Joe B., it was 2009-2010. The ELECTION was 2008, and those ELECTED took office in January 2009. If you can't even get that right, what business do you have posting in such a condescending manner?

Barack Obama was a U.S. Senator from 2005-2008 (four years). The first half ('05 and '06) he was in the Democratic minority. Republicans controlled both House and Senate: They ran the committees, set the agenda, and passed bills were signed by the President. It seems you might recall George W. Bush, but I won't presume.

The next two years ('07 and '08), the Senate was 49-49-2: Democrats technically held a majority because the Independents caucused with them. One of them, ex-Dem. Joe Lieberman, spent the entire time blustering and threatening to flip unless bills were crafted to his liking (had he flipped, the 50-50 tie would have been broken by V.P. Dick Cheney, so his threats were taken seriously).

Of course, any bills passed faced President Bush's veto pen, which he used
repeatedly -- more than in the previous six years combined.

So to answer your unsupported allegation, NO, Senator Obama DID NOT have opportunities to vote on the tax code while in office. And had there been any, they would have been written by Republicans or vetoed by the Republican President.

As for 2009-2010, there were just enough Republicans -- plus Lieberman and a couple of other Blue Dog Democrats -- to filibuster and thus deny President Obama the "control" of both houses you claim he had.

i wrote about those protestors outside the marriott but patch two times now won't let me post it even tho i used generalities. but those of us from the area know just what it was i tried to post.

HMM prove it !!! I have seen many people and they know what they stand for and why Romney is bad news. What kind of Michigan resident would vote for someone that said " Let Detroit go Bankrupt." How shameful of anyone in this state even considering voting for Romney.

Anne true the protestors were paid by the democrats, why would anyone with any brains protest Romney, all those protestors have been out of job since Democrats came into office

I call shenanigans on that allegation, "Anne." Further, I'd love to see if you can "answer simple questions" about why you support an unprincipled empty suit like Willard "Mitt" Romney.

i agree anne campbell; but when i try to say just a little more about those "protestors" patch won't let me post my comments. wonder why?

Unsubstantiated claim.

Thank GOD Romney will lose come November otherwise not soon after you will end up a parasite as well. Romney eliminates jobs for a living not creates them. CAN:T YOU READ!!!!

BUMMER07.....here's YALLS BOY and how he creates JOBS.....
FREE MONEY FOR ALL HIS PEEPS, I GUESS!!! I mean, if you can even READ, check this out....
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/9-billion-stimulus-solar-wind-projects-made-910-final-jobs-98-million-job

How about the lazy parasites who really profit from government handouts? That is, the oil industry, institutional farms (which put small farmers out of business every day) and the corporate handouts nurtured by the lobbyists?

Say what you mean - black people. Never knew Rochester was so full of hateful white men and bigots.

i agree COMPLETELY with this person's comment. one protestor said she is against romney because he doesn't support low-cost birth control for women. i say to that woman - you expect SOMEONE ELSE to pay for your $5 birth control????? HOW LAZY AND CHEAP CAN YOU GET????

Looking forward to when you have the guts to talk about "lazy parasites" using your actual name. Until then, sit down.

Right2Work - you really are ignorant. I work and I protested. I was a former Republican but I woke up.

No Judy - let's pay for the Senate's Viagra instead. You people complain that poor people have too many babies and that your sick of paying for their kids; yet free birth control for people with no money, omg, call a cop. How will you afford your country club dues if you have to pay a few more dollars in taxes.

Why don't you move to a right to work state and leave the hard working union workers to handle this state. My auto was made in DETROT and I am PROUD OF IT. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU GOING AFTER YOUR FELLOW MAN. CERTAINLY NOT CHRISTIANS NOW ARE ANY OF YOU.

Once again i agree with this person "RIGHT2WORK" . hard working union workers?? give me a break. i know plenty of union workers and they DON'T work. the t.v. detroit news casters even had a video of them on belle isle during working hours, drinking and carousing (sp). true. it's not all union workers. but the others give a bad name to the rest.

We've let the "hard working union workers" handle this state long enough.
Bailout to GM and Chrysler. War zone of poverty in Detroit and Flint.
Detroit in Shambles.

My Auto was made in Detroit, Mexico, Canada, Japan, etc. I don't care where it was assembled, it was made in foreign countries, period.

My fellow man does not need a union to protect his job, my fellow man works for what he gets, no one "owes" him anything.
No one deserves a kings ransom for a non-skilled labor job.
When you can train someone to do a job in less than a few hours, it's NOT skilled labor.

Wisconsin has spoken, it's only a matter of time before the other dominoes fall.
This is not 1920....stop drinking the union kool aide.

You agree based on what? Did you read it in your crystal ball.

you're right, chris. no one is allowed to protest obama. he made it a law, punishable by imprisonment because that protest of obama is a FELONY!!!!

you can't protest obama. he made it a felony to do so

Judy - you might want to take a quick looksie at http://factcheck.org/2012/05/obama-criminalize-free-speech/ before you keep ranting about this

DAVID MARTIN. i know that. i have seen it and read it before. if the secret service does not like what you are doing or saying they CAN stretch this law to have you arrested.

