Category: Independence Day
Posted by Gordon Trowbridge (The Detroit News) on Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 6:30 PMMichigan at Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pa. -- The day before Independence Day seemed like just the right time to take the drive about two miles north of Washington, to the spot where, 146 years ago today, Michigan troops played a crucial in the most famous battle in U.S. history.
The photo to the right was taken at about 1 p.m. this afternoon -- just about the time that the troops it memorializes, the Wolverine Brigade of Michigan cavalry, blunted an attempt by the South's ablest cavalry commander, J.E.B. Stuart, to circle around the town of Gettysburg and strike Union troops from the rear. Ordered to counter a charge by Stuart's troops, newly promoted Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer road to the head of the 7th Michigan Cavalry, shouted, "Come on, you Wolverines!" and launched his men forward.
Custer, who grew up in Monroe, finished last in his class at West Point, and will be forever remembered for leading his troops into the disaster of Little Big Horn in 1876. But his performance on July 3, 1863, helped prevent a disaster for the North in the battle that turned the Civil War. The cavalrymen he led at Gettysburg had entered service just a year before, mustering in Detroit and Grand Rapids. Twenty-five of them died there, with more than 200 others wounded, missing or captured.
Michigan units were vital elsewhere at Gettysburg. On July 1, the first day of the battle, a Michigan regiment of the famous Iron Brigade helped stop the first southern troops to attempt to move into the town. A day later, Michigan infantrymen were among the troops holding the Union's left flank on Little Round Top, the rocky hill just south of the town where Gen. Robert E. Lee tried to turn the Union flank, and others fought to hold the terrain in front of and near the hill.
Republicans pounce on bad jobs news
Republicans pounced on today’s bad jobs news, going after the president and potentially vulnerable Michigan Democrats. The move followed the Labor Department's announcement that 467,000 jobs were lost in June, bringing the national jobless rate to 9.5 percent.
Rep. Dave Camp of Midland, the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, had tough words for President Barack Obama.
”American workers didn’t need to wait for the latest jobs report to know that the president’s trillion dollar spending bill is not creating jobs. At 9.5 percent in June, our current unemployment rate is 1.6 percentage points higher than the President said it would be with his so-called stimulus bill.
"These aren’t just numbers -- they are families struggling to get by without a paycheck. Right now there are 2.5 million more Americans unemployed than the president said there would be under his plan. Clearly, the president’s plan is not working," Camp added.
Meanwhile the National Republican Congressional Committee -- which helps elect and keep Republicans in the House -- sent out an email blast to reporters covering Democratic Reps. Bart Stupak of Menominee, Mark Schauer of Battle Creek and Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township.
’ "Bart Stupak needs to answer the simple question: Where are the jobs?" said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain.’
That is the beginning of an email that reads the same for reporters covering Peters and Schauer.
It continues, "From the day he supported Nancy Pelosi for Speaker to his support of a trillion dollar ‘stimulus,’ Bart Stupak continues to offer up failed policies that have accomplished little or even exacerbated the current economic recession. So far, Stupak's only prescription for an ailing economy has consisted of deficit-spending and government growth, not job growth."
Republicans haven't been able to knock off Stupak, who represents the top third of the state. Peters and Schauer are freshmen.
Rep. Schauer pushes for bigger share of highway dollars
Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, is pushing to get Michigan a bigger piece of the highway dollars pie.
The freshman, who sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to Chairman James Oberstar asking him to boost the share donor states like Michigan get in the upcoming reauthorization of the highway funding bill.
Michigan now gets 92.1 cents for every $1 in gas taxes it sends to Washington, meaning some of its money goes to build roads and bridges in other states.
“At a time when Michigan families and businesses are struggling, I’m committed to making sure we get our fair share of transportation funding from Washington,” Schauer said in releasing the letter. “By investing additional federal resources to fix our crumbling roads and bridges, we can put people back to work and lay the groundwork for a sustained economic recovery.”
More than two dozen donor state lawmakers signed onto Schauer’s letter, including Reps. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township, and Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids.
Michigan getting nearly $64 million for low-income housing
Michigan will receive nearly $64 million to jumpstart low-income rental housing, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday.
HUD announced $1 billion for 26 states in a program to stimulate construction of affordable rental housing set up in the economic recovery program.
Stephen Lathom, the policy manager for the Michigan Housing Development Authority, said the money will be combined with a larger sum of recovery dollars from the U.S. Department of Treasury to build as much as 16,000 affordable rental units in Michigan. As many as 12,000 jobs " mostly in construction " will either be created or sustained in the development project, he said.
”This is great news for Michigan, which desperately needs more affordable housing,” said Lathom. “It’ll also help create jobs.”
