid for by conservative Republicans, the DeVos's and Ron Weiser, are trying to discredit Pam Byrnes to Democratic voters by associating her with Republican values. Do not let them sway you...." Spin, spin, spin.... Has Byrnes taken the time to publicly condemn GLEP for their mailings on her behalf, as well as for nearly every social policy position they advocate? I think not, although a number of us would be happy to be proven wrong on this count. She likely felt at the time that GLEP's campaign help was badly needed. There is no reason in the world for DeVos & Co. to promote Warren, as her views and votes rate at around 0% on the far right wing's legislative scorecard. Anyone with a modicum of awareness about the 18th District also knows that the Republican candidate in the fall election is a designated sacrificial lamb.

Bill

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 9:59 a.m.

Anyone the DeVosses are against has my attention. Voted for Warren.

clownfish

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 9:12 a.m.

Note that national republicans voted to continue debate, rather than vote on, a bill that would require those that sponsor political ads to tell us where (and who) the money comes from. Why would a group that espouses the Ten Commandments be placed in public arenas want to hide those that bring False Witness? Would ya'll consider these fliers to be False Witness? Why would a group of people that consistently preach "Values" use such underhanded techniques? Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. If these folks, Like Devos, want the rest of us to live by the teachings of Moses and The Most Famous Carpenter, why don't they?

Veracity

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 8:40 a.m.

SEE THROUGH THE SHAM! The "Great Lakes Education Project", paid for by conservative Republicans, the DeVos's and Ron Weiser, are trying to discredit Pam Byrnes to democratic voters by associating her with Republican values. Do not let them sway you. Consider Pam Byrnes record and her statements. DeVos and Weiser see Rebekkah Warren as the weaker candidate opposite the Republican candidate in November and this is their effort to influence the primary race for the benefit of the Republican party. Do not buy it!

Aaron Wolf

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 7:58 a.m.

Here's what's CERTAIN: the 54-missed votes argument is a smear that is not a logical, honest perspective. It's one thing to ask questions, it's another to pick out one statistic, present it without any context, and then promote rash conclusions about it. If the Byrnes campaign does not publicly repudiate the negative, dishonest ad, then she does not deserve to be considered. If she does repudiate, then I encourage everyone to consider either candidate based on the issues. If Byrnes stays quiet about it, then she lacks integrity, and in that case, please everyone vote for Warren, especially to vote against emotional, negative marketing.

A2_2010

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 7:07 a.m.

This exchange makes me ashamed of Democrats. The labels and short exchanges and low discourse... What are the issues that matter? It seems to me that Pam Byrnes is the more mature and experienced candidate best prepared to serve us full time in the Senate. Warren needs to learn to show-up, file reports on time and accept facts without resorting to name-calling and attacking a messenger. The past 24 hours have cleared up who I am voting for...

McGiver

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 6:53 a.m.

Get over it, dems have been voting for republican candidates in primaries for a long time. John McCain is one example. For sure there will be more to come as long as primaries are open.

a2since73

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 6:37 a.m.

I would like to see a list of backers of GLEP and the organizations and companies they are associated with. That way I can boycott them if the occasion should arise. Naming DeVos is a good start.

Basic Bob

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 3:36 a.m.

The discussion on whether GLEP's support helps or hurts Ms. Byrnes reminds of the *battle of wits* from "The Princess Bride": "But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me."

Bear

Wed, Jul 28, 2010 : 2:49 a.m.

leave it to the weasels to find a way to try to skew an election through underhanded and amoral methods. Nothing unusual about this slime job, only in the fact that it wasn't hidden well enough to avoid detection. And no, tdw, they don't use the same methods, no matter how much you might want to delude yourself about the matter. Warren has had my vote for awhile now.

Tom Wieder

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 10:56 p.m.

@Husker 7- You can't file things with the Secretary of State on Saturday or Sunday, so, if you miss Friday, the next business day to file is Monday. But, hell, we'll count it your way. So, does a delay of reporting campaign finances by 3 days help a candidate or hurt the voters? Or are you just looking for a nit to pick?

treetowncartel

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 10:30 p.m.

How about we get rid of post service benefits for elected officials?

stunhsif

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 7:54 p.m.

Reading most of these posts make me thank the good Lord that the rest of this great country does not think like this. Rebekah is a much scarier version of Jenny, what I would call Jenny on steroids. Anyone so tight with all the unions is someone to most certainly not vote for. At least Pam, while still very liberal, is her own person and is not going to get "bought out" like Rebekah!

