Michigan Secretary Of State Bans Open Carry At The Polls

Without any legislative authority, Jocelyn Benson, our Secretary of State, just issued a regulation banning open carry at polling places.

Up until this regulation, open carry at polling places was legal.

Especially so, depending on the location, if you had a concealed carry permit you could then open carry at the polls [don't ask it's a Michigan thing and would take a whole other post - basically there are lots of areas like schools and churches where you can't open carry legally without a permit, and can't carry concealed with a permit but can carry openly with a permit].

Now without any legislation or declared legal authority, and based solely on the Sec State's say so, you now cannot do so:

The Detroit News: Michigan bans open carry of guns inside and near polling places

Michigan is prohibiting the open carry of guns within 100 feet of polling places amid fears of voter intimidation during the pivotal Nov. 3 election, prompting criticism by Second Amendment advocates.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson sent guidance to local election officials on Friday — 18 days before Election Day — to clarify that the open carry of firearms on Election Day in polling places, clerk’s offices and absent voter counting boards is banned.

A little voter suppression of the open carry crowd, who likely wasn't going to vote Dem, neh?

While I don't open carry much, and don't open carry at the polls, I know plenty of law abiding people who have done so properl,y with no fanfare, and not as a "carrying at someone" type of action. 

Rather unclear where she gets the authority to institute such a ban, so expect some litigation shortly.

A Keen Understanding of The Electoral Process

Tash: Abby, today Daddy is going to take you voting with him.

Abby: Yay!

Tash: Do you know why do we vote today?

Me (feeling rather curmudgeonly): So we can choose who is going to be in charge and take and waste our money.

Abby: Mama!

Smart kid.

Civil Lawsuit Launched Against the Michigan Mad Hatters Fake Tea Party

The Detroit Free Press: Suit aims to bar candidates from Mark Steffek’s Tea Party

Mark Steffek, the Mad Hatter of the Democrat party's fake Tea Party may be about to feel a little judicially inspired discovery uncovering the links between the Michigan Democrats and their convenient Fake Tea party.

A group of tea party activists and Republican candidates filed a lawsuit today seeking to keep candidates from what they claim is a phony Tea Party from appearing on the Michigan ballot in November.

The complaint, filed with the Michigan Court of Appeals, seeks to bar candidates from the Tea Party formed by Mark Steffek, a retired UAW worker from the Saginaw area, for a variety of alleged violations of state elections law.

And a Criminal investigation will hopefully be moving forward as well:

Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson said today she believes as many as three of the Tea Party candidate affidavits notarized by the former [Michigan Democratic Party] official, Jason Bauer, contain forged signatures. Johnson said representatives of her office met with investigators from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department today.

You know its embarrasingly bad when even the Detroit Free (Democrat) Press calls for the shenanigans to be investigated: Time to get to the bottom of the Tea Party scam

There are campaign dirty tricks, and then there are perversions of the electoral process that cry out for some authoritative response and criminal consequences.

The flap over an allegedly fake slate of Tea Party candidates, intended to siphon votes from Republicans this fall, is looking more and more like the latter. It's time for the Oakland County prosecutor and the state attorney general to get involved, and get to the bottom of this affair.

What we know so far casts real doubt on the sincerity of this Tea Party exercise. The principals behind it have been exposed as Democrats with union ties. They were all put on the ballot in very competitive districts where votes for them would hurt Republican hopefuls. And last week, a Democratic operative in Oakland County was accused of fraudulently notarizing affidavits for a dozen of the candidates on the ballot. That in itself is a crime worth prosecuting.

But it's also worth finding out how deep and wide this planned diversion goes. Who bankrolled it? Did state party higher-ups know about it, encourage it or aid in the high jinks?

My bet, the rot goes far beyond the operations manager. I doubt he personally funded the signature gathering process and did all the fillings. Indeed the players are a plethora of Democrat party names as discussed by Lagniappe's Keeper -

[The "Michigan Tea Party's"] attorney/"election specialist" just happens to be Mike Hodge. Hodge was legal counsel to former Democratic Gov. James Blanchard and has worked regularly since then for the state Democratic Party. Also, the outfit that he used to circulate the petitions turns out to be Progressive Campaign, Inc., a George-Soros-financed firm that works almost exclusively on behalf of leftist organizations and the Democrat Party.

Hopefully the investigations both civil, criminal and the one in the media all vigorously proceed and all the details of this blatant attempt to steal Michigan's 2010 Election for the Democrats comes to light.
 

Michigan Democrat Dirty Trick of a "Tea Party" Unravelling

In an attempt to split the conservative vote a "Michigan Tea Party" was being placed on the ballot - only in ridings where it seemed Republicans might pick up some democrat seats.

As it turns out it was a Michigan Democrat inspired False Flag operation, that more and more looks like an amateur-hour hurry to get this fake party on the ballot in time to throw some elections their way.

The Detroit Free Press: Dem official resigns after backing 'Tea Party' effort

The Democratic Party operative who was behind signing up many of the so-called “Tea Party” candidates for the November ballot has been let go from his post as a operations director for the Oakland County Democratic Party.

Jason Bauer, who was the notary listed on affidavits for a dozen of the Tea Party candidates, has come under fire in recent weeks for his role in signing up the candidates, who could siphon votes from Republicans.

This Michigan Tea Party operation was so secretive and so well planned by the Dems that the notary on the candidate forms was the operations director for the Michigan Democratic party, some "candidates" are not even of age to run form office, and one candidate states outright that his name is being used without his consent, his signature on the form is a forgery, and he lives in Arizona.

The Detroit Free Press: Court battle to decide fate of mysterious Tea Party

Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson told the board at least one set of documents nominating a Tea Party candidate for the county commission was a "straightforward fraud." Johnson said she has asked for a criminal investigation of an Oakland County Democratic Party official who notarized at least nine Tea Party candidate affidavits, including one who told her office his signature had been forged.

