First there was the story about the McCain campaign's recent Michigan messaging brilliance (SERIOUSLY!).  I wondered out loud whether long-time McCain senior staffer John Yob was still with the Senator's campaign since no one had heard a peep from him or about his position after a major early July staff shakeup.

Both the Detroit News and MIRS spoke with what had previously been a tight-lipped DC office and received confirmation that John isn't just with the campaign, he's been retained as the national Deputy Political Director.  According to the Lansing insider publication the quick response out of Washington was "very unusual."  

Props to Right Michigan on that one.  Don't hate.  

Not quite as big a deal but much more fun on a personal level was the email response I received to my post highlighting Democrat House candidate Bernie Jocuns problems with the police and the tax-man.  (He's pleaded no-contest to committing fraud and faced tax liens from the state Treasury and the IRS totaling nearly $30,000 but decided to run for the House anyways.)

Good old Bernie emailed me personally to... well... read it for yourself:

"Thank you for spelling my name correct. I do not anticipate that you are interested in the real facts as RightMichigan.com is to journalistic integrity as Stevie Wonder is to archery."

Double-checked the blog for errors and no, I did in fact spell his name "correct" (sic) so I'm assuming he was being serious.  But I have to say, it was very cordial of the man to start the paragraph that way.

As far as "journalistic integrity," well, I'm not a journalist but the original story actually went  beyond CLAIMS that the man had been in trouble with the law, with his peers and with the tax man--it actually contained images and direct links to the legal documents PROVING Mr. Jocuns has a boat-load of ethical... challenges.

But since we're tossing around similes now, Bernard... your ethical record is to a position in the state House as your grammar is to a job teaching high school English.  Wrap your brain around that one.

Oh, and way to make fun of blind people!  Couldn't figure out a better way to make your point?  Didn't you get the memo?  Picking on someone's disability stopped being cool about the same time as the word "retarded."  Stevie Wonder is one of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century and a revolutionary figure in the development of R & B.  He's a credit to Mo-Town, a wizard on the piano and a lyrical genius, not to mention being an inspiration for millions.  It's a shame all you "see" are his dark glasses.