Michigan, Florida get half votes to Democrats' national convention

WASHINGTON -- Michigan's full slate of delegates will attend the Democratic National Convention, with a half vote each, under a decision by a party rules committee Saturday that prompted catcalls from Sen. Hillary Clinton's supporters and a pledge by her campaign to contest the decision.
The decision adopted much of the proposal from the Michigan Democratic Party to resolve the month-long debate over the state's Jan. 15 primary. The measure partially recognizes the results of that primary, which Clinton won, but in which Sen. Barack Obama removed his name from the ballot.
The committee also docked Florida half of its delegates. Both states are being punished for holding their primaries earlier than the national party allowed.

Read the story at the DetroitNews.

DNC likely to snub Michigan

This issue upsets me greatly. I personally don't believe that a national party like the DNC or even the RNC for that matter, should have the power to dictate when a state can or cannot hold their primary! I firmly believe that the Michigan Democratic delegates (and Florida) should be able to fully participate at the national convention. People voted, their voices should be heard. Democrat, Republican, Independent. Every vote counts, and this makes it sound like the Dem's votes in Michigan and Florida do not count. Your voted counted.

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Members of a Democratic rule-making committee appear unlikely to allow Michigan and Florida to fully participate in this summer's national convention, raising the possibility of a divisive floor fight over the states' disputed primaries at the start of the fall presidential campaign.
In Florida Wednesday, Sen. Hillary Clinton toughened her call for seating her delegates in Denver. She told supporters that discounting the votes "on technicalities" would violate the basic rules of democracy. And in an interview with The Associated Press, she threatened to take her fight all the way to the convention floor -- a possibility from which her campaign had previously shied away.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, one of the architects of Michigan's early primary, said he would support a convention-floor fight if Michigan's full delegation isn't seated -- though Levin signaled he was less concerned about how many delegates are awarded to Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.
The statements come as attention turns to a May 31 meeting of the party's Rules & Bylaws Committee to consider the Michigan-Florida issue.

Read the story at the DetroitNews.

US begins to break foreign oil ‘addiction’

The US is starting to break its “addiction” to foreign oil as high prices, more efficient cars, and the use of ethanol significantly cut the share of its oil imports for the first time since 1977.
The country’s foreign oil dependency is expected to fall from 60 per cent to 50 per cent in 2015, before rising again slightly to 54 per cent in 2030, according to the head of the Department of Energy’s statistical arm. The net imports of the world’s biggest consumer are expected to fall between now and 2030, ending what has been an almost relentless 30-year climb in the use of foreign oil and a fall in domestic production. In 2006, George W. Bush said in his State of the Union speech that America was “addicted to oil” – often imported from unstable parts of the world – and said he would work to address the issue.
On Monday, oil prices hovered near record highs as China’s energy needs outweighed the reduced US demand, and Saudi Arabia output increases failed to ease supply concerns.
The US decline in foreign oil dependency is already becoming more visible, with imports making up 57.9 per cent in the first three months of this year, down from 58.2 last year.
Guy Caruso, head of the US Energy Information Administration, said that that trend was set to continue as people adjusted to high oil prices and the impact of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which became law in December 2007, was felt.
“The 1970s is the last time we saw any significant decline in net import dependency in the US. It shows that markets do work, policy changes do work, technology does work,” Mr Caruso said.
Read the article at FT.

6 Gas-Saving Myths

This story is not really political in nature, but over on Yahoo! Finance was a great article from CNN Money on 6 gas saving myths. Based upon recent advertisements from some car care shops, it debunks most of their ads! I found it really interesting. You will have to go to the link for the full story, i'm just going to post the 6 myths.

6 Gas Saving Myths

1. Fill tank in morning
2. Change air filter
3. Use premium fuel (who can afford this anymore?)
4. Pump up your tires
5. Using/Not using AC
6. Bolt-ons & Pour-Ins

Check out the article here.