Be An Informed Voter!

Dear Friends,

As the critical election approaches I would like to strongly encourage you to vote for advocates of limited government, free enterprise, and the Constitution.

The republic has persisted for over 236 years, having overcome difficult times along the way. You have an opportunity to pledge support for a platform rooted in the rich history of the greatest nation on Earth.

Our Republican candidates for public office and conservative-minded stances on various ballot measures serve as the best options. Please consider selecting them on Tuesday.

I urge you to exercise your right intelligently. Select hearty individuals and positions.

Thank you for putting forth the effort on behalf of the United States of America!

Sincerely,

Nicholas Kowalski

P. S. Please remind fellow conservatives to vote as well!

Michigan GOP Nominates Comeback Team for Judicial, Education Posts

The Michigan Republican Party nominated a slate of candidates for the remaining state-wide races at their convention in Grand Rapids. These folks will appear on the November ballot:

 

Supreme Court (non-partisan)

 

Justice Stephen Markman

Justice Brian Zahra

Colleen O’Brien

 

State Board of Education

 

Tom Courser

Melanie Kurdys

 

University of Michigan Board of Regents

 

Dan Horning

Rob Steele

 

Michigan State University Board of Trustees

 

Melanie Foster

Jeff Sakwa

 

Wayne State University Board of Governors

 

Michael Busuito

Satish Jasti

 

Pete Hoekstra – former Congressman from the 2nd District – received the most August GOP primary votes and will oppose unpopular, incumbent Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in the general election.

At the top of the ticket presidential nominee Mitt Romney, along with running mate Paul Ryan, will set the stage for the comeback team. Romney seeks to win the predominately blue-collar Midwestern state, which he proudly calls home.

The winner of Michigan will receive sixteen electoral votes. A total of two hundred-seventy are necessary to reclaim the White House.

There are also a bevy of proposals up for Michiganders’ consideration. Please check back for a thorough review of each!

Campus Reform: Student Activist Pressures MSU to Drop Health Insurance Plan

Michigan State University administrators recently announced they will not go forward with the planned mandatory health care requirement dubbed “Simoncare” due to “multiple complaints” from the student body.

The school has scaled back its plans to mandate a school-sponsored insurance plan for students after “multiple complaints” which resulted from a campaign orchestrated by activist Nick Kowalski, a rising senior. The school announced on Monday, June 25, 2012 that the insurance mandate for incoming students will not apply for the 2012-2013 school year.

The plan, dubbed “Simoncare,” after MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon, went into effect in the fall of 2011. The plan was controversial, as it charged students who did not report having insurance a fee of $1,505, to be covered by the school’s insurance. Three hundred and twenty students were charged this fee—with no way to opt out of this charge.

Opponents of the plan were quick to point out its similarities to the Affordable Care Act, and questioned if the university could effectively force students to buy a product they do not want.

Kowalski launched a campaign against “Simoncare,” by writing multiple blogs, op-eds in the campus paper, and questioning the president of the university. When all of these proved fruitless, he appeared on a local radio show to discuss the mandate. Kowalski encouraged others to call the president and complain about the fees.

The complaints were effective, and “the next business day” the plan was reversed. Kowalski is not sure how many calls the president of the university actually received, but is pleased with the announcement.

*This article was written by Christine Rousselle and originally posted on CampusReform.org.

Mitt’s in Michigan!

Attention: GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Lansing tomorrow! Here are the details ~

Event with Mitt Romney

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 | 12:00 PM

Dart Auditorium at Lansing Community College

500 North Capitol Avenue in Lansing, MI

RSVP/Questions: RomneyMI.com | TeamMI@MittRomney.com | (313) 744-3526

For Important Campaign Updates: Text MI to GOMITT (466488)

Come hear the likely Republican nominee give a pivotal policy speech near the Capitol of the Great Lakes State. Of note, George Romney – Mitt’s father – was the Governor of Michigan from 1963-1969.

The Times’ True Colors

With a strong showing in three primary contests earlier this month, Mitt Romney crept closer to the presumptive presidential nomination.

The Republican duel is nearing its end. But the mainstream media will continue bashing each and every GOP candidate until they are blue in the face (their minds are already this color politically) – and then some. You see, it is never enough to pooh-pooh one’s policy preferences based on logical argumentation.

From Governor Rick Perry’s verbal slip-ups to strong accusations against businessman Herman Cain, traditional news outlets have closely followed the Republican field while practically ignoring the incumbent’s sketchy past. Huffington Post articles and CNN segments tend to focus on the intricate details of the right-leaning challengers instead of vetting Barack Obama for once.

Speaking of slanted media, White House Correspondent for the New York Times Sheryl Stolberg visited my campus after Super Tuesday. Naturally she had much to say about the Party of Lincoln and Reagan.

