Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, and House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, reported headway in their private discussions. But only 43 days are left to close the deficit though spending cuts or new taxes. On Oct. 1, a new budget year begins, and without a budget, the state could face a shutdown.

...But Dillon said he and Bishop might have scored a breakthrough Friday, including a proposal for a tax increase, though no details were given.

"We've agreed to the size of the deficit," Dillon said. "We reached a deal to get to the finish line both of us could live with. I have a feeling for what he could tolerate and stomach."

I, for one, hope the legislature has a feeling for what the voters can tolerate and stomach.  And that sure as heck isn't a smaller paycheck so fat cats in Lansing can pad the pockets of their special interest friends through programs like MESSA.  Or through the House Democrats Corrections budget that increases funding for union supervisor's uniform dry cleaning by millions of dollars without putting one more cop on the streets.

Misplaced priorities over the last five years got us into this mess.  They aren't going to get us out.  

For his part, the Senate Majority Leader continues to fight a one man war against the big-government lefties.  He's holding the line thus far but as soon as they're ready to come charging through the gates, one would imagine they've got the votes to do it.

Of course, that begs the question, why haven't they?  Could it have something to do with the fact that tax hikes on the residents of a state enduring a single-state depression could come back to haunt them at the polls next November?  Or spur recalls well before that?  

Yeah, that could have something to do with it.  Something tells me 56,000 jobs lost last year and another 50,000+ this year doesn't exactly equate to a winning record for the campaign trail.  Imagine what'll happen when that 50,000+ number jumps by another 10,000 next year thanks to House Democrats incessant demands to tax and spend.

Better news out there this morning on the presidential primary front.  The Detroit News is reporting that Dems are now fully engaged in pushing for a January 15th closed primary.  That would mean no worries about conventions, or caucuses, or Democrats stealing the vote.  But more importantly, that would mean presidential candidates would pay attention to Michigan.

Michigan would follow the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, provided that no other states leapfrog to an earlier date...

Greg Bird, a spokesman for House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford, said negotiations were continuing.

"At this point nothing has been finalized," Bird said, adding he didn't know if the agreement would be reached before Wednesday when the state Senate is tentatively scheduled to vote on legislation setting up the primary.

Bill Ballenger, editor of the newsletter "Inside Michigan Politics," said that if Michigan holds a primary rather than a caucus or a party nominating convention, the candidates will flock to Michigan.

"They'll come and they'll have to talk about the issues we want them to talk about," Ballenger said.

And wouldn't it be nice to have someone in Washington paying attention to Michigan?  Goodness knows we still aren't getting any attention from Senators Stabenow and Levin.  They couldn't be bothered to force a compromise on CAFE standard increases that very well might bankrupt the Big 3 putting tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Michigan jobs in jeopardy.

Oh, but they found the time to sit down with the Lansing State Journal for an editorial board visit.  And the result?

Pretty much a fluff piece, which is what one would expect from editorial board meetings with Democrats at the Lansing State Journal.

But hey, credit where credit is due.  In a twenty paragraph article they managed to fit in ONE quote from someone who doesn't think the Great Society was really all that great.  Said MRP Chairman Saul Anuzis:

"I'm glad that Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin are worried about what's going on in China and Iraq," Anuzis said. "I just wish they would spend a little more time worrying about what's going on in Michigan."

So that's something.  Although you'd think with poll numbers like thes two are pulling down in Washington there might have been a slightly more even handed approach.  A check of the website seems to indicate the paper's editors felt the same way.  To "balance" the piece they included a side-bar noting specifically the Democrat Congresses latest approval numbers.  

According to a new Zogby / Reuters poll the approval numbers for the Democrat Congress at an "OJ Esque" (Zogby's words) 15%, fueled, largely, by an 18% approval rating among Democrats.

Eighteen percent among Democrats.  The number is twelve among Republicans and about sixteen with independents.  

That's low.  Just for the record, that's less than half what George W. Bush pulls down these days.  But you wouldn't know that by talking to them.  The Dem echo chamber is so intent on casting this air of inevitability around the 2008 elections they've completely blinded themselves to what's happening in their own backyard on their own watch.  

Meanwhile, 85% of voters think they're doing a pretty lousy job.  Oh, but none of those folks are here in Michigan.  We just love our nation-leading 7.2% unemployment rate and 92 cent return on the federal tax dollar.