Christie gets a Detroit welcome and other election news

I posted a comment over at Daily Kos that I liked so much I decided to use it for a blog post here.  After all, I'm an environmentalist; I recycle.

At the top of the ballot, Chris Christie flew in for a closed-door fundraiser for GOP Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land.  Protesters showed up, along with a team from WXYZ (ABC 7 in Detroit).  Here's the station's report: Protests over Chris Christie visit.

Crowd gathers in protest of Chris Christie visit in Bloomfield Hills.

Welcome to Michigan, Fat Bastard!

For what it's worth, I've participated in a protest like this two years ago when Paul Ryan headlined a fundraiser for Pete Hoekstra, who ran against Debbie Stabenow.  I wrote about my experience in I was one of "about a dozen" yesterday.  This demonstration looks like it was better organized and attended, as well as more favorably and accurately covered.  Good.

Follow over the jump for more from Michigan's 14th and 11th Congressional Districts.
At the next level down on the federal ballot, Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence, who is running for the Democratic nomination to succeed Gary Peters in Michigan's 14th Congressional District, has announced on her campaign Facebook page today that she has submitted nominating petitions with the maximum 2000 signatures.  She claims to be the first candidate to do so.

Friends, by submitting our 2,000 nominating signatures today, I'm the first candidate to file for our district. Our superior ground team has been hitting the streets hard, despite the winter weather. I'm grateful for the support!

Meanwhile, in MI-11, the incumbent is having issues, as MLive reports: Former campaign manager sues Congressman Kerry Bentivolio, says he's owed over $150,000.  Looks like "Bad Santa" strikes again.  In the meantime, his primary opponent David Trott has announced that he has raised $1 million dollars.

While the incumbent may not have enough money to pay his former campaign manager, outside groups have enough to run ads on his behalf in the primary.

The first TV attack ad in the race was launched this month by a conservative political action committee Freedom’s Defense Fund. The ad attacks Trott, who runs a law firm specializing in foreclosure and bankruptcy law, for facilitating the eviction of a 101-year-old woman in 2011. 

Trott's campaign called the ad deceptive and cartoonish.

As if that weren't enough, the Democratic primary might get even more crowded.  Michigan Liberal is reporting rumors that Nancy Skinner, who ran in the old MI-09 against Knollenberg in 2006 and before that ran against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2004, is thinking of getting into the race along with Bobby McKenzie and Anil Kumar.  If that happens, buy lots of popcorn.  This contest will be very entertaining.