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Category Archives: Blog
John D’Adamo Presents | The Daily Daily
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein are solely the opinions of the author. They do not represent any organization, including UMCD, MDP, DNC, DCCC, DSCC, OFA, or the people at the Ann Arbor Thrift Shop and their Macklemore parody advertisement.
+ Breaking News: The Vagina Monologues is coming to campus!
+ Helene Gayle, president of CARE USA, spoke yesterday at the Ford School about the challenges of non-profit organizations, additionally how to pick the best lawn gnome. One of those may not be completely accurate.
+ The Month of Entrepreneurship is still going strong. Someone tried to sell me a back scratcher, pizza cutter, and I think even a cardboard box at one point. The Michigan Difference.
+ OK, this one is seriously cool and everyone should see it, because I’ve been serving as the authority of cool things since never. There is a documentary called “Shenandoah” which is about our struggles as an immigrant nation using the example of an undocumented person who died in 2008 in an act of racism. Go see it at the Michigan Theater on the 27th!
+ Dems and CTE’s own Kevin Mersol-Barg discusses in a well-written article why Order of Angell is lame and should’ve been left in the dust years ago with its offensive Native American artifacts. Also, elitism is bad.
+ Crime Notes: Parts of a door were missing from a room. There are no suspects.
+ Kick-Ass Thursday is on the 20/20 Education Plan and will be featuring President of the State Board of Education John Austin, who will discuss educational and economic policy! It is tonight at 8:00 PM in the Parker Room of the Michigan Union.
+ Want to write semi-witty e-mails like these? Or do you like blogging? Or designing things? Then join ThoughtfulDems, which meets every Wednesday at 8 PM on theRed Couches on the fourth floor of the Michigan Union!
This Month in Feminism | The State of the Union
Last week, President Obama addressed Congress in his annual State of the Union address. Here’s what he had to say about the ladies.
In his State of the Union Address President Obama urged the House to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This legislation was authored by Joe Biden in 1994 and until now has been consistently reauthorized. Democrats reintroduced the bill in January after House Republicans blocked it at the end of the last legislative session. Currently, Republicans are objecting to provisions providing protection for Native American and LGBTQ women.
Obama also called for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it easier for women to take legal action against their employers against wage discrimination. Employees would be able to share wage information with co-workers without fear of repercussions. This act would supplement the Equal Pay Act, under which an employee could be sued or punished for sharing salary information.
President Obama expressed his support for the recent Pentagon decision to allow women on the front lines, stating that “we will draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms, because women have proven under fire that they are ready for combat.” We are encouraged to see this promising step forward, and look forward to additional progress to ensure full equality between men and women in the military.
Clearly Ruth Bader Ginsburg was fascinated by the women’s issues in the SOTU. She’s been a lifelong women’s advocate, so this is old news. The question we’re asking: who was she wearing? #CollarFashion
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State of The Union | EnviroDems
In his State of the Union address Tuesday President Obama tugged at our
heartstrings when speaking of our most precious resource: our children. President
Obama was talking about children in the context of gun control and the recent
tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary. But guns are not the only things threatening
future generations. As Obama explained, the effects of climate change are already
impacting us. Superstorms, droughts, bizarre weather patterns – these are not
mere coincidences. They are the consequences of our energy use and consumption
patterns.
Undoubtedly, gun control must be addressed, but the threats of climate
change will be far wider reaching to many more people, both in our nation and
others. Every second that passes without meaningful action to mitigate climate
change puts our descendants in greater jeopardy. Obama alluded to taking action
to react to climate change – and we will certainly have to do many things to adapt
to our changing Earth. But we need to mitigate it as much as possible. Moreover,
Obama’s discussion of climate change was puny in comparison to his vision of
energy independence. Energy is obviously an important component of climate
change action, but it is just one component. So many different things need to be
done. It’s daunting, it’s challenging. But opening up new oil drilling operations
won’t do anything to mitigate climate change. Energy independence does not equal
sustainable energy policy.
We need jobs in the here and now. We need stricter gun control. Many want
immigration reform, debt reduction, tax reform, etc. But we are ignoring the biggest
threat to our nation’s most valuable resources. Energy independence is important,
but the United States needs to do so much more, and waiting is only making the
situation worse. If Congress does not act soon and in an appropriate measure,
President Obama simply must take executive action. He needs to put the “greatest
nation on Earth” on the path to helping save said Earth.