Wow, quite a s storm of nonsense one this article. Judy Duke, or judy duke, clearly is so besieged by her Obama Derangement Syndrome that she insists on posting lies.

From the factcheck article: "The law merely updates a measure that has been on the books since it was signed by then-President Richard Nixon in 1971, making it a federal crime to trespass on grounds secured by the Secret Service. No new penalties were added, and the bill was not signed “secretly” as some claim. The White House announced the signing publicly just as it does for other such routine measures." - http://factcheck.org/2012/05/obama-criminalize-free-speech/ The article debunks lies being passed along referring to this issue.

Her response? Might as well have been "don't go citing facts here buster - I live in a fact free world, signified by hatred, fear, and affinity to ignorance".

The SEIU has the money to pay these protesters with money they extorted from families with disabled children. http://plymouth-mi.patch.com/blog_posts/families-of-disabled-children-forced-to-unionize

right. one of the pseudo intellectual phrases they used was "obama stands for the little guy, the working class" - from a UAW protestors. well guess what UAW protestor . you and your obama did NOT protect ALL little guys. just you union people. general motors salaried retirees (not union) have LOST their pensions to prudential, which could be very risky. but how convenient - you union retirees get to keep your pension, nice and safe!!!!

Anthony J is right. Canton patch is taking political sides and it is not a fair fight. Why are you giving a few paid protesters so much press???? Did you cover any of Gov Romney's speech do you even know what he is trying to do to save the jobs that Obama has lost?? Canton patch you are a disgrace to publishing.

These were my thoughts exactly and I plan on voicing it live with PATCH. This is a ridiculous one sided partisan story that has NOTHING to do with Grosse Pointe. WHere was PATCH when people protested Obama at his last public appearance. Come on gus this a lame stream media hack job. Youa re better than this

Because the presidential race is one we all have an interest in, regardless of what town we live in, if a candidate comes to one of our Patch towns, we will cover the event and other Patch sites can choose to post the story as well. Patch is not choosing sides; because the fundraiser was a private event for Mitt Romney donors, we were not inside to hear Romney's remarks. However, the protest was very public, happening at rush hour along a busy road that is traveled by many from Troy and beyond. Thanks for your comments.

Anthony--

I agree. Metro stuff is already covered by the MSM. I read the Patch for local news. Troy is in another county.

@Justice Conservative:

Patch does not take sides. This piece also was not written specifically for Canton Patch, as implied in your comment. This was shared between several Patch towns in Michigan, as we often do with election coverage.

While I (the Plymouth and Canton Patch editor) did not cover this particular story, here are just a few examples of Patch's presidential election coverage which, like this, were shared with other Patch towns. Some I covered myself (when the events were in or near my Patch), while others were covered by fellow Patch editors from other towns.

http://patch.com/A-rm5S - Romney Supporters Eagerly Back Their 'Hometown Hero' After Close Win in Michigan

http://patch.com/A-t7bm - Former Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty Addresses Wayne County Republicans

http://patch.com/A-rlcT - Romneys Show Michigan Some Love and Vice Versa

http://patch.com/A-rkQZ - Kid Rock Joins Mitt Romney on Stage at Royal Oak Music Theatre

http://patch.com/A-lJrL - President Obama Speaks in Detroit on Labor Day

http://patch.com/A-rfGc - In Video: Tea Party Gathers to Hear Mitt Romney Speak

http://patch.com/A-qM0v - Romney Campaign Mobilizes Local Voters Ahead of Feb. 28 Primary

http://patch.com/A-rf8B - In Photos: Mitt Romney Campaigns in Milford

http://patch.com/A-rkh6 - Santorum Talks Religion, Energy and Social Security in Livonia

http://patch.com/A-qVDs - Santorum, Snyder Emphasize Importance of Michigan in 2012 Elections

Now, now Kristin. Maybe you need a time out and should be banned from speaking too. Anybody who doesn't agree with the right wing agenda needs to just shut up - ask them.

you know. i think i agree with you because i was DISGUSTED when i got a copy of my patch and right at the top was a picture of michelle obama. i told them to remove her picture because i did not like her nor respect her and fortunately, at least for now, it is gone.

The event happened in Troy, but as it involves a national candidate, the clear news judgment was that it MATTERS, even in far-flung, remote, insular Grosse Pointe.

See, the various Patch sites can (and do) share articles. They also share the reporting duties: For example, at a recent event in Northville, a Patch reporter was covering it for Northville, Plymouth, Livonia AND Novi.

As a final point, COMMENTS to an article can come from ANY local Patch.

See how it works? Now, aren't you embarrassed to see consiracies and biases in something with a far more rational explanation?

Dave: Let me tap into one of your favorite "private fundraising" hosted by a public official. No one does it better than Gary Peters. Move to with comments and find some substanive itmes to speak about.

If holding fundraisers closed to the press and the non-paying public is a problem, then why are so many people OPPOSED to an obvious remedy such as full, transparent, immediate online disclosure of political contributions, without the ability to hide behind bland-sounding Super PACs and 501(c)4s?

