A Republic, If You Can Keep It Michigan Citizens for a Better Tomorrow

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 polling numbers on the economy

More free trips for Clarence Thomas are revealed even as Senate Republicans block an ethics code for the Supreme Court. 

Senate Democrats also force Republicans to go on the record regarding the right to contraception, and protecting IVF … while Senate Republicans say they’ll block all action in retaliation for Trump’s 34-count conviction

Accused felon Matt DePerno is running for the Michigan Supreme Court, even though he may lose his law license or go to prison for election machine tampering. Democrats are publicly horrified and privately laughing gleefully

The legislature moves against artificial intelligence being used to create sexually provocative photographs of unwilling people.

A state house committee approves legislation revamping Michigan’s economic incentives for new business investments. 

Good news for Michigan’s budget: Michigan overtakes California as top cannabis market by sales volume (also good news for Taco Bell!). Last year the state collected more than 260-million-dollars in weed tax.

Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication mifepristone | AP News

Trump’s Campaign Is Funneling Cash Back to His Businesses: Daily Beast

Michigan Court of Appeals rejects Kumar’s attempt to get back on the congressional ballot • Michigan Advance

Michael Rulli wins special election for Ohio House seat; GOP vote down 19 points from 2020 - AP News

FBI: Crime down sharply under Biden administration - Judd Legum/Popular Information





Also this week: Walt Sorg's chat with state Representative Penelope Tsernoglou over her bills protecting us humanoids from some very real abuses of A.I.



Ann Tenaes - Washington Post

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This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

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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 convicted felons, are openly planning on turning the U.S. Justice Department into their revenge squad.

The former president’s conviction has produced a small pro-Biden bump in the polls, meaning it’s still a tossup election. His vice president is in Detroit this weekend, headlining the state Democratic Party’s annual fundraising dinner.



Post-conviction polls



ABC-Ipsos Poll May 31-June 1

Economist/YouGov Poll June 2-4

Quinnipiac Poll 6/5/24 - Georgia 2024: Trump Ahead Of Biden, 16% Of Voters Express Support For Other Candidates In Broader Race, Quinnipiac University Georgia Poll Finds; 50% Of Voters Agree With Guilty Verdict In Trump NYC Trial | Quinnipiac University Poll

Times/Siena Recontact Study of Previous Poll Respondents - The New York Times

Republicans in the U.S. Senate are blocking a vote on legislation guaranteeing the right to use birth control … are we headed back to the rhythm method?

Another state has joined Michigan is charging participants in the fake electors scheme criminally.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman McCaul Warns Jen Psaki — Testify Or Face A Subpoena - The Daily Caller

Now Trump Says Voting By Mail Is Good - Washington Post

Biden issues new executive action: Much of southern border to close at midnight - POLITICO

Biden’s Climate Record Is Highlighted in New Ad Campaign - The New York Times



We’re joined by one of the many local officials who have the unenviable task of running elections in an increasingly very hostile environment. Meredith Place is in her first term as Kalamazoo County Clerk and Register of Deeds. Born and raised in small-town Iowa, she is a proud graduate of the University of Iowa where she majored in Political Science, Communication Studies, and earned a certificate in Sustainability. Clerk Place previously served on the City of Portage’s Planning Commission, as Vice Chair of Kalamazoo County’s Environmental Health Advisory Council, and as an active member in the League of Women Voters. In 2018, Meredith was elected to the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioner representing the City of Portage from 2019-2020.



Mark Fiore - markfiore.com

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This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

a full service survey research firm with expertise in:

• Public Opinion Surveys

• Market Research Studies

• Live Telephone Surveys

• On-Line and Automated Surveys

• Focus Group Research

• Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns

• Political Campaigns & Consulting

• Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

• Community - Media Relations

• Issue - Image Management

• Database Development & List Management

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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-worthy stories in our political biosphere:



Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito refuses to follow the ethical standards demanded of all federal judges except him and his colleagues. Flags or no flags, he’s not recusing from January 6-related cases because it’s all about his stubborn wife and has nothing to do with him. Sure.

