A Republic, If You Can Keep It

The first million-selling hit from Motown is our theme this week. (RIP Barrett Strong, 1941-2023) Virtually all political scandals involve either seeking greater power, or money. This week’s discussion focuses on the latter. We are joined in the podcast by two national leaders in the drive to disrupt the political money machine: Gabe Lezra from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (better known...

Topping the political news this week: the Governor delivers a populist State of the State message, with Democrats in the Legislature cheering repeatedly and Republican members sitting on their hands – even to the point of not cheering a proposal to help young children, or throwing shade at Ohio and Indiana.  Mark and Jeff analyze the Governor’s address, and talk legislative priorities with the fir...

We’ve got a MAGA alert agenda this week: Michigan Republicans have a battle of election deniers for chair of their party.  Some top Michigan Republicans want to draft charisma-challenged Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to lead the 2024 ticket.  In Ottawa County, the MAGA takeover of the Republican Party is on full display with a purge of county officials who aren’t radical enough for the new county...

The Michigan Legislature’s 2023 session has officially started. Democrats, now controlling both chambers for the first time in 40 years, have already introduced a raft of high-priority bills. And t he 2024 game of political musical chairs is underway. We update the race to succeed Debbie Stabenow in the Senate, and the likely domino effect of that race on Michigan’s congressional delegation. Walt...

In Washington D.C., Republicans are a hot mess – with two former Michigan congressmen waiting in the wings as a possible solution.  In Michigan – a political shocker. Even as Democrats take full control of state government, Senator Debbie Stabenow drops a political bombshell. Michigan politics has been upended by the decision of Senator Stabenow to end a half-century of public service to, in her w...

More than 100 years ago, George Satayana wrote “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” When it comes to political scandals it is especially true. So today, some Michigan political history that may foreshadow one of the first big stories of 2023. Pulitizer Prize-winning reproters Eric Freedman, and Jim, Mitzelfeld, right, celebrate news of their award April 12, 1994 with Detroit News Ed...

The recounts show what we all knew: Michigan’s elections were fair, and the vote counts accurate. Michigan has a major supporting role in the January 6 final report – with evidence that could put some state Republicans in jail as it details efforts by Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s Michigan victory. And two of the top-tier Biden successors, according to the buzz machine, are Michiganders: Gr...

Jeff and Mark are traveling this week as we record the “pre-criminal-referrals” episode of the podcast. Jeff is getting the better end of the deal! He’s in Nashville where leaders of the Lincoln Project are holding their post-midterm victory lap…beginning planning for 2024..and sampling the hospitality of America’s country music capitol. Mark is coming up for air after stil...

Lame ducks, federal subpoenas re: Michigan’s 2020 election, a Supreme Court hearing on ending democratic elections, another court hearing on the lawyers who pushed the BIg Lie in Michigan, a bizarre farewell speech from the top Republican in state government, and a new wrinkle in the Democratic Party’s plans to shift the presidential primary schedule – a shift that could mean even bett...

Donald Trump may be drawing a lot of heat for his Ye-Dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes at his Mar-A-Lago crime scene, but his acolytes in Michigan appear to be firmly in control of the state’s Republican Party. Potential criminal defendant Matt DePerno appears poised to become the new state Republican chair, but he now has opposition from a more traditional Republican: former congressman...

On this week’s podcast: In Lansing, Democrats are quickly and quietly putting in place their leadership structure as they prepare to take control of both chambers. In Washington, it’s just the opposite for House Republicans who face the prospect of being unable to elect a Speaker of the House. The upcoming resignation of Michigan Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack brings some major changes...

Welcome to 2024! The dust is still settling from last week’s mid-term elections (especially among the shell-shocked GOP), but Donald Trump’s inevitable campaign is now official … greeted by the  New York Post headline “Florida Man Makes Announcement” and burying the story on page 26 <ouch!>. Closer to home, Gretchen Whitmer surprised many by making it clear sh...

It was supposed to be a nationwide Red Wave, but nationally turned into a Pink Drizzle and (in Michigan) a Blue Tsunami. Mark and Jeff analyze an election that Re-elected the Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General Flipped both the state Senate and state House to Democratic majorities Gave overwhelming voter approval to a woman’s right to choose, progressive election reforms and ch...

