BREAKING: Michigan Legislators after meeting with Trump.....

[brooklynite]

Link to tweet

[catbyte]

1. Even though I knew they really had no choice, I'm still relieved to see that.

[coti]

13. They asked Trump for COVID money.

Sounds like a political bribe, cash to pass out to their buddies.

[Cha]

19. I know!

[calimary]

30. Totally get that.

Glad to be pleasantly surprised. It's most welcome.

Gee, whooda thunkit? Republicans who actually uphold the law - even when they don't stand to benefit from it. Rare, but evidently true.

[catbyte]

33. Our Attorney General, Dana Nessel, made it clear that they will be in serious legal jeopardy if they

dare try anything illegal. I can't stress enough how important the 2018 election here in Michigan was. I shudder to think of the shady shit the gop would've done if they still controlled our state as they did in 2016.

[dmr]

50. I agree 100%

I am very happy with our leaders in Lansing. It is comforting to know they have our backs - something we didn't have prior to 2018.

[catbyte]

51. They tried their damnest to turn us into Michissippi but we thwarted them in 2018.

The damage they did to our state in the last decade is incalculable but not irreparable. I've always loved living in Michigan, crappy winters aside, and now I'm getting my faith back in government. I hope it will be even better once the Redistricting Commission ungerrymanders us.

There are several Michiganders on DU. Perhaps we should do a meet-up once the plague dies down. Stay safe!

[jimlup]

47. "YET"

it was a non statement. We still don't know what will happen on Monday.

[SweepPicker]

48. What

he said...

[secondwind]

2. Hallelujah

[MerryBlooms]

3. Strong arming session. Glad these guys apparently stood their groud.

[Captain Zero]

36. This might win a Profiles in Courage Award down the road.

It Seems they are having nothing to do with bullshit strong-arm maneuvers from Trump.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Good to see, hope they keep their word...

It's time to end this bullshit.

[DBoon]

5. " a deliberate process free from threats and intimidation"

implying this is exactly how trump is operating

[servermsh]

6. I want to see them say they will be certifying on schedule, and not delaying.

I don't see that yet.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

16. Yep, me too.

Lots of weasel speak wiggle room.

[catbyte]

21. They have no wiggle room. The legislature has nothing to do with certification. It will happen

on Monday. Michigan law demands it.

[Captain Zero]

37. Except NOW John James has asked for a delay in certification

We know he sucks Trump's dick.

[catbyte]

42. He can say whatever he wants. He's nothing but a failed two-time Senate candidate with no

clout whatsoever. If the republicans on the Canvassing Board do pull something, the Secretary of State & AG will be prepared to immediately act. Michigan law is clear:

From the SOS webpage:

The Electoral College is comprised of 538 people, known as electors, chosen nationwide to meet in their home states and cast one vote per person for president and vice president. Michigan has 16 electors to reflect the number of senators and representatives it has in the U.S. Congress. Presidential candidates on the Michigan ballot submit a list of 16 qualified electors to the Secretary of State's Office. The 16 electors whose candidate wins Michigan's popular vote will participate in the Electoral College at the State Capitol in December.

Electors pledge to support the candidate they represent and may not vote otherwise. Michigan voters can be assured that all 16 Michigan electoral votes automatically go to the presidential candidate winning the popular vote.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-1633_8716-27662--,00.html

[catbyte]

20. They have no standing to delay the certification. It's out of the legislature's hands which is why

the visit was a stupid stunt to begin with.

[ismnotwasm]

7. Excellent

[50 Shades Of Blue]

8. *Y*E*T

[regnaD kciN]

11. Indeed...

Don't want to be too cynical, but this could be their way of protecting themselves against bribery charges. "We met with the President, and told him we weren't going along with any scheme to steal the election...but, later on, in a completely separate incident, we saw enough evidence of vote fraud to justify stepping in and awarding the electors to Trump. But there was absolutely no connection at all!"

[catbyte]

34. It is against the Michigan Constitution for the legislature to seat electors. Even if they tried,

any bill they'd pass would be vetoed by Governor Whitmer. And, thanks to the overwhelming Democratic victory in Michigan in 2018, the Senate lost their supermajority and lost seats in the House. The legislature is absolutely powerless to do anything about the outcome of the election.

[oswaldactedalone]

9. Those guys strong-armed Trump

I can just see Trump flinging hamberders around the room after they left.

[smb]

28. They Basically Blew Off His Scheme And Told Him To Do His Damn Job While He Still Has It nt

[malaise]

10. Good

ByeDon!

[ecstatic]

12. Lol

They attended the meeting to ask tRump for more help with covid-19?

If true, something tells me the meeting didn't last very long.

[radius777]

14. These clowns have no say, and should not

be implying otherwise. The law is very clear on this. The only role the legislature plays is in a 'failed election' ie one that cannot be certified as a result of actual fraud, negligence etc - which would have to be proven in court. There is no such evidence, small irregularities are normal. Repubs are simply attempting to cast aspersions on urban areas that are heavily liberal and diverse.

