The recounts show what we all knew: Michigan’s elections were fair, and the vote counts accurate.

Michigan has a major supporting role in the January 6 final report – with evidence that could put some state Republicans in jail as it details efforts by Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s Michigan victory.

And two of the top-tier Biden successors, according to the buzz machine, are Michiganders: Gretchen Whitmer and Pete Buttigieg. One of them is reported quietly building a campaign infrastructure if Biden decides not to run.

Also in this week's cornucopia of politics and/or political crime news:

• Final Report of the January 6th Committee

• Michigan Trump electors invoked 5th Amendment more than 100 times

• Michigan recount: Big expense, very few changed votes, results show | Bridge Michigan

• Partial hand recounts of two ballot proposals validate election results

• Michigan election board certifies recounts upholding proposal win

• In strategy session, Michigan Republicans say donors abandoned them

• What Trump told Shirkey, Chatfield to try to get Michigan election overturned

• Buttigieg 2024 - Punchbowl News

• The Democrats Have a Deeper Bench Than You Think - The Bulwark

• How Democrats could use their big Michigan win to set up the 2024 race - POLITICO

• New Statewide Poll: Inflation Concerns Persist, Voters Optimistic About Democracy - Detroit Regional Chamber

• Insider: Voters in poll see gun laws as priority for Michigan Legislature

• How Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Democrats plan to cut Michigan taxes in 2023 | Bridge Michigan

• Michigan Democrats eye other abortion law changes as Prop 3 set to take effect | Bridge Michigan

• Read the summary of the Jan. 6 committee report - The Washington Post

• Trump is accused of using copyrighted images in his NFT collection | The Independent

• Chatfield scandal helped boost reform effort, but Senate failed us

This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It" throughout 2022!

Jeff and Mark are traveling this week as we record the "pre-criminal-referrals" episode of the podcast.

Jeff is getting the better end of the deal! He's in Nashville where leaders of the Lincoln Project are holding their post-midterm victory lap…beginning planning for 2024..and sampling the hospitality of America's country music capitol.

Mark is coming up for air after still another long day of another recount. The futility of the partial recounts of Proposals 2 and 3 being highlighted by a Michigan state Supreme Court ruling, and a federal Appeals Court ruling in Colorado both burying the Big Lie and the attorneys promoting it.

Michigan Supreme Court ends suit over 2020 election results in Antrim County | Bridge Michigan

Experts: Michigan recounts that won’t change outcome show law must change | Bridge Michigan

CO District Court Ruling on Election 'Fraud' Lawsuit

Elsewhere in political news this week:

Livonia clerk was pressured to hand over election equipment

Rebound in Confidence: American Democracy and the 2022 Midterm Elections | Bright Line Watch

Poll: Many Michigan voters ready to move on from Trump, Biden in 2024

‘Marshall Law!’: Dozens of GOP Politicians Texted Meadows About Overturning 2020

Pete's campaign in waiting - POLITICO

'High level' appointees, lobbyists entangled in Chatfield probe, Nessel's office says

Gov. Whitmer says Michigan needs ethics reforms amid Chatfied probe

Insider: Michigan lawmakers' farewells warn of money's influence in Lansing

 Michigan redistricting commission sues for funding, long after finishing maps | Bridge Michigan

House GOP reckons with ‘candidate quality’ problem after midterms — and ahead of 2024 - POLITICO

Michigan GOP official: Shut down ‘by force’ public library with LGBTQ books | Bridge Michigan

Jan. 6 committee to vote Monday on riot criminal referrals | AP News

This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

Lame ducks, federal subpoenas re: Michigan's 2020 election, a Supreme Court hearing on ending democratic elections, another court hearing on the lawyers who pushed the BIg Lie in Michigan, a bizarre farewell speech from the top Republican in state government, and a new wrinkle in the Democratic Party’s plans to shift the presidential primary schedule - a shift that could mean even better news for Michigan.

And for the last few days Mark has been in the middle of some of some won’t-change-anything recounts … which are really an effort to shore up the BIg Lie conspiracy theories from 2020.