Under the current system, politicians at all levels have no choice but to raise funds day and night, week after week, working the phones, gladhanding, giving variations of the same speech, sending desperately-worded letters and mass e-mails. It takes away from the ability of elected officials to do their jobs -- both the actual time and resources spent, and the fear of alienating a key supporter or constituent group.

Challengers have it even worse as they almost always start with an inherent name-recognition and funding disadvantage.

This is why there's a "permanent campaign" in the White House (Obama has one; so did Bush with Karl Rove), and why Willard "Mitt" Romney didn't stop campaigning after his 2008 loss (he was more low-key about it, but Mitt was intent on running in 2012 before Barack Obama was even sworn in).

This is one reason why citizens who aren't hip-deep in political and election news seem to conclude that "the system" is corrupt and obsessed with money. Because it too often is.

I post a lot about the real, serious differences between the major parties, but this time my words apply to both sides. To Take our Country Back we need to Take the Money Out!

Does that mean now that we have an affirmative action mulatto or is the new term white-???? in the white house we were racist to elect him or will be stupid to re-elect him?? Things have gotten so much better now that the racists are in charge ask Holder.

No, it isn't racism. It is we do not want a communism, socalist government running our country.

chris and Reinhold, you might want to have a quick chat with "tommy u" and "Right2Work" and Joy Meerhaege (at least she has the gumption to use her name) before blithely declaring there's no racism on your side when it comes to our President.

Also, Reinhold....50 years in the USA and you're still tossing around a word like "mulatto?" Perhaps your Mensa chapter has lower standards than mine -- no, you're probably in SEMM, same as my wife and I. Hmmm. If not used out of ignorance, than I can only assume the word was intended to incite a response.

Perhaps you'd care to elucidate on that last post, because from where I sit, "affirmative action" does not come close to explaining how 69.46 million Americans were inspired to vote for Barack Obama in 2008.

Herb, After reading many of your responses I am glad to see you are so open minded and willing to listen to and present both sides of the story. It is fair folks like you that present without vituperation that remind me of the insufferable members I met at two Mensa meetings and I never went again. Your responses are so one sided they are now becoming humor.Keep up the good work I am sure someone will believe you it just won't be me.

Hey Herb - good post. :)

They're working as journalists for one of the few organizations that is actually hiring journalists as opposed to laying them off to reduce operating expenses or some other corporate b.s. excuse for gutting the Fourth Estate in this country.

You didn't ask about me, but I'll answer your question with an unequivocal YES. In late 2008 my retirement accounts had lost 60% of their paper value, and the company I worked at was staring at an abyss based on who won the White House and which party controlled Congress -- despite heroic and unprecedented efforts by their new CEO, managers and (unionized) employees.

In 2012 my 401(k) and other investments have fully recovered, and I'm still at the same company, despite multiple occasions in the darkest days when I was certain I'd be laid off (IT contractor = zero job security).

See, Ford Motor Company did all the right things and made brilliant moves in 2006-07-08 to weather the Recession and return to profitability -- but they all would have been in vain had Republicans taken over and allowed GM and Chrysler to go under. The damage to the supply chain companies they share with Ford, the ripple effects of credit lines disappearing along with consumer confidence in the domestic auto industry, would have take Ford down as well.

Ford and its people are proud to have avoided bankruptcy and government bailouts. But we're RELIEVED that GM and Chrysler were saved under President Obama, 'cos the alternative was worse for everyone.

has anyone ever met a Patch writer?

Rick - yes, many are better off now than four years ago. June 27, 2008 and the direction of the economy? Definitely on the down slope. June 27, 2012? Up.

Another question one might ask is, given what you know about Romney's "policies", had he been President since 2009, do you think you would have been better or worse off, and why?

Amen Art

You may know a bit about politics as it existed in Eastern Europe, but it seems you still have a great deal to learn about the American system of government.

Like checks and balances. How we elect a President, not a King of any kind. The Executive power can do a lot, but any Executive Order can be undone by act of Congress, the courts or a future President.

Like how Congress is supposed to work -- and also how, since 2011, how Congress has been UNABLE or (among Republicans) UNWILLING to work to "promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty" for the people they supposedly represent.

Like how the right to protest is hard-coded into our Constitution -- even if the protesters are people you personally don't like, disagree with or believe to be "paid."

Just as an aside, funds are far too tight for anyone (unions, campaigns, local activist groups) to be "paying" protesters -- the people who assembled in Troy came together because of Facebook, Twitter and word of mouth (I received the invitations so I could see how many had responded in the affirmative).

This won't mollify you in the least, I'm sure, but I did put the question of whether protesters were paid directly to Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. He replied, on-air, that it was a ridiculous charge, and that neither the SEIU, nor any other union, nor the MDP, has the kind of resources to waste paying protesters in JUNE.

Really, is it so hard for your side to believe that Progressives, Liberals and Democrats have the same kind of passion for their causes as the vaunted Tea Party had for conservatives? Facebook, Twitter, emails, text messaging, club meetings, word of mouth -- these tools work just as well for us when it comes to organizing a rally as they do for you and yours.

