124: Going After Every Vote w/ Michigan Democratic Party Rural Caucus Chair Mark Ludwig
#Politics #Michigan #Podcast #MichiganDemocrats #MichiganRepublicans #RuralVoters #Rural #Elections #DeltaCounty #LivingstonCounty #Election2024 #Voting #Democracy #SheriffMikeMurphy #ChristianNationalism #Progressives #ProgressivePodcast #Democrats #MAGA #Republican #Fascism #Abortion #AbortionRights #GovernorGretchenWhitmer #GunViolence #GunSafetyLaws #GunLaws #GunRights #LeftofLansing #Farmi...
46m May 16, 2024
46m
123: Monday Musings: Finley Fixated On Transit Past
#Michigan #Politics #Transportation #Taxes #MassTransit #GenerationZ #GenZ #Roads #Environment #PopulationDrain #LeftofLansing #Progressives #Democrats Here's the Left of Lansing "Monday Musings" for May 13th, 2024! Detroit News Editorial Page Editor Nolan Finley believes all this increased attention on mass transit upgrades in Michigan is a waste of time (Finley:%20Do%20we%20still%20need%20m...
3m May 13, 2024
3m
122: Friday Short: Michigan AG Nessel Takes-On Big Oil!
#LeftofLansing #Michigan #Politics #Podcast #Environment #ClimateChange #Trump #MAGA #Democrats #Republicans #FossilFuels #Corruption #Economy #Progressives #Biden #DanaNessel #Subsidies #Government Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for May 10, 2024. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is planning to take the Big Oil industry to court (https://michiganadvance.com/2024/05/10/nessel-s...
4m May 10, 2024
4m
121: The Tide is Turning! Ottawa County Progressive Joe Spaulding
Here's Episode 85 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! They did it! Delta County voters sent pink slips to three extreme Christian Nationalist MAGA county commissioners in recall races this week! This is an area that's recently turned from blue to red, which is why that extreme brand of right-wing politics gained a hold of the county board. But after just one year in power, the people r...
45m May 09, 2024
45m
120: Monday Musings: The Chatfield Criminal Enterprise Goes To The Derby!
#Michigan #Politics #Progressives #Law #MichiganRepublicans #Republicans #ChristianNationalism #DanaNessel #MAGA #LeftofLansing #Podcast Here's the Left of Lansing Monday Musing for May 6, 2024 Former Michigan Republican Lee Chatfield, and his wife, Stephanie, pled not guilty to running a criminal enterprise, which includes numerous embezzlement and conspiracy charges. Yet, despite facing th...
3m May 06, 2024
3m
119: Friday Short: Why I'm Voting For Biden
#Michigan #Biden #SCOTUS #Politics #Progressives #Podcast #LeftofLansing Here's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for May 3, 2024. Generation Z voters are protesting at college campuses across the country, showing their dissatisfaction and disdain for the United States' continued backing of the right-wing Israeli government. And for some, refusing to vote for a second Biden Administration t...
5m May 03, 2024
5m
118: Building a Blue Foundation in the Upper Peninsula w/ Kelli van Ginhoven
Here's Episode 84 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! One reason I started this venture is that I wanted to help show the importance of local and state politics. For sure, progressives have made some outstanding strides in terms of state politics with Democrats taking the state trifecta last year for the first time in four decades! But on the local political side, the right-wing has enj...
50m May 02, 2024
50m
117: Episode 83: Salon's Amanda Marcotte on Fascism & The Christian Nationalist Movement
Here's episode 83 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Salon columnist Amanda Marcotte (https://www.salon.com/writer/amanda_marcotte) spends a few minutes talking with Pat about the Christian Nationalist Movement, and its ultimate goal of not just getting Dear Leader Trump back into power, but of ending religious freedom for all. Ms. Marcotte's written extensively on how Christian Nation...
48m Apr 25, 2024
48m
116: Friday Short: Investing in People Really Works! April 19, 2024
Here's this week's LoL Friday Short for this April 19, 2024 There's hope new legislation could be introduced in Lansing called The Working Parents Tax Credit. If passed, it could help around 250,000 Michigan kids in just one year. Supporters say this tax credit would incentivize work, and reward working families, and recent polling shows widespread support for this proposal (https://michigana...
5m Apr 19, 2024
5m
115: Episode 82: Transforming the Social Contract with Rx Kids in Flint
Here's Episode 82 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! It's another week. That means it's another episode of the Republican Crime Syndicate! Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel announced several charges against former Michigan Republican state House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and his wife, Stephanie, for operating a criminal enterprise! Just like Chatfield's hero, Dear Leader Trump, he...
