Politicians From Michigan

"If the president is going to fundamentally redefine the use of force in America... I believe Trump is reshaping the country to hold on to power."

"Trump is following the same playbook as almost every authoritarian in history. ...Once in office, surround yourself with people loyal to you. Accumulate power and influence, and... start using it against your perceived enemies."

"There comes a time in every authoritarian playbook... a tipping point. You accumulate so much power that you realize that if you ever lose... your opponent... can use that very power against you. So you hold on to it with everything you have."

"The Caribbean strikes, the list of domestic terrorists, military and law enforcements across our American streets. He seems to be laying the groundwork to stay in power."

"There are two ways... both out of the same authoritarian playbook. ...Trump finds a pretext, invokes the Insurrection Act and tries to impose . Elections therefore could be cancelled, or if they happen, he could surround polling places with military and federal law enforcement to intimidate voters. The second option... could... swing an election. Labeling opposition groups, candidates and elected officials as terrorists or criminals and going after the infrastructure that allows for competitive elections."

"There is more than one way to destroy an election... to lose our democracy. We're in danger of that..."

"I am not an alarmist. ...April of 2020 ...the first time Trump started tweeting about election fraud ...that if he lose, it could only be because of fraud. ...January 6, 2021, as rioters attacked the capitol I barricaded myself... and looked for something I could use as a weapon. The thing I thought was unthinkable was happening."

"Trump hasn't planned for... the will of the American people. Americans have an internal barometer for things that sound and smell authoritarian. ...[I]n Michigan ...even ardent Trump supporters don't like what they're seeing ...That should give us hope."

"Congress needs to reclaim our power... over the use of force."

"To my Republican colleagues... in the spirit of John McCain we need to start pushing back where we don't agree on how force is being used."

"Leadership is about the actions you take, not the things you say behind closed doors."

"I'm introducing a bill, the No Troops in Our Streets Act that gives Congress the ability to immediately end a military deployment in American cities."

"To the military. You too have a critical role... According to law, there is such a thing as an illegal order. ...[I]n the choice between loyalty to the Constitution and loyalty to one man, there is only one right answer, and every one of you has taken that oath."

"To our s. You can... exercise your political power to call out Trump's dangerous use of our military. ...Don't ever underestimate the power of your voice in how impactful it can be when you speak up. ...DM me. We're getting the band back together."

"To our state leaders. You have a responsibility to hold the line, protect the integrity of our elections and withstand the pressure that the Trump administration is... starting to apply."

"Ordinary citizens... can help stiffen the spines of people at home. ...[L]ocal elections are going to be more important than ever."

"To regular Americans. You can... speak out about what you're seeing, and organize peacefully against it. Throughout history, grassroots movements have been the only thing that have pushed back on government overreach."

"This is the country we all love. Our country needs us right now. It is our moment to step up."

"I haven’t been a woman (in office), I’ve been a mayor."

"The News, which was heavily critical of Brater at times, described Brater as an intensely reserved person, saying her adversaries saw her as calculating and secretive while her friends viewed her as shy and misunderstood."

"Brater was cautious and sometimes secretive while pursuing an aggressive policy agend."

"One of my biggest regrets was having had to miss a lot of family time when my children were young, so I feel fortunate now that I’m retired to be able to spend time helping out with my grandchildren"

"I never really envisioned myself running a city. It just kind of came upon me. It’s almost a force, a sense of responsibility that comes upon you."

"From a very early age, I was immersed in politics and surrounded with people who believed in the ability of government to help people"

"I knew nothing about how the Democratic Party worked in Ann Arbor. The next thing I knew, they made me ward chair."

"It’s kind of unbelievable"

"I started out ahead and with the help of these people we ran a campaign to stay ahead"

"I plan to get the office back up to speed and prepared for such a merger -- if it's approved by county commissioners."

"She's somebody who stands up and speaks out on causes that she thinks are important. ... We need more people like that."

"A woman needs to be interested in politics, whatever her party, for the good of the country."

"I believe more than ever the decision to have ab abortion is a personal one."

"In the campaign in my district, I was called a murderer and a person who wanted to kill babies."

"My whole position on the issue has been distorted and cruelly twisted."

"I alone was singled out on the issue even though there were many male senators who supported my stand."

"I believe in their hearts, women are seeking some form of liberation."

"Beebe’s service on numerous state and national commissions reflected her devotion to improving the lives of all Americans; her concerns and interests ranged from the women’s movement to mental health, from minority advancement to penal reform. She served as a role model for an entire generation of Michigan women."

"At a time when minorities, including Native Americans, were subjected to considerable economic and social discrimination, Anderson’s determination to attend college and return the benefits of her education to her community was notable. Her role as educator, legislator, and public health reform leader aided the Native American community as well as the whole of society."

"She also championed the fight to recognize Native American fishing rights on Huron Bay."

"For the rest of her life, she never quit her quest to help others."

"This isn’t true. Please don’t spread lies to foment or encourage political violence in our state. Or anywhere. Thanks."

"Watched the clip again and would like to reiterate that Ken Cuccunnelli is a racist who doesn’t understand the first thing about America."

"The new bill allocates $199.5 million of the total appropriation to VOA and $138 million for USAGM’s operations. Additionally, nonprofit grantees will also be funded through this bill to the tune of $112.5 million for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, $69 million for Middle East Broadcasting Networks, $53.5 million for Radio Free Asia and $40.5 million for the Open Technology Fund. The Trump administration pushed to defund the nonprofit media outlets, but Lamberth has largely restored their funding in court after they all sued. Radio Free Asia previously said it was pausing operations but in recent months has resumed some publishing activities. “With new funding, if enacted, RFA anticipates ramping up additional news operations that have been paused in the Asia-Pacific region,” RFA spokesman Rohit Mahajan said in a statement. Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii), the top Democrat on the state and foreign operations subcommittee, applauded the bipartisan negotiation that led to the bill but expressed worry that it still represented a cut to government broadcasters. “While the bill ensures continued funding for our international broadcasting grantees,” he wrote in a statement, “it forces cuts at a time when they are trying to provide critical services in Ukraine, the Middle East, and across the Indo-Pacific.” Schatz and his House counterpart, Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida), previously criticized the Trump administration’s “illegal gutting” of the agency. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida), the Senate and House appropriations subcommittee chairs, did not respond to requests for comment."

"They’re trying to keep the populists of both left and right apart with cultural issues, and they’re doing it to insulate themselves from any combination or constituency that can come after their power, perks and wealth. They’re dividing and conquering."

"The Lord has gifted an individual with life, and no one else has the right to take that away from someone that hasn't developed a voice themselves."

"More and more parents are coming to realize their children are suffering at the hands of a system built to strangle any reform, any innovation, or any change. . . . This realization is becoming more evident as the momentum builds for an education revolution."

"I have decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect something in return. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues."

"I would imagine that there’s probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies."

"More and more studies show that kids are actually stoppers of the disease and they don’t get it and transmit it themselves, so we should be in a posture of — the default should be getting back to school kids in person, in the classroom"

"I voted against the nomination of Betsy DeVos, a billionaire Republican donor, because she is the most incompetent cabinet-level nominee I have ever seen."

"During the first term of the Obama administration, no fewer than eighteen billionaires came together under the Koch brothers' leadership to oppose the president's initiatives and move this country in an extreme right-wing direction. Some of the other billionaires involved were Richard Mellon Scaife, an heir to the Mellon banking and Gulf oil fortunes; Henry and Linda Bradley, defense contractors; John M. Olin, involved in chemicals and munitions; the DeVos family, the founders of the Amway corporation; and the Coors brewing family of Colorado."