Jeff Timmer and Mark Brewer sound off on all of these issues ... and more

Some links to help you follow all the crazy:

Michigan board slams recounts as 'frivolous,' allows them to proceed - Detroit News

Michigan recounts of ballot proposals underway: Here's why - Detroit Free Press

Georgia becomes major roadblock to Biden's 2024 primary calendar plan - Axios Atlanta

Trump's bad week is bad news for his comeback | CNN Politics

Georgia Runoff Election Results: Warnock Beats Walker - The New York Times

'Very lame lame duck': Michigan lawmakers wrap up work for the year - Detroit Free Press

Michigan GOP’s reign in Legislature ends with a whimper: No spending deal | Bridge Michigan

Michigan Senate GOP leader warns of push for 'one world governance

Special counsel Jack Smith subpoenas Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin officials for Trump communications in Jan. 6 probe - The Washington Post

Justice Department special counsel subpoenas Wayne County Officials - Detroit Free Press

North Carolina redistricting case before Supreme Court could lead to profound change - The Washington Post

How Right-Wing Groups Set the Stage for the Supreme Court to Rig Future Elections – Mother Jones

Sen. Gary Peters issues sweeping report on government's COVID response - Detroit Free Press

Senate Dems’ victorious campaign QB reluctant to run it back - POLITICO

Midwestern House Dems push for leaders between the coasts - POLITICO

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

Donald Trump may be drawing a lot of heat for his Ye-Dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes at his Mar-A-Lago crime scene, but his acolytes in Michigan appear to be firmly in control of the state’s Republican Party. Potential criminal defendant Matt DePerno appears poised to become the new state Republican chair, but he now has opposition from a more traditional Republican: former congressman Pete Hoekstra.

Pete Hoekstra plans to run for Michigan GOP chair against Matt DePerno

Pete Hoekstra on "Off the Record" 11-23-2022

State Democrats are in the middle of a different battle: the high-stakes debate over which states will go first in the 2024 presidential primary schedule. The lame-duck state Senate, still under Republican control, is cooperating with efforts to convince the Democratic National Committee to move Michigan to the head of the line.

Biden pushes South Carolina as first primary state, elevates Georgia and Michigan - The Washington Post

Biden seeks overhaul of presidential nominating calendar, bumping Iowa - Detroit Free Press

State Senate votes to hold Michigan's 2024 presidential primary earlier

Also in Michigan political news this week:

Michigan Board of State Canvassers approves 2022 election results

Judge blocks release of search warrant documents in Chatfield investigation

Dems' bid to install Coleman Young statue in U.S. Capitol wins GOP support

Democrats more positive about Biden post-Midterms | Ipsos

Mike Lindell announces his bid for RNC chair following an endorsement by Donald Trump

Livengood: New senator hopes to avoid becoming Michigan Senate's Joe Manchin

Joining the conversation this week are two of Michigan’s top political consultants, Amy Chapman and Jon Hoadley.

Chapman’s political activism dates back nearly 40 years. While earning her B.A. in politics and journalism from New York University in 1983, she worked on the field staff for former Rep. Andrew Maguire (D) of New Jersey in 1980. After graduating, she worked as the deputy field director and assistant to the political director for former California Senator Alan Cranston (D) when he ran for president in 1984. She was Michigan state director of the Obama presidential campaign in 2008, Oregon state director of the Bill Clinton campaign in 1992 and more recently headed up the Michigan Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign. Nine years ago Chapman formed Amy Chapman Consulting, based in Madison Heights to "provide strategic guidance, planning and assessment management" for nonprofit foundations and other organizations.  

Jon Hoadley served three terms in the Michigan House, representing the Kalamazoo area. Hoadley has been involved in LGBT and progressive political advocacy since college, and has worked on political campaigns since 2004. Currently, he serves on the Michigan Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights . Prior to his election to the Michigan Legislature, he became president and owner of Badlands Strategies, a progressive public affairs consulting firm. During this time he managed a local campaign to defend Kalamazoo's local non-discrimination ordinance, and assisted with a similar campaign in Royal Oak.  He also managed the campaign to elect Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and worked with the Unity Michigan Coalition.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

On this week's podcast:

In Lansing, Democrats are quickly and quietly putting in place their leadership structure as they prepare to take control of both chambers. In Washington, it’s just the opposite for House Republicans who face the prospect of being unable to elect a Speaker of the House.

The upcoming resignation of Michigan Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack brings some major changes to the court: a centrist Republican appointee as the new Chief Justice (at least, for awhile) and the first-ever black woman named to McCormack’s unfinished term.

