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An attorney for the Mayor says the process server refused to leave the property when the mayor asked, so the process server was, "gently escorted off the porch by the Mayor."

Jonathan Martin gets a new Michigan poll via the Detroit News: New poll numbers out from the Detroit News have the Michigan race between Obama and McCain very competitive with a chunk of voters still on the sidelines. Obama is up 43-41, but 12% of voters said they're undecided. My gut is that if undecideds are that high, John McCain is President.  Michigan is a lot of electoral votes and we saw throughout the primaries that Obama never really closed well. The undecideds always broke hard against him. Obviously, it is far too early to be making statements like this, ...

Yesterday, Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a news release calling attention to the plea that Paul Zachary Myers made on his blog: he solicited the Communion Host for the express purpose of desecrating it. Donohue now responds to the reaction he has received from the University of Minnesota Morris professor, as well as others:“Myers went on Houston radio station KPFT last night saying that Bill Donohue has ‘declared a fatwa’ against him. He should know better—I don’t need others to do the fighting for me. I’m quite good at it myself.  But he’d better be careful what he says,...

Well, It's official. Jack Kevorkian, Dr. Death, is on the ballot in Michigan in his run for the U.S. Congress. [Det. news] Jack Kevorkian -- nicknamed "Dr. Death" for the high-profile assisted suicides he performed -- gathered enough valid signatures to be on the November ballot and try to unseat veteran Rep. Joe Knollenberg, the chief of elections for Oakland County said Monday. "He has enough qualifying petition signatures," said Joe Rozell, director of elections for Oakland County. "They are valid." Now we realize that Dr. Death's campaign is an uphill battle. Therefore, we once again make our offer...

"Americans" for Hezbollah Via Memorandum, we get this USA Today story about discrimination against Muslims in America and a Gallup poll showing that many Americans mistrust Muslims. The USA Today article defines discrimination broadly, anything from a rude comment to assault.And from NPR, a profile of the Lebanese-American community in Dearborn Michigan includes this: Osama Siblani runs the Arab-American News, America's largest such newspaper. He says the fighting is fueling anger in his community -- not at Hezbollah, but at the Bush administration."The anger that you see in the Arab community, you do not see in the eyes of the...

After a full and intense day of debate and presentations, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) reached a decision on how to treat the rogue states of Florida and Michigan. The Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC) ruled that the full delegation of Florida can be seated but each delegate will only have half of one vote. Michigan will use a staggered formula, seating 128 delegates -- 69 for Clinton and 59 for Obama -- but they too will only get half a vote. After each vote, supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) erupted furiously in chants of "Denver, Denver," the...

Dems score a hat trick with specials TRIBUNE-REVIEW By Salena Zito Democrats scored a hat trick with their third special-election win in GOP-held House seats by winning tonight in Mississippi’s 1st District. This win follows Democratic victories in special elections in Illinois' 14th District in March and in Louisiana's 6th District 10 days ago.

A judge on Tuesday allowed the release of raunchy text messages that a lawyer allegedly used to get Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to shell out $8 million in city money to make a police whistle-blower lawsuit go away.

You may be unfamiliar with the website, Politico. It is popular on the Internet, but only with political junkies. People who want to read stories about the inside baseball of politics, the little steps behind the scenes which wind up controlling the visible, public results. If you find that subject as dull as ditch water, skip this column. Otherwise, read on. Today (19 April) Politico ran an article by Avi Zenilman, entitled “The Dean 25 could decide Clinton's fate.” The article points out that the Credentials Committee of the Democrat National Convention will first get the issues of seating the...

GRAND RAPIDS -- Before he could hit a man with a 4-pound hard plastic garbage can lid during an argument outside a Boston Square gas station last month, Gabriel Rodriguez was shot and killed, a homicide Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth ruled today was justifiable. Forsyth said he will not file charges against Glenn Tett for the Feb. 18 shooting that left Rodriguez dead, citing an imminent threat and videotape evidence that shows Rodriguez, 48, as the aggressor in the altercation. Tett, the 41-year-old brother of a Grand Rapids police officer, shot Rodriguez once in the head with a legally...

From the Italian Vatican bulletino, Earl Boyea will be the fifth bishop of Lansing: "Il Papa ha nominato Vescovo di Lansing (U.S.A.) S.E. Mons. Earl A. Boyea, finora Vescovo titolare di Siccenna ed Ausiliare dell’arcidiocesi di Detroit. S.E. Mons. Earl A. Boyea." The Lansing diocese website has been updated. Mlive.com reports that Boyea, 56, will be installed as bishop at 2pm, April 29th in Lansing. Local ABC 12 has a frontpage graphic and a good accompanying biography: Bishop Boyea was born April 10, 1951. His home parish was Our Lady of the Lakes in Waterford where he attended the...