43m Apr 18, 2024
43m
114: Friday Short: Making Michigan Charter Schools Accountable Is Long Overdue
Here's this week's LoL "Friday Short" for this April 12, 2024. The Michigan Board of Education passed a resolution this week asking the Democratic majority in the state legislature to pass laws requiring more transparency and accountability when it comes to charter schools. For years, charter schools haven't had to play by the same rules as public schools when it comes to accountability, even...
4m Apr 12, 2024
4m
113: Episode 81: Don't Believe the Hype on Corporate Subsidies w/ Bridge Magazine's Paula Gardner
Here's Episode 81 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! On this week's episode, Pat talks about "Florida" Mike Rogers' audacity to run for Michigan's open Senate seat this Fall even though he hasn't lived in this state for years (because he wanted to make lobbying cash), and he's registered to vote in both Florida and Michigan (https://www.newsweek.com/michigan-republican-candidate-living...
41m Apr 11, 2024
41m
112: Episode 80: Michigan Republicans Shill For Fascism in Grand Rapids
Here's Episode 80 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! This week, Pat takes the Michigan Republicans to task, and the handful of right-wing Michigan sheriffs, who stood on stage with Donald Trump this week in Grand Rapids. Trump showed-up in our state to exploit the death of Ruby Garcia, who was shot and killed by someone she knew. The alleged killer is an illegal immigrant, and that's a...
35m Apr 04, 2024
35m
111: Friday Short: The Maddocks are an embarrassment to Michigan
Time for the LoL "Friday Short" on this March 29, 2024 Michigan Republican State Rep. Matt Maddock baselessly claimed on "X" that buses at Detroit Metro Airport were filled with "illegal invaders! (https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/rep-maddock-decried-illegal-invaders-at-the-detroit-airport-they-were-college-basketball-players-arriving-for-the-sweet-16/) " The only problem with such a claim? ...
4m Mar 29, 2024
4m
110: Episode 79: Time for Transformational Change w/ Lou Glazer of Michigan Future, Inc.
It's episode 79 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast with the award-winning Pat Johnston! Pat's guest this week is Lou Glazer from Michigan Future, Inc (https://michiganfuture.org/) ., which is a nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization that focuses on helping Michigan succeed in a knowledge-based economy. And as Lou says, Michigan Future is also trying to make Michigan a more prosperous s...
45m Mar 28, 2024
45m
109: Friday Short: Shutting Down Line 5 Is A States' Rights Issue, Too
Here's this week's Left of Lansing "Friday Short." Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office argued in a federal appellate court (https://michiganadvance.com/2024/03/21/michigan-attorney-general-argues-line-5-lawsuit-should-be-sent-back-to-state-court/) that the fight to shut down the Line 5 oil pipeline belongs in a state court, and not in federal court. Enbridge, which owns the pipelin...
4m Mar 22, 2024
4m
108: Episode 78: Making a difference for Michiganders w/ Democratic State Rep. Ranjeev Puri
Welcome to Episode 78 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! Democratic State Representative, and House Majority Whip, Ranjeev Puri (https://housedems.com/ranjeev-puri/) talks with Pat on a host of issues, including some key bills he helped pass the state legislature last year, such as gun safety, clean energy and climate bills, water filtration in schools and daycare centers, and more. Th...
43m Mar 21, 2024
43m
107: Friday Short: MI GOP Members Cry About Being Called Racists For Being...Racists
Here's this week's LoL Friday Short! Members of the Michigan Republican "Freedom Caucus" in the State House introduced a resolution to censure House Speaker Joe Tate (https://michiganadvance.com/2024/03/05/michigan-freedom-caucus-members-want-to-censure-speaker-tate/) . Tate, who became the state's first Black House Speaker last year, stripped state Rep. Josh Shriver of his committee assignme...
4m Mar 15, 2024
4m
106: Episode 77: TikTok Ban, MAGA Violence, & Right Wing Cognitive Dissonance
Here's Episode 77 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Vote on this week's Left of Lansing Online Poll (https://twitter.com/LeftOfLansing/status/1768136211967639877) via Twitter or X: Does Social Media help or hurt the political process? On this week's show, Pat talks about how Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt's ridiculous and disturbing State of the Union response showed how the ...
