A Republic, If You Can Keep It

There are only two political stories on our agenda this week, both from the top of the ballot: the “will he or won’t he” waiting about President Biden, and the GOP National Convention which they branded as a unifying event but, in reality, only united the dominant MAGA movement while horrifying just about everyone else. Key to the discussion over the Democratic ticket: polls, polls, polls. Links t...

Hard to believe, but there are stories other than the President’s health…but they mostly tie together. Among them: Gretchen Whitmer is on a national book tour promoting “True Gretch” including an appearance with Stephen Colbert , while saying that she absolutely is not running for President this year even if Joe Biden pulls out… Biden has his first defection from the Michigan congressional delegat...

On the week’s podcast: As we celebrate the revolution 248 years ago that ended the rule of the British monarchy over our nation, we face the prospect of reverting to our British origins.  The U.S. Supreme Court’s radical-right majority has effectively turned this and future presidents into Kings and Queens who are above the law, able to do anything (s)he want under the mantra of “Offic...

This week in politics: The U.S. Supreme Court gives Donald Trump the best possible gift: the longest possible delay in his federal trials In Michigan, a new state Senate map from the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission Louisiana’s Ten-Commandments-In-Every-Classroom law is challenged in the courts even as Oklahoma requires biblical training in public schools The Supreme Court also handed...

Jack Ohman – Tribune Content Agency   In politics this week… We are days away from the first of two scheduled presidential debates . The big question: will Trump stay awake for the full 90 minutes? Trump’s latest tax proposal – all tariffs, no income tax – is a huge gift for the wealthy (of course) and a disaster for the rest of us (also of course!) The Republican Nati...

In national politics this week: Convicted felon Donald Trump returns to the scene of one of his crimes, with Congressional Republicans falling all over themselves to kiss his ass. Hunter Biden’s 3-count felony conviction means he needs just 31 more to become the Republican presidential nominee. Inflation continues to go down, more jobs are created, incomes are up – but Biden continues to get low p...

We are recording Thursday afternoon on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that saved the world from a narcissistic, paranoid, racist and psychotic would-be world dictator. Our mission 80 years later as beneficiaries of their courage and sacrifice: constantly protect their legacy. In this week’s political news: Convicted felon Donald Trump and his gang of MAGAs, several of whom are also con...

Photo is A.I. generated We recorded this week’s podcast at 5 p.m. EDT Thursday. Minutes before we hit the ‘record’ button, the New York jury handed down its verdict…so Jeff had to put on his Lincoln Project hat. In his absence Walt Sorg joins Mark on a day that will go down in American history. Clearly the guilty verdict on 34 felony counts is our #1 topic, but there are other talk-wor...

It’s the most anticipated verdict since O.J. Topping the political news as we record: Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession, and most blame Biden – The Guardian The planned debate of U.S. Senate candidates fizzles out as GOP frontrunner Mike Rogers pulls out … and Democratic frontrunner Elissa Slotkin responds by saying “me too” It’s official: congressman Shri Thaned...

Let’s Get Ready to Rumble… The Main Event: Battle of the Presidents Maybe. Maybe not. Trump’s Peanut Gallery takes over the sliming of the criminal justice system Robert Kennedy’s running mate demonstrates her major qualification for office: donating another $8-million to prop up the campaign There’s another ethics embarrassment brewing in Lansing over lobbyist gifts of tickets to spor...

This week’s guest: Mother Jones national voting rights correspondent Ari Berman, author of the new book “Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It” Every week it seems politics gets even more bizarre. A week after Kristi Noem destroys her political career by revealing she’s a puppy killer — Bobby Kennedy Jr. tells us a brain w...

It’s been a great week for the late night comics: Trump’s courtroom catnaps , Kristi Noem’s one-person animal control program, and Joe Biden’s week-late contribution to the annual 4-20 marijuana celebration. Abortion laws continue to torment elected Republicans South Dakota abortion rights groups collect enough signatures to advance ballot measure – NBC News Joe Biden has an epiphany with a...

Matt Davies – Washington Post Another week, still more insanity… It’s O.J. without the white Bronco as the first-ever criminal trial of a former President gets underway with the former publisher of National Enquirer throwing Trump under the bus. “Catch and Kill” was a strategy for keeping Trump out of political trouble. Now it describes his legal predicament: he got caught, and it coul...