Speechless

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 7:23 p.m.

If by chance it's true that the Byrnes campaign had nothing at all to do with mailings carried out by an ultraconservative, third-party group to promote her state senate candidacy, then we should expect — at an absolute minimum — that Pam herself will publicly address what the GLEP has done lately in her name. We should fully expect that she will emphatically distance herself from the GLEP and heavily criticize their activities, ethics and political positions. Additionally, Byrnes must demand that GLEP apologize to 18th District voters for the considerable confusion they have caused in the Democratic primary race, and even more for the unprincipled, unwarranted attacks on her main primary opponent. Failure on Byrnes' part to do the above will indicate, through silence, that her campaign has acted in concert with the GLEP promotions on her behalf. We can then conclude that the GLEP mailings are a campaign gambit gone bad.

KeepingItReal

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 6:42 p.m.

"Warren said..."she can only conclude the Devos family and other republicans are opposing her because she is more liberal, pro-choice, pro-LGBT rights and support strong public schools...She said, they "hate" those things and must find more support for their causes within Byrnes." I'm sorry Warren, everything young mention, I am in support of. However, I disagree with you position on education and your affiliation with MEA, MASBs and other union groups. I support Pam based on the position she has taken not based on some flyer the Devos Family mailed or the Repubs. Pam is my candidate.

Husker7

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 5:57 p.m.

@Jessica Alexander - It seems pretty clear to me from this article that GLEP operated independently of the Byrnes campaign... Spreading rumors that she is financially supported or endorsed by them is immature and irresponsible for a civil discussion. And I'm not quite sure you can get "transparency" from Warren when she's the only candidate in Washtenaw County to file her Campaign Finance Report late... Something that is buried in this story and should probably be highlighted a little more, since it is a violation of election law... but lawmakers don't have to follow the laws, do they? @Tom Wieder - Three days, not one.

Jessica 'Decky' Alexander

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 5:38 p.m.

The Great Lakes Education Project chose to send out a mailer to individuals who regularly vote in primary elections. The mailer, quite possibly a response to Representative Warrens vote against the current education bill, highlights Rebekah Warrens number of missed votes over 4 years (which by the way they overtly failed to clarify. Warren's missed votes are 54, 1.84% of the total votes cast from 2006-2010. However, it is odd that the Great Lakes Education Project would choose to highlight missed votes rather than the nature of Warrens votes given that the candidates they publicly endorse have missed a considerable amount of votes from 2006-10. Candidates such as: Jim Marleau, 74 Votes David Robertson 129 Votes Shanelle Jackson 245 Votes Lemar Lemmons 455 Votes If indeed Representative Byrnes (and it is unclear to me) is receiving support and funds from The Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) that is quite disappointing. I support, advocate and often vote for those such as Rep. Warren and Rep.Byrnes who collaborate and work with those of differing ideologies. However, working with and/or receiving support from an organization such as GLEP which operates from a position of deception rather than authenticity and honesty is significantly troubling. Association or a lack of disassociation with an organization such as GLEP, (less in part due to their policy, but rather due to the way in which they operate) does not bode well for any candidate. Ultimately, I believe a campaign is a reflection on how one may legislate, serve and represent their constituents. To date, Rep. Rebekah Warrens campaign appears to be a reflection of how she may continue to legislate and operate that is with integrity, transparency and of course, truth.

Karen Siegel

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 5:20 p.m.

"Both sides" do it? Is there an example of the democrats doing this during this election?

Aikane

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 5:10 p.m.

Seriously...is that all it takes in this town to write off a candidate...mention Devos and all the sudden it must be bad and therefore decide not to vote for a candidate that has worked hard for the people of Washtenaw County for several years? It is sad to think we have become so tribalistic to allow the name Devos to dictate who we do or do not vote for? We are the progressives let start acting like it. If you dislike GLEP and what it represents that is one thing, but just to make an irrational decision based on a name that is other ignorance. Vote for the best candidate! It might be Byrnes it might be Warren--But you need to make the choice based on credentials not on someones name.

A2_2010

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 4:15 p.m.