It’s down to the last days and hours until Election Day. With more than 1.1-million votes already cast, the turnout likely will come close to the record mid-term election of 2018. The outcome is definitely in doubt: will the polls showing close-but-comfortable leads for the top of the Democratic ticket mean Michigan Democrats successful overcome the historic headwinds of a mid-term, or will...

We’re less than two weeks away from election day; about three-quarters of a  million ballots have already been cast, and another million absentee ballots have been issued.  November 8 may be Election Day, but the election could well drag on for weeks as losing candidates … at least among the Republican nominees … scream “stolen election”. Some of the highlights of this week in Michigan politics: B...

Absentee ballots are coming in a record rates with election day just three weeks away – and a lot of Republicans are preparing to scream “rigged election” after they lose since a lot of them, including the GOP’s statewide candidates, refuse to say they’ll accept the results. On this week’s podcast, Jeff and Mark take a deep dive into what may be the most under-appreciated politic...

It’s Debate Week in Michigan. Gretchen Whitmer faces off with Tudor Dixon in a one-hour TV event that pits the former talkshow host against Michigan’s first-term Governor.  The debate comes days after a new poll showing what we’ve suspected all along: Whitmer’s reelection lead is strong, but not the double-digit blowout indicated by earlier polls. Also happening across Michigan’s...

As we speculated in last week’s podcast, Donald Trump spent most of his two-hour diatribe in Macomb County talking about … Donald Trump, dedicating about 5% of his speech to actually supporting the BIg Lie believers leading the GOP state ticket. Also in the political headlines this week: longtime Republican powerbroker Bob LaBrant calls this year’s GOP ticket “ the most unqualified state-level tic...

Early voting is underway in Michigan. In the race for Governor, Tudor Dixon is finally campaigning, focusing on social wedge issues, but her campaign continues to lack money. She may get some help when the nation’s #1 election denier, Donald Trump, brings his Big Lie Tour to Michigan this weekend to talk about himself and maybe help Tudor and the rest of the Republican statewide ticket. The polls...

Absentee ballots go into the mail in just two weeks. In Michigan, the attention and the massive ad spending is split between candidate races and two very high-profile ballot proposals. Also this week on the podcast: * President Biden makes his 6th visit as President to Michigan with another Trump visit to Macomb County in 2 weeks … *  Michigan’s battle over Reproductive Healthcare Rights gets the...

Another week, more political turmoil providing mostly bad news for the Michigan GOP: Two petition drives go to the Michigan Supreme Court after Republicans refuse to accept the Reproductive Rights and Voting Rights petitions on seemingly spurious claims; Tudor Dixon’s stealth campaign: no money, no events; Whitmer’s polling lead grows to 13%; The Court of Appeals rules Michigan’s...

Bernie Porn Craig Mauger The two statewide tickets are set, with Republicans facing an uphill battle as the party’s All-MAGA slate tries to inch away from extreme positions on reproductive freedom, election integrity and state taxes. Also in the mix: some growing legal problems for more than a few Republican candidates. Mark and Jeff are joined by two non-partisan experts to help set the sta...

Sitting in with Jeff Timmer this week, guest co-host Walt Sorg, one of the founders of Voters Not Politicians and a longtime Lansing political presence. This week: A surprise Democratic victory in a New York special election. Is this a sign of things to come, or a strictly New York phenomenon? New polling shows shoring up of Joe Biden’s approval numbers, and widespread support for the major...

While Joe Biden gets to celebrate a B.F.D., Republicans continue to pay homage to their Golden God nationally and in Michigan as the once Grand Old Party continues to disintegrate. One ominous sign (of many) for the GOP’s state ticket: a lack of money. The Whitmer/Gilchrist/Nessel/Benson ticket is banking millions for the fall campaign while the opposition campaigns operate on fumes.  ...

A search warrant at Mar-A-Lago, a special prosecutor may put Matt DePerno’s campaign to be Michigan’s chief law enforcement official, and state Republicans look to what could be a volcanic summer convention. In other words, just another bizarre week in Michigan politics.   In Washington, a string of victories for President Biden. Congress is set to pass the biggest climate bill in...