That said, is it "paying" protesters if a rally organizer charters a bus for people who want to take part but don't want to drive across the state (or lack transportation, period)? Is it "paying" protesters if a hall is opened up to allow people to work on signs? Is a candidate t-shirt considered "payment?" Is providing refreshments and water to folks taking hours out of their day to express their First Amendment rights "paying" them? If you're answering "yes" to these hypotheticals, you should probably take a close look next time a Republican campaign or Tea Party group organizes a big rally or protest. It might be a church gymnasium rather than a union local, and the colors will tend to red instead of blue, but the rest will be more ot less identical.]

On target and well written Herb. The idea that anyone would waste campaign funds to protest Romney's appearance was ludicrous anyway.

On the other hand, the driver of Romney's bus that on two recent occasions drove around the site where President Obama was speaking blaring its horn in a juvenile effort to heckle the President was indeed someone paid by the Romney campaign.

What opinions does Mensa have?

Mensa takes no stand on politics, religion or social issues. Mensa has members from so many different countries and cultures with differing points of view, that for Mensa to espouse a particular point of view would go against its role as a forum for all points of view. Of course, individual Mensa members often have strong opinions--and several of them. It is said that in a room with 12 Mensans you will find at least 13 differing opinions on any given subject!

Just my two cents.

And as usual, they'd be right. Historical facts don't change just because you decide they shouldn't matter anymore.

We are paying for the deficits rung up from 2001-2008:

For the '01 and '03 tax cuts (the first eight years of decreased revenue will always belong to Bush: the two-year extension of them passed in late 2010 is the only part where Obama shares responsibility);

For the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which during the Bush years were financed with "off-budget emergency appropriations" that required an up-or-down vote -- quick historical footnote: it was over two versions of one such bill that John Kerry made the classic gaffe that he was "for it before he was against it."

For the rampant deregulation and lack of enforcement in the "Aughts" that led directly to the Great Recession that officially began in late 2007 and the financial meltdown of 2008 (when private-sector lines of credit dried up and trillions in paper assets disappeared). Even without Glass-Steagall and with changes to mortgage standards, there were plenty of tools by which the Executive Branch under President Bush could have mitigated or prevented the Great Recession. But ignoring those laws and packing the regulatory bodies with financial industry shills allowed things to fester until it was almost too late.

So, YES, blaming Bush remains relevant. And if anyone hollers "racism," it may be because they read some of the posts right here, under this article. Anonymous posts, naturally.

Please, do go on. Dig deeper. Tell me more about all my children with different fathers' last names. Tell me who you're imagining when you post such a thing...then when someone liek me calls you on your bigotry, let "mike smith" say I'm hollering "racism."

Did nothing? Unlike George W. Bush who lied us into two wars, outed a CIA agent, cut taxes on billionaires, and drove up the deficit and debt. Too bad Bush didn't do nothing. The resentment, ignorance, bigotry and hate flowing from the mouths of all you good Christian Republicans is appalling. You have no problem with the born being imprisoned in your for-profit prisons, denied health care by your for-profit insurance companies, or used as fodder in your for-profit schools. As long as you can make a buck off the born, you could less what happens to them. But aborting a single cell fetus - unthinkable. Your hypocrisy speaks volumes to your credibility.

Herbie you are hollering racism

SMH. Is this ignorance or hatred or both? Joy, wish you could ask bin Laden if he thinks President Obama "did" anything.

Haven't hollered yet, "mike smith," because I'm still waiting for any of the posters I called out to slink back here and explain their posts and what they honestly meant.

Should that ever happen, "mike smith," THEN I might be inspired to "holler racism" -- in the sense that I'd be point out examples of ACTUAL racist statements.

I am not stupid. My Mensa membership shows that. Do you have yours??
I guess we will cancel out each others vote. As for the blame Bush syndrome you obviously don't know the history of what the democrat controlled majority congress was able to foment during last two years of Bush. Maybe you need to learn the facts and start reading some articles other than left wing BS.. Plus you have obviously not heard your pres without a teleprompter. It is funny. He even needed it for a elementary school speech.

Reinhold--you are insufferable with your Mensa babble. How many times do you feel you need to mention the fact that you are a member of Mensa? Does that make you special? Does that make you better at understanding George Bush's presidency? If so, please explain how the Democrats (i.e. Bill Clinton) unprecedentedly prosperous 1990's (think: "Janitor becomes millionaire with stock options") transformed into George Bush's disastrous 2000s? Deregulating Wall Street is why we are in this mess today. You can thank G. Dubbya for that.

Let me see... Reagan inherited an economy with double-digit inflation and an astronomical unemployment rate. Yet he had it turned around in two years.

Are you admitting Obama is far less skilled than Reagan?

Seymour Concerned. Nice last name. I am insufferable, that is true, it goes with the territory. It does not make me special as you imply. Plus I am educated way beyond my intelligence in case you were wondering. And yes I will take the numbers under Bush any day over the current statistics. BTW it's a good thing Clinton had a Republican Congress.