[klook]

26. Correct. The whole thing is theatre for the rubes.

Or is it “for the rubles?”

[Midnight Writer]

15. They have to release a statement saying "We will follow the law"?

That tells us that they know how shady this whole thing is.

That tells us that the meeting was about violating the law and their Oaths of Office.

Damn them for playing along and not testifying publicly against Trump and his lawyers.

[lsewpershad]

17. Hope so.

[Thomas Hurt]

18. Still have to follow through gents, until then you are the same as the Pig.

[catbyte]

22. There's nothing they can do at this point. They're just humoring the big baby.

[louis-t]

23. Loser John James made a very impassioned yet impotent

request that certification be 'delayed'.

[mnmoderatedem]

24. Swiiiiiiing and a miss!!!!

It's like Nolan Ryan going up against rookie league hitters.

[BlueIdaho]

25. Not too surprising

Any attempted coup would be a legislative action and would have to be signed by the governor which ain’t going to happen. Most they could do is make themselves a target during the next election which is still not a bad idea.

[catbyte]

38. They may very well be on their way out by 2022 anyway if the Redistricting Commission manages to

un-gerrymander the state by the next election. Redistricting has been taken out of the legislature's hands and now there will be a bipartisan commission apportioning congressional districts. It's a whole new ballgame here in Michigan.

[BlueIdaho]

45. Great information - thank you!

I really appreciate you information and your perspective. Thanks Again!

[catbyte]

46. 2018 was the most consequential state election in my lifetime. Not only did we sweep the

Executive Branch of government, republicans lost their supermajority in the state Senate (even gerrymandered as we currently are). We also overwhelmingly passed Prop 2 which is the un-gerrymandering prop, and Prop 3, we changed the Michigan Constitution to make voting more accessible. We could very well have saved democracy in Michigan and definitely saved thousands of lives by electing a Democratic Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. I shudder to think what this state would look like if it were still controlled by republicans. There were skeevy shenanigans in 2016 like knocking 187K voters off the rolls in the Detroit area a few months before the election--most were reinstated after the election and the republican AG sued to stop the recount when trump's lead diminished from 13K to 10K.

Voting matters.

[grantcart]

27. Lololol

[gollygee]

29. Shirkey is going to run for Governor

And he won't get it without some swing voters. He needs the moderates and isn't going to piss people off I guess. The right wing won't vote for Whitmer - he doesn't really have to worry about losing them.

[BobTheSubgenius]

31. Who wouldn't love to hear the WH take on the meeting....or the reaction to this statement?

Is he bouncing off the walls? Alternating between muttering and raging? Sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth and weeping?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Jon King]

32. Screw the red states....

The only game plan for Dems is to keep the 5 states we flipped in this election. Take care of PA, MI, WI, AZ, GA suburbs and cities, give them every bit of federal help Biden can through executive orders. Do the same with NC and TX suburbs and metro areas, they can be flipped by 2024.

And screw the rest. Its impossible to bring these red staters back. Jim Banks from Indiana already said Biden is a lame duck from day 1. America has to move on from the red states. Only 29% of the US economic output voted for Trump. If we ever get all 3 branches, admit DC as a state.

But Dems need to hold the Presidency forever, lots of power through executive orders. Its time for the blue states to simply write off the red states. Let them howl at the moon in Montana and Indiana.

[angrychair]

35. Ok, I guess

But I don't trust any republican until Biden has finished the oath of office and is actually president.
Until then they will do anything in service to their master

[catbyte]

41. I don't think they'll go to jail for him which is a real possibility if they try to subvert the will

of us citizens of Michigan. Our AG has made it clear she will not tolerate any monkey business.

[marble falls]

39. Reality sets in. Good.

[Yavin4]

40. Another Trump loss.

A month of losing for Trump.

[DFW]

43. I bet they went there fully prepared to hear something that would inspire them to nix Biden's win

When Trump went Full Frantic Fruitcake on them, they probably all looked at each other and said, OK, we're done here.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

44. Rachel is throwing cold water on my optimism.

He is relying on other crooks to save him. We need to make that clear.

[58Sunliner]

49. When it's certified, I'll take a breath. They gave themselves room to maneuver.

[efhmc]

52. Who paid for this little jaunt?

Champagne and airline tickets and meals and accommodations? https://www.abc4.com/news/national/dom-perignon-trends-on-twitter-after-michigan-gop-leaders-seen-drinking-495-champagne-at-trump-hotel/

[crickets]

54. Good question. nt

[LudwigPastorius]

53. Negotiating tactic with Trump?

We want more money/a federal bench seat/cushy ambassadorship/etc. before we intervene to help you steal the election.

[kentuck]

55. I read that they stayed at the Trump International last night?

And celebrated with Dom Perignon this morning?

[LudwigPastorius]

56. Expensive champagne has been known to make an appearance after...

someone has sealed a beneficial deal.

We know that e v e r y human interaction with Trump is transactional. If I were in the F.B.I., I'd be watching these people's finances over the next few weeks very closely.