We all know President-Elect Donald Trump is not a big fan of the First Amendment. During the campaign, the Republican complained it has “too much protection” for free speech. He’s routinely targeted journalists at rallies and on Twitter as an intimidation tactic. After winning the election, Trump’s first tweet took aim at people protesting against him, which he whined was “unfair.” A […]

U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith finally weighed in on Michigan’s presidential vote recount, something the country has been waiting on since around 1 p.m. This evening he ruled that the recount should now end. This is the result of a Court of Appeals ruling saying that the Board of State Canvassers ruling that Green Party presidential candidate’s petition to start […]

As I mentioned in my update last night, a Michigan Court of Appeals panel ruled that the Board of State Canvassers needed to reconsider Jill Stein’s petition to force a recount and reject it. At nearly the exact same time, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the federal order allowing the recount, rejecting the appeal by Michigan Attorney […]

When Green Party candidate Jill Stein announced her intention to demand recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, I was skeptical. In fact, it looked to me like she was simply using it as a way to raise money and, more importantly, her profile along with getting Democrats to sign up for her email list. I’m still not so sure that […]

Let’s just dispense with the euphemisms. Republicans are poised to ram through bills that will make it harder to vote in Michigan. Here’s where we are. Michigan already had a voter ID law, but this new legislation toughens up the process. Currently, if you don’t have your ID when you vote, you sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot. […]

It was just a few weeks ago that I was thinking, “Well, since Republicans control EVERY aspect of our state government now, at least lame duck should be quieter than usual.” That, of course, was delusional thinking and Republicans are making that very clear as we begin the 2016 lame duck – or, as I like to call it, “inflamed […]

As the inimitable Ari Berman talked about in detail in our podcast a few weeks ago, one of the chief ways of disenfranchising poor people – particularly minorities – is to make it hard for them to vote. And one of the ways they do that is by passing laws that require a photo ID to vote on Election Day. […]

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column entreating Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to stand up to Donald Trump, given his status as a businessman-turned-Rust Belt governor who preaches the virtues of civility. While Democrats and liberal activists can be expected to do the heavy lifting when it comes to opposing the authoritarian elements of Trump’s presidency, it’s vital to […]

The people who’ve been conned aren’t the enemy. The con man is. Let’s say there’s a fair and open election in four years, which is actually a real question. But say it happens. Here’s a handy theme that will work as part of larger campaign full-throated progressive campaign: Trump betrayed you. The campaign we just witnessed centered on a theme […]

Before I get started, I’ll say what I have said during our weekly podcast: I do not think Green Party candidate Jill Stein is the reason that Hillary Clinton lost in Michigan. Despite the fact that if only a quarter of Stein voters hadn’t thrown their vote away on a candidate they KNEW would never come close to winning, the […]

We can’t give up our identity politics because the right won’t give up on theirs Abandoning everything you believe about politics, culture and America based on about 100,000 voters in three states is probably a bit hasty. But there is a slight yet loud call the left urging give Democrats to give up on “identity politics” to focus on economic […]