Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 08/10/2015 1:53:30 PM PDT by cripplecreek
LANSING, MI — Actress Melissa Gilbert, best known for her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on "Little House in the Prairie," is running for the U.S. House out of Michigan.
Gilbert, a Democrat who has lived in Livingston County since 2013, announced Monday that she is running for the 8th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop of Rochester.
"Here in Michigan, I know people are doing their best to make a good life for themselves and their families. When it comes down to it, I think that's what we all really want," Gilbert said in a statement distributed to reporters and posted online.
"I'm running for Congress to make life a little easier for all the families who feel they have fallen through the cracks in today's economy. I believe building a new economy is a team effort, and we need to bring fresh voices to the table to get the job done."
Gilbert, 51, was born in Los Angeles and is married to fellow actor Timothy Busfield.
She served as president of the Screen Actors Guild -- a labor union representing film and television performers -- from 2001 to 2005 and hit the campaign trail in 2014 as a supporter of Michigan gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer.
Gilbert has had problems with the Internal Revenue Service, which filed a tax lien against her on February 3 claiming she failed to pay more than $360,000 in federal income taxes.
She attributed the unpaid taxes to a "perfect storm" involving the economic recession and a prior divorce, telling The Detroit News she had negotiated a repayment plan with the IRS.
The Michigan Republican Party, pointing to the tax dispute, questioned whether voters should trust Gilbert on the economy. Stu Sandler, a spokesman for the Bishop campaign, said Gilbert's values are "out of whack" with voters in the district.
"It's amazing that a woman who owes hundreds of thousands of dollars, who moved here from Hollywood and has a dog stylist but won't pay her taxes, is considering running for Congress to get a government pay check," Sandler said.
Bishop won the 8th District seat last year, defeating Democrat Eric Schertzing to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who did not seek re-election.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon last week noted that Bishop has been added to the National Republican Congressional Committee's "patriot program," which is designed to help protect vulnerable incumbents.
Bishop's "career of out of touch statements and votes to hurt his constituents are finally catching up to him," Dillon said Thursday.
Little Laura a democrat........ /{slash wrists}
I thought it was the Film Actors Guild.
I find this rather tragic as we’re showing our kids the “Little House” series as an example of solid classic conservative values.
She can’t pay her own taxes, no wonder she’s a Democrat
My childhood crush turned out to be insane.
Should have gone with team Nellie Olsen.
A Hollywood liberal is going to teach the Michigan hicks a thing or two about politics.
I see what you did there............I SEE IT.........
Like the Canadian/Berkley liberal Jenny Grandholm did.
So why haven’t they filed a lien on Al Sharptongue yet?
Nellie was the bad girl. I used to watch that show and loved it. It is a far cry from the crap on TV today.
Pretty much describes most of them.
Bishop won with 54.6% last time, versus 42.1% for the ‘rat.
Sounds like her acting gigs have dried up, so now she’s all concerned about the little people who have fallen through the cracks. Yeah, I believe that. She might just win due to name recognition. Who wouldn’t want to vote for little Laura Ingalls?/s
For 80k (the price of 8000 baby livers) you can have dinner with her and her friends at Planned Parenthood. :)
This is probably going to go as well as the time Nancy Kulp from The Beverly Hillbillies moved back to Pennsylvania and ran against Bud Shuster. Got her head absolutely handed to her.
Buy 'em all some Walmart gift cards, you smacktard.
Maybe to combat the name recognition her opponent should chastise her for her misbehavior, using wicked words, her envy of Nellie and such...
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