Michigan

Four “M” State Governments Now Are Democratic Controlled!

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The 2022 Midterm Elections brought about the taking of control of the executive and legislative branches of government by the Democrats in four “M” States—Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota.

This means these four states–two on the Atlantic Coast, and two in the Midwest–will now see the accomplishment of progressive goals that are not possible in the South and much of the heartland of America.

This includes promotion of gay rights, labor rights, and women’s rights, including on the subject of abortion, as well as gun regulations.

A total of 17 states will have full Democratic control, and a majority of Americans live in those 17 states.

However, the Republicans have control in 21 states, with the remainder of the states being divided in party control.

Abortion Rights A Winning Cause When Americans Vote On The Subject

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The right wing extremist majority on the US Supreme Court may have ended Roe V Wade in June 2022, and many states, “Red” states, have worked to destroy a woman’s right to control their own bodies.

It is all very disconcerting, the lack of respect for women, and men would not tolerate if they were told, for instance, they had to get a vasectomy, so that they could not make every woman pregnant without personal responsibility of the man involved!

But when one looks at Americans voting on the subject of abortion rights, we find that those opposed to abortion lost in many state and congressional races in 2022, and that the rights of women were upheld consistently.

And in six states in 2022, there were ballot measures which insured abortion rights:

California, Michigan, and Vermont voted to insure state constitutional rights to abortion.

Kansas and Kentucky voted to reject ballot measures to take away abortion rights, and both states are generally “Red”, although the Kansas Governor, Laura Kelly, is a Democrat.

Montana voted down The Born-Alive Infant Protection act, and is also seen as primarily “Red”, although Senator Jon Tester is a Democrat in his third term.

So it is clear that there is widespread support for abortion rights, so the battle must go on!

Arizona And Georgia Key States Now, NOT Florida And Texas!

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As a result of the Midterm Elections of 2022, after the Presidential Election of 2020, it is clear that Arizona and Georgia are the key states for the Democrats, although they do not make up for the Republican dominance of Florida and Texas!

But with Pennsylvania and Michigan also becoming more likely Democratic based on recent elections, and adding the Northeast and Pacific Coast, the Midwest states of Illinois and Minnesota, and a few Mountain states, such as Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada, the prognosis for the Democrats in 2024 and beyond, is looking good, in regards to the Electoral College!

Changing The Primary System For The Presidency Makes Total Sense!

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After years of the Presidential primary system every four years being controlled by Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden are promoting a massive change to reflect reality about states and influence.

The plan proposed by Joe Biden would put South Carolina first, followed by a joint date for Nevada and New Hampshire, and then Georgia and Michigan, with Iowa left out of the equation with its outdated caucus system.

Of course, Iowa is upset, and New Hampshire is also unhappy, as they wish to go first, and might still arrange for a primary, due to state law, a week before the beginning of the primary season, but that could lead to refusal to seat delegates chosen in an unauthorized earlier primary.

No plan will please everyone, but this sounds like an excellent reorganization, although Republicans may not follow the same plan.

Labor Day Should Remind Us Of Significance Of Labor Unions In American History!

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Monday is Labor Day, a celebration of the contributions and sacrifices of generations of workers who struggled to honor the efforts of working people, who had to combat the power of corporations and commit themselves to reform and humane treatment.

The first national holiday came about in the Presidency of Grover Cleveland in 1894, just as we had the Pullman Strike, which led to the imprisonment of Socialist Eugene Debs, but led to the growing success of organized labor over the next decades.

The ultimate triumph of organized labor came in the New Deal of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and while much of the nation, particularly the Southern states, worked against unionization, there was expansion of labor union membership nationally.

Sadly, the Presidency of Ronald Reagan saw labor union growth come to a halt, and has only recently started to increase once again.

But membership in labor unions is only in the midteens in number right now, when it once was about a third to 40 percent.

President Joe Biden, however, is a champion of organized labor, and will speak on Labor Day tomorrow in Pittsburgh, to commemorate labor, and call for the further expansion of unions for workers!

In the Presidential Election of 2020, Biden gained the backing of 56 percent of union households, crucial to his victories in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania in particular!

Today’s Primaries Are Crucial For The Future

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Five states are holding primaries today, and they are crucial for the future.

In Kansas, those who vote can insure the continuation of abortion rights, or make Kansas a backward, oppressive state.

In Missouri, we could end up having a former governor, Eric Greitens, accused of sexual and physical abuse of others, including his former wife and children, become the Republican nominee for the US Senate!

There are primaries for three Republican House members who voted to impeach Donald Trump, one in Michigan, and two in Washington state.

And Arizona looks as if it is on the way to nomination of Republicans who are promoters of the “Big Lie”, that Donald Trump won the Presidential Election of 2020, not President Joe Biden.

This is a scary, troubling time, and could portend greater grief and suffering in the future!

Investigation And Accountability Of Donald Trump Moves Ahead In Multiple Locations!

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The investigation and accountability of Donald Trump is moving ahead in multiple locations.