Elizabeth Clement, a moderate on Michigan Supreme Court, named chief justice | Bridge Michigan

Kyra Harris Bolden makes history with appointment to Michigan Supreme Court | Bridge Michigan

Newest Michigan Supreme Court member is a young Black mom. How it's historic

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s to-do list: gun control, tax cuts, Right-to-Work repeal | Bridge Michigan

As Democrats take charge in Lansing, some business leaders sweat their agenda | Bridge Michigan

Michigan GOP leader: Bid to probe 2022 election a ‘shameless’ stunt | Bridge Michigan

Wentworth: House was ready to investigate allegations against Chatfield

Biden coming to Michigan on Nov. 29 to tout semiconductor bill

Opinion | How the Supreme Court can start to regain Americans’ trust in its ethics - The Washington Post

Morning Consult National Tracking Poll November 18-20

Joining the conversation this week: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Nesselwas reelected with an eight-and-a-half point victory over Big Lie promoter and potential criminal defendant Matt DePerno, a definite improvement over her narrow 2.75 point victory over Tom Leonard four years ago.

As Attorney General, her visibility rose first when state GOP chairman Ron Weiser referred to her as one of Michigan’s “three witches” (along with Gov. Whitmer and Secretary of State Benson), and achieved national prominence when then-President Donald Trump labeled her a “wacky do-nothing."

Nessel first achieved legal prominence in 2014 when she successfully argued for the plaintiffs in DeBoer v. Snyder, which challenged Michigan's ban on the statewide legal recognition of same-sex marriage; the case was eventually combined with others and appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States as Obergefell v. Hodges, which led to the nationwide legal recognition of same-sex marriage. In 2016, she founded Fair Michigan, a nonprofit organization that works to prosecute hate crimes against the LGBT community.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

Welcome to 2024! The dust is still settling from last week's mid-term elections (especially among the shell-shocked GOP), but Donald Trump's inevitable campaign is now official ... greeted by the New York Post headline "Florida Man Makes Announcement" and burying the story on page 26 .

Closer to home, Gretchen Whitmer surprised many by making it clear she has no Presidential ambitions. Also this week:

7 policies Whitmer, Michigan Democratic lawmakers will push

Democrats big midterm win overshadows loss of Black voices - mlive.com

Macomb Democrats steamed about national party snubbing Marlinga

Michigan's midterm after redistricting: what results showed

US Supreme Court dismisses appeal in Michigan redistricting lawsuit

Women, LGBTQ lawmakers to have larger representation in Michigan’s upcoming legislature - mlive.com

Analysis: Parents rights school board campaigns lost most Michigan races | Bridge Michigan

Michigan GOP memo blames Tudor Dixon's performance for lost majorities

Trump loyalist Matthew DePerno running to be Michigan GOP chair | Bridge Michigan

Michigan GOP party chair race: James Craig out, Matthew DePerno in

‘Canary in the Coal Mine’: Did Elissa Slotkin’s Win Reveal Trumpism’s Self-Defeating Toxicity? - POLITICO

Joining the conversation this week is the newly named state Senate President Pro Tem, Jeremy Moss. Moss is completing his first term after serving for four years in the state House. He grew up in Southfield and attended Michigan State University where he participated in several student-led humanitarian aid missions in the US and around the globe, twice traveling to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to assist with cleanup efforts and spending time abroad in Uruguay to build housing in among the most impoverished areas of South America.

Moss’s political career began 11 years ago with a successful run for a seat on the Southfield City Council where became the youngest-ever elected official in the city’s history at age 25. In the state House he worked across the aisle to pass ten bills that would open up government records to public scrutiny by subjecting the governor’s office and state legislature to the principles of the Freedom of Information Act.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

It was supposed to be a nationwide Red Wave, but nationally turned into a Pink Drizzle and (in Michigan) a Blue Tsunami. Mark and Jeff analyze an election that

Re-elected the Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General

Flipped both the state Senate and state House to Democratic majorities

Gave overwhelming voter approval to a woman's right to choose, progressive election reforms and changes in term limits

Kept the state's Supreme Court with a 4-3 Democratic majority

Despite the pre-voting angst,it was a peaceful election with no controversies, no violence and a record turnout for a mid-term election. And just like that, the political calendar flips from 2022 to 2024!

It's down to the last days and hours until Election Day. With more than 1.1-million votes already cast, the turnout likely will come close to the record mid-term election of 2018. The outcome is definitely in doubt: will the polls showing close-but-comfortable leads for the top of the Democratic ticket mean Michigan Democrats successful overcome the historic headwinds of a mid-term, or will the election deniers leading the state's GOP ticket pull off historic upsets?

Add to it continuing false claims of election fraud in 2020 and it's likely that next Tuesday will only be a waypoint in the 2022 election story as any (if not most) losing GOP candidates reflexively shout "rigged election" and "vote fraud".