37m Mar 14, 2024
37m
105: Friday Short: The White Christian Nationalist "Fundie Baby Voice"
We've made it to another Friday, which means it's time for another LoL Friday Short! I continue my examination into the different aspects of White Christian Nationalism by concentrating on Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt's response (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTfK6r9WrQE) to President Joe Biden's strong State Of The Union address this week. Britt's breathy, high-pitch delivery is ...
4m Mar 08, 2024
4m
104: Episode 76: The History of White Christian Nationalism w/ Dr. Sara Moslener
It's episode 76 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Lots of material in this week's episode, including Pat's examination of new Michigan GOP chair Pete Hoekstra's record as a former congressman, ambassador, Tea Party founder, Trump-backer, and lobbyist. Sure, Pete Hoekstra doesn't believe in demonic possession unlike his predecessor (at least, he hasn't publicly said he does) but there'...
45m Mar 07, 2024
45m
103: Friday Short: GOP is All-In on National Abortion Ban
Here's this week's LoL Short on the how the GOP is all-in on a national abortion ban. Thanks to Distill Social for providing a video clip when they spoke with MAGA supporters (https://www.instagram.com/p/C3nLcaYOWYP/) before a recent Trump rally in Waterford, MI. Republicans try to minimize and hide their true intentions when it comes to abortion care. But as the Alabama Supreme Court ruling ...
4m Mar 01, 2024
4m
102: Episode 75: Polluter Pay 2.0 w/ Sean McBrearty of Clean Water Action Michigan
Here's the 75th episode of Michigan's premier progressive podcast. We've covered the ways Michigan Democrats are protecting the state's environment, and building a cleaner and more affordable energy future for both our environment and economy. Democrats also repealed the "No stricter than federal" law (https://www.michiganpublic.org/environment-climate-change/2023-07-28/no-stricter-than-federa...
42m Feb 29, 2024
42m
101: Friday Short: Why Christian Nationalists Push For Abortion, Contraception, IVF, and Fun Sex Bans
Here's this week's LoL Friday Short! Last week, the Christian Nationalist Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embroys used in in vitro fertilization are "children." This is just another step in the attack on women's reproductive rights. It's just not a national abortion ban these extremists are pushing. They want a ban on contraception, IVF, and also a ban on recreational sex. They want...
4m Feb 23, 2024
4m
100: Episode 74: Fighting to move Delta County forward w/ Kelli van Ginhoven
Here's episode 74 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! As we've seen in our state, elections have consequences, especially on the state and local state side! I talk about how within a year, Michigan Democrats passed some much-needed legislation to move the state forward in terms of women's reproductive rights, worker rights, union rights, setting-up a robust clean energy future, and prot...
44m Feb 22, 2024
44m
99: Friday Short: Josh Shriver's Radicalism (and Racism) Is What America's Right Wing Is All About
Here's this week's Left of Lansing "Friday Short." Michigan Republican State Representative Josh Shriver was stripped of his committee assignments, and of his staff, after retweeting a racist tweet on the "Great Replacement Theory," which pervades the radical, right wing world. Naturally, Shriver's got his online defenders, but also defenders within the Michigan Republican Party. But make no ...
4m Feb 16, 2024
4m
98: Episode 73: Right Wing Tries To Repeal Law Allowing Renewable Energy Projects On Family Farms
Here's Episode 73 of Michigan's Premier, Progressive Podcast! As we've covered on the show, Michigan Democrats passed a rather robust package of clean energy bills last year. Many of those laws will go into effect later this year, including the 100% clean energy standard by 2040, energy efficient programs, increases in the state's energy reduction program, and removing the power of local gover...
49m Feb 15, 2024
49m
97: Episode 72: New Michigan Gun Safety Laws w/ Dr. April Zeoli
Here's episode 72 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! In my opening segment this week, I talk about the appalling and Islamophobic Wall Street Journal column declaring Dearborn, MI as the "America's Jihad Capital." Islamophobia within the right wing world never left, and it's putting lives in danger. I then cover some of the many new laws scheduled to go into effect in the state on Febr...
40m Feb 08, 2024
40m
96: Friday Short: How Is Rashida Tlaib Raising Over $3 Million in Campaign Donations? Easy. By Standing Up For People
Here's this week's LoL Friday Short. It's being reported this week that Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has raised nearly $4-million in campaign contributions in the last three months. That's despite House Republicans censuring her last Fall for her stance against Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip. And that's despite being hung-out to dry by some in her own party. But why...
