Michigan SOS loses check-box battle, but fight may not be over - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Give her credit for understanding the meaning of "No" which is what a U.S. Federal judge laid on the Michigan Secretary of State last week. Although Judge Borman will be more eloquent in his written decision, it amounted to "Knock it off already with the U.S. Citizenship check-off box."

SOS Ruth Johnson took it on the nose and chin when the court blocked her from mandating that voters sign the citizenship document before they vote next month.

The judge could find nothing legal about it and although Ms. Johnson had the option to appeal the ruling, for the moment she has cried, "Uncle."

She knew that appeal could add more confusion to what could be a contentious election even without the check-off box.

"I'm a former clerk. I would not do that to the clerks," she advised during a phone chat the other day.

"I appreciate that," responds Ingham County clerk Mike Bryanton who was one of the plaintiffs who won the battle. Oh, was it mentioned he is a Democrat and had refused to use the box in his bailiwick. He was not alone in this act of defiance as other clerks joined in the mutiny against Ms. Johnson's directive to use the box.

Bryanton was labeled a "rogue clerk" by the assistant attorney general who drew the short straw and had to represent Ms. Johnson in court. Mr. B. wears it as badge of courage. Hey, if it's good enough for Sarah Palin, it's good enough for Mikey.

One wonders if Ms. Johnson tossed in the towel because she agreed with the decision? To get at that issue, she was asked, if this was two months earlier and you had time to appeal, would you have done that?

She demurred on that grounds of that being a "hypothetical" question but her dodge suggests she thought the judge got it wrong.

But for those who think the SOS is onto something with her quest to ferrite out the non-Americans who dare to vote in our elections, she will be back after November trying to get this done by "going back to the legislature."

In other words, case NOT closed.