The WØRD – “Reckless” – Party on the Peninsulas

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This week’s guest: State House Elections Chair Penelope Tsernoglou on expanding automatic voter registration in Michigan, and outlawing firearms at election precincts.

From the Chair

“Reckless”.

No other word can better describe Republicans in Congress. It’s likely that much of the federal government will shut down because a handful of extremists led by Marjorie Taylor Green and Matt Gaetz have decided that America can do without the government while they make a point about … something. In the Senate, one Senator is abusing the rules to personally wreck our military’s leadership structure, single-handedly stopping the promotion of hundreds of senior officers. His demand: that women in the military be denied full access to healthcare.

Add to that demands from some right-wingers that the FBI be abolished – and the Attorney General impeached – because they are doing their job and prosecuting the criminal who stumbled his way into the presidency 6-and-a-half years ago. Donald Trump has ordered his minions in Congress to “…defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots.”

Instead of working on the many challenges facing our country, they devote their time to attacks on Hunter Biden, a private citizen whose father is President … while ignoring the billions collected by Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law as a direct result of things they did as senior White House advisers.

And then there’s the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, driven not by any facts of “high crimes and misdemeanors” … but motivated by revenge for the two bipartisan impeachments of Trump.

No wonder Senator Mitt Romney – the Republican son of a former Republican Michigan Governor – said “a very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.”

All of this is why we need to work tirelessly to stop the radical Republicans by taking them out at the ballot box. Two of our congressional districts are rated among the closest in the nation: the 7th district, now represented by Elissa Slotkin, is ranked the most vulnerable Democratic seat in the nation. And the 10th district, where right-wing extremist John James won by a handful of votes, is one of the Republican-held seats considered among the most likely to flip.

Add to that protecting Senator Debbie Stabenow’s seat. After a spirited primary we will have a high quality candidate to battle whatever right-wing extremist emerges from the Republican field.

At the top of the ticket, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need Michigan to protect the world from the danger of a return of Donald Trump.

Make no mistake: it’s going to be close in all those races, as well as in the battle to protect and expand our majorities in the Michigan Legislature. Each of us needs to make a commitment to devote the next 12 months to helping save America from the reckless, dangerous and anti-democracy Republican extremists.

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The passage of voting rights ballot proposals in 2018 and last year were just the beginning of making it easier for Michigan citizens to be a part of our democratic system. With Democrats now leading the state, individual rights are being expanded. On this week’s podcast we get an update from state House Elections Committee chair Penelope Tsernoglou on bills to protect the safety of election workers, and also expand options for automatic voter registration.

The WØRD – “Reckless”

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