Herb Helzer
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On the article Bentivolio To Host Small Business Round Table
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On the article Bentivolio Critical of Obama's Proposed Gun Laws
Herb Helzer
5:10 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
ReplyWhat good is one, two or an armory full of military-inspired weapons -- even if you had unlimited ammo and did that little trick about filing down the pin to make your AR-15 fully automatic?
If the "Big Bad Government" REALLY wanted to "impose tyranny," they'd take you out with a drone. Probably while you're asleep.
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On the article Bentivolio Accepting Nominations to Military Service Academies
Herb Helzer
5:02 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
ReplyScore one for Bentivolio, assuming he follows through.
Thaddeus McCotter's inattentiveness to such things during his time in Congress was a big reason Kerry ran in the first place -- that, and no longer having a teaching job.
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On the article Bentivolio Announces First Bill Co-Sponsorship
Herb Helzer
4:59 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
ReplyThis would of course be a doomed-to-fail attempt to put into law the "rule" that House Republicans imposed at the beginning of 2011...only to find the vast majority of the subsequent bills and amendments simply referred to the Enumerated powers specified in Article I, Section 8 and called it good.
The bill has exactly zero chance of becoming law, given that the U.S. Senate has no interest in being lectured to by the House (also, controlled by Democrats).
If this is the sort of self-important puffery we can expect from Rep. Bentivolio, I weep for our District's reputation. But hey, Kerry's voted TWICE to snub the victims of Superstorm Sandy, so we have that going for us...oh, wait.
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On the article Kerry Bentivolio to Assume Congressional Office Today
Herb Helzer
9:25 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Like a classic Venn Diagram, the "old 11th" that elected Dave Curson over Kerry Bentivolio had a lot of overlap with the "new 11th" that chose Bentivolio over Dr. Syed Taj. There was a big shaded area in the middle where the two "sets" met, including Northville, Novi, Canton, Plymouth and Livonia -- but outside that area were thousands of voters who only saw Bentivolio vs. Curson OR Bentivolio vs. Taj.
Dave Curson won big in such "old 11th" communities as Dearborn Heights, Westland, Garden City, Inkster, Wayne, Redford and Belleville -- in part because he was running alongside incumbent Reps. John Dingell and John Conyers (in the "new 12th" and "new 13th" Districts).
On the other hand, the "new 11th" towns outside the shaded space -- including Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Auburn Hills, Clawson and Farmington City -- had only one Congressional race on the ballot: Bentivolio vs. Taj. There, the inherent Republican lean delivered, and so we wound up with Rep. Bentivolio for the next two years.
And if my read of area Republicans is right, the next two years is all they'll tolerate when Kerry proves to be the clown show wingnut he appeared to be during the campaign. He will be primaried in 2014 and probably lose that August, even as Democrats scramble to find someone credible to run that November.
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On the article Kerry Bentivolio to Assume Congressional Office Today
Herb Helzer
2:13 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
So there wasn't a true "revolt" in the GOP House Caucus, aside from Justin Amash and 13 other malcontents. At least Bentivolio didn't join them, voting to reelect Boehner as Speaker rather than trying to force a second ballot.
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On the article Fiscal Cliff: How Congress Voted
Herb Helzer
12:06 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
ReplySince Reps. Justin Amash, Bill Huizenga and Tim Walberg -- all Tea Partiers elected in 2010 (Walberg returning after a two-year absence) -- voted No, you can be sure that Kerry Bentivolio would have been the fourth Michigan Mouseketeer willing to see us plunge over the "cliff."
So very glad he didn't get the chance. THANK YOU, Rep. Curson!
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On the article Kerry Bentivolio to Assume Congressional Office Today
Herb Helzer
12:01 pm on Thursday, January 3, 2013
ReplyWith Allen West now out of Congress, how long before the national media "discovers" Kerry Bentivolio and starts coming to him for sound bites of unfiltered wingnuttery?
In the shorter term, we might see today whether Rep. Bentivolio will be an ideologue or a pragmatist -- assuming there's a "revolt" on the Republican side against Speaker John Boehner.
Finally, let's give a hearty salute and THANK YOU! to outgoing Rep. David Curson, for providing stability and sanity during his all-too-brief tenure in Congress during the "lame duck" session.
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On the article Your Guide to Right-to-Work Bills, Lawmakers' Votes
Herb Helzer
2:24 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012
And shouting about it really gives that aura of reasonablemess one could respect.
Perhaps you prefer your schooling as a metaphor:
Earlier this year, a bus departed on a journey to a city called Passage. Six passengers had secured tickets, and were on board: Two union members, an environmentalist, a Tea Party activist, Gov. Rick Snyder (an unwilling passenger, to be sure, but traveling nonetheless) and Odious Billionaire Manuel "Matty" Moroun (who had also bought the Tea Partier's ticket).
Sadly, before reaching its destination, the bus is broadsided by a big truck and pushed right off the road. None of the passengers are seriously injured, but the bus is a total loss, so none will reach the city of Passage...and the different things the six wanted end up not happening.
Your argument is that the truck was specifically TARGETING the two union members on board. I'm saying that the "No on Everything" semi was after the BUS, with only minor (and conflicting) motives for or against ANY of the six passengers (proposals).
We clear?
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On the article Your Guide to Right-to-Work Bills, Lawmakers' Votes
Herb Helzer
5:48 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Union members ARE residents of the state -- TAXPAYING citizens, with homes and families and mortgages. One of THEM might even he a "Novi Homeowner," just like you!!
Also, union members have ALWAYS had the right to opt out of paying towards their union's political action committees.
Herb Helzer
3:07 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
Just "business representatives?"