Chief Justice John Roberts adds to the court’s arrogance by declining an invitation from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to talk about his court’s ethics.

The movers and shakers of Michigan business and politics are just now ending their annual policy party on Mackinac Island. We’ll review the highlights of a pretty substantive week with Bridge Michigan reporter Lauren Gibbons.

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel hints he’ll run for Governor in two years … and then says he won’t vote for President Biden. That’s not going to help him much with Democratic voters.

Tudor Dixon’s gift of a half-million-dollars from her losing gubernatorial campaign draws a second look from state regulators.

Democrats Plan $100 Million Push on Abortion Rights to Win House

Michigan voters losing trust in democracy, education and economy, poll finds 

Trump makes sweeping promises to donors on audacious fundraising tour \

Opinion | Detroit sues Census Bureau, claiming vast undercount. It has a point. - The Washington Post

Democrats add five candidates (including Sen. Kristin McDonald-Rivet) to Red to Blue program - Roll Call (including McDonald-Rivet)

Hollier appeals decision to remove him from U.S. House ballot - Detroit News

Rigging Elections: Why the new platform from the Republican Party of Texas matters

Secretary Benson, Detroit Regional Chamber and business leaders launch new coalition to support safe and secure elections - Secretary of State

'New reality': Michigan clerks sued as activists seek voting records

Dana Nessel calls for pork politics reforms amid Clare grant probe



Joining the conversation: Bridge Michigan reporter Lauren Gibbons who has spent the week on Mackinac Island, tracking the many significant policy and political developments that are an annual feature of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce Policy Conference. Prior to joining Bridge's Capitol team, she worked at MLive where she led coverage of the state Legislature and the redistricting process, and before that covered the state Senate for the MIRS Newsletter.



Lauren has covered the ins and outs of Michigan politics for nearly a decade and has won awards both for her political coverage and her work documenting the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. She grew up in the Lansing area and graduated from Michigan State University, majoring in journalism and history. She lives in Ferndale, and … according to her official biography … her party tricks include Irish dancing and telling friends what political districts they live in without looking.



Mark Fiore - markfiore.com

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This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

a full service survey research firm with expertise in:

• Public Opinion Surveys

• Market Research Studies

• Live Telephone Surveys

• On-Line and Automated Surveys

• Focus Group Research

• Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns

• Political Campaigns & Consulting

• Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

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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 Thanedar won’t have to deal with Adam Hollier on the primary ballot

The Biden-Harris campaign continues to focus on Michigan, with Kamala Harris keynoting the state party’s annual dinner

There’s a major disconnect between public perceptions on the economy and reality and that’s bad news for Joe Biden

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ultra-conservatives continue to embarrass the court with a stupid political display at the Alito home, an even dumber explanation ...and a second flag ... from Justice Alito



Democrats begin to focus on warning of a future Supreme Court with a majority appointed byDonald Trump

2 Liberal Groups to Spend $5 Million on State Supreme Court Races - The New York Times

SCOTUS hands another pro-gerrymandering, anti-VRA ruling

Louisiana's Republican legislature labels abortion drugs as dangerous and very illegal

Michigan GOP Leader Matt Hall Apparently Gambled $73,000 in One Month - Rolling Stone

Voters Fear Trump Won’t Leave If He Wins 2024 Presidential Election - Bloomberg

After blaming his 2020 loss on mail balloting, Trump tries to make GOP voters believe it’s OK now - AP News

Vulnerable House Republicans Set the Stage To Challenge 2024 Election Results - DCCC

Michigan redistricting holds public hearings on draft maps -Detroit Free Press

Trump allies face skepticism as they try appealing to disaffected Arab Americans in Michigan - AP News

Student loans: Biden administration announces additional $7.7 billion in debt relief - CNN Politics

The cost of groceries declined in April as inflation continues to cool - TAI News

