Right now at MichiganLiberal.com, Gary Peters is participating in a live chat.

Gary Peters is the Democrat running against Joe Knollenberg to represent Michigan's 9th Congressional District in Congress. For those of you not from Michigan, the 9th is in Oakland County, in the suburbs north of Detroit. It was considered solidly Republican for years, until 2006, when Knollenberg barely won against Nancy Skinner - even after outspending her 7 to 1. And, as we've all seen from Foster and Cazayoux, being a solidly Republican district doesn't mean that much anymore.

The 2008 Federal Election may be 280 days away, but life on the trail in a targeted congressional district has already heated up. We in the blogosphere do so much to impact the process, from contributions to candidates and volunteering our time (sometimes across the nation thanks to technology such as virtual phone banks) to simply giving attention to well deserving candidates who aren’t receiving any from the mainstream media. But what is it like inside of these campaigns that we track, influence, and cheer for?

I work for Gary Peters for Congress in Michigan’s 9th Congressional district. I'm focused on the campaign. I could tell you in my sleep that the district is currently represented by Republican Joe Knollenberg, however it has a Partisan Voter Index of R+0, making it one of our best pickup opportunities. I can rattle off the cities equally as effortlessly, and even give you a tour to some of the districts many landmarks including The Palace in Auburn Hills (home of the NBA’s Pistons and WNBA’s Shock), the Somerset Mall in Troy, the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, or the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Pontiac.

(Read more to hear more about life on the campaign trail...)

This morning Gary sent out a message to our supporters urging them to vote for him in the DFA Grassroots All Star contest. I’ve included it in its entirety below the fold.

Gary’s DFA-Link profile shows why he deserves to be our next Congressman. Gary has taken bold stances on the economy, healthcare, and the war.

I can’t even imagine how George Bush is going to try and spin the "State of the Union" in tonight’s speech. Reality is there are 47 million Americans without healthcare, a war with no end in sight, and an economy that has been especially unfair to workers here in Michigan.

Vote for Gary Peters at DFA!

Gary Peters supports universal health care for all Americans, wants to support our troops by bringing them home now, and will fight to make sure all nations follow international trade rules. Gary has proven to be an effective legislator, having more bills signed into law than any other Democratic Senator during his time in the legislature.

Democracy for America is holding an online poll to pick 2008's Grassroots All Star!

Vote here for Gary Peters!

Gary sent out the following email to supporters this morning:

Things are getting exciting here at Peters for Congress HQ. We’ve been working on hiring the best staff possible to take on Joe Knollenberg this year, and the relentless cycle of fundraising continues as always. Now we have the first opportunity to show the world just how much grassroots support is behind me as I run for Congress: Democracy for America is running an online competition to gain their endorsement, and I need your help and that of your friends to win.

Please click here and follow the simple instructions to vote for me in the DFA Grassroots All-Star contest.

The first round of voting is open now and ends on January 28th at midnight.

No, not in either party’s primary...I voted for Democracy for America's 2008 Grassroots All Star!

I voted for Gary Peters. Gary is a true progressive. You don’t have to take my word for it. Here is Gary is on his own words on the Economy, Healthcare and Iraq. (Please "read more" for the entire quotes)

"We must have a change in Washington and put an end to the disastrous Bush/Knollenberg trade policies that have exported thousands of our jobs overseas."

"As a former military officer, I believe the best way to support our troops is to bring them home and we need to start bringing them home now."

From Gary Peters' DFA-Link Campaign Page

Vote to make Gary Peters 2008's Grassroots All Star!

What if I told you there was a Democrat, who was not protecting our values...but they had a legitimate primary challenger this year? Would you be willing to contribute $5 to protecting Democratic values?

What if they held up health care for 10 million vulnerable children?

What if they voted against an energy bill that will allow our country to invest in alternative energy sources and fight global warming?

What if they voted for a bill that would allow President Bush to spy on American citizens without a warrant? Or if they skipped a vote to increase the minimum wage for the first time in decades?

What if they voted over 7 times to continue the War in Iraq, while 897 brave soldiers gave their lives in service? Could you send more?

Michigan’s 9th District SHOULD have a progressive Representative. The district is solidly pro-choice, pro-GLBT, and pro-stem cell research. The people of this district care about our water and our air, and the future of the environment for our children. The people of Michigan’s 9th care about education. Just last week, I saw over 80 people marching for peace through the streets of the 9th district.
But our congressman doesn’t represent those values...(Read More to Find out what you can do!)

