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From chairperson Lavora Barnes
On Thursday, Democrats celebrated unity heading into the November election with an historic event: a massive fundraiser which brought together three great presidents: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Together they represent 20 years of leadership that moved America forward.
The unity of the 3 Presidents was a reminder of the lack of Republican unity. Donald Trump is running without the support of much of his party’s leadership. He does not have the endorsement of President Bush, nor does he have the support of any of the living former GOP Vice Presidents: Dan Quayle, Dick Cheney and Mike Pence. Add to that the long list of more than two-dozen Trump cabinet members and White House staff who will not endorse him. Some are actively opposing him.
One of many reasons for that contrast is the philosophy behind the campaigns.
Donald Trump is running to benefit Donald Trump. His two goals:
- Stay out of prison, and
- Make money for Donald Trump
His fundraising is all about him, a lot of it to cover his $100-million-and-growing personal legal bills. He has side hustles to make him wealthier, constantly hawking everything from sneakers to perfume and even Bibles with the profits going into his pocket. His TruthSocial is likely his next business to go bankrupt, but his cult members are pushing the short-term stock price to ridiculous levels which brings huge profits to Trump.
Despite all that wealth, he won’t pay his own legal bills.
At the fundraising event Thursday, Presidents Biden, Obama and Clinton had a different take on the presidency and why they served: the ability to make life better for Americans.
The fundraiser was historic in that it raised more than $25-million in one night for not just the Biden campaign, but to support Democrats up and down the ticket.
Trump has a fundraiser this week where he says he’ll raise more money. Maybe he will. But we know one winner from the event will be Trump himself. He’s staging the event at his Palm Beach club, and you can be sure he’s collecting a hefty rental and catering fee for the night … more money to line his pocket.
One of the commitments I had when I first became your party chair was to work in every county to earn every vote. This month, we will move closer to that goal with our first Michigan Rural Summit. It is being organized by the MDP’s Rural Caucus. On this week’s podcast we hear from caucus chair Mark Ludwig about the Summit.
Mark was born and raised in Michigan. His youth was spent assisting his father during the early days of the environmental movement, studying Great Lakes water birds affected by industrial pollution. He settled in Allegan County, founding a small beef farm in Clyde Township in 2005 with his wife Kim. Mark served on the Fennville Public School Board, Clyde Township Planning Commission and currently serves on the Allegan Conservation District Board of Directors. Mark graduated from Michigan State with a degree in Environmental Issues and has a Short Course Degree from UW Madison in Grass Based Dairy.
In the News
Michigan Politics
- Major shift in Biden-Trump swing state polling, including Michigan – mlive.com
- Video – MIGOP lawmaker claims buses at airport full of “illegal invaders,” but they carried NCAA teams – CNN
- Michigan Republican mistakes college basketball players for ‘illegal invaders’ – MSNBC
- Republican Senate candidates vow to take away health insurance from 1.3 million Michiganders – The Gander
- VIDEO – Democrats opening new campaign office in GR – WOOD-TV
- Michigan Dems opening 30 campaign offices, tout ‘ground game’ – Detroit News
- Trump slow to invest in states that could decide election as some in GOP fear ‘skeleton’ campaign – AP News
- Michigan GOP office was ‘stripped down to bare bones,’ new leader says – Detroit News
- 1 big question and 6 key takeaways from MLive polling on Ottawa County political takeover – mlive.com
Michigan Policy
- Michigan AG Nessel slams DTE Energy’s $456M rate hike request – Detroit Free Press
- Michigan redistricting: Court finds new Detroit maps better for Black voters – Bridge Michigan
- Michigan abortion rights advocates want parental consent law repealed – Detroit Free Press
- Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant poised to reopen after $1.5B loan – Detroit Free Press
- Jennifer Granholm, Gretchen Whitmer tout pilot training program for electric auto jobs – Bridge Michigan
- Police are using Michigan’s ‘red flag’ law to confiscate guns. Here’s how – Bridge Michigan
Trump Outrages
- Was the 2020 election stolen? Job interviews at RNC take an unusual turn – The Washington Post
- Opinion | Will the MAGA faithful actually read Trump’s bible? – Eugene Robinson/The Washington Post
- No, undocumented immigrant crime rate isn’t higher as Trump claimed – USA Today
- Trump’s claims on crime rates clash with police data – NBC News
- The Hypocrisy Behind Trump’s Visit to NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s Wake – Daily Beast
- Trump Attacks Judge’s Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case – The New York Times
- Trump’s Truth Social is now a public company. Experts warn its multibillion-dollar valuation defies logic – CNN Business
National Politics
- The Biden Campaign Is Quietly Preparing a Trump Ambush – Daily Beast
- Abortion proves winning strategy for Alabama Democrat – POLITICO
- Biden and Harris argue that Democrats will preserve health care and Republicans would take it away – Detroit News
- The overlooked truths about Biden’s age – Frank Bruni/New York Times
- If You Voted For Nikki Haley… | Biden-Harris 2024 – YouTube
- Texas appeals court overturns voter fraud conviction for woman on probation – AP News
- Trump Has a Big Problem With GOP Voters – Daily Beast
- Donald Trump Has a Social Security Problem – Newsweek
- RFK Jr.’s Running Mate Nicole Shanahan Thinks IVF Is a Sham – Daily Beast
- Team MAGA turned Baltimore Key bridge collapse into a conspiracy – Charlie Skyes/MSNBC
- VIDEO – National Organizing Call with President Biden, President Obama & Speaker Emerita Pelosi – YouTube
National Policy
- Opinion: Why has Obamacare worked? – Paul Krugman/New York Times
- Florida Passes Law Banning Social Media for Minors Under 14 – Wall Street Journal
- The fear of going too far: Takeaways from the Supreme Court’s biggest abortion case since Dobbs – POLITICO
- Biden vs. Trump: A Choice, Not an Echo, on Economic Policy – Wall Street Journal
- Supermarkets profited off pandemic and supply chain problems, FTC says – Scripps News
- Montana Supreme Court strikes down voting restrictions – The Washington Post
