The WØRD – “Governing” – Party on the Peninsulas

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From the Chair

Congressional Republicans proved this week that they are bad … very bad … at governing. When it comes to passing bills, sometimes they can’t even take ‘yes’ an answer.

Case in point: the border crisis. There’s no question that there is a law enforcement and humanitarian crisis on the border. Instead of working to solve the problem, Republicans are doing everything they can to weaponize the issue because they’ve got little else to use in their campaigns.

They don’t want to actually solve the border crisis. They just want to complain about it.

They had a bill negotiated by the very conservative Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma. It was, by all accounts, a win for conservatives with just about everything they wanted in border protection. But Donald Trump said “no. I don’t want a solution. I want an issue to use against Joe Biden.”

So Republicans tanked a bill that gave them exactly what they wanted. They were afraid that a law helping solve the border crisis would help Joe Biden politically.

It comes as no surprise. In 2023 fewer than 3-dozen new laws were enacted as House Republicans devoted most of their time to Fox News inspired investigations, posturing, promoting bizarre conspiracy theories and repeatedly changing leaders (until they finally settled on letting Donald Trump call all the shots).

Here in Michigan, Democrats have proven they are very capable of governing. On Tuesday dozens of new laws will go into effect. They are laws passed in 2023 despite unified Republican opposition, laws that improve life for every Michigan citizen with tax cuts, affirming reproductive rights, strengthening voter rights, improving support for education, fixing our roads, and so much more.

Our guest this week: Macomb County Prosecutirg Attorney candidate Christina Hines. She has devoted her legal career to public service. Right out of law school she became an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County, followed by service as the Chief of the Appeals Division at the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, and Chief of the Special Victims Unit Division. She was raised in Warren, a graduate of Warren Woods Tower High School, and then the University of Michigan and Wayne State University law school where she now serves as an adjunct professor of law.

Among those new laws: a series of gun safety measures that will help reduce the epidemic of gun violence in Michigan. Ironically these laws will become effective exactly one year after the horrific mass shooting at Michigan State University. Had these laws been in effect back then, the carnage on campus might have been averted.

You can learn more about the new statutes on the Michigan House Democrats’ website.

Also on this week’s podcast:

My thoughts on the outrageous social media posts about the “Great Replacement” theory by Republican Representative Josh Schriver
Our focus on building the party at the local level, including an interview with Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney Candidate Christina Hines
The importance of voting in the February 27 Presidential Primary
Three new Trump outrages: his willingness to let Putin invade our NATO allies, his profound disrespect for active duty military, and the political hit job by a Republican special prosecutor.

The WØRD – “Governing”

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Michigan Politics

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Trump Outrages

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