The Year‘s Biggest Can of Worms

March 3, 2004

Happy birthday war in Iraq! The war is one year old this month and was voted “the year‘s biggest can of worms“ by Express readers.
On the plus side, the war has liberated 20 million Iraqi citizens and has found a new home behind bars for Saddam Hussein. On the other hand, the war has cost more than 550 young Americans their lives along with up to 8,000 Iraqi citizens and an unknown number of Iraqi soldiers. There also seems to be a civil war brewing in Baghdad.
Taking second place for this year‘s biggest can of worms was the Judge Gilbert marijuana incident, followed by developer Bill Clous clearing a wetlands for a “farm“ at #3, no weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq at #4., the Hartman-Hammond Bridge brou-ha-ha at #5., the Traverse City Light & Power giant pole controversy at #6, the Northern Michigan Hospital nursing strike at #7, and Martha Stewart‘s trial at #8.
Following are some other cans of worms sent in by Express readers to round out the year‘s list:

-- “Family friends“ Michelle McManus and Bill Clous
-- Starting a war over nonexistent weapons of mass destruction
-- Eminem was supposed to move to Williamsburg
-- Enron
-- Moving the nuke material from Charlevoix
-- Saddam Hussein
-- The lack of state funds
-- Gaylord Community Schools
-- Non-elected selection of TC city commissioner
-- George Bush
-- The East Jordan Public Library
-- Grooming of beaches
-- Were sold by Walt‘s Crawlers
-- Bush Sr. is responsible for 9/11
-- The new development in Petoskey
-- Bear River Brewing closes
-- Cop entering a private residence unannounced
-- Kohl‘s new building in TC
-- President Bush‘s arrogance
-- George Bush and anything related to him
-- Red Mesa Worm Club
-- Reality TV
-- 9 oz. cans
-- Arnold‘s grabby hands
-- Summer traffic
-- Michael Jackson‘s arrest
-- Peace protesters block military convoy
-- Wolves going to Minnesota for Manna renovation
-- Ice Mountain water bottling plant
-- Kobe Bryant

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photo redwings: Skating (again) into the hearts of our readers. Photo courtesy of www.redwings.com.

Best Power Play: The Red Wings

Express readers sure do like the Red Wings. Not a year goes by that the team isn‘t voted best for something, and this year they earned “best power play“ in our 2004 survey.
Other top power plays included George Bush launching a war on Iraq at #2, and State Sen. Michelle McManus intervening on behalf of developer/wetlands-drainer Bill Clous at #3.
Following are a few other “best power play“ suggestions from readers:

-- U-M beating MSU at football
-- Margaret Dodd “out,“ Lynda Smyka “in“
-- Eating at Gordie Howe‘s restaurant
-- Bush regime vs. the real patriots -- us!
-- Stopping the Hartman-Hammond Bridge
-- Margaret Dodd‘s 4th of July parade
-- Plans to demolish downtown TC power plant
-- Putting marijuana legalization on the ballot
-- Former TC mayor running for House seat
-- Pistons
-- Republican redistricting
-- Cherry Capital Airport deer issue
-- Non-elected selection of TC city commissioner
-- The new Kohl building, TC
-- Gordie Howe‘s restaurant
-- George Bush as president
-- GT Road Commission still pushing the bridge
-- Wal-Mart moving into Charlevoix
-- Waterfront homeowners trying to restrict public access sites

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photo howard dean: At least Howard Dean got your vote, even if he lost 17 primaries.

Best Hope for the Democrats: Howard Dean

That‘s right, Express readers voted for Howard Dean as the Democrats‘ best hope, but our 2004 “best of“ survey was taken before the Iowa primary and the scream heard ‘round the world. My, what a difference a week can make: Senator John Kerry was barely a blip on readers‘ radar until the very last ballots came in...
After Dr. Dean, readers gave the “best hope“ nod to Hillary Rodham Clinton at #2, John Kerry at #3, Wesley Clark at #4, Dennis Kucinich at #5 and Al Sharpton at #6.
George W. Bush gets a big honorable mention as being the “best hope for the Democrats,“ however, in that a number of readers indicated they felt the president was doing such a terrible job that voters would go all-out to dump him this November.
Here are some other reader suggestions for the Democrats‘ best hope -- most of them on the gloomy side:

-- God
-- Bush voted out!
-- To bow out
-- John Edwards
-- Wait until 2008
-- Revolution
-- Move to Afghanistan
-- George Bush caught in a gay bar
-- Hiring a Republican to do the job
-- Second place
-- What about Nader?
-- America wakes up
-- A bad economy and war in Iraq
-- Margaret Dodd and John Kerry
-- Impeach G.W. Bush
-- Quit whining and act unified
-- No one
-- Social Security reform
-- Commit suicide
-- An unknown rising star
-- That Bush will quit
-- There is no hope -- I give up!
-- Al Gore
-- A military coup
-- Lieberman grows a personality
-- Hire Al Franken and Molly Ivins to run campaign
-- G.W. -- four more years!
-- That‘s a good one -- Arnold who?
-- Getting a backbone
-- The Green Party
-- Ted Kennedy
-- The truth about George W.
-- Disband the party
-- There is no hope for our political system