Paul, the congressman from Texas, was on the air first with radio ads last week. One statewide spot talks about his opposition to the North American Free Trade Act; another ad running in metro Detroit introduces Paul to voters.

After one commercial that ran when Romney announced his candidacy in February, his latest ad, titled "Experience Matters," began airing on television Wednesday. It contrasts the record of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, the front-running Democrat presidential candidate, with Romney's experience as a businessman and former Massachusetts governor...

While GOP commercials may be limited, they'll be nonexistent for the Democrats, who pledged not to campaign or spend money in Michigan because the state violated national party rules when it moved its primary to Jan. 15.

Between the first debate, tv and radio spots, personal visits just about every other day of the week and now word of a second debate it's clear that the GOP candidates are taking Michigan seriously.  And they should.  Our issues are important.  Heck... Ron Paul's radio ads might as well have run for the Governor and MDP eighteen months ago.  He's singing the Governor's tune on NAFTA, CAFTA and the SHAFTA even if she refuses now that the election's over and she decided to endorse Hillary, the Queen of Free Trade.

Unfortunately for every last one of us, Republicans, Democrats, Independents and Ron Paul junkies alike, getting ignored by the Democrats on the campaign trail is actually a giant step up from where we find ourselves sitting with the Democrats in Congress.  After America's Mother-in-Law, Nancy Pelosi, led the charge on Big-3 crippling CAFE spikes in the House the Senate is hoping to take their turn today.

But the Senate Democrats aren't content with just raising the fuel economy standards to the point where Ford, GM and Chrysler have to consider bankruptcy proceedings.  They've got to throw in an eleven figure tax hike too!  (Remind you of any local Democrat legislators?)

According to the AP:

Some of the details were still being worked out late Wednesday as Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada mapped out strategy to overcome a certain GOP filibuster against the bill's $21.8 billion tax package, including repeal of $13.5 billion in tax breaks enjoyed by the five largest oil companies...

Republicans leaders have vowed to fight the new taxes and the White House has said President Bush will veto the bill if the oil industry is singled out for higher taxes.

Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has called the taxes a "millstone" that threaten to sink the legislation...

But the centerpiece of the legislation is a requirement that automakers increase vehicle fuel economy to an industry average of 35 miles per gallon over the next 13 years -- a 40 percent increase and the first boost in the federal gas mileage requirement since 1975 when the rules were first enacted.

Now raise your hand if you think you're paying too much for gas.  For the love of Pete...it went up twenty cents a gallon just yesterday here in Grand Rapids.  A Wednesday!  We'll be at $4 a gallon by the time the snow melts.  But hey, lets go ahead and raise taxes on the oil companies by thirteen billion five hundred million dollars while taxing other sectors an additional eight billion three hundred million dollars.  Because those tax hikes won't be passed along to consumers.  Nah.

And you can save the "obscene profits" rigmarole for some other blog.  Unless this package includes a bill that caps oil company profits (it doesn't) then you can bet your bottom dollar that it's consumers who are going to be picking up that tab.  Actually, don't bet that dollar.  The Democrats in Lansing and the Democrats in Washington, D.C. are fighting over it right now and eventually one of them is going to want to take it from you.

What chance do we have?  Is there any hope?  Depends on your definition.  If you believe that there is no such thing as false hope then sure, there's hope.  Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow could blow this whole thing up.  They could kill the entire package.  Of course that would require them to not only vote against their Party's leadership on one of their keystone issues but it would require them to go out of their way to make enemies among other Senate Democrats while becoming persona non grata with House Democrats from now until eternity.

Hey... it could happen.