Schumer Plans Vote on Contraception Access, Teeing Up a Campaign Issue - The New York Times

Trump's online account promotes ‘unified Reich’ video, adding to alarming pattern - Maddow Blog

Biden - Unified Reich? via X

Tudor Dixon dissolves campaign fund after giving $500K to nonprofit. Move questioned - Detroit News



===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

a full service survey research firm with expertise in:

• Public Opinion Surveys

• Market Research Studies

• Live Telephone Surveys

• On-Line and Automated Surveys

• Focus Group Research

• Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns

• Political Campaigns & Consulting

• Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

• Community - Media Relations

• Issue - Image Management

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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 sporting events

Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are the A-list of targets for the Biden campaign

Lansing lawmakers file their first financial disclosures. We’ll learn more about that in a moment when we’re joined by award-winning Detroit News investigative reporter Craig Mauger

Crowd shows up to back lawyer, ex-clerk facing charges over voter data breach - Detroit News

Barra says GM will go 'where the talent is' to make software-driven cars - Detroit News

Biden Levies Sweeping Tariffs on China, Intensifying Trade Fight With Trump - Wall Street Journal

Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry - Detroit News

House Democrats launch probe of Trump’s dinner with oil executives - The Washington Post

Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district - AP News



Craig Mauger



Lansing has been a cornucopia of corruption, much of it first revealed through the efforts of an excellent band of investigative journalists. One of the best is Craig Mauger of the Detroit News. The Society of Professional Journalists named him Michigan Journalist of the Year in 2022 and this year honored him and Robert Snell for their reporting on a marijuana licensing corruption scandal involving former House Speaker Rick Johnson, Lansing lobbyists and secret payments that flowed to Johnson before he became the state's top cannabis regulator.



Much of his reporting is built on the advice of Watergate’s famed background source for Woodward and Bernstein, known as Deep Throat, whose mantra was “follow the money”.



Craig follows the money … and quite often, what he finds is pretty shocking.

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

a full service survey research firm with expertise in:

• Public Opinion Surveys

• Market Research Studies

• Live Telephone Surveys

• On-Line and Automated Surveys

• Focus Group Research

• Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns

• Political Campaigns & Consulting

• Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

• Community - Media Relations

• Issue - Image Management

• Database Development & List Management

===========================









 

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 worm has caused permanent damage to his cognitive ability.

The latest polls show momentum for President Biden as he campaigns in swing states while Donald Trump alternates between naps in a New York courtroom and fundraising at Mar-a-Lago.

Kamala Harris makes a stop in Detroit to highlight the administration’s support for the auto industry electric transformation, and reemphasize the GOP’s drive to outlaw abortion nationwide.

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Mike Rogers is getting blasted for what opponents call a coverup of Hillary Clinton and Benghazi.

The very Republican former Lt. Governor of Georgia endorses Biden. In an op-ed in the Atlanta Constitution, Geoff Duncan writes “I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.” 

Another Georgia Republican, the operations director of the state’s Secretary of State office, is leading a nationwide Republican campaign defending the honesty of elections.

Trump’s court appointees are paying him back for their jobs with Florida Judge Aileen Cannon effectively tanking the Espionage Act trial, while the U.S. Supreme Court dithers on whether the President is effectively above the law.

Give me money, I'll protect your metro dollars: Trump seeks $1 billion from oil CEOs, vows to limit EVs

‘A little bold and gross’: Oil industry writes executive orders for Trump to sign

How ‘History and Tradition’ Rulings Are Changing American Law



Lisa Benson - Counterpoint Media

===========================

This episode is sponsored in part by EPIC ▪ MRA, 

a full service survey research firm with expertise in:

• Public Opinion Surveys

• Market Research Studies

• Live Telephone Surveys

• On-Line and Automated Surveys

• Focus Group Research

• Bond Proposals - Millage Campaigns

• Political Campaigns & Consulting

• Ballot Proposals - Issue Advocacy Research

• Community - Media Relations

• Issue - Image Management

• Database Development & List Management

===========================