What do elections results in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas tell us?

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press editors Jeff Cranson and Ed Golder discuss: 1. What do Tuesday's results in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas mean? Is Obama's help a welcome thing for candidates? And will the Tea Party continue to be a factor? 2. Governor's race. • How about a one-term pledge? Mike Bouchard has mentioned it; Joe Schwartz says it's a certainty, should he decide to run. • Mike Cox's TV assault on Pete Hoekstra may be working. Hoekstra has taken the Americans for Tax Reform pledge, meaning he will "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes." • The end of this podcast includes audio from a separate podcast posted Wednesday that features an interview with Bouchard. 3. Consolidating governments. Is it time to merge some communities? The next installment of the Grand Rapids Press 10.0 series explores the question and how others have done it successfully. Conversation starters: • Ed: If Elena Kagan is confirmed for the Supreme Court, it will mark the first time in the country's history there will not be a Protestant on the high court. Six justices will be Catholic; three will be Jewish. Does it matter? This piece from Boston University Professor Steven Prothero argues that it does. • Jeff on Meet The Facts -- how a couple college students took it on themselves to check the validity of statements made on Sunday Morning talk shows. On The Media reported on it last week.