Free Republic

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Newt Gingrich will not campaign in Michigan in advance of next Tuesday's primary there: Spokesman R.C. Hammond confirmed Monday night that the campaign is scrapping tentative plans to travel to Michigan at the end of the week ahead of the state’s Feb. 28 primary. Gingrich is spending Tuesday and Wednesday in the other Feb. 28 primary — Arizona — but that is mostly for the sake of Wednesday night’s debate, and his public schedule will be light.

Corporate welfare, business subsidies and other handouts will increase $20 million, to $195 million, in Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed 2013 budget, according to MLive.com, causing concern for one Mackinac Center analyst. “I hope that the governor doesn’t scale these programs up year after year as we’ve seen happen in the past two administrations,” Michael LaFaive, director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative, told MLive.com. Funding for movie subsidies and the Pure Michigan tourism campaign that benefits an industry which refuses to help fund the service will remain at $25 million each, MLive.com reported.

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are in a statistical dead heat in Michigan a week ahead of the vote, according to a new poll of Republican voters in the state. Romney took 32 percent and Santorum 30 percent in a one-day poll of Michigan GOP voters by Mitchell/Rosetta Stone conducted on Monday. Romney's lead is within the poll's margin of error. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich trailed with 9 percent and Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) with 7 percent, but according to the survey 22 percent of those polled remain undecided. The state, which votes in a week on Feb. 28,...

The Detroit News yesterday reported that the city of Detroit may be forced to sell some assets to deal with its mounting debt. The article mentions Belle Isle, the city's small downtown airport, water and sewer operations and other “crucial” assets that could be sold in an effort to forestall insolvency or the appointment of an emergency manager. Without a doubt, selling assets could generate some badly needed revenue for the city while improving services for residents over the long term. The city might not be in such dire financial straits, however, had it heeded the recommendations of Mackinac Center...

What was once a 15 point spread has closed to 4 points. PPP reports: The Republican race for President in Michigan has tightened considerably over the last week, with what was a 15 point lead for Rick Santorum down to 4. He leads with 37% to 33% for Mitt Romney, 15% for Ron Paul, and 10% for Newt Gingrich.The tightening over the last week is much more a function of Romney gaining than Santorum falling. Santorum's favorability spread of 67/23 has seen no change since our last poll, and his share of the vote has dropped only 2 points...

What’s the prescription for a famously brilliant venture capitalist who has trouble connecting with blue-collar voters in his native state? How about bringing in a far more controversial venture capitalist who’s claim to recent fame is in firing people on national television? What could go wrong?With just over a week to go before Michigan voters head to the polls, Mitt Romney is enlisting the help of one of his highest-wattage surrogates: Donald Trump. The real estate mogul is preparing to spread his pro-Romney, anti-Rick Santorum message in a series of radio interviews this week on local stations from Traverse City...

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich hinted Sunday that if rival Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney loses the primary election in his home state of Michigan, he should drop out of the race. “If he loses his home state, I don’t see what he says the next morning to his donors to stay in the race,” Mr. Gingrich told “Fox News Sunday.” If Mr. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, can’t win his home state in a primary election, how can he beat President Obama in Michigan, which typically votes with the Democrats, Mr. Gingrich asked.

The Chevy Volt's batteries hold the same amount of energy as one gallon of gasoline—one single gallon. Would you buy a car that held only one gallon of gasoline? Neither would I. Yet, we've invested billions of dollars developing and promoting a car with a “gas tank” (the batteries) that only holds one gallon's worth of energy. I've heard that new super batteries are just around the corner. All we have to do is invest enough money and they'll appear. Just like computers (in the 1950's they were the size of rooms, today they can be held in the...

Far more home healthcare providers were ensnared in Michigan's forced unionization of 2006 than previously believed, according to figures provided by the Department of Human Services. There are 60,190, which is more than 25 percent higher than the 43,000 reported up to now. It's probable that more than 80 percent of these workers were forced into the Service Employees International Union through a "scam" perpetrated while Gov. Jennifer Granholm was in office. Not only are the numbers involved greater than previously believed, the definition of a home health care worker is also murky. Assumptions that they are medical professionals providing...

Michigan Man Burns NJ Flag In Response To Houston TributeFebruary 19, 2012 11:15 AM KALAMAZOO, MI (CBSNewYork) – A Kalamazoo, Michigan man whose son, Eric, died in Iraq in 2005, was outraged when he heard that flags in New Jersey were being flown at half-staff for the death of Whitney Houston. John Burri decided to burn the New Jersey state flag on his outdoor grill as a form of protest. Burri said that he believes the lowering of flags should be reserved for those who have given their lives for their country.