House Dems' Plan Protects Jobs, Puts Michigan Workers First 'Hire Michigan First' plan rewards businesses that hire Michigan workers, cracks down on companies that exploit illegal workers — August 13, 2007 LANSING – In a move to reward companies that hire Michigan workers, State Representative Fred Miller (D-Mount Clemens) today announced an aggressive job-creation plan that gives priority for economic development projects to companies that employ 100 percent Michigan workers. The "Hire Michigan First" initiative also cracks down on the practice of hiring illegal immigrants and prohibits businesses that violate these guidelines from receiving tax breaks or future state contracts....

Trucks hauling everything from cars to produce use Southeast Texas roads to deliver their goods, and when a proposed Interstate 69/Trans Texas Corridor is completed, local drivers could see even more of them, local transportation officials said. The proposed I-69 corridor stretches from Michigan down to Texas. Once in Texas, the corridor goes about 650 miles from Texarkana to Brownsville and Laredo and includes separate lanes for cars and semis and areas for trains and utilities. It doesn't cut through Beaumont, but local arteries like U.S. 69 and Interstate 10 would connect to it. Travelers and truckers just need to...

FORT HUACHUCA — For more than two decades, drill sergeants have had a major hand in developing soldiers going through military intelligence training on this Southern Arizona Army post. That ended Friday. It doesn’t mean noncommissioned officers will no longer be standing in front of students, they just have a new name and will wear the hats of all soldiers. Instead of hearing student soldiers say, “Yes, drill sergeant,” now sergeants will hear, “Yes, platoon sergeant.” The de-hatting ceremony took place in the gym of the Eifler Physical Fitness Center, where soldiers in training sat in company formations in the...

In a state where the economy and cars rule the day, it was all business in Michigan and the businessman won.With his win in Michigan Tuesday night, Romney proved that not only is he not going anywhere, but he's a force to be reckoned with. The last time I checked, he now has two gold and two silver medals.  That is not only a great olympic performance but it shows that Team Romney has always been built for a 50-state haul and winning the most delegates.Let's remember something here. It was Mitt Romney who was campaigning in Michigan when...

With absentees being cast in the tens of thousands in the Golden State already, the Los Angeles Times/CNN/Politico poll shows: The Republican race is far more uncertain. Among likely voters, Arizona Sen. McCain was ahead with 20%. Mitt Romney was at 16%, Rudolph W. Giuliani at 14% and Mike Huckabee at 13%. All four were within the poll's margin of sampling error. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas had 8%, and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson was at 6%. Rep. Duncan Hunter of Alpine did not register on the poll. The barest of bumps for Senator McCain.  Why?  Because he hasn't...

I spoke to my Romney guy. They're not making any predictions, but they feel pretty good about tomorrow. Perhaps the most interesting nugget was the revelation that Team Romney has the potential for a significant margin among those who vote by absentee ballot. "We were up on TV by ourselves when we worked absentee voters — and those are usually older voters who already have fond memories of Governor [George] Romney. We may have gotten the perfect mix there." He thinks they may have "banked a lot of votes" by absentee. He paints the polls as putting his man up...

Today, Marlene Elwell, noted pro-life leader and Founder and President of Catholics in the Public Square, endorsed Governor Mitt Romney for President. Marlene was also at the helm of the successful "Marriage Protection Amendment" campaign in Michigan in 2004 that preserves marriage in the Michigan Constitution as between one man and one woman.

Inside the Freep poll  Check out the above graphic, taken from today's Detroit Free Press. Romney's lead is clearly being powered by two constituencies — older voters and those in metro Detroit. This is good news for the obvious reasons: older voters are reliable voters and the population center of the mitten state is centered around Motown. What's more, it underscores something I noticed when, in St. Joseph out on Lake Michigan last night, Tagg Romney briefly took the mic from his dad and asked all those in the audience who knew of his grandfather to raise their hand. About...

Senator John McCain drew large crowds in three appearances in Michigan on Sunday, when he rebuffed attempts to be drawn into a tit-for-tat political war of words with Mitt Romney. “I’m not in the business of comparing myself to Governor Romney,” Mr. McCain insisted to reporters on his campaign bus, the “Straight Talk Express.”“I don’t pay attention to the positions of other candidates, except during the debates. I’m too busy focusing on my 16, 18-hour days and trying to get the support of the voters. I’m not going out and saying, ‘Oh, what does Duncan Hunter feel about this issue?’