I'm in Mensa too, Reinhold. So is my wife -- a proud AFT member for more than 20 years.

So, M to M, let me remind you of the "last two years of Bush." A time when Democrats in the House under Speaker Nancy Pelosi were frustrated, again and again, because the Senate was 49-49-2, with Independent Joe Lieberman constantly threatening (and sometimes acting on the threat) to vote with Republicans.

[Bernie Sanders, for his part, is MORE liberal than the rest of the Senate Democrats, so for the most part it was 50-49-1, with Dick Cheney ready to break any ties or flip the entire Senate had Lieberman switched parties outright.]

On top of that, there was stiil President Bush -- who vetoed more bills in his last two years in office than in the previous six combined. And he still controlled the Pentagon, the Treasury and the rest of the Executive Branch.

See, I learned the facts and have been reading all kinds of articles -- that, and I also have a memory that goes further into the past than 20 January 2009.

Obama has my whole family's vote! Funny how the right keeps twisting things - they really should fact check and read up on history (and stop using Fox disinformation station as their sole "news" outlet).

You want to blame Bush for all this mess? Why don't you blame Regan and Clinton for de-regulating the housing market? NAFTA...that was a really a benefit.

You think Obama is super-articulate? Get him in an interview that is not rehearsed or in public forum where his answers are not written for him, he makes W look like a Harvard Scholar.
To blame Bush for Obama's shortcomings...is, well...short sighted.
Tell me, what exactly has Obama done since elected nearly 3 1/2 years ago?
Allow me to help you.

Record debt.
Record unemployment.
Housing market showing NO signs of returning.
Horrible foreign policy.
Health Care...yeah, that's a joke all in itself.

He did promise to take on the Wall Street fat cats. However, no one knew by taking them on he meant taking them on as advisors and employees. So....he did tell the truth there.

You want Change? With 4 more years of Obama...you won't even have pocket change.

What is the opposite of Mensa? That's the club I am in.... ;)

Ray dont forget 911 it was Bush's fault. Do you feel safer in the airport? Obama does not write his speeches, he is out playing golf, visiting his friends in chicago, and on vacation. America credit card? Social Security is in a mess because our Democratic Congress have borrowed from SS starting with the Vietnam War. Obama has your vote, because you probably dont work and is living off the government

Huh? You mean the Republican controlled congress is to blame?

Man o' man, the brainwashing in these parts is something to behold.... It's almost as if you think a cult worshipping, dog strapping, robot sounding, Gazzillionaire is seriously going to help the people in this community turn their lives around.

Seymour, You are seeing less cause the congress under last two years of Bush was majority democrat. The new Republican congress was the result of the leftist policies of the first two years of current occupant.As far as brainwashing you may want to try it.

Actually I am really enjoying PATCH cause the comments that do not fit the leftist mold are not being deleted. I only commented on a article on gravel roads and was drawn into this series of comments by the comments I read. A lot of them are really hilarious including some of mine but at least they were not deleted as is the case on left wing blogs who, professing freedom of speech, can not stand a view point different than theirs. Believe me I will vote based on an informed decision. And yes the candidate is the most important!! Especially if we know their real background. I thank PATCH for providing a Forum for all types of comments.

R.T., please - right wing blogs delete or bury progressive comments all the time. Rock, your campaign against ignorance will work only with those who are wedded to reality. Don't think that will work with the truly unhinged posting here.

(I'd add "you know who you are", but that would be wrong, and by wrong I mean incorrect. A group including posters who insist President Obama has done nothing since Jan 20, 2009 has elected to live on the Bizarro World of Htrae, where Reagan raised no taxes, Clinton's era was marked by vast unemployment, GW's election to be a "war president" kicked off an era of international respect and balanced budgets and had him give up golf, and President Obama did nothing but play golf while all the rich folk went broke. Bizarre indeed.)

Why yes, Elisabeth -- Google is useful. Of course, the site itself your link goes to -- Buzzfeed -- is even more useful.

From it, I can see that McKay Coppins does nothing but write about Willard "Mitt" Romney, mostly with a pro-Romney stance -- three of his top four "viral referrers" (and 98% of the referrals themselves) were from the Right: Drudge Report, Real Clear Politics and Pajamas Media. Admitedly, McKay posted a video (without comment) under Buzzfeed's "LOL" and "Fail" tags (http://ow.ly/bJMJA), but he also gets very defensive of Mormons like Romney and Mormonism in general (http://ow.ly/bJMNY).

Oh, and the article itself is poorly-written, with a misleading headling and a lede that clearly demonstrates a right-leaning bias. Reading the entire article shows that there were TWO groups of protesters, with the larger group organized among local activists via Facebook/Twitter/email, and not paid in any way. I also appreciate that in the body of the story Coppins manages to mention how pro-Romney hecklers disturbed an Obama campaign event in Boston, and further describes differences between the two groups of protesters at the Romoney event -- the one which may or may not have been directly paid (the article cites no proof such as receipts to back the claim), and the larger, more passionate group that didn't board a charter bus afterwards.