Still another week like no other: the previous guy napping at his own criminal trial, the current guy seeing his polling numbers nudge upwards with an economy that the Wall Street Journal calls “The Envy of the World”, and a stunning tipping point in a major Michigan political scandal: Attorney General Nessel stuns Lansing with criminal indictments of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield...

What a week as things go from bad to worse for the Martyr of Mar-a-Lago: History will be made this week as the first-ever criminal trial of a former President gets underway Trump announces his “whatever” wishy-washy abortion policy during a total eclipse, only to have an Arizona court ruling shove his weasle-words into a harsh spotlight. A federal court has rejected Republican efforts to overturn...

  Jack Ohman – Tribute Content Agency “ Let’s Nuke Gaza ”:  t hat is apparently the new middle east strategy of Michigan’s “unremarkable and brain dead” congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton). Also this week: We were blessed with a visit from Mar-A-Lago librarian and bible salesman D. J. Trump, who announced a consolation call and more than a few so-called facts in a Grand Rapid...

Ann Taenes – Washington Post Trump’s RNC is reuniting the band: convicted criminals Paul Manafort and Steve Bannon (and maybe now-in-jail Peter Navarro) plus world-class whackos Steven Miller and Corey Lewandowski…under the “leadership” of daughter-in-law Lara Trump. It’s looking like a rerun of 2020, but better organized but without Jared or Ivanka. Just this w...

This week’s politics begin with a check on Zillow listings… The man who once claimed a net worth of more than 10-Billion dollars says he can’t come up with a measly half-billion to satisfy a New York court judgment. If he’s so rich, why can’t he simply mortgage one of his many many many amazing properties? M.Wuerker – Politico There are more signs of cracks in Trump’s support wit...

Just some of this week’s political happenings —  The Trump-appointed prosecutor who questioned the President’s memory has his own memory losses when questioned by Congress The President returns to Michigan in what will become a recurring political story for our state Donald Trump weighs in on the Republican race for U.S. senate, endorsing a candidate who once called Trump’s political t...

The general election campaign for President is officially underway… Scranton Joe delivers a take-no-prisoners State of the Union that leaves his supporters ecstatic and Republicans sputtering. Spoiler alert: the 2024 Campaign theme is a sequel movie “This Country for Old Men” Super Tuesday was a good day for former athletes who want to be Senators: one-time NFL star Colin Allred wins the Dem...

This week in politics starts, of course, with Michigan’s Presidential Primary. The primary  has Biden and Trump winning by a bunch — but both campaigns see warning signs for November. Also this week: Sneaker salesman Trump graciously accepts victory by calling Gretchen Whitmer “a terrible governor who sold you out”, and UAW president Shawn Fein “atrocious” A state court has, for now, p...

Another remarkable week in national and state politics: The Michigan presidential primary is Tuesday. Biden and Trump will win, but both can be wounded in the process. Vice President Harris campaigned in west Michigan Thursday. Surrounded by Governor Whitmer, Senator Stabenow and Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – all women – the focus was on reproductive rights, an issue catapulted back to the deba...

It’s been another remarkable week in national and state politics. Nationally,  President Biden takes off the gloves – battering Donald Trump after Trump’s vow to abandon our NATO allies if they don’t pay protection. The GOP’s governing body confirms it is part of the Trump family-run business, confirming his choice for a new Michigan GOP chair … but it’s not going to be a peaceful transition...

The debate over solar energy in Michigan may move to the ballot. It’s been another remarkable week in national and state politics. Nationally:  A three-judge DC court of appeals panel unanimously shoots down Donald Trump’s claim that a President has full immunity from crimes. The Supreme Court signals that it will not allow states to take Trump’s name off the ballot. Nikki Haley comes in a distant...

MAGA Republicans had no problem with White House visits during the Trump years by B-List singers Ted Nugent, Kid Rock and Kanye West – but they are freaking out when confronted with the possible Biden endorsement by the most popular entertainer in the world. They are also going ballistic about the UAW’s Shawn Fain’s emphatic support of President Biden. As we record this podcast, Biden is a couple...