December - 2020

MITTEN CONNECTION

Michigan Democrats continued to get their fair share of attention on the national stage as President-elect Joe Biden worked his way through building his cabinet to lead the 15 executive departments prior to formally taking over after the January 20 inauguration. Last month we noted how the name of Bloomfield Township Congressman Andy Levin was being bandied about for possible appointment as labor secretary, a post still open. Add to the mix Oakland Congresswoman Elissa Slotki

MITTEN CONNECTION

SLOTKIN/BIDEN/PELOSI

Oakland Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin was back in the headlines the past two months for a variety of other reasons, first in November for saying right after her re-election that she would not be voting for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to have another term as Speaker of the House. National publications quoted her as saying she felt it was time for a change in leadership, especially since Democrats barely hung on to their majority control of the U.S. House in the 2020 balloting. Rea

SLOTKIN/BIDEN/PELOSI

REPUBLICAN DUAL

Now that the tea leaves have been sorted and the sludge filtered out and even the most die hard Republicans have finally accepted the election results the rest of us have known since November 7, the next battle state Republicans are facing is who will lead them forward in 2021. Word around political quarters is that former Michigan GOP head Ron Weiser – who is a regent at University of Michigan and was ambassador to Slovakia under former President George W. Bush from 2001-200

ANOTHER ROUND

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes announced she’s going for another two-year term, which outgoing Oakland County party chair Vaughn Derderian said is “unequivocally a good thing. I don’t think there is anyone better who could replace her.” Barnes is the first Black woman to hold the state’s top Democratic job, and was the chief operating officer under prior chair Brandon Dillon, helping to elect the slate of Gretchen Whitmer, Jocelyn Benson and Dana Nessel to the

COVID CURSE

In Oakland County, GOP politics are stable, with Oakland County Republican Party Chair Rocky Raczkowski earning a “do-over” from the party faithful for another two-year term. “I have some things I want to accomplish – while I respect the electorate, I don’t feel comfortable with the inexperience and spendthrift leadership of (Oakland County Executive) Dave Coulter and (county board chair) Dave Woodward. I will not rest until we make it right.” We send our best wishes for anot

COVID CURSE

NO DRAMA, NO DEBATE

There was no drama with the Oakland County Democratic Party, as chair Vaughn Derderian announced he was not going for another term. The slate presented, with Jody LaMacchia as the incoming chair for a new term was endorsed by Derderian, who said on Facebook, “Serving as OCDP Chair has been one of the highlights of my life… I am 100 percent endorsing the Unity Slate and Jody.” LaMacchia ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Republican state Rep. John Reilly in 2020 for the ver

MARCH OF THE LEMMINGS

The attempted autocratic coup by President Donald Trump to overturn the results of the November election, aided by the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s last gasp effort with a lawsuit charge at the Republican-dominated U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the November vote results from four states, including Michigan, drew the backing of a number of GOP members of our state’s Congressional delegation and some Republican state Representatives from Oakland County. Signing onto th

MARCH OF THE LEMMINGS

CHUTZPAH

With many residents struggling with business closures, layoffs, unemployment, food insecurity, and other issues related to an economic downturn related to the COVID-19 pandemic, some would say it was the definition of chutzpah – or audacity – for Democratic members of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to propose a pay raise for themselves, to take place in the new year, but that is what they recently tried. The proposed hike was to be three percent on their $37,000 an

CHUTZPAH

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

We gained further insight into one general election candidate as a boisterous gaggle of Republicans tried to bum-rush the TCF Center in Detroit during vote tabulations the day after the November election. You know, the mob-like crowd – demanding entrance to the building as votes were counted – that was stopped by local police because the building was already overcapacity with election workers and poll watchers from both political parties. Those gathered hung around and banged

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

SYSTEM AT WORK

Here’s a life lesson for those who buy into the conspiracy theories that our elections are rigged. Incumbent Oakland County Commissioner Adam Kochenderfer (R-Rochester Hills, Rochester), after the votes were reported on Tuesday, November 3, thought he had lost by 104 votes to Democratic challenger Melanie Hartman. Two days later he got called by Oakland Director of Elections Joe Rozell (from the office of Democrat Oakland Clerk Lisa Brown), who informed him that a computer gl

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