Back in 2005, Bridget and I traveled around Peru with a small group of other foreign travelers that included a grandmotherly English woman named “Paddy,” who took interest one day in learning that I covered politics.

Former 1st Ward Councilman Harold Leeman watched his political career swirl down the drain as he lost his third straight election in convincing fashion. His 295 votes was only eight better than young political neophyte Joe Manzella’s vote total..

While Kelly Bernero’s hopes of being a state rep in 2012 have essentially vanished after her impaired-driving arrest in which pot was allegedly found in her car, Sorg still would have needed to leapfrog Ingham County Commissioner Andy Schor and one, if not two, sitting Lansing City Council members, Derrick Quinney and A’Lynne Robinson.

Once Gov. Rick Snyder announced in his State of the State that he was picking up the baton from Jennifer Granholm on the proposed public bridge, Manuel "Matty" Moroun’s DIBC kicked off a PR media blitz to get the public ' and by extension lawmakers ' in its corner.

The backing of the Greater Lansing Labor Council and the UAW CAP Council has changed everything. Now, with only five weeks before the August primary, Washington needs to be considered a front-runner with Martinez in the only real competitive race on Lansing’s August ballot.

So while map-drawing should be about keeping common areas of interest together and breaking up as few political boundaries as possible in the name of sensible representation for the people, redistricting becomes about keeping incumbent officeholders happy first and everything else second.

The Republican-led House had suggested the idea back in 2006. At the time, it was yet another duct-tape-and-bailing-wire budget patch job. The thought was that if the Department of Treasury waived penalties for 60 days for anyone who owed a significant amount of back taxes, the state could raise about $25 million.

The year 2012 brings three open state representatives races with Democrats Joan Bauer, Mark Meadows and Barb Byrum all termed out on Dec. 31. And Grebner, the heart of Practical Political Consulting in East Lansing, is interested in what could happen in the Democratic Party primary in each of those seats.

Ingham County Clerk Mike Bryanton is leaning against running for another term in 2012, and there’s no shortage of interested candidates ' chief among them state Rep. Barb Byrum and Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope ' if he decides to hang it up after 17 years on the job.

Like just about everyone else in town, downtown worker Judy Putnam was marveling at the gorgeous new Accident Fund headquarters the other day when she got the itch to peek inside.What’s the harm, right? It’s not the Sears Tower or the Empire State Building, but this is the closest thing we have to cool in Lansing. Surely they wouldn’t mind if someone wanted to see the lobby ...