Hello, Judy,

Wednesday's event was not a rally open to the public like in Frankenmuth, but instead a private, closed-door fundraiser (tickets were $2,500 each). There were no Romney supporters outside the hotel – only protestors who were very visible along a major road in a large city during rush hour (hence our decision to cover the protest).

We did make numerous attempts to get into the event to cover it starting on Monday, and I tried again to get in during the protest, but Secret Service would not let me past the driveway.

I refer to the posts of my colleagues Kristin Bull and John McKay (above) for more information.

Thank you for your feeback.

And additionally, Judy, we tend to cover campaign visits either in — or in close proximity to — towns where we have a Patch. We did not staff the Frankenmuth event because that was well outside of any Patch's coverage area. The nearest Patch would be Fenton Patch, and that still is about 45 minutes away.

We had three Patch editors cover Mitt Romney's primary night event in Novi, myself included, and our editors have covered several other Romney appearances in/around Metro Detroit. I personally have covered appearances by Romney, Rick Santorum and Tim Pawlenty in the last four months alone. We've also covered visits by Barack Obama.

I would implore you to search our sites for our past coverage of the candidates when we've been able to get access to their events, or check some of the links I provided above. I hope it will paint a very different picture of how you perceive the balance of our coverage.

Herb Helzer, CONGRATULATIONS to you and your wife on MENSA membership. Maybe we will meet and discuss all the facts as we both see it. Looks like your view points are different than mine so you can use your set of facts and I can use mine. As far as not knowing the American Governmental system, I beg to differ since I have been here for over 50 years now but spent a lot of time in Europe over those years. By the way the MENSA IQ test It is not easy and the tests are culturally biased. And yes most of the people I have met at the meetings are smart but also tend toward obnoxious. So we can always play Primus Inter Pares.

My social security taxes have been reduced by an Obama tax cut. If you work, yours have too.

"Right2Work" (if that is your real name), I'm looking -- and what I see are Americans expressing their First Amendment rights, showing the kind of passion that more of us should have. What they do, or what anti-Obama protesters might do, has no bearing on my paycheck deductions or my intention to vote.

But if you see something different, by all means explain what "dots" I should be "connecting" here.

I triple-dog-dare you: When you do explain, state plainly, without the code words and "dog whistles" -- then let the readers connect YOUR dots.

Thank you for the kind words, Bryan.

I agree with you. PATCH has been very even handed in allowing all types of comments from all sides.

I must concur with Bryan Bentley, I too blog on the Patch and find the staff to be very professional and do not alter the message. I applaud the Patch's ability to tell the story and let both sides voice their opinion, sometimes these conversations get out of line. When they get out of line I have seen the Patch jump in, not take sides but try and get the temperature down and focus on the subject not personal attacks. It is a tough balance to maintain this and free speech, I think the Patch does a good job of it.

We all should keep in mind we are here to express our opinions with a basis, not attacks and we are responsible to keep that in check. Since the Patch owns this site they take the responsibility to monitor it, if you do not like their monitor, start your own site or go elsewhere, they own it and get to set the rules.

Let us not attack each other, or the Patch. How about a civil conversation and listen to the other side?

Have your blog posts been edited by the Patch editors? No.

Have they ever been fact-checked by the Patch editors? Also no.

More's the pity, because there is a difference between the two.

Actually yes, mine have by John McKay and he liberal cronies. Do not be fooled by their so called fair press statements. Get too many of his liberal friends upset with your truthful conservative comments and they'll delete them

I find the Patch to be available to all parties with all views. At least they give you the opportunity to state you case. Some on here may have confused the Patch with the liberal Farmington Observer.

Willard "Mitt" Romney has spoken in favor of "personhood" amendments (to Mike Huckabee on his Fox show) and outright stated that among his first acts as President would be "getting rid" of Planned Parenthood -- which, for those coming in late, uses 97% of its funding (which has been greatly reduced at the federal and state level) on womens' health programs OTHER and abortion services. The Party he purports to lead has gone much further, particularly in the states -- where bills attacking womens' health and access to family planning and abortion have flown like the swallows returning to Capistrano.

As for identifying the "little guy" -- unless you are a corporation or in the wealthiest percentile, that would be YOU. And ME. Probably everyone you know.

For example: That Stimulus back in 2009 that you probably HATE without ever questioning? One-third of that was tax cuts -- averaging $1,000 per family per year and benefiting 95% of Americans. Like YOU. And ME. And probably everyone you know. The rest helped prevent Bush's Great Recession from sliding into something far worse.

The protesters may or may not be kidding, but they were there expressing their First Amendment rights. One might ask what you've done lately to exercise your rights, or protect them.

Well when the current occupant of the White House says "if you bring a knife to the fight we bring a gun". What would you expect? CIVILITY?? That is a one way street. e.g. if you are a left wing liberal you can say anything you want about a conservative woman (look at what they called Palin) but if you say something about a a left wing feminist all hell breaks loose. Sounds like a civil discourse for thee but not for me. Personally I am tired of all discourse which accomplishes nothing. Do you want a revolution?? PS America stopped being great when the liberals/progressives took over the schools. Look around and smell the roses.

You complain about bias, then lather it on. "THEY did it FIRST" seems to be the rationale with you. Your extreme statements are just that, extreme, and no reasonable, competently educated person would take your argument as any kind of progress towards civil political discussion. NEXT.

Reinhold, you seem to be trying to quote Sean Connery's character in "The Untouchables:"

"You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. *That's* the *Chicago* way!" [h/t IMDB.com]

I hesitate to point out the very very obvious, but that movie was not a documentary -- it was a dramatization, a work of fiction about a time and place in American history some 30 years before Barack Obama was born.

As for the loss of "civility," to lay it at the feet of Saul Alinsky, Students for a Democratic Society or Gloria Steinem WITHOUT giving full credit to George Wallace, the "Southern Strategy" and Lee Atwater is to reveal just how blind you really are.

I happen to be a big fan of civility -- perhaps because I am confident in my ability to demolish foolish arguments in a very civil manner, with complete sentences and everything.

Yes...yes I do. Because as I said above, there are plenty of people who are EXACTLY that passionate about their beliefs and causes -- just as much as the local conservatives who rallied under the Tea Party banners two and three years ago.

Go ahead and post your links, if you can find them. The blogs are full of unsourced, unverifiable allegations from posters who, like you, won't give their names.

Setting that aside, I'm interested in learning how you became so set in your views about the other side. How'd you get so disgruntled?

If you want to talk about issues that need further and critical examination explain Snyder signs every right wing piece of trash legislation to come out of the Dick DeVos House and Senate if he isn't an ideologue? Why isn't the Bush administration in jail for outing a CIA agent and lying this country into two eternal wars? Why didn't Bush pay for his wars, and why did he ignore war profiteering and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan? Why did Bush bail out the banks with our money and no strings attached? Why didn’t Bush and the GOP break up the banks and prosecute their CEOs? Why do government haters like Bishop and McMillin keep running for office and living off the taxpayer dole instead of getting a "real job"? Why did McMillin vote to protect his own pension and pass the buck to the next guy? Why is there no fact checking by the "liberal media" to counter the bald face lies put out by Rove, Snyder, and the GOP?

Continued because the format of the Patch blog is awful....

Last but not least, I don't want to pay for people like you – not your health care, your churches or your tax cuts. I'm sick of people and businesses that suckle off the gov't and complain about "those people" who get "their" tax dollars. I'm sick of blue states sending their tax money to red states because they're too too cheap to pay taxes and too stupid to vote in their own best interests. I'm sick of conservatives telling me what good Christians they are when they continually vote to turn this country into a dog-eat-dog nation of gated communities surrounded by trailer parks. What I found at Patch is a haven for white angry conservatives to spew their bigotry and ignorance.

Oakland if your are so sick of everything leave this country

This is not Eastern Europe in the Cold War. The United States of America is not now, nor will it ever be, "socialist," "communist" or "marxist."

President Obama is to the right of Bill Clinton, if you cared to look at things objectively. Real Socialists -- and I do know a few -- grind their teeth in frustration every time someone on the right refers to the President or his Administration as "Socialist."

Sen. Chris Dodd is retired from the Senate, and Rep. Barney Frank is retiring at the end of his term. The law that bears their names has yet to be fully enforced two years after the President signed it, because Republicans (and a few complicit Democrats) have stalled and delayed and refused to act. Besides, Dodd-Frank was passed years after the financial meltdown and the Great Recession, so I don't see where you're finding causality.

As for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, at the time these quasi-government agencies/corporations were most deeply involved in the activities that would lead to their bailouts -- say, 1995 through 2006 -- Sen. Dodd and Rep. Frank were IN THE MINORITY PARTY.

Kudos to Republican strategists like Frank Luntz for demonizing those two in spite of the inconvenient truth that, as Democrats in the era of Newt Gingrich, Denny Hastert and Trent Lott they HAD NO POWER TO FORCE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE ON OR PASS ANYTHING.

Finally, I highly recommend the 2010 documentary "Inside Job" if you want to know more about the roots of financial crisis of 2008.

Herb is a professor at OU's polictical deparrtment he knows and understand everything let give him a break and then laugh

Not even close, "mike smith."

I would LOVE to see you try to think rather than blurt out one-line responses full of mediocre mockery. Put a couple of paragraphs together -- FORM AN ARGUMENT. Please. It'll do you good.

Maybe if he did not sequester or hide all his papers the conclusions would be different. Or maybe there is a reason he has spent so much to hide his background. What's coming out now in different books make it all seem a fable of the king with no clothes.

In fact, the Obama administration has been one of the most transparent in recent history. This has been proved by non-partisan watchdogs. On what basis do you claim that he "has spent so much to hide his background"? In fact, he's gone out of his way to provide information to counter such claims. That you have to resort to specious, wildly ludicrous accusations based on biased sources that have absolutely NO proof of their claims says a lot. Facts for you are suspect if they don't bolster your own opinion.

