[Ninong]

Wow! Glenn Beck was right!

We never should have let that Muslim guy, Keith Ellison, into the Congress of the United States. What in the world were the Democrats thinking!?!

Oh, wait a minute! Looks like it wasn't Ellison. And it wasn't even a Democrat.

It was a former REPUBLICAN Congressman from Michigan!

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

Mark Deli Siljander, a Michigan Republican when he was in the House, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.

A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying — money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Siljander, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987.

[Poseidon]

I knew things were going downhill in MI. This is just another inept politician from my formerly stable state. I think that I-75 south is getting more and more traffic. The State Government here is an absolute MESS! If it weren't for (GASP) the Auto industry being here, then I would think a MASS EXODUS from the state would be in full swing.

I am sure GM, Ford and Chrysler are all looking for ways out of here too! It is only a matter of time, before MI becomes a tourist state, or game state, where the only people that come here are here for the natural scenery and wildlife, not to live.

[Ninong]

According to Debbie Schlussel, a FOX News commentator and former aide to Mark Deli Siljander, "He was an evangelical born-again Christian, and I think he saw himself as an ambassador of Christianity to other religions and to the Middle East. ... I think that maybe he had bigger ideas, that he could be this ambassador to Islam. But I think he kind of let himself go off the deep end by working for this charity. ... I think he must have needed the money."

Here.

P.S. -- Not once did Fox News mention that Siljander is a Republican. I guess that's a step in the right direction because usually they change the party affiliation to Democratic whenever one of the GOP friends is caught up in a scandal.

P.P.S. -- You probably won't even find this next story on Fox but, if they did cover it, they would probably omit the fact that the 63-yr-old man who was arrested for trying to arrange sex with a 13-yr-old girl is a Republican. He's also the mayor of some little town in Missouri. And he's the pastor of the local church.

"He was very involved, very professional." Kauffman's not only the chairman of the Collins' Board of Trustees; he's also a man of God. Myers says, "He's a minister, he's traveled on church missions."

Here.

They don't say so in that item but the married mayor-pastor who was trying to entice a 13-yr-old into sex over the Internet had the nerve to call the arresting officer at home after he posted bond to ask "what would it take to make this all go away." Haha! Bad move, moron!

[SouthBayPhoto]

Mike....I'm not even sure how long the Big 3 will stay in the state actually. I don't even know if you can consider Detroit the "Motor City" any longer.

I have friends that still live in MI and they are having a very tough time of it. I know it wasn't that tough when I used to live there (pre '96). It's just sad to see the state go downhill and this situation isn't making it any better.

You're right...the UP and northern MI might just end up being a tourist part of the state. I don't know many people that WANT to visit Detroit any more.