I agree with Sunset. Is there anyway to get the staff to rewrite the title? It's great to see more bipartisan groups pushing solutions. So far Progress Michigan has done nothing but embarrass their candidate by calling names and causing us to read this piece about Warren's missed votes. Maybe Progress Michigan is a Byrnes plant. JK Let's discuss the issues. I like one of the other posters who asked what was going to be done to fix education. If the same ol same ol would work, we wouldn't be still debating how to fix education and make it better. Change starts with our approach to politics, not just policy.

Vivienne Armentrout

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 4:12 p.m.

My first reaction on receiving the postcard was horror at realizing that it was timed perfectly to hurt Pam Byrnes' campaign. As has been stated in the story, the campaign had nothing to do with the mailing or the message and the postcard is totally out of sync with the tone and message of Byrnes' own campaign literature. My second reaction was to wonder if the intent was to sabotage Byrnes' campaign, not Warren's. After all, slinging mud does tend to besmirch the (apparent) thrower. It is too bad that candidates cannot prevent such material being sent out in their name. I admire Pam's approaches to governing immensely - she has shown leadership in transportation policy (her Complete Streets bill deserves to pass, hope for the Senate please) but also takes time for down-to-earth projects like the Cottage Food bill that was just signed into law by Governor Granholm. (It makes it possible for small operations to make food for sale without a commercial kitchen and is an important step in the local food movement.) For a sustainable future, vote Byrnes.

Peter Eckstein

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 3:46 p.m.

Someone calling himself "michmark" is using your website to say outlandish things about Pam Byrnes. We have two good candidates for the State Senate, and both have missed a few votes over the years,and we will be well served whichever of them wins. But "michmark" saying that Byrnes is "anti-teacher, anti-public education, pro-religious right, and frankly an embarrassment to our district" bears no relationship to the representative I have known over many years. If "michmark" has evidence or examples on any of these points, he or she should present it and should tell us his or her real name, so that we can better judge the allegations. It is high time for annarbor.com to stop disseminating anonymous comments on this or any other public issue. For the record, my name is Peter Eckstein and I approve this message.

Macabre Sunset

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 3:44 p.m.

The headline is accurate, but the lede implies an independent judge has declared the advertising "misleading." So we know which side the reporter is on. Score another point for journalism ethics. We are too partisan in this day and age. The GLEP is reaching out across the aisle. Do you really think they agree with Byrnes most of the time? The reason Washington is such a mess these days is because we have two hyper-partisan parties that decided they only represent a tiny percentage of their constituents. Is there any wonder Congress has a 15% approval rating? Since there's no chance a Republican can win this seat, these ads do represent a genuine effort to reduce partisanship. So they're effective for me. And I wouldn't vote for DeVos for anything.

Tom Wieder

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.

There is so much nonsense in these comments. "Democrats do the same thing." Really? Does anyone have an example of a Democrat-funded group spending heavily in a Michigan GOP primary race? Warren was "violating the law" and should be chastised for filing her finance report one day late? What differernce does it make? Did this commenter never miss a deadline? Did you never have a techincal problem that made it impossible to get a report out on time? So, she'll pay the fine of $10. So, Warren missed 54 votes out of thousands in four years; Byrnes missed more than she did during the current session. Did any of these make a difference in the outcome of any bill? Pam Byrnes is "more electable, so the DeVos people must have some other reason to attack Warren than to help Byrnes? Barring a political cataclysm, either one will win this safely Democratic district this fall. GOP candidates never call themselves "progressives." Democrats started using that term, because "liberal" is out of favor. Warren is slinging mud? How? By asking the question of why Republicans prefer to have her opponent nominated? Dems are "in power" now and have been over the decades. Really? For the entire 8 years that Granholm has been Governor, the GOP has controlled the State Senate, able to block anything that they don't like. Before that, Republican Engler was Governor for 12 years. Dems haven't controlled the state government since 1983.

a2huron

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:56 p.m.

This article makes it clear that the DeVos camp is more comfortable working with Byrnes, and by spending $ to support her, they will have her ear after the election. That makes my decision easier. Having the support of DeVos is like being a city council candidate endorsed by Lesko - a negative endorsement. Warren gets my vote.

your-kidding

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:52 p.m.