4m Feb 02, 2024
4m
95: Episode 71: Interview w/ Susan Demas of Michigan Advance
Here's episode 71 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Please vote on this week's LoL Twitter Poll (https://twitter.com/LeftOfLansing/status/1752711976138977691) : What is the biggest winning issue for Michigan Democrats heading into the November election? If you have others, leave them in replies Susan Demas, Editor-in-Chief of Michigan Advance (https://michiganadvance.com/) , joins Pa...
52m Feb 01, 2024
52m
94: Friday Short: 'Good Guys' Don't Stop Bad Guys With Guns--January 19, 2024
Thanks for listening to this week's LoL Friday Short! The Justice Department released a damning report citing "cascading failures (https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-justice-department-report-police-16b59efa5c5015d685d917c3f0f26256) " in the way authorities handled the Uvaldi school shooting massacre in 2022. Like other school shootings, this was another example where "good guys...
4m Jan 19, 2024
4m
93: Episode 70: The Rich Are O.K With Fascism
Here's episode 70 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Please vote on this week's poll question (https://twitter.com/LeftOfLansing/status/1748022630874013950) : Polls show President Biden's losing to Donald Trump in Michigan. How do you feel about these numbers less than 10 months from Election Day? On this week's episode, I cover how Democrats across the country have been given a beaut...
30m Jan 18, 2024
30m
92: Friday Short: Popular Free School Lunches Hard For Republicans To Digest
Here's this week's LoL Friday Short. Michigan Democrats are hoping to make the new and popular free public school breakfast and lunch program a permanent fixture in the education budget. But that's making the right wing furious, not because of their daily abject cruelty, but because they know the program is a big hit with voting age parents. Also, they know a successful programs such as this ...
4m Jan 12, 2024
4m
91: Episode 69: Interview with Democratic State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky
Here's Episode 69 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! I'm thrilled to have Democratic State Representative, and Speaker Pro Tempore, Laurie Pohutsky back on the show this week! We cover a range of topics including abortion rights, clean energy and climate change, if the Michigan Democratic Party's messaging machine is improving, the establishment and progressive factions of the party, a...
47m Jan 11, 2024
47m
90: The Friday Short: Nikki Haley's Profiles In Courage Moment Failure
My first Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for 2024 deals with GOP Presidential candidate Nikki Haley's failure to flat-out say the American Civil War was fought over the right for Southern states to continue the practice of slavery. But there's a reason why Haley couldn't give a straight answer to that simple question. She, like all of her Republican cohorts, are afraid of angering and losing th...
5m Jan 05, 2024
5m
89: Episode 68: Michigan's Right Wing Is Working To Erase History
Happy New Year, and here's Episode 68 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! This week, I have lots to say after taking some time-off for the holidays. We have to cover the hypocrisy of Michigan's right wing, in particular the Christian Nationalist Moms For Liberty chapters throughout the state. As you'll hear, while they've been busy banning books, intimidating teachers, and trying to di...
35m Jan 04, 2024
35m
88: Friday Short: Progressive Policies Are Popular Pro-Worker & Pro-Growth Policies
Here's the final LoL "Friday Short" for 2023! To close-out the year, I talk about a story in Michigan Advance (https://michiganadvance.com/2023/11/30/business-groups-band-together-to-counter-risky-economic-proposals-advanced-by-democrats/) which details how business lobbyists formed a coalition in the hopes of stifling bills proposed by Michigan Democrats. These business lobbyists fail to und...
4m Dec 15, 2023
4m
87: Episode 67: Kasey Helton and the Michigan "Dirt Road Democrats"
Here's the 67th, and the final episode for 2023, on Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Livingston County progressive activist Kasey Helton returns to the podcast this week as we discuss how "dirt road" Democrats are trying to move the political needle towards the progressive side in rural Michigan. And we've seen some of that hard work pay-off with Democrats winning some key races in Livi...
50m Dec 14, 2023
50m
86: Friday Short: Michigan Energy "Regulators" Give Big Energy Another Win Over The People
Listen to this week's Left of Lansing "Friday Short." Right after its inexplicable decision to build a tunnel around the Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac, the Michigan Public Service Commission granted DTE Energy's rate hike request totalling over $360 million. Despite DTE being part of the reason why Michigan has the most expensive energy in the Midwest, and is also one of the ...
4m Dec 08, 2023
4m
85: Episode 66: Pushing The Overton Window w/ Democratic State Rep. Emily Dievendorf
It's Episode 66 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! This week, I can't hold back my disdain for the Michigan Public Service Commission's decision to green-light an expensive, and short-sighted, tunnel project for the stretch of the 70-year old Line 5 oil pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. Despite studies showing why the pipeline must stop operating, and that shutting-down the pipeline...