…

*Read the rest here ~ http://bit.ly/HZ717x

Romney Wins, Santorum Surges in Iowa

As I stared out the humongous window – a passenger’s pleasure – on one of Greyhound Lines’ sleek new buses, it quickly became evident that Iowa and vast farmland are practically synonymous.

The caucus experience is undoubtedly a unique one. On top of Iowa’s satus as presidential election season kick-off, the early political battle with great implications calls for a different paradigm of preparation. Campaigns ought to identify probable caucus-goers, contact them multiple times for reminder purposes, and citizen leaders enlisted as precinct surrogates. The demand on candidates is much more significant than in the average primary contest. In fact, only fourteen states employ a caucus system.

Unlike primaries, voters cannot show up at the polls whenever they wish nor submit absentee ballots. Rather, a set time is scheduled – usually in the evening, say 7:00 pm – for all to gather and elect delegates. For this reason and others, including suspect weather conditions, turnout is often quite low.

To describe Romney’s current Iowa strategy as merely an updated version of the 2008 playbook would be a vast understatement. This time around the Hawkeye State circuit, Team Mitt has enacted a polar opposite approach. The former Governor of Massachusetts has not visited Iowa all that much prior to the homestretch and spent much less crucial cash. As well, campaign staff disclosed that out-of-state volunteers were not to serve in the role of caucus representatives. Iowans were primarily utilized to stump for Romney at the actual precinct meetings.

In a historically close outcome, Mitt Romney won the Caucuses over former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum by just eight votes. Ron Paul finished in third, Newt Gingrich fourth. Michele Bachmann announced today, hours after an awful Iowa performance, that she will suspend her presidential campaign.

Follow Nick’s live updates via Twitter, @NKowalski. 

Education reformers and Detroiters agree: Clark Durant for U. S. Senate

 

In Michigan, there is a battle brewing for the Republican nomination for U. S. Senate. Pete Hoekstra, who has spent eighteen (18) years in Congress, is the perceived favorite. However, a genuine conservative activist has come forward. While incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) awaits a challenger, a fed-up public will have to sort out the vast differences between the competing GOP contenders. 

As a long-time advocate of educational improvement in practice, Durant co-founded Detroit’s Cornerstone Schools. The private-independent and charter system experiment has had great success, opening doors for more than 1,400 inner-city students a year at last check. Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press editorial page editor, applauded the candidate for his effective work: “The charter movement, the number of independent schools cropping up around the city — it all really started with Durant and Cornerstone” (Detroit Free Press, 8/25/11).

Detroiters involved in the education reform movement – including the plethora of thankful families – are well aware of Durant and his myriad contributions to moving the Motor City forward. For the past two decades, 95% of its students have graduated, compared to a worst-in-the-nation 25% rate for Detroit Public Schools. Mayor Dave Bing had nothing but praise for the alternative academic start-up, stating that “When a child attends Cornerstone Schools they are entering a learning community that brings together children, parents, teachers and partners all working toward a single goal — the success of our children” (CornerstoneSchools.org).

Amongst a long list of accomplishments, Durant served as Vice President of Hillsdale College where he started Imprimis: a conservative intellectual publication with over two million subscribers. From 1995-99, upon state-wide election, he served as President of the Michigan Board of Education. Durant has also sat on educational boards for University of Detroit Jesuit (2001-10) and the Skillman Foundation’s Excellent Schools Detroit initiative.

Any doubt surrounding Durant’s fundraising abilities can be put to rest. Having just formally announced his candidacy, third-quarter reports confirm the campaign raised an impressive $750,000 in a span of three weeks. To boot, a few years back, Durant co-hosted The Turning Point Invitational with golf legend Arnold Palmer. The highly successful event brought in over $6 million for charitable organizations like Cornerstone Schools (GoldDigestPlanner.com). Given Hoekstra’s financial woes in his failed 2010 gubernatorial bid, Durant is in prime position to make the leap to front-runner status.

Of course key votes cannot be cast, necessary funds cannot be collected, and elections cannot be won without a top campaign team. Accordingly, Durant has tapped political guru Dick Wadhams as his chief advisor. The Colorado GOP Chairman boasts a near-perfect record in high-stakes electoral contests. Notably, Wadhams is responsible for Senator John Thune’s (R-SD) 2004 upset victory.

It is time Michiganders are represented by an individual with a proven track record of making a difference. A pair of Washington insiders – Stabenow, whose approval numbers remain dangerously low and are steadily sinking, and the aforementioned Hoekstra – symbolizes all that is wrong with status quo politics. As Tea Party rallies and the mid-term cycle made crystal clear, the current climate filled with a clarion call for real change suits the conservative underdog well.  Clark Durant is the right man for the job.

 

Nicholas Kowalski (@NKowalski) is a blogger for National School Choice Week (NSCW).  The upcoming event is slated for January 22-28, 2012. Learn more at www.SchoolChoiceWeek.com.