Today the SEIU Michigan Council has endorsed Gary Peters, in his congressional campaign for Michigan's 9th district.

"Our members firmly believe that Gary Peters is the best candidate to represent the citizens of Michigan’s 9th District," said Phil Thompson, SEIU Michigan State Council president and executive vice president of SEIU Local 517M. "He has a proven record of standing by working families, particularly when it comes to providing access to quality and affordable health care."

Gary has also received the earliest Congressional endorsement from the AFL-CIO, been endorsed by the Michigan Building Trades, American Federation of Teachers, and the local Operating Engineers, Communication Workers, and Pipefitters.

Peters was proud to accept the endorsement, saying "I’m extremely pleased and honored to get the support of the SEIU Michigan State Council. The SEIU believes, as I believe, that working families deserve a voice in Washington and that it is time for a change."

Michigan's 9th District is currently represented by Joe Knollenberg. Last year Knollenberg received a dismal 0% rating on labor issues in the AFSCME  House Scorecard.

Greetings from Peters for Congress! We have been up to a whole lot, which I am excited to share with all of you.

If you already know about the campaign, please feel free to "Read More" while I introduce it.

Gary is running in Michigan's 9th Congressional District. The 9th is a swing district, rated a R+0 by Cook Political Report...however you wouldn't be able to tell looking at it's current Congressman: Joe Knollenberg. Knollenberg has consistently been a staunch supporter of the Bush Administration and out of touch with his district. Knollenberg was added to the League of Conservation Voters "Dirty Dozen List", as a representative with one of the worst environmental records in Congress. In contrast, Gary Peters is a former Sierra Club Environmentalist of the Year. While in the State Senate, Gary worked to BAN drilling for oil and gas beneath the Great Lakes.

Now, this entire campaign is not going to be about the environment. However, when Gary worked to prevent directional drilling, he did so before it was a problem. He had the vision to protect a natural treasure, and garnered support for the bill, before it was an urgent problem.

This is the kind of thinking we need in Congress today.

You may have seen some of the  YouTube drama surrounding MI-09 and candidate Gary Peters. Peters is currently serving as the Griffin Endowed Chair of American Government at Central Michigan University. As a former State Senator, State Lottery Commissioner, and Lt. Commander in the Navy Reserve he brings a unique perspective to the university.

In fact, the story was on the frontpage of AOL.com today.

Another unique perspective found at CMU belongs to young conservative Dennis Lennox. Lennox has been complaining that Peters should not be able to run for Congress at teach at CMU at the same time.

The root of his complaint poses a very significant question: should you be able to hold a job and run for office? We don’t mind that incumbents, who earn a salary from the taxpayers, campaign for their re-election. Should a candidate have to be independently wealthy to run for office?

Have you seen HritFiles.com yet?

I resigned from Friends of Kevin Hrit after I inappropriately linked the Troy City Elections to MI-09, right here on Daily Kos. Although looking at this development, maybe my comments weren't so inappropriate. Maybe Troy City Elections DO directly effect the 9th District. Why else would the 9th District Republican Committee pay for this informative website?

I don't know how Kevin feels about this...but I'm proud of him! He must be doing something right to scare the right wing noise machine and 9th District GOP Chair Glenn Clark. Although perhaps Clark is panicking for other reasons...but I digress.

You might not have heard of Joe Knollenberg!

The Michigan Republican comes from a district that hasn't been competitive, and hasn't been on the table. But MI-09 actually has a Cook Rating of just R+0.

You might know what Knollenberg has been up to. But he was recently named to the Dirty Dozen list by the League of Conservation Voters- the earliest they've EVER added a Congressman to the list! Could it be because of the "Knollenberg Amendment" which bans the EPA from hosting educational seminars on Global Warming?

His Chief of Staffs epic meltdown on a constituent was picked up by Kieth Olberman, not to mention the Politico. Following the story at the Politico, Joe's Chief of Staff Trent Wisecup wrote them a list defining what is American and what isn't for us.

So what could cause Trent Wisecup to freakout like this?

Are you upset that Congressman Joe Knollenberg sided with President Bush by voting to eliminate children's health care coverage? Let's show Joe Knollenberg that our children deserve affordable health care too.