In the podcast, we mention one story that can help combat the claims of vote fraud: Bridge Michigan's Jonathan Oosting does a deep dive into the many levels of security built into the state's absentee voting process. We recommend the article to one and all!

Also this week:

Cheney tells Slotkin crowd to 'walk away from politics as usual'

Barack Obama rallies for Gretchen Whitmer, seeks to boost turnout in Detroit | Bridge Michigan

Why early vote returns might produce a 'mirage' on election night in Michigan

Tim Michels Says GOP Will 'Never Lose Another Election' in Wisconsin If He Wins

Jocelyn Benson: ‘We’ve delivered on our promises.’ Republicans aren’t so sure. | Bridge Michigan

National issues, pandemic led to partisan Lansing area school board races

Poll: Slotkin leads Barrett in tossup race for U.S. House

Poll: Where Michigan voters stand on Whitmer, Dixon 1 week before election (Glengarrif Poll)

Cygnal Momentum Tracking Poll: Michigan Statewide – 11/1/22

Joining the pre-election conversation is the politics editor of the Detroit News, Chad Livengood.

Chad was a political reporter in The News' Lansing Bureau from 2012 through 2016 before becoming a reporter and columnist at Crain's Detroit Business. He rejoined The News' politics team in May 2022. He began his journalism career as editor of Central Michigan University’s student paper. His early career included stints covering politics and government in Illinois and Delaware before returning to Michigan, and the Detroit News, ten years ago.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

We’re less than two weeks away from election day; about three-quarters of a  million ballots have already been cast, and another million absentee ballots have been issued. November 8 may be Election Day, but the election could well drag on for weeks as losing candidates … at least among the Republican nominees … scream “stolen election”.

Some of the highlights of this week in Michigan politics:

Barack Obama records TV ad promoting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

5 clashes in the final Gretchen Whitmer-Tudor Dixon gubernatorial debate

Michigan governor final debate: Fact checking Tudor Dixon-Gretchen Whitmer | Bridge Michigan

Extremist Leader Boasts of Helping Michigan GOP Governor Candidate Tudor Dixon’s Campaign

Records: DeVos PAC spent $6.3M on Tudor Dixon bid for Michigan governor | Bridge Michigan

FACT CHECK: Tudor Dixon’s Ad Covers Up Her Dangerous Agenda to Gut School and Public Safety Funding While  Reversing Economic Development  - Michigan Democratic Party

Carl Marlinga, John James spar in debate for US House seat

Polls

Morning Consult weekly tracking poll (national) (October 21-23)

CNN Polls shows Whitmer ahead in races for governor

Cygnal Poll (October 19-23)

CBS YouGov Poll - October 12-14

Michigan’s 7th District voters favoring Democratic candidates, but Slotkin-Barrett race tight

Joining the conversation this week is Michigan's top non-partisan elections expert, Chris Thomas. Thomas served as the state Elections Director for 36 years under both Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State. In that role he administered Michigan election law, campaign finance act and lobbyist disclosure law and served as Secretary to the Board of State Canvassers. He began his election administration career in 1974 in Washington, D.C. with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Federal Election Commission, joining the Michigan Elections office in 1982.

In 2013, President Obama appointed Thomas as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which made recommendations to improve the election day experience of America’s voters. Thomas earned a B.A. in Political Science from Michigan State University, a M.A. in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and a J.D. from Thomas Cooley Law School.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."

Absentee ballots are coming in a record rates with election day just three weeks away – and a lot of Republicans are preparing to scream “rigged election” after they lose since a lot of them, including the GOP's statewide candidates, refuse to say they'll accept the results.

On this week's podcast, Jeff and Mark take a deep dive into what may be the most under-appreciated political battle this cycle: the battle for control of the Michigan Legislature. Republicans have dominated the Michigan Legislature for most of the last three decades, dating back to the GOP takeover of the Michigan Senate in 1983 (despite, thanks to gerrymandering, often getting fewer total votes that Democratic candidates). With the end of gerrymandered maps, Democrats are optimistic about flipping control of both the state Senate and House.

We're joined by two legislators focused on flipping control of both chambers: Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich and Representative Angela Witwer. Ananich is term-limited after representing Genesee County in the Senate for 8 years; Witwer has served four years after flipping a suburban Lansing district in 2018.

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This week's podcast is underwritten by Practical Political Consulting and EPIC-MRA. We thank them for supporting "A Republic, If You Can Keep It."