Mitt Romney's literature and signs have been at every Republican event for years. He had quite an organization in 2008 with signs that said, "Michigan for Mitt," with the cute reference of the appearance of the lower peninsula being a mitten, and Mitt's name, well, it's just precious. But here we are, 9 days from Michigan's Presidential Primary, which the GOP in Michigan moved up and lost half of it's delegates as a result, and now Mitt has to actually compete. Mitt lost Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, South Carolina, and Minnesota, and may lose Maine. He has so far won New...

For Mitt Romney, the stakes have never been higher. “If Romney cannot win Michigan, we need a new candidate,” a top GOP senator told ABC News. Politico’s Mike Allen reported that top Republicans are “poring over filing deadlines” in primary states and are devising a plan that would allow a new candidate to enter the Republican primary, in the event that Romney loses his home state. Enter Michigan Republican governor Rick Snyder. Snyder, who endorsed Romney this week, brushes off Romney’s lagging poll numbers, describing the situation as “very fluid.” “I think it’s still fairly early in the process,” Snyder...

Mitt Romney, during campaign stops in Michigan yesterday, embraced his Michigan roots for all they’re worth. As he watches his popularity plummet in the state in which he grew up, he seems to be grasping at anything to keep from sinking any further. Romney tried to hit all the right buttons in order to resonate with Michigan voters leading up to their February 28 primary, by making himself one of them again. “I was born and raised here. I love being in Michigan,” Mr. Romney said. ”Everything seems right here. You know, I come back to Michigan; the trees are...

A prominent Republican senator just told me that if Romney can’t win in Michigan, the Republican Party needs to go back to the drawing board and convince somebody new to get into the race. “If Romney cannot win Michigan, we need a new candidate,” said the senator, who has not endorsed anyone and requested anonymity. The senator believes Romney will ultimately win in Michigan but says he will publicly call for the party to find a new candidate if he does not. “We’d get killed,” the senator said if Romney manages to win the nomination after he failed to win...

Former U.S. Rep Pete Hoekstra will trot out Herman Cain, who bowed out of a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, around Michigan next week to drum up support, his campaign said today. Cain will appear in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ypsilanti and Troy on a blitz across the state as they tout the Holland Republican’s Tea Party ties and taking incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow to task for her spending policies. Cain suspended his quest for the presidency in December amid rumors of marital infidelity. “The Tea Party conservatives have been increasingly supporting Pete Hoekstra over the years as a result...

“If Romney cannot win Michigan, we need a new candidate,” said the senator, who has not endorsed anyone and requested anonymity. The senator believes Romney will ultimately win in Michigan but says he will publicly call for the party to find a new candidate if he does not. “We’d get killed,” the senator said if Romney manages to win the nomination after he failed to win the state in which he grew up.

How Can someones wife of a man that believe Jesus and satan are equals expect the Catholic and Christians to support them ? That woyuld be heracy and for us to give up all we live and believe in ! Satan has no place in the white house or any where else and our job is to displace satan and take back the land he has stolen from us NOT give to him !!!!!!!!!!

Rick Santorum continues to lead the Michigan Republican presidential primary. Santorum leads with 37% and is followed by Mitt Romney with 32%, Ron Paul with 15%, and Newt Gingrich with 10%. Santorum has gained 4 percentage points since a similar survey conducted February 11-12, 2012, Romney has gained 5 percentage points, and Gingrich has lost 11 percentage points since the last survey. Santorum and Romney are tied with 35% each among self-identified Republicans, followed by Paul with 15% and Gingrich with 13%. Among self-identified independents and Democrats, Santorum leads with 40%, followed by Romney with 27%, Paul with 15%, and...

General Motors has posted its most profitable year ever in 2011, coming a long way since being bailed out in 2008 and going bankrupt in 2009... And as a reward of the banner year, GM "says union workers will get $7,000 profit-sharing checks."

DETROIT - On a day when General Motors trumpeted record profits, Rick Santorum said that the auto industry would have done as well or better if the federal government, under the last two administrations, had not intervened to save the industry. Declaring himself an enemy of all federal bailouts, the former senator noted that Mitt Romney, his leading opponent in this state's crucial primary, had supported the Bush administration's TARP lifeline to Wall Street but had opposed the federal investment in GM and Chrysler. Mr. Santorum offered that critique from the podium of the Detroit Economics Club, a traditional high...