47m Dec 07, 2023
47m
84: Friday Short: UAW Momentum Focuses On Non-Union Automakers
Listen to this week's Left of Lansing "Friday Short," where I highlight a major UAW organizational push to attract thousands of non-union workers with other automakers. Also, notice again how Republicans across the board are AWOL when it comes to standing up for workers' rights. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can! –Pat leftoflansing...
4m Dec 01, 2023
4m
83: Episode 65: Long Overdue (and imperfect) Clean Energy Future Is Michigan Law
Here's episode 65 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed some long overdue, albeit imperfect, clean energy legislation into law this week. I've covered the path The Clean Energy and Jobs Act had to take in Lansing throughout the year on the podcast. And while I believe Democrats missed an opportunity to pass some meaningful, and stronger, progres...
30m Nov 30, 2023
30m
82: Episode 64: Pro-Publica's Anna Clark on Eliminating Michigan's Emergency Manager Law.
Here's episode 64 of Michigan's premier progressive podcast! It's great to have author and Pro-Publica reporter Anna Clark (https://www.propublica.org/people/anna-clark) back on Left of Lansing this week. Anna's written an insightful article on Michigan's Emergency Manager Law, which allows state government to erase democracy by completely taking-over financially-strapped cities. Anna highligh...
47m Nov 22, 2023
47m
81: Left of Lansing Monday Musing: Mass Transit Needed To Stop Michigan's Mass Exodus
Listen to my "Monday Musing," in which I agree with a Detroit Free Press column by Michael Griffie, who serves as Detroit Metro Leader for AECOM--an American multinational consulting firm. Mr. Griffie is pressing the need for a massive reinvestment in Michigan's lacking mass transit system, particularly in the entire Metro Detroit region. If we're going to stop Michigan's brain and population...
4m Nov 20, 2023
4m
80: Left Of Lansing Friday Short: MI Dems Clean Energy Bills Imperfect, But an Important Step
Listen to my LoL "Friday Short" on while the Michigan Democrats' clean energy bills are indeed imperfect, they mark an important step towards much-needed changes in the state's energy and economic future. Yes, the bills fall short in many areas, like considering natural gas "clean energy," and ignoring environmental justice provisions to help those in low-income areas affected the most by year...
5m Nov 17, 2023
5m
79: Episode 63: No More Waiting For Environmental Justice w/ Roshan Krishnan of The Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
Here's Episode 63 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! Michigan Democrats passed a package of clean energy and affordable energy bills last week. While these bills are for sure a step in the right direction in revamping our antiquated energy grid, these bills still fall far short of the aggressive push many progressives were hoping would happen. Joining me this week to talk more about th...
45m Nov 16, 2023
45m
78: Left of Lansing Friday Short: Could Michigan Become a Death with Dignity State?
The Left of Lansing Friday Short this week applauds a trio of state Senate Democrats (Mary Cavenagh of Redford Twp. (https://senatedems.com/cavanagh/bio/) , Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores (https://senatedems.com/hertel/bio/) , and Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpoint (https://senatedems.com/klinefelt/bio/) ) for introducing the Death with Dignity Act (https://senatedems.com/cavanagh/2023/11/09/ref...
4m Nov 10, 2023
4m
77: Episode 62: MAGA Keeps Losing On Abortion Rights, and My Defense of Rashida Tlaib
It's episode 62 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast! MAGA Republicans suffered another beatdown at the polls this past Election Day, and once again, abortion rights proved to be the key reason. Abortion rights scored a major victory in Ohio, and played a major role in Democrats retaining the Virginia state legislature. Yet, MAGA is doubling-down on putting government in-between a woman a...
38m Nov 09, 2023
38m
76: Left of Lansing "Monday Musing." MAGA Fights For Statues, But Not Books
In this week's "Monday Musing," I discuss an amendment introduced by Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Green would block the removal of monuments. MTG and her MAGA allies are outraged Charlottesville, Virginia decided to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. That statue was the focus of what led to the killing of a protester by a right wing terrorist in Charlottesville b...
6m Nov 06, 2023
6m
75: LOL Friday Short: No Justice In Flint Water Crisis
My Left of Lansing "Friday Short" covers a sad ending to the Flint Water Crisis, in which not one public official will face prosecution for their role in one of the greatest man-made disasters the state of Michigan, and the country, has ever experienced. Former Michigan Republican Gov. Rick Snyder won't have to face any kind of punishment for the crisis he and his administration caused. Meanwh...
5m Nov 03, 2023
5m