Melissa Gilbert v Gerry Mandering in Michigan

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Nov. 4 2015 03:35 PM
8th District campaign
Bishop vs. Gilbert race rated an eyecatcher in Michigan
By Kyle Melinn

The way Mark Grebner of Practical Political Consultants sees it, Democrats have the same lethal attraction to Michigan's 8th Congressional District as moths do to candles.

The closer they get, the more likely they are to get burned.

Ingham County's congressional district isn't like the one Democrat Debbie Stabenow won in 1997. [font color=darkred]Republican-led legislatures have redrawn the 8th Congressional District into a 30-yard head start for their nominee[/font], meaning only an appealing candidate running under appealing circumstances have a shot.

Actress Melissa Gilbert may be that right person in the right place. Michigan Democrats have the 8th Congressional District among the top 3 they're watching in Michigan, and it could move up considering how well Gilbert catches in her first bid for public office.

Known for playing Laura Ingalls Wilder on NBC's “Little House on the Prairie” from 1973-1983, the 51-year-old Los Angeles native moved to Livingston County in 2013 with her new husband, East Lansing native and actor Timothy Busfield.

Last year, she was visible in Mark Schauer's gubernatorial campaign, giving the Democrat $1,000, filming a "public service segment" for him and showing up at a Flint campaign stop.

The political activity comes after the Los Angeles-born Gilbert served as president of the 100,000-member Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005, earning her a spot on the national AFL-CIO Executive Council. Her visibility isn't unusual either.

Gilbert and Busfield quickly embraced their roles as Howell's resident celebrities — serving as grand marshals to the 2014 "Fantasy of Lights Parade" and promoting local small business through her book, "My Prairie Cookbook." ...

http://lansingcitypulse.com/article-12336-8th-District-campaign.html

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1. Film Festival features Tim Busfield, Melissa Gilbert tribute

Good piece in the Lansing State Journal about Timothy Busfield and Melissa Gilbert...

...Tim Busfield was an East Lansing kid, a baseball player, a fun guy. Melissa Gilbert was Hollywood.

“Her grandfather created ‘The Honeymooners,’” Busfield said. “He created ‘The Dean Martin Show.’ She’s from that world.”

Clearly, these people – who will be featured at the East Lansing Film Festival Wednesday -- had nothing in common ... except things that matter. They learned some of that gradually, after marrying in 2013 and moving to Howell...

Soon, a California kid was visiting Michigan on a night that looked like the inside of a snowglobe. “By the time we got to Milford, she thought she was in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’” Busfield said.

That did it, Gilbert said. “I fell in love with the state and the man at the same time.” ...

Both had learned from the best. Landon showed his young actors a sense of fun and focus, Gilbert said. “We were always expected to be very professional.”

And Busfield had worked with writer-producer Aaron Sorkin, director Phil Alden (“Field of Dreams” and “Sneakers”) and the “thirtysomething” producers. “It was like an extensive (American Film Institute) course,” he said.

Most of the “thirtysomething” stars became top TV directors. On five series, Busfield has also been the producer who was in charge of hiring and supervising directors.

This season, he’s directing seven individual episodes. In a late change, one assignment – directing an “Aquarius” episode – will keep him away from his home town on Wednesday, so he’ll do the film-festival event by Skype. Gilbert will be in East Lansing and Busfield will be on the set of a TV show... which is the opposite of how they started...

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/entertainment/events/best-bets/2015/11/09/film-festival-features-tim-busfield-melissa-gilbert-tribute/75298386/

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2. Speaking of gerrymandering...

No matter how badly the GOP screws this State over certain seats are now locked in:

?@detroitnews 3 minutes ago

Two Republicans cruised to victory in special elections to fill Courser and Gamrat seats. http://detne.ws/1p6GgLE

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3. Marcy Kaptur

Looks like GOP gerrymandering is alive and well in Ohio too...



That meandering morass is one of the scraps left for Democrats.