The national media has gotten wise this week to GOP Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey palin’ around with militia leaders, calling the insurrection a “hoax” and bragging that Republicans have repeatedly “spanked” the female Democratic governor on policy. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
A note: It was ... a lot to try and compile even the recent history of Shirkey and the Michigan GOP for this column, so I almost certainly did not get to everything. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
“[We] spanked her hard on the budget. Spanked her hard on appointments. We did everything we could constitutionally do,” Shirkey (R-Clarklake) said of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who he previously called “batshit crazy.” via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
As for the Jan. 6 attack, Shirkey told GOP activists last week (before issuing a mealy-mouthed apology): “That wasn’t Trump people. … That’s been a hoax from day one. That was all prearranged. … It was all staged.” via @michiganadvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
The Michigan GOP just elected new leaders in Ron Weiser, whose predecessor accused him of running a bribery scheme, and Meshawn Maddock, a Women for Trump leader who organized 19 buses to Washington for what predictably became a bloody insurrection. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
Of course, the radicalization of the Michigan Republican Party began before the Trump era, by electing birthers like U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) and well-known homophobe and Islamaphobe Dave Agema as GOP national committeeman. via @MichiganAdvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
Vile and misogynistic rhetoric from leaders like Shirkey is damaging. It’s soul-sapping. It’s made Michigan a meaner place. But it’s important to stress that Republicans’ embrace of extremism also has huge implications for democracy and public health. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
Republicans have repeatedly rejected science during a deadly pandemic, as Shirkey has endorsed “herd immunity” in regards to COVID — a disease he contracted in December and didn’t disclose for weeks (so much for transparency). via @michiganadvance https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
The GOP-controlled Legislature has laughed at a mask mandate and angrily fought life-saving restrictions even as 15,000 of our friends and neighbors are dead, with Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) memorably bemoaning that the Legislature had been “emasculated.” https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
Michigan Republicans also have held endless hearings (that are still going) on election conspiracies (complete with racist Detroit tropes) and 18 lawmakers flirted with overturning Democratic President Joe Biden’s 154,000-vote victory last year. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
The bottom line is that the radicals are fully in charge of the state GOP and the Legislature. Nobody is expecting the Senate GOP caucus to chuck Shirkey.
There is currently no check on leaders’ power. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/
There is currently no check on leaders’ power. https://www.michiganadvance.com/2021/02/10/susan-j-demas-michigan-republicans-have-radicalized-and-theres-nothing-to-check-their-power/