So here's the opportunity to refute the facts. But no one seems to want to contradict the presented facts. Only the messenger gets the ire of Rebekah supporters, allowing them to sanctimoniously dismiss the facts. Another fact finally got addressed by annarbor.com in this article. Rebekah's campaign organization knew that by law they had to file their financial statement on Friday. They failed. In Sunday's paper, the annarbor.com editorial staff reported on the financial filings of many campaigns. Noticeably absent was any mention of the state senate race. They certainly knew that Pam and Tom had fulfilled their obligations. They also knew that Rebekah did not. Why was this information kept from the public? No information reported on Monday, either. But today, hidden within this article, is a sentence or two about a "technical glitch" preventing Rebekah from filing. I especially expect a candidate who wants to make laws for the rest of us to follow existing laws. No one else seemed to be thwarted by technical or any other glitches. And I expect a news organization to provide timely and accurate information. Was it too inconvenient to report a negative about a key member of this political family? Yes, annarbor.com half-heartedly endorsed Pam Byrnes as they praised Rebekah. They did the right thing but really let us know they weren't happy about endorsing the best candidate. And what's with the consistent use of a most unflattering picture of Pam Byrnes? Certainly you have other images available. I hope annarbor.com will respond in these comments as to why they failed to inform and why they can't find a less offensive picture.

demistify

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.

The "gotcha" spirit prevailing on this blog is tiresome. Apparently, a Republican outfit meddled in a Democratic primary. The most probable reason was to stir up bad blood among Democrats in order to weaken them for November. It succeeded. The whole thing is standard in the uncivil Michigan politics. Cool it!

5c0++ H4d13y

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:39 p.m.

@modeltim Here's an example that's funny because some democrats tried to take down a republican by linking him to Obama and Pelosi. Dems Behind 'Conservative' Attack Ads Against Iowa GOP Gubernatorial Candidate http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/15/dems-conservative-attack-ads-gop-iowan-gubernatorial-candidate/ Not to mention the "rent a mob" tactics of unions and Acorn. Storming the School Barricades http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704635204575242123324855474.html What I find disappointing the complete reversal of rhetoric between partisans after the last election. It's the politics if stupid. Political tribalism as well. Very dumb.

Jeremy

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:17 p.m.

Would you blame anyone for taking vacation during their honeymoon? I wouldn't. I'm a progressive, so I'm voting for the candidate who doesn't have backing (wanted or not) from DeVos & co. That person, and ardent defender of progressive ideals, is Rebekah Warren. She has my vote.

A2_2010

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:06 p.m.

Husker! You should write ad copy, that was a great line: "Pam Byrnes supports public education and fully funding public schools, while Rebekah puts vacation ahead of her elected duty." That does really boil the issue down. When it is important, who is really going to show up. I'm glad Warren owned up to her vacation but I think attacking the messenger is just another political trick and apart of the professional political class activity we've seen too much of...so that part of their response is little disappointing.

tdw

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:04 p.m.

@modeltim.Facts can be proven,so would you please prove your " fact "?

Alan Benard

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 2:03 p.m.

Ann Arbor is a funny, funny place. It tickles me to live in a place where, as a staunch liberal, I have a choice of two excellent candidates in both the state house and senate races. It also amuses that I'm not going to vote for the more liberal candidate in the senate race. Here are the questions I asked myself: Who is more experienced? Pam Byrnes stated plan to improve education funding is to raise a sales tax on services, increase the tax on goods, and reform public-employee pensions. Facing the realities of Proposal A, failed property-tax millages, and a state constitution which prohibits a progressive state income tax, what are the other options? What does Rebekah Warren propose beyond agreeing with the MEA and collecting their endorsement? Because that doesn't get education funded.

modeltim

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:54 p.m.

People on this site who claim that both sides do this are just spreading lies. Anyone who's up on smear jobs knows that the right wingers including many Republicans employ these tactics much more than the "other side". That is fact.

Val Losse

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:53 p.m.

The Democrats are in power now and look what they have done. Have they done anythng that is good for the State? Have they done anything that is good for education? How many jobs have been lost in the State? How is it that under the Democratic rule the number of young people graduating that cannot read is up. How many of the children graduating from high school can land a job? The school system is broke and the Democrats think they can fix it even though they have been in power over the decades. Isn't it time for real change like changing the school system to reflect the needs of the work place? Why cann't Jane or Johnie get a job out of high school? Because they are not teaching them anything they can use in the working world of today. So who is the better canidate? None of the above.

Husker7

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:51 p.m.