Oh, and the purported head of the "Tea Party" is a former UAW shop steward out of Saginaw.

What's next for the Dems? Create a Capitalist Party with the head being the secretary general of the Michigan Communist Party?

Certainly not the smartest electoral op ever ran by the Democratic Party - and its fallen apart pretty quickly given the amateurish way it seems to have been setup.

It is quite a step up from the normal electoral fraud on their part - creating an entirely fraudulent political party seems harder to do than their standard technique of creating fraudulent voters, so it may be beyond their capacity at this time, as is running this state effectively, for which they will hopefully be booted out in a few short months.

It is also really hard for the party to believably deny all knowledge when theie State Democrat Party Operations Manager is caught signing the fraudulent candidate forms.

The best chance for the Democrats is to quickly come clean, admit they got caught trying to pull a fast one over those "dumb Republican Tea Party hicks hah hah" (you know they were thinking along those lines when they formed their little party), and try to sweep it under the rug, throw their Operations Director under the bus, hope the media covers up their malfeasance and move on.

The longer they try to deny and obfuscate after getting their handwriting caught on the candidate forms, the better the chance to deservedly rub their noses in their dirty tricks. Especially if the criminal charges proceed and a real investigation takes place - I'm sure the Dems are busy wiping hard drives, deleting email accounts and shredding records as we speak.

The blogprof is all over this amateur-hour Democratic Electoral scandal.

Goodbye and Good Riddance to Detroit's Congresswoman-For-Life Kilpatrick

So much for Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatricks declaration that I will be your congresswoman ... until I decide to retire" The people of Detroit and surrounding areas finally woken up, and she's been voted out in the primary.

The Detroit Free Press: Clarke upsets Kilpatrick as family dynasty ends

State Sen. Hansen Clarke staged a stunning upset victory Tuesday night over seven-term Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick.

With 53% of the overall district results in, Clarke had a 48-39% lead over the incumbent, who was first elected to Congress in 1996.

I would submit that 7 terms was far, far too many. Given that she is in a one-party district, the only way she could be removed is by another Democrat. Tainted by scandals involving her son and ex-husband as well as her arrogance, her time is now done.

Hopefully Hansen Clarke will do a better and far less arrogant job in office than the representative he is replacing.

Brown Wins in MA - First Republican Senator From Massachusetts in 37 years!

Since 1972, MA has had two Democrat Senators.

Not anymore.

Democrats seek back footing after epic loss in Massachusetts election Yes it was an epic victory when you consider that Brown started with no national Republican support against an entrenched Democrat establishement.

In one of the country's most traditionally liberal states, Brown rode a wave of voter anger to defeat Coakley, the attorney general who had been considered a surefire winner until just days ago. Her loss signaled big political problems for Obama and the Democratic Party this fall when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

To have it most simply put, voters, even in Massachussets of all places, decided Obama and the Democrats were pushing too far left, too fast and taking the nation down with them.

A special thanks to the voters of Massachussets today for making a great decision and trusting the Republicans to put things right. Here's to hoping Brown and the Republicans are worthy of that trust. If they are, expect a massive sea change in Congress in 2010.

The Republican National Committee is, if anything, predictable

Unfortunately, it is predictably going in the wrong direction.

As noted by Push the Door, the Republicans at the national level aren't doing much to support Scott Brown for the senate seat in Massachusetts. Passing up a great chance to work with popular dissatisfaction over the Democrats and a fighting chance to pick up a Senate seat in yes Massachusetts of all places, the RNC goes belly up.

Yes, the Republican National Committee, never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

hat tip: View From The Porch

Update: At least the RNC is at least promoting Brown now as seen at Riehl World View: Steele, RNC Raising Money For Scott Brown.

Hopefully, the RNC will back this up with some of their own funds in addition to asking others to make donations.

Is the GOP Leadership doing some soul searching and waking up?

It looks like the GOP heads may be realizing how it has lost course (and conservative support) the past few years.

GOP chief: Republicans 'screwed up' after Reagan

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele offers a simple explanation for why the GOP all too often lost touch with typical Americans since the Ronald Reagan era: "We screwed up," he claims in a new book offering a blueprint for the party's resurgence.

That "we" includes the last two Republican presidents and the most recent Republican candidate for president.

. . .

"We must support Republican officials who assert these principles," he writes. "When elected Republicans vote against Republican principles, the voters must withhold their support - withhold it vigorously and consistently."

. . .

To regain the public confidence, Steele says the GOP should, among other things, expose the "reign of error" inherent in liberal policies, contrast conservative and liberal principles, and highlight the damage caused by Obama's policies while explaining conservative solutions.

More surprising, the GOP chairman directly or indirectly criticizes:

-President George H.W. Bush for raising taxes two years after President Ronald Reagan left office, though Steele ignores the fact that Reagan raised taxes too.

-President George W. Bush for not vetoing any spending bills during his first five years in office. He calls Bush and other Republicans "enablers for big government" and derides the Bush administration's Troubled Asset Relief Program as "a massive government slush fund."

-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the party's 2008 presidential nominee, for backing censorship of political speech through the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. Steele says the GOP erred in allowing itself to be associated with "a national political speech code."

-Republican lawmakers in general, who allowed spending to rise from 2001 to 2004, went along with TARP and McCain-Feingold, and supported the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.

"We must quickly learn our lessons, return to our principles and move on," Steele concludes.

About time and certainly its appropriate that Steele has acknowledged the problem.

Too bad the lessons weren't learned, and principles not adhered to years ago, but there's still time before the 2010 elections for the GOP to prove its learned its lesson and that it deserves a shot at governing again.