Obliviousness to reality is THE prime pre-requisite to be a leftist liberal or progressive or whatever you call yourself today to not let people know what you really are, The most transparent?? You have got to be kidding. Just read the news. Even the left lame stream press has written about it and the most recent event is on Executive Privilege on Fast and Furious. And if you did not know that obama's transcripts and other personal data is on a lock up, there is nothing I can do to help you see.

Jim: You are too funny! The Obama administration is the most transparent???!! Why did Obama issue executive order to protect Holder? If all this as the fault of "Bush", why the cover-up? Why don't we know anything about Obama's grades in school if he is so "brilliant?" Why don't we know his former classmates, teachers, students, girlfriends? We know very little, but it some info is finally starting to come out!

Reinhold: Hmm. lessee.... I believe this is the FIRST time Obama has claimed executive privilege - compare that with his recent predecessors, if you would. The fact is that this administration has opened up far more access to their inner workings than has nearly any other in modern history. Even their critics (the honest ones) will admit that.

Joan: Really?? His grades? His classmates? Ooooh, sounds ominous. We might find out he threw an eraser, or owed 14 cents on his lunch milk account. You're right - can't wait for the salacious, damning details to be revealed! THEN they'll all see...

Jim: Ooooh, just like Romney is so bad because he played a prank on a classmate in high school. The point is Obama has never been fully vetted--he will be now.

Whats your point Joan?

Really, Joan?

In 2004, U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama was vetted by George W. Bush's FBI, at a time when 9/11 was still fresh, the Iraq war was at its peak of violence and mayhem, and the feds were were flipping every rock for "secret" Muslims and other ne'er-do-wells. Had they found anything, you can be sure we'd've never heard from him again.

In 2007-2008, candidate for President Barack Obama was the subject of vast, well-funded "opposition research" from all sides -- Hillary Clinton's campaign, John McCain's campaign, the Republican Party, not to mention every conservative blogger, right-wing radio talker and Fox News host you'd care to name.

Oh, and George W. Bush's Secret Service, too. All told, it adds up thousands of people spending a couple million dollars-plus -- most of them VERY MOTIVATED to find ANYTHING to sink Obama's candidacy.

Most of what they managed to dig up is sufficient to rile up the fringes and the extremists, and allowed whackjobs like Orly Taitz and cynical opportunists like Jerome Corsi to make lots of money and grab headlines -- even Donald Trump, with not one new thing to offer, has managed to hoodwink the gullible into watching his rancid mummer's show.

Bottom line: They all failed then. And there is nothing new now. If President Obama loses, it will be because of Europe and/or the GOP deliberately tanking the recovery just to hurt the President. Not warmed-over tripe about Bill Ayers or Jeremiah Wright or Kenya or whatever.

Actually, they're laughing at you for that unique combination of arrogance and ignorance that leaves you forever on the sidelines, sputtering in incoherent rage because you can't convince anyone to join you in your folly.

TPTB may well laugh at me or Reinhold, too -- but it would be separate, smaller groups, and for different reasons. I can live with that.

Bryce, those are two very good questions.

The "economy" is a vast, lumbering contraption with millions of moving parts -- many of which are inefficient, while many others function in direct opposition to each other. Lots of sparks, grinding gears and horrible sounds that cause the "shade-tree mechanics" among us to argue what might be wrong or how to make it work better, but overall the contraption moves, consumes, and grows over time.

Turning the contraption to avoid an approaching obstacle or switch to a smoother road takes time. Years pass before orders from the bridge reach the wheels. all the while, we are buffeted by winds and travel on terrain not entirely of our choosing, and an unforseen or neglected obstacle can dump us all into a ditch with no warning.

Metaphor aside, all Presidents inherit the economy from their predecessor. Barack Obama worked to get us out of the ditch we fell into during the Bush years (but doesn't deserve 100% of the credit); Bush largely squandered what he was given and took us into two wars (but doesn't deserve 100% of the blame). George H.W. Bush got a very raw deal between Ross Perot and the backlash from the tax increase he signed; and in many ways we are all still affected by Ronald Reagan's orders from the bridge (some beneficial, others harmful over the long haul).

Second: Conservatives are free to question the policies of President Obama; but when the question refers to "YALLS BOY" and "PEEPS"...what should I conclude?

When Mensa held their national convention here two years ago (with the apt slogan, "Who's the Genius that Suggested Detroit?"), my then-fiancee and I took the exams as a lark. When we passed, we paid for memberships and largely forgot about it. They have some good speakers, but we've avoided most of the social stuff.

I'll take the hit for continuing the Mensa conversation, but I was tired of Reinhold wielding his membership as if it gave him some sort of "edge" in the arguments.

I actually agree with both Mark and Terry about the impact of Mensa membership in isolation. My mother's late cousin was someone with "numbers up in the 180's" -- and he was a conservative of the William F. Buckley mold. I miss him.

Pretty accurate - I dropped out years ago as there was no point to it.

Jane - microchipped in 2013? Your source is?