You can almost hear the conversation in the White House war room this week as President Barack Obama’s position on gay marriage was “evolving.” “First, let’s have Joe blurt out on Meet the Presss that he thinks gay marriage is OK. Everyone will wonder whether he’s sticking his foot in his mouth again, or whether… Continue reading
Nolan Finley
Insights from The Detroit News' editorial page editor and columnist
Obama keeps milking social issues
it’s early in the presdential campaign, but already President Barack Obama has worked his way through the war on women, student loans and now gay marriage. Anything to keep the conversation away from debt, deficits and the faltering economy. Obama’s carefully contrived “evolution” on gay mariage this week was as trasparent as glass. First, Vice… Continue reading
Obama exploits bin Laden anniversary
Maybe I’m too cynical, but the timing of President Barack Obama’s trip to Afghanistan to sign off on a post-U.S. engagement strategy seems a little too coincidental. The White House has been trying for days to make campaign hay out of the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s assasination by Navy Seals. The spin increasingly portrays… Continue reading
GOP blows it in closing Walker speech
Here’s what you can expect from the coverage of tonight’s speech in Troy by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Lots of footage of the ranting by UAW-led protestors outside the San Marino Club about the war on the working man. But don’t take that as a sign of media bias. Blame it instead on the 9th… Continue reading
Dictator might have served Detroit better
I understand why Gov. Rick Snyder went to extraordinary lengths to avoid appointing an emergency manager to run Detroit, even though a state takeover would have been the most efficient route to fixing the city. Pushing aside the elected leaders of the state’s largest and most volatile community isn’t a step taken lightly. But in… Continue reading
Reality eludes Detroit council
You didn’t have to watch today’s Detroit city council hearing on the latest consent agreement proposal to figure out that members are detached from reality. The reality is that Detroit can’t maintain the status quo and survive. It can’t fix its finances without state help. And if it doesn’t reach a deal with the state,… Continue reading
Shabazz is the new Bubba
Remember Bubba Helms? He was the young Taylor man who joined the riots outside Tiger Stadium after the Tigers won the World Series in 1984. A photograph of Helms, beer belly surging from beneath his t-shirt, a Tiger pennant held proudly over his head, illuminated by an overturned and burning Detroit police car, became the… Continue reading
Detroit at its most glorious
I’m watching the live stream of the financial review panel at Detroit City Hall. If the ignorance on display wasn’t so tragic, it would be downright hilarious. After nearly an hour of chanting, singing and shouting that drowned out the proceedings of the review panel, the meeting now has moved to the public comment period.… Continue reading
Enjoy the sunshine bonus
Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth — the hand wringing is in full swing over the much, much warmer and sunnier March weather. Kids are riding bikes and playing in parks, homeonwers are mowing lawns and thinking about planting flowers, the walleye are running in the Detroit River. All a good month… Continue reading
Teacher dues bill returns union fire
Before heading off for a European trade mission, Gov. Rick Snyder put his signature on a bill that bans school districts from automatically deducting union dues from employee paychecks. It’s a punitive piece of legislation, but one the teacher unions had coming. Unions are using their members’ dues to wage war on the reforms Snyder… Continue reading