Essays and Opinions

By Congressman Gary Peters, MI 9th District
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Colleen and I wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a warm and happy holiday season. Regardless of one's faith, this is a sacred time of year. A time for everyone to smile a little more, to give a little more and to appreciate the ones we love. I for one am extremely happy to be home in Michigan for the holidays. Colleen and I are looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with each other, our kids, our parents, and our extended families and friends.

By Dr. Phil O'Dwyer, Chair
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

For generations, Democrats have lauded the importance of the “big tent” theory of political affiliation. We promote that our party is tolerant enough to embrace diverse shades of opinion while remaining true to a general philosophy. Our tent, it is said, harmoniously houses “blue dogs” and progressives; the fervently religious as well as unconvinced souls.

But this range of perspective renders the term “liberal” an ill-fitting moniker for many current Democrats. Regional differences also reveal troublesome rifts in the party while Michigan’s Congressman Bart Stupak remains an enigma.

By State Senator Gilda Z. Jacobs
Monday, November 9, 2009

With Governor Granholm’s signature on the final bills, we now have a state budget that few legislators or citizens are happy with. Work on the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year Budget was difficult and frustrating. The final product left us with unfortunate cuts to programs that are crucial to our communities and citizens, and there is no agreement to find new revenues for these programs.

I believe that we can and must do better with the state’s budget. If legislators can work together, and if we include the people of Michigan in the process, then I believe that we can avoid a divisive and frustrating budget battle and make better decisions about programs and funding.

By Ellen Cogen Lipton, State Representative, 27th House District
Thursday, October 15, 2009

Swine Flu Vaccines

Oakland County residents can now pre-enroll online for vaccines for H1N1, commonly known as Swine Flu, through the County's Health Division. Vaccines for H1N1 and the regular seasonal flu are recommended for children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years old; women that are pregnant; seniors and adults with underlying medical conditions; and health care workers and emergency personnel. Pre-enroll online or call (248) 926-3950 for more information.

By Ellen Cogen Lipton, State Representative, 27th House District
Friday, October 30, 2009

Welcome to my online newsletter. As your State Representative, I am here to work on your behalf in Lansing and our community. I hope this e-newsletter will be a helpful tool to let you know what I am working on and keep you informed on the important issues coming up at the Capitol.

By Jen O'Malley Dillon, Executive Director, Democratic National Committee
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Last weekend, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher admitted what's been painfully clear for months, saying: "I see a lot of Republicans simply involved in political games."

Sadly, he's right -- and when it comes to health reform, there's no one that statement applies to more than Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Instead of encouraging his party to work toward reform, Steele's been leading the charge against it with a series of lies and distortions.

By Senator Carl Levin
Thursday, October 8, 2009

This week, Congress took an important step to protect those who have been targeted because of the color of their skin, their religion, their disability, their gender, or their sexual orientation.

Yesterday, the Senate and House Armed Services Committees agreed to a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 that included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This legislation will likely be passed by both Houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama in the coming days.

By Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
September 25, 2009

That’s how the Vice President summed up the ongoing effort by many in Washington to scare America’s seniors with myths about what reform would mean for their health care benefits. On Wednesday, he spoke to seniors in Maryland to set the record straight about how the President’s plan to reform health care would affect Medicare.