One of those obvious "out of context" ploys

Does Mitt Romney really think we are dumb enough to fall for this one?  If a quote like the one he's attributing to the President seems off the wall, it's because the context is missing.  What  the "that" means is obvious from what precedes and follows it.

Kevin Drum says it well here:
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/no-obama-isnt-taking-credit-building-your-business

Actions Speak Louder Than Words - Mark Ouimet's Voting Record

Involved voters in Michigan's 52nd House District, it's time to do some research on the man who won the election in 2010.  Find out if Mark Ouimet's votes on issues of importance to you were what you expected and wanted them to be.  I recommend this Project Vote Smart site for easy searching:
http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/89557/mark-ouimet

Would it surprise you to know that Mark Ouimet's score on the Michigan Tea Party Scorecard - Release 3 - Jan 2011 thru Mar 2012 tied for closest to the Tea Party's Ideal House Vote at 77%?   Source: http://www.michiganvotes.org/VotingIndex.aspx?ID=736

Note: The Tea Party Scorecard only includes votes on core tea party issues, primarily fiscal responsibility, limited government, and private sector job creation. Unanimous and party-line votes are largely excluded to highlight the differences between members of the same party rather than differences between the parties. "Messy" bills with complex, competing content were also excluded as no clear "correct" vote could be assigned. The Scorecard is administered by the Independent Tea Party Patriots in Clarkston.

How many times did Mark Ouimet's vote differ from that of the majority of Republicans in the House based on roll call votes taken from 1/1/2011 to 7/12/2012?  10 times out of 1105 votes.  That's less than 1% of the time.  Check for yourself at www.michiganvotes.org.

When you see Mark Ouimet, ask him about his voting record.  If you took him at his word and got fooled in 2010, you can make a different choice in 2012.  

Who's correct on the economy, Obama or Romney?

It's impossible to be an Involved Voter today without a willingness to dig below the surface and get more familiar with economic causes and solutions.

I recommend taking a look at what Henry Blodget has written at Business Insider.  Here's a link to a recent post: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-vs-romney-economy-2012-6

In the article, Blodget points out that who is right depends on the goal.  Is the goal to heal the overall economy gradually while minimizing pain and disruption, or to try to cure the problem by going "cold turkey"--without any regard for the (hopefully temporary) pain, unemployment, GDP shrinkage, and increased debt, deficits, and inequality that will result from this approach?  He then gives reasons why the former goal is the preferred one.

If charts are your thing, here's a post for you: http://www.businessinsider.com/politics-economics-facts-charts-2012-6#weve-had-an-amazingly-prosperous-run-for-the-last-70-years-but-we-just-had-a-big-unusual-hiccup-in-economic-growth-1

It's the responsibility of Involved Voters to make time to understand the issues, and then vote accordingly.

Is Romney Lying about Health Care? You Decide.

Ed Kilgore at the Washington Monthly's Political Animal blog has an excellent post, Disguising "Repeal and Reverse".  He points out that despite what Mitt Romney keeps saying about his plans to "repeal and replace" ObamaCare (aka the Affordable Care Act), there is no "replace" in sight.  Romney is offering at most a return to the laws that existed before the act was passed - including the ability of insurers to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.  You have to "read the fine print" to figure out what he's actually supporting - including the "Ryan budget" which will shred what's left of the "safety net" many of us count on.

To quote Kilgore:

...it’s important to understand the GOP’s agenda for health care is not “repeal and replace,” or even “repeal and do nothing”—it’s “repeal and reverse,” and a cruel trick on anyone looking for genuine reform.

Good News from Local Democratic Presidential Caucus

It was no surprise that the folks who attended the Democratic Presidential Caucus in Dexter yesterday voted unanimously for Barack Obama.  But that's not the good news I'm talking about.

The best news is related to candidates for office closer to home.

• 7th Congressional District - Yes, there is a real, serious Democrat running to unseat Tim Walberg: Ruben Marquez of Jackson just announced his intentions.
• 52nd State House District - Gretchen Driskell, 7 term mayor of Saline is running for State Representative against the "really nice guy" who has let us all down with his voting record and refuses to discuss the issues. www.votegretchen.com
• Washtenaw County Commission 1st District - Kent Martinez-Kratz, Chelsea City Council member since 2005

For more inspiration, check out the first official Obama/Biden campaign rally May 5 in Ohio.

Happy Birthday, Affordable Care Act!

Even though some of its key provisions - for example, no denial of coverage or ability to charge you more because of a pre-existing condition, including a disability - don't go into effect until 2014, the Affordable Care Act has already begun working.  Here are some statistics relevant to those of us in Michigan:

• Health care works for women, children, seniors – everyone. More than 2.9 million Michiganders received preventative care such as mammograms and colonoscopies for free in 2011.

• Health care works for young adults: 57,527 Young Adults in Michigan are now insured because of the new health care law.

• Health care works for seniors: 84,168 Medicare beneficiaries saved more than $48 million on prescription drugs because of the new health care law.

• Health care works for small businesses: A growing number of businesses offering health care coverage are taking advantage of tax credits available under the law.

The facts show that the ACA is working, but Republicans are still doing everything they can to try and repeal the law.  By calling it "Obamacare," they have been tapping into the resentment that many Republicans feel toward Democrats in general and President Obama in particular for winning in 2008.  This and the fear-mongering and demagoguing that are so common on the campaign trail are diverting attention from the benefits of the law.  Ask people if they support many of the specifics of the ACA and the majority say yes, definitely.

Involved Voters can find information about what portions of the ACA have already been implemented and what's still to come on the healthcare.gov timeline page.


On Monday, March 26th, the Supreme Court will begin oral arguments about the constitutionality of the law.  The proceedings will be worth following.  


If you or someone in your family has already benefited from the ACA or will in the future, I encourage you to write a letter to the editor or comment online during this important time.

"The Road We've Traveled" - What a Contrast with the Rhetoric from Republican Candidates

Here's a link to the trailer for the new film about President Obama's first term.

http://www.barackobama.com/news/entry/first-look-the-road-weve-traveled

The film, which is 17 minutes long, will be released March 15 at Obama re-election campaign venues.  Get re-inspired, and get to work - Obama 2012!