THE BIG CATCH
Oakland Confidential had been teased for a few weeks by several high level local Republicans that they had a “big name” that we would “never guess,” who they were working on to run for governor in 2022 against incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. Now we all know now that soon-to-be-former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is their ‘big fish’ – at his retirement announcement, while cagey about his future, he confirmed, “I am a Republican.” Michigan Republicans are positively g
WHAT ABOUT US?
With former Detroit Police Chief allegedly getting into the Republican gubernatorial race, what does that do to the chances of always-a-candidate-never-a-winner John James and GOP chair Ronna (Don’t call me Romney) McDaniel? A source who met with McDaniel recently said that while she would “be a formidable candidate if she got into the race,” she’s unlikely to run. While she would raise the most money of any candidate (Whitmer already has over $3.5 million in the till) and ha
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
It’s not unusual for leaders from different branches of the government to disagree, especially when they’re from opposite parties. And it’s no secret that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Senate Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) have long been at odds, accentuated by Whitmer’s use of executive orders during the pandemic. Their squabbles have typically been in the open – until a recent legal filing by Democratic attorney Mark Brewer, alleging Shirkey has been quietly the central
OFF THE RAILS
Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock from Milford – aptly labeled by some as 'Trump in high heels' – has made her share of headlines with her opposition to pandemic restrictions, including masking. She was back in the news with an April 27 retweet, the gist of which was that “masks are ineffective, harmful (physical n' mentally).” The tweet also advised that “PPL need to start bring legal action against employers.” She made even more headlines weeks later by pr
SHOOT THE MESSENGER
Meshawn’s other half, state Rep. Matt (Mad Dog) Maddock (R-Milford) is garnering quite a bit of national attention (see: Washington Post, CNN Reliable Sources), for a house bill he introduced that would require “fact checkers” – you know, like newspapers and other media sources – to register with the Michigan Secretary of State and post bonds of up to $1 million. The fact checking could be published physically or digitally. Affected parties could bring suit against the fact
STAY IN LINE
In this “Heil Leader” political era, Republicans who don’t follow current party “standards” are finding themselves on the outs. Witness the removal of Michigan’s 6th Congressional District (Kalamazoo) treasurer Jason Watts, who spoke out against former President Trump after he contracted COVID-19. Watts had been a member of the Republican Party for over 20 years. A Michigan Republican Party committee tried – and failed – to censure Reps. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) and Fred
ROUND TWO
When a bi-partisan group of 10 former Michigan lawmakers (including Republican ex-state Senator Mike Kowall from White Lake) got the word this past January that U.S. District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids had rejected their 2019 lawsuit challenging term limits approved in 1992 by state voters, we reported the rumor that her ruling would not be the end of the case. And an appeal of Neff’s decision has now come to pass. The group filed with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Ap
THE FULL STORY
The original details about the arrest of Michigan House member Jewell Jones (D-Inkster) were captivating enough after he was observed driving erratically on I-96 in Livingston County and eventually crashing his SUV. Tased and peppersprayed by state police for repeatedly refusing to provide a drivers license to officers and eventually wrestled to the ground, the disgraced state rep tried to throw his inebriated (twice the legal limit) weight around by threatening to call the g
LANDING FEET FIRST
Former Birmingham City Manager Joe Valentine, who spent 24 years with the city – his entire career – before resigning last October, was out of work just a short time after finishing in Birmingham December 31. On May 3, he started a new gig with a new city, bringing his years of experience as city manager, assistant city manager, human resources director, management specialist, and acting director of the Birmingham Shopping District to the city of Farmington Hills, where he is
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