A foundation of our democratic system is that we elect the people who run our governments. But there’s an ominous trend developing in Republican-run states: elections only count when they win. We be focus on examples of this growing menace to the world’s oldest democratic government. The worst example (out of so many): Wisconsin. The highly gerrymandered GOP majority has:

Stripped Governor Evers and Attorney General Paul of many of the powers held by their predecessors;

Openly discussed impeaching newly elected Supreme Court justice for saying she thinks gerrymandering is bad;

Voted to fire the state's elections director who refused to back up claims of a stolen election

Also this week:

Jocelyn Benson says she won’t kick Donald Trump off the Michigan ballot…unless the courts stop her;

The U.S. House is in chaos with Matt Gaetz calling Speaker Kevin McCarthy pathetic, and lying like a dead dog;

A government shutdown looms as the Cuckoo Caucus takes over because investigating Joe Biden is what Donald Trump is demanding;

Democrats in the state Legislature are poised for a battle over abortion rights with a bill allowing Medicaid to pay for abortions

We are recording this podcast hours before the UAW strike deadline in its contract negotiations with GM, Ford and Stellantis. Obviously the economic and political impact is bigger in Michigan than anywhere in the country … but we don’t know what’s going to happen. Wait until next week…