And I Thought Hanging Chads Were Embarrassing

I was going to write at length about vaginas but it’s been done.

The embarrassment that is the Michigan GOP has been covered and in some cases ridiculed by more state and national news outlets, television personalities, websites and bloggers than I can count for refusing to allow two female legislators to speak for a day after the women used the word “vagina” on the House floor during a recent abortion debate.

Last night, thousands gathered on the lawn of the State Capitol Building in Lansing to protest the Republicans’ asinine behavior and watch female lawmakers perform “The Vagina Monologues” with playwright/feminist Eve Ensler on the Capitol steps.  I’ve been in Lansing since 1983 and I can’t recall the last time so many folks protested on the Capitol lawn – not even when John Engler eliminated General Assistance back in 1991 (leading people to camp out in tents before “occupying” was cool) or scores of bikers descended every year to disrupt, intimidate and protest that pesky helmet law that we used to have (Governor Snyder pandered repealed it back in April).

So now my state has replaced Florida, Arizona and even Oklahoma as the butt of late-night jokes and the place where reasonable, progressive, enlightened individuals dare not tread.  Thanks a lot, Michigan Republicans.

On top of this, I attended a workshop today that proved to be heavy on pointing out what’s wrong with Michigan in the current political climate and quite light on suggesting solutions or courses of action, leaving me swimming in malaise in the 90 degree heat on the way back to my office.  If I hear one more person stand before an audience microphone and boisterously declare, “We gotta get out and vote, people!,” I can’t be held responsible for my actions.

“What’s the Diehl?” readers might notice that my posts have decreased in frequency.  (I used to write something new each day; now I’m lucky if I can post a poem every Sunday.)  My writing wasn’t paying the bills and my readers were for some unknown reason opting not to click the “donate” button on the right so it became necessary for me to secure outside employment to help the love of my life make our mortgage payments.  As a result, I’m either too busy or too fried at the end of the day to post as frequently as I’d like.  So in case several days pass until I get back here, suffice it to say that a) I still support Barack Obama over Robotron Romney even though the POTUS continues to disappoint, b) there was a time when Michigan was a forward-thinking state that led the nation in progressive public policy, and c) vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina.