Andy Dillon

After recounting signatures in response to a federal court ruling, state election officials have ordered that the bid to recall Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon be restored to this November's ballot. Dillon is up for re-election on the same ballot. So he could be removed from office and re-elected to a new term on the very same ballot. What would happen in such an unlikely outcome? Dillon would be removed from office for the last two months of his current term. He would rejoin the legislature in January 2009 to begin his new term.

Take out the over-the-top claims about "free speech blockers" and this video posted by supporters of the recall effort against Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon gives you a look at what a blocking campaign looks like. And it's not nearly as big a deal as press reports and advocates on both sides of a measure make it out to be (blockers really don't block much, but they're rarely the "thugs" they're described as by those being blocked). Blocking campaigns are mostly a waste of everybody's time and money.

The video shows some political looking folks showing up and surrounding a circulator. At one point, one of the blockers claims the recall petition is really about gay marriage. Self-styled reformers would like to make it crime to make such false claims, but this is political speech.

Now comes news that an effort to recall the Democratic speaker of the state House in Michigan has gained new momentum. Conservatives there are upset about Speaker Andy Dillon's support for tax increases. It's already a nasty business. As the Detroit News reports, recall supporters are criticizing Democrats for hiring a convicted felon to lead a "blocking campaign" to dissuade voters from signing the recall petition. Dillon's supporters went to court and got an order telling recall backers to stop using out-of-state petition circulators. But Dillon is taking it seriously, sending out mail to every voter in the district.