A collection of gossip, scuttlebutt, and odds and ends from our reporters' notebooks.

NOT-SO MUSICAL CHAIRS: It ain’t like Bobby Schostak has much serious opposition in seeking a second term as chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, but he did make a bit of a to-do about it on Twitter earlier this week when he boldly (OK, not so boldly) proclaimed, complete with emoticons, that his tweeps should look forward to “a coming announcement … ” Darn. We were hoping he had some big policy platform shifts to fill everyone in on, like the GOP was coming out in favor of same-sex marriage. Here’s to hoping. “I’m running for re-election because our work is not done. We have made a lot of progress but together we can continue to strengthen the Republican Party and defend Michigan’s comeback,” HomeBobby wrote on his re-election campaign’s presence on the Interwebs. He admitted that there were some tough defeats — the re-elections of both President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who both electorally slapped around their GOP challengers in the Mitten State. (But hey, at least they took control of the Waterford Township Board of Trustees, right?) At the local level, just as an FYI, Oakland County Republican Party Chairman Jim Theinel is also seeking another term has the top poobah of the county’s Grand Olde Party. He says he’s optimistic he’ll be tapped for another stint leading Oakland Republicans.

BABY STEPS: It’s almost like we’re watching our own child grow up! Congressman-elect Kerry Bentivolio (R-Waterford, West Bloomfield, White Lake, Commerce, Wolverine Lake, Walled Lake, Wixom, Milford, White Lake, Highland), the Tea Party darling from Milford who swept into office in the Nov. 6 general election over Canton Township Democrat Dr. Syed Taj, has issued what appears to be his very first press release as a soon-to-be member of the esteemed (cough, cough) U.S. House of Representatives. Awww. On the heels of a new rash of fighting in Israel, his team put out the following statement: “We, as a nation that supports democracy and freedom, must condemn Hamas’ attacks on innocent Israeli civilians. We support Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself from these militant attacks as we pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.” Simple. To the point. Nothing controversial there, unlike what we heard during the election season. Prayer, peace, freedom. Way to go. For his part, U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-Waterford, Orchard Lake, West Bloomfield) put out a similar statement saying he “strongly supports Israel’s right to self defense from these indiscriminate attacks on its civilians because innocent children should never know this kind of fear.” Peters continued: “I am reassured to know that President Obama is strongly supporting Israel during this difficult hour and consulting closely with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu.” Oh, and by the way, and not for nothing, Congress peeps and incoming Congress peeps, an 11-month-old boy in Gaza, the son of a BBC photojournalist, was killed when the IDF lobbed shells into his home during one of its more than 1,300 air strikes that have occurred since this latest outbreak of violence. There is sadly no lack of innocent blood being shed in this never-ending conflict — but it’s not just Israeli blood.