At the Peters for Congress website, we've made a Wagon Coloring Page that you and your kids can print out, color in, and mail to Joe Knollenberg.

A little red wagon is symbolic of American Childhood. Let's make sure our children have the childhood they deserve, by protecting health care for the children of working families.

Why are we doing this now?

On Tuesday, the League of Conservation Voters named the first two members of the "Dirty Dozen" list of the 12 worst members of Congress on environmental issues.

The first additions to the 2008 Dirty Dozen are Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI09).

We all know where Inhofe stands on the environment. If you can justify ignoring the threat of global warming by claiming it is a scam to raise the Weather Channel's ratings, then you can justify voting against any environmental protections. However, I was very glad to see the LCV recognize that Joe Knollenberg is in the same class as Inhofe.

You may not have heard of Joe Knollenberg. He is the Republican Ranking Member of an Appropriations Sub Committee, and brags about all the money he has "secured" for local interests, taking advantage of earmarks, on his website. But his record on issues important to 9th district voters is atrocious. The LCV gives him a lifetime score of just 7%.

In fact, an amendment that bans the EPA from hosting educational seminars about global warming is known as the "Knollenberg Amendment".

The moment you've all been waiting for, and 4 days before they are due to the FEC, Peters for Congress is proud to announce our 2007 Q3 Fund raising total!

The Peters Campaign is off to an aggressive start, raising over $217,000 in the first six weeks!

That sum was raised from over 430 individual contributors, a sign of the overwhelming demand for change in Michigan's 9th district.

Gary himself is very excited about the results, and is ready to get to work....

Yesterday, George Bush vetoed a bipartisan bill that would provide health insurance to over 10 million low income children. On September 25th, Joe Knollenberg voted against this legislation that would give children the health care they need.

Today, Gary Peters called on Joe Knollenberg to stand up to President Bush, and vote to override the veto in order to protect Michigan's children.

"This is about protecting the health care of Michigan's children. Even though Joe Knollenberg has previously voted the wrong way, he needs to understand the critical importance of this issue to his constituents and vote to override President Bush’s veto."
-Gary Peters

Joe Knollenberg is the 2nd most vulnerable Republican to vote against SCHIP. MI-09 has a PVI of R+0, and Gary Peters has consistently performed above the Democratic base vote in 9th district precincts.

The war. The environment. Middle class families.

Joe Knollenberg has held the GOP line, voting with his party and not our district on all these issues.

Is it any surprise he would vote against expanding health care coverage for children?

A Swing State Project post shows that Knollenberg is the 2nd most vulnerable Republican to vote against S-CHIP, based on PVI. MI-09 has a PVI (Partisan Voter Index) of R+0.1.

Enough is enough. It's time to get to work to beat Joe Knollenberg.

2 terms of George Bush is too long. 15 terms of Joe Knollenberg is WAY too long. I'm excited to share with you the story of my congressional district, and tell you about the most exciting candidate to run in the past few cycles!

Last November voters across the country told the Republican party that we are sick of their war, we are sick of their endless spending, and we want change. Joe Knollenberg faced his toughest challenge yet.

Now is the time to bring about change in MI-09.

Gary Peters is the kind of leader we need to send to Congress. He's stood up to special interest money before, fighting the oil lobby to ban drilling in the Great Lakes as a State Senator. He's ready to go to work for us again, to get us on a new direction in Iraq, fight for pay-as-you-go budgeting, and making health care affordable for all Americans.

There are still 5 days left to contribute to Peters for Congress, so we can work together to bring about change. Early donations (before the September 30th FEC deadline) help get essential campaign operations off the ground and attracts attention.

Contribute today at ActBlue!

Following a week of negotiating with GM on hour by hour contracts, the UAW is on strike as of 11am.

UAW at GM is officially on strike. Fox2 is reporting that negotiators have broken off talks, and union officials are going to local halls and plants.

Local 22 President George McGregor says that because he did not get word an agreement was reached, Local 22 went on strike at the 11 AM deadline. "We might have to lose now to improve our position down the road" McGregor went on.

Withing 20 minutes the parking lot at Local 22 filled up with members preparing for the strike.

UAW has been prepared for the strike for a while. Signs have already been distributed to picket captains.

At the end of last November the UAW Strike Fund had $800 million. Each member who walks the picket line for their 4 hour shift will receive $200 a week.