<p>Republican primary voters whose greatest concern is the economy could give Bloomfield Hills native Mitt Romney his first major state victory in Tuesday's Michigan presidential primary, according to the Detroit Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll.</p> <p>Romney leads John McCain, 27%-22%, with Mike Huckabee in third at 16%, the poll showed. Romney's core of support is in metro Detroit, where he has a 2-1 advantage.</p>

The seven day campaign leading up to Michigan’s Republican Presidential Primary began with a toss-up between Mitt Romney and John McCain. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey found Romney with 26% of the vote, McCain with 25%, and Mike Huckabee with 17%. The survey was conducted on Wednesday night, immediately following the New Hampshire Primary. Those results reflect a substantial turnaround since the last Rasmussen Reports survey in the state. In early December, it was a three-way race with Huckabee, Romney, and Rudy Giuliani all within two points of each other. At that time, McCain was a distant fifth, attracting...

In December, the governor of Arkansas created the "Tax Me More Fund," so people who consider themselves undertaxed can donate more to the state government. Even with the economic recovery underway, state lawmakers nationwide are finding it tough to balance their budgets. As a result, many have been lobbying for - you guessed it - higher taxes. They haven't made much headway in Arkansas, though. Gov. Mike Huckabee has refused to sign off on tax hikes, provoking howls of protest from those who warn of cutbacks in "vital" state programs. Gov. Huckabee prefers to do what real-world people do when...

Romney landed two big endorsements from the state of Michigan this morning: the Grand Rapids Press and the Oakland Press. Here are some excerpts from what they have to say about Mitt: Grand Rapids Press “Many issues will confront the nation in the next four years, from the ongoing threat of terrorism to the need to find a sensible immigration policy. For Michigan, however, one challenge dominates: the economy. We stand at a critical moment, bearing on our backs a worst-in-the-nation unemployment rate, staring at an uncertain future.“Among Republicans on the ballot in Tuesday’s presidential primary, two candidates would offer...

We cannot post material from the Free Press so, here is a link to the article. Click here.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Mike Huckabee's offbeat antics — what some would call stunts — helped propel him to the front of the Republican presidential pack after a decade honing that "bumper sticker" style as governor of Arkansas. This is a man who moved with his wife into a triple-wide trailer while the governor's mansion was being renovated. Who wedded her again, before a crowd at a sports arena, to show support for a marriage law he had just signed. Who, five weeks into Arkansas' top job, worked a day in the state motor vehicle office sporting a "Cashier...

The candidates are coming! The candidates are coming! With seven days to go until Michigan's Jan. 15 presidential primary, Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney were ready to hit the ground Wednesday with campaign appearances.McCain plans two airport rallies, one at 10:15 a.m. at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids and a second at 1:15 p.m. at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford. Romney is scheduled to meet with voters at 2:45 p.m. at the D and W Fresh Marketplace in East Grand Rapids and will meet later with the media. He also plans...

Even the world's most repressive regimes often have laws on the books that pretend to grant citizens certain political rights. What matters is the extent to which citizens are actually allowed to use those rights — you know, in real life. In Michigan, taxpayers are now trying to recall ten state legislators, and in the process testing how "real life" their democratic rights are. The ten targeted solons come from both parties. Prior to their fateful votes to raise taxes against their constituent wishes, taxpayer groups repeatedly warned them that a recall effort would be launched against them if they...

'Some day your cousin is going to be a saint' Pequannock family hopes for canonization of cousin, The Venerable Father Solanus CaseyPEQUANNOCK - Imagine the thrill of discovering a famous artist or politician, who has taken up a branch on your family tree. Take that a step further - imagine the double blessing of having in your family background a possible saint, especially a humble Capuchin priest, known for facilitating God-given "favors" on behalf his many dedicated believers. Fifty years after the death of Venerable Father Solanus Casey, many Catholics continue to believe in his powers of intercession, responsible they...

Rocco reports today that, after a month of near-silence, several rumors broke out that Pope Benedict was about to nominate a new Archbishop for Detroit. Those rumors just as quickly went bust. But Rocco concludes, "That's not to say an appointment isn't closer than it had been... just don't expect anything immediately." Yeah, I've been hearing those kinds of things for years. Rocco lists these bishops as having been mentioned as possible successors to Maida at one point or another: Archbishop John Myers of NewarkBp. Robert Carlson of SaginawBp. Terry Steib of MemphisBp. Thomas Wenski of OrlandoBp. John Nienstedt of...