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Lauren Coffman Presents | The Daily Daily
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein reflect only the views of the author and do not represent the opinions of the College Democrats at the University of Michigan (UMCD), the Michigan Federation of College Democrats, (MFCD), the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) , the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the world’s best dogs, Steve Martin, first time father, or presidential fist bumps.
+ The Daily somehow managed to cover the State of the Union without mentioning Joe Biden’s vampire eye or giving a fashion recap. (They did interview Congressman Dingell, though. Which makes up for it. Sort of.)
+ The Michigan Supreme Court has walked back the rights of medicinal marijuana users, so you know SSDP and Representative Irwin have something to say about it.
+ ”I believe in five years Eastern Michigan University, Northern Michigan University, Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University — are gone. Five years. They’re gone.“
+ Another pair of almost completely incompetent candidates throw their hats in the ring for CSG.
+ I, like Bethany, had a less than great first impression of Ann Arbor, but that’s because my mom face planted in the Law Quad.
+ The Statement features an article on COMMgeniuses from across the U. I wasn’t interviewed, and yes, I am salty.
+ As a podcast addict, I really identify with Jesse Klein’s piece on her NPR addiction.
+ The Daily wants to know what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day. I will be wining and dining myself.
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John D’Adamo Presents | The Daily Daily
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DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed herein reflect only those of the author, and not the DNC, DCCC, DSCC, the cast of the upcoming (but still so far awaaaay) revival of Arrested Development, and the pandas.
+ Rick Synder unveiled his budget for the 2014 fiscal year, which does increase education funding very slightly, including a 5 percent year-over-year growth in spending and a 2 percent increase to University appropriations. As Rep. Jeff Irwin put it so well, “As far as just the macro level — a small increase for higher education given the very large decrease that he provided back in 2011 — this small increase still leaves us falling behind other states and other nations with less funding for higher education than we had just a couple years ago,” In other words, Gov. Snyder basically got rid of the entire education budget in 2011, and now he’s throwing some pennies at it in an attempt to make up for it. Not impressed.
+ There will also be a gas tax to fix Michigan’s held-together-by-duct-tape infrastructure, and Gov. Snyder will generously take all of the federal money for the healthcare exchanges.
+ Thursday in the North Campus Research Complex, an “unconference” was held, emphasizing entrepreneurship in a non-traditional way. This was done by climbing the trees and feeding squirrels, two of the three things you can do on North Campus, the other being eating breadsticks at the Blue Apple, of course.
+ Union members assembled Thursday night to discuss the new right-to-work law that Gov. Snyder signed into law on Dec. 11, essentially killing the unions. Short version of Thursday night’s meeting: “Uh, yeah, this is messed up.”
+ Viewpoint from the Daily: “So Lance cheated? So what?” So what indeed. I mean, he came out to OPRAH. Everyone knows sitting down with Oprah will make you spill all your secrets. What I’m saying is she’s magical.
+ Another Viewpoint (The Daily got the GEMS today!): “Am I “whipped” for really taking the time and effort to see if this girl I met is my princess?” Jezebel, here we come.
+ Sportz: At the women’s basketball game there were breast cancer survivors and the game was played in their honor. This was an actual cool thing.
+ Crime Notes: Normally we paraphrase these for humorous purposes but I’m going to let this one speak for itself: “A five-gallon container of floor-coating was dispensed on a stairway between 5 p.m. Feb. 4 and 9 a.m. Feb. 6, University Police reported. There are no suspects.” A crime, or the best game of slip and slide ever? You decide.
+ Coalition For Tuition Equality, Wednesday at 7PM, Third Floor, Michigan Union. Then go up the stairs and go to the…
+ ThoughtfulDems Meeting, Wednesday at 8PM on the red couches. And you might even get an opportunity to write one of these Daily Dailies, which is guaranteed to be better than this one.
+ FemDems Presents a Sex-Ed Kick-Ass Thursday at 8PM in the Parker Room of the Michigan Union. I hear there will be demonstrations of all of the contraceptives.
