Stupid on Stilts (Guest: UM Election Law Expert Sam Bagenstos)

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On Our Political Radar This Week…

“Stupid on Stilts”. That’s how Republican Senator Thom Tillis characterized Donald Trump Jr.’s decision to let a Putin Pal pay for his Gatsby-style wedding reception … but it could serve as the theme for the entire Trump 2nd term. Even ultra-conservative billionaire and Trump acolyte Peter Thiel is conceding that Trump has surrounded himself with a band of incompetent suck-ups instead of “the best and the brightest.” How else can you describe a group that includes Pete Hegseth, Bobby Kennedy Jr., Doctor Oz, Jeanine Pirro, Kash Patel and billionaire buddies galore? It’s the Bad News Bears of government, and the voters have figured it out.

Still another example of blatant law-breaking by America’s only criminally convicted President: Donald Trump is recycling a 2024 campaign commercial, saturating football game telecasts and Saturday Night Live over the weekend. But this time it was paid for by taxpayers to the tune of more than two-million dollars … and adding even more to the cost every day. There’s irony in the fact that his promise in the ad to stop the Commies hit the airwaves while Trump was lavishing his praise on White House guest Xi Jinping, one of the world’s most powerful Communists.

Trump treats the Constitution and laws as suggestions. That especially applies to the concept of fair and free elections. The only fair and free election, in his mind, is an election won by Republicans. This week, Mark and Jeff analyze Trump’s multiple-front campaign to manipulate the mid-term election with the help of former Department of Justice voting rights expert, professor Sam Bagenstos. Sam and Mark are two of the state’s leading experts on election law. Full disclosure, I’m not an attorney, though in the Trump administration, I am eminently qualified to be attorney general, head the FBI, or sit on the Supreme Court.

There are a dozen or more Democrats angling to be the 2028 presidential nominee. The most prominent “I ain’t running” candidate is Gretchen Whitmer – which may be why she was picked as keynote speaker for the annual Human Rights Campaign’s annual fundraiser. She used that speech to torch Republicans who are building their campaigns around attacks on transgender girls and women.

Polling trends show Jocelyn Benson widening her lead in the race for governor, and her vote share is hovering right at – or slightly above – 50 percent, which is the magic number. Her campaign continues to focus on the cost of living … and how John James has been an enthusiastic participant in Trump’s economic disaster. In the race for the U.S. Senate, Democrats are blasting Mike Rogers for a healthcare proposal which they say would actually raise costs for many families, while Republican apologist Nolan Finley at the Detroit News says Abdul El-Sayed isn’t really a doctor because he chose to be a public health executive and advocate instead of getting licensed to treat patients. It’s a sign of the GOP’s desperation in the high-profile race. The polling trends and averages also show DOCTOR Abdul El Sayed maintaining a steady, consistent lead among all registered voters, but one smack-ass at the margin of error line. But when drilled down to those likely to vote this year, or who are highly enthusiastic about voting, Abdul’s lead approaches double digits.

Somehow basketball star Caitlin Clark became a part of Republican attempts to discredit one-time Trump prosecutor Jack Smith. Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt, in an effort to prove a conspiracy between Smith and Atlanta prosecutor Fani Willis, managed to confuse the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks with the University of Iowa’s Hawkeyes … the lowlight of a Senate hearing at which Schmitt made the Judiciary Committee’s Republicans look like buffoons (even without the input of Tommy Tuberville who isn’t a member of the committee!) The race for dumbest senator has taken a surprise turn late in the game. For his part, Jack Smith was calm, collected, and confident as he quietly asserted his absolute belief that Donald Trump was a criminal.

© Clay Jones – https://claytoonz.substack.com

In Michigan down-ballot races, Garlin Gilchrist and Eli Savit enjoy funding and political climate advantages over their GOP opponents. While the House and Senate Dems in Lansing are also encountering the same cash and climate advantages. GOP Speaker, and world-class reprobate, Matt Hall might well be having to move his office across the hallway from the ornate Speaker’s chambers. Savit’s opponent in the race for AG, Doug Lloyd, is also facing a new revelation from a Metro Times review of court records, charging documents, police reports, and other case files. The Metro Times found several instances during his tenure as Eaton County prosecutor in which cases involving sexual assault, child exploitation, and domestic violence ended with reduced charges, probation instead of jail, or no prosecution at all.

Lest we forget:

The Reflecting Pool is no longer a fetid, slimy green swamp. It’s empty. Apparently, master builder Trump can get an oversized swimming pool fixed.
The Epstein files are still locked up at the Department of Justice, safe from the prying eyes of Epstein’s victims, Congress, and the Courts. Ghislaine Maxwell continues to be the only person criminally charged for the sexual abuse of hundreds of girls … and she’s angling for a presidential pardon.
Meanwhile, gasoline prices across the state average $4.57, up about 30% from when Trump took office. Diesel bounces around an all-time high $7 mark. Aside from making it hard for families to fill their gas tanks, this also happens to make everything else we buy more expensive.
The two-to-four week Trump war in Iran is now entering its 8th month.

Tired of winning yet?

And Democrats got still more good news this week. Donald Trump has announced that he’s going on the campaign trail to add his luster to a bunch of GOP candidates who privately wish he would instead play more golf.

Our expert witness this week is University of Michigan law professor Sam Bagenstos. Sam is a long-time civil rights lawyer, who began his career in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in 1994. His work has focused particularly on voting rights, disability rights, and workers’ rights. With the midterm elections just weeks away, Sam is part of a team of lawyers working to ensure that November’s vote is both fair and free. It’s the kind of work that keeps a republic running.