In Georgia, the move is on to form a special grand jury to pursue Trump on his interference with the Georgia Secretary of State, trying to have 11,780 votes found that would win that state for Trump, rather than Joe Biden, who won by 11,779 votes. The phone call between Brad Raffensperger and Donald Trump is clearcut evidence of illegal tampering.

In New York State, and New York City,Trump and his family are being investigated for tax fraud about his properties, and NY Attorney General Letitia James is on the case full time.

With evidence of attempts to send alternative slates of electors for Trump in states Biden won, we are having legal action in Michigan, Arizona, and five other states moving forward.

With the Supreme Court allowing Trump documents from January 6, 2021 to go to the House January 6 Committee (Trump V Thompson), we are learning about all kinds of illegal actions and conspiracies by Trump, his family, and close associates. The House Committee is getting ready to take action against Trump conspirators and the President and his family members as well, holding them accountable for the attack on the US Capitol on January 6.

Carl Levin Of Michigan, A Giant In The Senate, Dies At 87!

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Former Democratic Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, a true giant of the Senate, has passed away at age 87.

Levin had a distinguished 36 year career in the Senate from 1978 to 2014.

He was rated one of the top ten US Senators in a Time Magazine article in 2006.

He was the fourth longest serving incumbent at his retirement in 2015, and was the longest serving Senator in Michigan history.

He served alongside his Congressman brother Sander Levin, both of them outstanding Senators of the Jewish faith, and both had a great impact on Michigan and the nation.

Carl Levin was Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, and served alongside Republicans and worked well across the aisle with them, promoting civil dialogue.

He supported the revival of the auto industry, and supported efforts to address pollution and other environmental issues affecting the Great Lakes.

He promoted a crackdown on offshore tax havens, and was an advocate for stem cell research and gun control laws.

He gained respect for his attention to detail and deep knowledge of policy.

Levin came across as a “regular guy”, who was unassuming and unpretentious.

His kind will not be easily found in the future, as he was, in many ways, one of a kind.

Rest in Peace, Carl Levin, you will be well remembered in the annals of history!

Republicans Will Rue Continuing Loyalty To Donald Trump, As It Will Destroy Their Party!

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The Republican Party is in its death knells, and seems not to realize it.

The continuing loyalty of many sycophantic Republicans to a man who lost the popular vote massively two times, who was impeached twice, and had the only bipartisan impeachment in American history, is stunning.

The Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives in 2018 during the Presidency of Donald Trump, and then lost the Senate in 2020-2021, and lost five states Trump won in 2016—Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.

139 House members and 8 Senators in the party voted to refuse to accept the victory of President Joe Biden in the Presidential Election of 2020, and in effect, incited and encouraged the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, causing the death of five people, including Capitol police officers.

And these traitors, seditionists, white supremacists, racists, nativists, misogynists continue to undermine American democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law four months later, and insist on promoting the “Big Lie” that Donald Trump won, and they refuse to accept the truth of Russian collusion in the Presidential Election of 2016.

They continue to back a Fascist authoritarian who has no interest in issues facing the nation, as a result of his failure to deal with the COVID 19 Crisis, and still has one third of the nation defying science, and promoting lawlessness, violence, and repudiation of common sense and facts!

There is a movement developing among responsible conservatives, including former office holders, some courageous members of Congress, and conservative spokesmen, who understand that Donald Trump and his extremist right wing movement is poisoning the atmosphere, promoting division and hatred, and threatening the political, economic, and social stability of the nation as it faces a multitude of challenges, both domestic and foreign.

So the “crazy” Trump followers in the Republican Party will rue the day they gave their loyalty to the madman in Mar A Lago, as it is in process of being destroyed!

Donald Trump, The Republican Party, And Two “Big Lies”!

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Donald Trump lost the national popular vote twice, by massive margins, much more than George W. Bush in 2000, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and John Quincy Adams in 1824.

Together, he lost by nearly 10 million votes–2.85 million in 2016, and 7.1 million in 2020.

The “Big Lie” is that Donald Trump won EITHER time, 2016 and 2020.

It is clear that the Russians and Vladimir Putin helped to fix the election in 2016 in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, giving Trump the victory by a combined total of about 78,000 votes.

In 2020, Trump lost much more massively, even in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, along with Georgia and Arizona, but his party is perpetuating a myth that helped to provoke the Capitol Insurrection of January 6, 2021, for which Donald Trump should be held accountable and be in prison!

Conservatism and the Republican Party are being destroyed, and the idea that nearly 70 percent of Republicans in polls believe the “Big Lie”, and refuse to acknowledge Joe Biden won the Presidency is beyond any sense of reality. This undermines American democracy, rule of law, and respect for the Constitution.

The Republican Party officeholders, with the exception of a small group, including Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, Adam Kinzinger, Lisa Murkowski, and a few others, has become a Fascist Party, a right wing Populist Party, a worshipper of Donald Trump, as if he is their Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini, unwilling or unable to accept the truth, and living in an alternate reality!