Looks like Warren has nothing better to do than sling mud and try to deflect from real issues... Missing that many votes for her own personal enjoyment tells me she doesn't take her elected responsibility seriously. I want someone who puts the constituents ahead of themselves, and Rebekah clearly puts herself first. Nobody is questioning the facts of the pieces because they are true; Pam Byrnes supports public education and fully funding public schools, while Rebekah puts vacation ahead of her elected duty. Byrnes has a solid progressive record and to insinuate otherwise is simply false.

tdw

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:48 p.m.

BUT...maybe they just want people to THINK they are supporting Byrnes when they REALLY want you to vote for Warren.If so,it appears to have worked on some

A2_2010

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.

Good point. Stop the labels. What are the salient facts involved and do they matter? Voters need information. Publications like this is but one source...so are third party groups...at the heart of all information, you have to get past the distractions and ask is there a relevant fact here or not. It is basic logic, 101. So did Warren miss those votes? Seems like she did. Nothing shady in presenting those facts. Noting if they are relevant is something only each individual voter can decide. I wish more groups sent me information to discern....there is so little out there.

Jim Heinold

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:24 p.m.

Questions: What is a "right-wing Republican" group? If there is a "right-wing Republican" group are Byrnes and Warren part of a "left-wing Democratic" group? Does the use of the term "right-wing Republican" indicate the political leanings of the author of the article? Do "left-wing Democrats" spend donation dollars to effect the outcome of Republican elections? Just asking!

uawisok

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:19 p.m.

well this also cements my vote for Warren!! deVos and their pyriamid ilke make me ill!!

michmark

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:02 p.m.

Pam Byrnes has always been the closest thing to a Republican who ever had the audacity to call herself a Democrat. She's the female counterpart to that other infamous Republican in sheep's clothing, Andy Dillon. The records do indeed speak for themselves. Byrnes is anti-teacher, anti-public education, pro-religious right, and frankly an embarrassment to our district. The fact that even DeVoss realizes this ought to be the wake-up call we all need to get this woman OUT of government. On Tuesday we can elect a genuine Democrat to represent Washtenaw County. Sending Pam Byrnes home defeated is a GREAT first step.

TLBeadle

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 1:01 p.m.

Thanks so much for running this story. When I received the mailing from the GLEP PAC yesterday,in addition to being livid, I had lots of questions, most of which have been answered here. I've always planned to vote for Rebekah, and have donated to her campaign, I'll now do so with even more conviction.

rusty shackelford

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:44 p.m.

haha nice. glad you're back Ed.

Speechless

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:42 p.m.

Don't forget that Warren advocates for a graduated state income tax, and end to at least some special tax subsidies for the well-off, and a state constitutional ban on oil drilling in the Great Lakes. Unlike Gov. Granholm, she consistently takes initiative and would bring these proposals and other progressive issues to the senate side of the Michigan legislature. Warren's legislative record does not go over well at all with either religious conservatives or Michigan's elite country club set. She is about as strong an anti-Mackinac Center and anti-DeVos candidate for state office as you will find. As M. Sunset indicates, this is less about Pam Byrnes, who has been "flexible" in her approach to defending public schools and working people.

Huron74

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:28 p.m.

I have to agree. Given that the Democratic Party is the only game in town around here if they want to have an impact then the Democratic primary is where they have to compete.

Top Cat

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:27 p.m.

I'm not sure who did what, but clearly Pam Byrnes is the more electable candidate. If I were the Republican, I would much prefer to run against Warren and her record in any district. So what might the real motivation for this be?

A2_2010

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:21 p.m.

Do do these mailings say anything not true?

Forever27

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:16 p.m.

Both sides do this. It's nothing new. This is the problem with letting PAC's influence campaigns so much. You don't know who is truly behind the message.

tdw

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:07 p.m.

Sorry folks, the Dems use the same tactics against the Repubs

Macabre Sunset

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:04 p.m.

This is the general election, as far as this seat goes. So it doesn't surprise me that a conservative group would find a Democrat willing to cross party lines for a critical vote a valuable legislator. I doubt they imagine Byrnes supports privatizing the schools. They just realize that unless we're more fiscally responsible, we'll have more difficult budget choices to make - like whether to keep our roads paved or put criminals in jail. It's cynical, but that's how important it is to reign in public sector entitlement costs.

Chanchito

Tue, Jul 27, 2010 : 12:01 p.m.

How cowardly and deceitful these wealthy folks are! Warren will undoubtfully get my vote.