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A state appeals court on Friday dealt a blow to Michigan political leaders' hopes of holding a presidential primary on Jan. 15. In a 2-1 ruling, Judges Patrick Meter and Donald Owens objected that a law recently passed by the Legislature setting up the primary would let the state political parties keep track of voters' names and whether they took Democratic or GOP primary ballots but give no public access to that information. Michigan had at one time tentatively scheduled Democratic caucuses for Feb. 9, but state officials and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have tried to push...

gannette paper. link only.http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071108/NEWS01/711080378

As angst mounts and debates rage over the causes behind the distressingly low water levels on the Great Lakes, some influential regional leaders are tired of waiting for answers. The Great Lakes Commission is urging the U.S. and Canadian governments to immediately start working on a plan to plug the "drain hole" on the St. Clair River, which is the major outflow for Lakes Michigan and Huron. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm wants similar action. It isn't necessarily a radical request. The St. Clair River was dredged three times during the last century in the name of commercial navigation. Each time...

A Detroit charter schools says one student's hairdo is definitely a don't and tells him to lose the Afro puff or don't come back. But the mother of Claudius Benson II says her son's school went too far, and she's suing. Benson, 14, hasn't cut his hair in 10 years. Officials at his school, Old Redford Academy, say the ninth-grader was suspended because his hair is too long. The dress code requires "close-cropped" hair. So why is his mom suing? Alecha Benson says she follows the Old Testament passages that she interprets as prohibiting the cutting of her son's hair,...

Some homeless Minneapolis residents are walking in the pope's shoes. That's after two big boxes from Rome arrived at Sharing and Caring Hands, a homeless mission in downtown Minneapolis. Recently, the Rev. Joseph Johnson, the rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul gave some friends from the Vatican a tour of the facility while they were visiting the Twin Cities.Sharing and Caring Hands has an on-site shoe room, but director Mary Jo Copeland didn't know what was in the big boxes when they arrived."Father (Johnson) says, 'That's from the Pope.' I said, `What do you mean? The Pope,'" said Copeland.She...

The Manhattan district attorney indicted five men Thursday for allegedly being part of an identity theft ring that stole more than a million dollars from wealthy citizens. Prosecutors say the ring leader was Igor Klopov, 24, from Russia. Klopov's accused of targeting people's home equity line of credit accounts. He was arrested in New York in May when he came to pick up $7 million in gold from an undercover investigator. He allegedly picked his victims from the Forbes 400 list and used his home computer to get property records and mortgage information off the Internet. "There is a great...

ASHLAND Mississippi-- Four people, including a candidate for Benton County sheriff, were arrested Friday and charged with voter fraud - just five days before Tuesday's primary election. The arrest Friday of Democratic candidate Clint Moffett and the others by investigators for the attorney general's office brings the number to seven arrested in a probe of vote selling. Attorney General Jim Hood said the investigation began a month ago, but would not provide details. "Let this be a warning to those in other counties who would corrupt our voting process," Hood said. "We will come after you." David Massey, 40, of...

FORT HUACHUCA — It was not an explosive bang that started the B Troop demonstration for participants at one of the annual Military Intelligence Hall of Fame events Wednesday. Rather, someone in a loud voice yelled, “Boom!,” because the late 1800s field howitzer could not be fired. The tradition of the Army getting things done lived at Wren Arena where members of B Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (Memorial) held a retreat followed by a demonstration of their riding and cavalry skills. The firing of the cannon was supposed to begin the lowering of the national colors, but when the...

ARG is out with new '08 polling in three states: California Democrats Clinton 37 Obama 28 Edwards 15 Undecided 11 Republicans Giuliani 27 McCain 24 F. Thompson 12 Romney 11 Gingrich 5 Undecided 13 Florida Democrats Clinton 45 Obama 17 Edwards 15 Undecided 14 Republicans Giuliani 31 McCain 18 F. Thompson 13 Romney 11 Gingrich 8 Undecided 13 Michigan Democrats Clinton 38 Obama 25 Edwards 14 Undecided 14 Republicans Romney 24 McCain 22 Giuliani 19 F. Thompson 8 Gingrich 7 Undecided 15 Also, Strategic Vision has released a new poll on Wisconsin: Democrats Clinton 38 Obama 25 Edwards 17 Undecided...

