Stabenow v. Bouchard - Debate Preview

Well, this race is definitely not getting the attention the gubernatorial race is, but nonetheless, its still very important to all of us here in Michigan. As I was referencing to on MichiganLiberal, the Senate is the real meat and potatoes of the national legislature. So many responsibilities and duties they are entrusted with. Not too mention, that Democrats have a real chance of taking over the leadership for the first time in a long time...the pressure is on!

Debbie - My biggest issue is healthcare, and I really, really like what she's done since coming into office. The Patient's Bill of Rights was a huge victory for Joe American. For frequent flyers of the healthcare system :::raises hand::: this meant we, the patients finally had some written rights about our care and had a little leverage on the bully in the schoolyard - Pharmaceuticals and corporate medical conglomerates. She's also done a heck of a lot with prescription healthcare and has really helped out veteran medical benefits.
Of course, there's much more than just that --- she's been pretty progressive on banking, authored the very first federal ban on drilling in our precious Great Lakes, and really helped churn out more job creation with her tax relief package. She'll never let us forget her signature issue - stopping Canadian trash, but I wish she wouldn't spend so much time talking about it. There's so many other things that have been great that she's done, and everyone knows -- Debbie = Stopping Canadian Trash.


Mikey - Okay - so 1) He's from Oakland County. Growing up there myself, it's an odd bird in Michigan politics. It's definitely not progressive for the most part. The wealthiest county in Michigan, Bush/Rove/Amway Guy have all spent a lot of time 'lobbying' for votes. As County Sheriff, he seems to have done a decent job, and has traditionally been a popular vote-getter.
2)His endorsements range from the Natl Right to Life to the National Rifle Association (NRA). I'm always a big fan of men who want to tell me, as a woman what I can do with my body and what I can't --hope you got the sarcasm on that one.
3)His big issue is security. Great - another page taken from the Republican playbook. Scare votes out of Americans. Yes, security is important, but there's so much more to being a public servant than ensuring our safety. His experience really lacks when it comes to healthcare, education, job development, etc. Not to harp on the guy, but when you've been in law enforcement all your life, your involvement options are kind of limited.

Predictions -
She's gonna knock him on experience, and she should.
He's gonna knock on her for her latest votes on the so-called Torture Ban. I'm hoping she can come back strong from it.
She's gonna kick butt...and he'll make a noble effort, but she's still gonna kick butt.

Sorry to disappoint, but I've been following the Gov's race a lot closer. I'm looking to be informed and educated. Hope you are too!
Look for my informal LIVE transcript here in a few!