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Mary Bridget Lee Presents | The Daily Daily
Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the College Democrats at the University of Michigan or any other organization.
+ So much Sports!
+ A very timely op-ed points out the flaws that cost the Republicans the presidential election. (I’m being sarcastic, this op-ed is two months late.) Their solution? Ron Paul.
+ I am ordering a restraining order against anyone who gets the flu.
+ I never want to hear about CSG elections again, but Kevin Mersol-Barg is quoted.
+ “Our generation is more pro-life than any other generation before,” says Students for Life president Tori Criswell who has clearly not seen the 54%-of-Americans-support-legal-abortion and the 57%-feel-strongly-about-keeping-Roe-v-Wade statistics.
+ This author disapproves of The Mindy Project, but offers a really good idea for a Kelly Kapoor Office spin-off.
+ I’m pretty sure that the “Apple of my Eye” pun has been used by Crime Notes before.
Happy Monday!
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Lauren Coffman | My Election Cycle in Dems
Me to all of my PoliSci-major classmates:
Pep talks from alumni:
Virtual Sites:
Working with the best campaigners on the face of the planet:
Checking returns at a victory party:
Releasing my inner Karen Walker post-election:
On to the next one:
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Lauren Coffman Presents | My Week in Dems
Explaining campaign office decorum on Fall Break:
Phone calls, door knocking, or data input?:
Tuesday’s debate:
Giving quotes to The Daily:
MSU weekend with Joe, Amanda, and Brendan?:
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John D’Adamo Presents | The Daily Daily
The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and no one else, including all the Democratic groups with initials, The Lockview and its thirteen types of grilled cheese, Chris Brown, or anyone/anything else.
+ A program called MCubed, headed by Mark Burns, chair of the department of Chemical Engineering, gives money to aid projects at the University. I have come up with some foolproof ideas to apply for an MCubed grant, but so far they’ve all involved cats and/or 1970s era Bill Clinton. I’ll keep thinking.
+ Bottom line: Everyone needs to vote for Prop 2 to preserve collective bargaining rights. Because even if Rick Snyder says he’s going to avoid anti-bargaining legislation, the Republicans in Lansing may very well have other plans. Also, our very own Lauren Coffman, Communications Director, was quoted in the Prop 2 article, giving a very good sum-up of the need to constituitionally preserve rights for everyday workers especially compared to Rachel Jankowski’s “uh, well, he said he wouldn’t take them away” defense.
+ In case someone is living under a rock, Gretchen Driskell, the first female (and longest running) Mayor of Saline, is up against incumbent Mark Ouimet for the 52nd House seat. This is probably THE most important seat for Democrats as it is the most flippable to our side. There are two Driskell events coming up for MSU Week that you should sign up for if you care about Lansing having Democrats fighting for you.
+ Everyone should read the section about celebrity dating, especially the adorable story about Matt Damon marrying his bartender Luciana.
+ Sports: The U of M volleyball team got whooped in straight sets to Michigan State. I really really hope this isn’t a harbinger of things to come. However, our hockey team beat… uh… Rochester Institute of Technology in a 7-2 victory! The Michigan Difference, folks.
+ Newsflash: The Arb is cool.
+ Crime Notes: Some youngsters stole a cell phone. Meh, whatever. But how dare they steal $1 from the Amer’s tip jar! Seriousnote: Anyone who steals from a barista’s tip jar is an absolutely terrible person and they hate America.
+ Don’t forget to go to Kick-Ass Thursday TONIGHT in the Wolverine Room of the Union at 8 PM to hear our amazing Representative Jeff Irwin talk about the upcoming House Races and why it’s so important to get involved in the upcoming MSU Week.
+ In case you’re not getting my subtle hint, sign up for MSU Week. And the Phonebank for Obama that is tomorrow from 11-4 in Room 3 of the League.
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Lauren Coffman Presents | My Week in Dems
Republicans decrying positive jobs numbers:
When someone with little to no campaign experience tells me how to do my job:
What UMCD now thinks Grand Rapids is like all the time:
When UMCD and MSUCD meet:
Sleeping for twelve hours after canvassing:
When someone says they can’t support our candidate because we’re going “too negative”:
Flyering at 7a.m.:
When people are doing things that aren’t voter reg on October 9th:
Watching the VP debate:
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