Michigan's Eugene Kang golfing with president today
Eugene Kang, confidential assistant to the president and a native of Ann Arbor, is golfing with his boss today at Andrews Air Force Base. He was sporting a University of Michigan hat.
Kang is something of a mini celebrity in the Korean American community because of his closeness to Barack Obama. Kang sets up phone calls and plans events, such as the health care town hall earlier in the year in Dearborn.
Kang played golf in December with Obama in Hawaii. Kang says Obama has a “really good golf swing.”
Kang was the guest of The Detroit News at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
The foursome also included Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and presidential aide Marvin Nicholson.
Panel probing trip taken by Rep. Kilpatrick
An investigatory panel is looking at trips paid for by Carib News for members of Congress, including Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, D-Detroit.
A statement by the House Committee Standards says the trips occurred in 2007 and 2008. Travel records show that Carib News paid for a trip for several members to the Antigua, West Indies in November 2007 for discussions on such issues as trade and housing.
The Kilpatrick trip was to St. Maarten last November. The National Legal and Policy Center asked for a probe of that trip.
Kilpatrick’s office did not have an immediate response to the creation of a special panel to look into whether the trip violated House ethics rules.
Granholm talks health care with Obama
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm told President Barack Obama today that an overhaul of the health care system could save other industries from suffering the ongoing struggles of General Motors and Chrysler.
”Arguably Chrysler and General Motors would not have been in the position they were in " needing saving " if there had been a uniquely American solution to the cost of health care to begin with,” Granholm said she told Obama in an hour-long meeting with a small group of governors.
”… Michigan’s situation can be instructive to encourage quick action, in so far as you don’t want this to happen to other industries. It would be important for the Congress and the administration to reach agreement and pass the health care reform bill now. It is an economic issue,” Granholm said later.
In addition to meeting with the president, Granholm spent an hour with the Michigan congressional delegation talking about job creation and auto suppliers.
Granholm pointed to common ground on health care between the parties, beyond the disagreement over whether there should be a government-run option in the eventual package. “The amount of stuff we agree on is enormous,” such as strategies to reduce costs, more emphasis on prevention, widespread use of IT such as digital files.
In her meeting with the Michigan congressional delegation, she said she asked them “to be with us in asking the administration for a solution that would allow suppliers to have access to capital, especially if those suppliers are going to diversify themselves. The ripple is just very dramatic right now in Michigan.”
Granholm said she didn’t ask Obama about his upcoming trip to Michigan. “I didn’t want to get my fellow governors too envious,” she said.
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, called the meeting with the governor productive. “We talked about economic rejuvenation for Michigan,” he said. “And the problem of Michigan coming up with matching funds for highway projects. There could be a waiver in terms of our match. That’s very, very preliminary.”
Obama plans Michigan town hall on July 14
President Barack Obama plans to hold a town hall in the Detroit area on July 14 -- his first trip to the state since he stepped into the White House.
An administration official said no details are available about the town hall, including where it will be held. But pollster Bernie Porn of EPIC/MRA predicts Obama will “go into the lion’s den” -- a town heavily impacted by the restructuring of the auto industry -- and address people’s concerns.
“He needs to reassure people that the government doesn’t want to run the car companies indefinitely,” Porn said. “People want to hear his plans for the auto industry but also the economy overall.”
Obama will find Michiganians are quite skeptical about his handling of the troubles of General Motors and Chrysler, but are overall happy with his job performance, according to a Detroit News/WXYZ survey show published on May 27.
The poll found most Michiganians, by 42-to-39 percent, think the Obama administration’s steps to restructure the two automakers have ended up hurting them. But 61 percent favorably view his overall job performance.
Liz Boyd, spokeswoman to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said, "This is great news and we’re looking forward to welcoming the President to Michigan."
Granholm headed back to White House -- more buzz?
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm heads back to the White House Wednesday to talk about health care with the president and other governors.
Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd insists her boss --recently on Barack Obama’s short list of potential Supreme Court nominees -- won’t be having lunch or other private time with the president.
The last time Granholm was at the White House, when she was believed to be under consideration for the Supreme Court, she was the buzz of the White House press corps and became a huge topic in the daily news briefing.
Granholm, court experts say, would have another shot at being picked by Obama if a new vacancy opens.
In the morning, Granholm meets with members of Congress to discuss health, then goes to the White House early afternoon, then talks with the Michigan delegation, Boyd said.
Category: The energy debate
Posted by Gordon Trowbridge (The Detroit News) on Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 8:50 AMRNC video attacking cap and trade features Dingell
Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, stars in a new Republican National Committee video, though it's likely not a starring role the dean of the House sought:
"Nobody in this country realizes that cap and trade is a tax. And it's a great big one," Dingell says in the RNC video, before scenes of lights going out all across the country -- presumably because the Democratic "cap and trade" plan has made electricity too costly.