This caught my eye. From a news release (edited): Administrators at Mercy High School, a Catholic school located in Farmington Hills, Mich., abruptly canceled the upcoming appearance of best-selling author Dan Flynn, alleging the content of his speech was "inappropriate." The lecture, scheduled for February 12 and sponsored by Young America's Foundation, was an after school event and attendance was voluntary. Flynn's topic, entitled "Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood," exposes the real foundations of the abortion-rights movement — the historical fact that Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger, was an anti-Catholic bigot who advocated concentration camps and forced sterilization. Carolyn...

It seems your voices have been heard and the Vatican has taken action. According to Call to Action, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit must seek permission from local bishops anywhere he wishes to speak, by order of the papal nuncio, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States. READ MORE

Local religious leaders met Wednesday in Dearborn Heights to condemn recent acts of vandalism against several Shi'a-owned businesses in Metro Detroit while promoting the need for restraint and understanding following the attacks. "These kinds of acts of violence are unacceptable," said Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. "We condemn any acts of violence or terrorism against others. We all pray for peace and an end to the violence." The Islamic House of Wisdom hosted Wednesday's event, which included more than a dozen local religious leaders. The group meets on a regular basis, Elahi...

SAGINAW, Mich. — Seminarian Rich Budd, 25, knows exactly how to reach Bishop Robert Carlson if he has any questions or concerns. “On my cell phone — on speed dial — is the bishop’s cell phone number,� said Budd. “And there’s definitely been nights where I’ve had to call him.�He noted that seminarians elsewhere are unsure if their bishop is as accessible.“We have a real personal relationship,� Budd. “Not every seminarian has that gift.�Budd is one of 19 men from the Diocese of Saginaw who are discerning a call to the priesthood. That’s a big increase from just three years...

This is the first in a series following a media event at the Intelligence Center on Fort Huachuca on Wednesday. By Bill Hess Herald/ Review FORT HUACHUCA — In small buildings human intelligence collector trainees are getting a taste of what they will face when they deploy to Iraq. More realistic training for interrogators, as human intelligence collectors are called, is a fact of life at the Intelligence Center on this southern Arizona Army post. And that realism means Arabic is a major part of the graduation test — a 10-day field training exercise. Staff Sgt. Rami Elsouhag said interrogators...

Developing.... So far, CNN is only picking it up. Apparently a gunman with a semi-auto has gunned down several people randomly, at three (3) locations, and is still on the loose. Several police departments are in on a massive man hunt. One shooting occurred near a day care center.

The Catholic Times/Catholic Weekly, the "Authorized Publication of the Dioceses of Lansing, Saginaw & Gaylord" has published a fullpage ad in each of its three editions for Pro-Abortion Governor Jennifer Granholm (paid for by the Michigan Democratic State Committee). Imagine my surprise when I opened up to it on the second page of one of my regular sources for local Catholic news. [Note: The CW/CT is not the "official" diocesan newspaper, but (as I understand it) a private publication "authorized" by all three, according to their website.] Anyway, below the picture of the smiling Granolm family is a headline...

The Archdiocese of Detroit received a new auxiliary bishop today. He will become the youngest bishop in the United States (at 45) when he is ordained November 29th. ... and announced on a Saturday!! Whispers has the scoop: "... the Pope name Msgr Daniel Flores, rector of the cathedral of his native diocese of Corpus Christi and vice-rector of St Mary's Seminary in Houston, as auxiliary bishop to Cardinal Adam Maida of Detroit.... Ordained for Corpus Christi in 1988, Flores was immediately placed on the fast track by then-Bishop Rene Gracida, who the new bishop served as his personal...

The neighborhood already is predominantly Islamic. From Detroit News:The Islamic Center of North Detroit has a purchase agreement with the Archdiocese of Detroit for Our Lady Help of Christians' five buildings, which tentatively are planned to be used for an Islamic community center, larger worship space and possibly a school. The conversion of the Detroit buildings, on the Hamtramck border, from church to Muslim center underscores how much the community's makeup has changed. Long-entrenched Catholic churches have had to downsize as their congregations moved to the suburbs and other immigrant groups moved in. Hamtramck and nearby Detroit neighborhoods flourished...

NAPOLEON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — When a man forges a 70-foot, 700-pound rosary out of bowling balls in his front yard, you just know there's a story behind it.This one involves Ralph Kluk, 76 — a Poland native, pack rat, polka player and pen pal of the late Pope John Paul II.Kluk is a character. He also is known to ride about town with one. If you spy a guy tooling around in a black Chevy 1500 pickup with a 3-foot tall Scooby Doo plush toy strapped into the passenger's seat, chances are you've just seen Kluk."I do crazy things,"...

Michigan Freepers, I look forward to your comments.