Archive for the ‘Democrat’ Category

Could This Be The 1st Step In The Impeachment Process? Democrat Files ‘Resolution of Inquiry’ on Trump – The Root

Rep. Jerrold Angerer (D-NY) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A senior member of the House Judiciary Committee introduced a Resolution of Inquiry on Thursday that directs the Department of Justice to provide the House of Representatives with any and all information relevant to an inquiry into President Trump and his associates conflicts of interest, ethical violations (including the Emoluments Clause), and Russia ties.

The House Judiciary Committee has 14 days to debate and vote on whether the resolution Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced should be introduced to the floor, and if it does not do so within that 14-day period, then the resolution can be brought to the floor in front of the full house for a vote.

According to the Washington Post, Nadler is dusting off a little-used legislative tool to force a committee debate or floor vote on an issue.

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Nadlers resolution asks Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide copies of any document, record, memo, correspondence, or other communication of the Department of Justice that pertains to any criminal or counterintelligence investigation into Trump, his White House team or certain campaign associates; any investment made by a foreign power or agent thereof in Trumps businesses; Trumps plans to distance himself from his business empire; and any Trump-related examination of federal conflict of interest laws or the emoluments clause of the Constitution.

The full text of Nadlers resolution can be read here.

Nadler is the No. 2-ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, and he said that the move came after Democrats sent two letters to Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), one on Nov. 30, 2016 and a second on Jan. 24, 2017, and another letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) asking for investigations into Trumps financial entanglements.

All of this demands investigation, and of course theyve refused, Nadler said Thursday at the House Democrats annual policy retreat here. This resolution will force them to confront the issue.

The resolution asks for records on any investigation targeting Trump as well as national security adviser Michael Flynn, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, oil industry consultant and former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, political operative Roger Stone, or any employee of the Executive Office of the President.

Flynn, Manafort, Page and Stone have all come under scrutiny for their alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

While Trump has stepped down from the management side of his businesses, he has not divested his assets, a move that was recommended by the nonpartisan Office of Government Ethics.

While Nadler himself has not mentioned nor implied that this resolution has anything to do with impeachment of the president, many are speculating as to whether this could be the opening salvo that leads us down that path.

As a nation, we have watched the president make many questionable moves in his first three weeks in office, and the ties that many of his closest advisers in his administration have to Russia are undeniable.

As Countable notes, the information yielded by the inquiry could lead to broader calls for impeachment.

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As a reminder, impeachment involves the levying of charges against a government official who has committed treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The indictment comes from the House, and if a majority of lawmakers support impeachment the case advances to the Senate. The Senate then begins a trial with witnesses and cross-examinations, and a two-thirds majority is required to convict an official. In the event of a conviction, the official is immediately removed from office and could be barred from holding office in the future or face criminal prosecution.

Nadler said that the resolution will force Republicans to debate their role in holding Trump accountable for his potential business conflicts, and it will possibly force every member of Congress to vote on the matter.

If the resolution comes to the floor, Republicans would most likely move to table it, and Nadler said, That means every Republican will have to vote, in effect, on whether or not to abdicate their responsibility to have oversight.

And thats really all a lot of us want right? Republicans are in control of the government, and they are letting Trump (someone on Twitter called him President Twitler, but I wont do that here) run around like a Bebe kid just doing whatever he wants whenever he wants without checking him. Its dangerous, and the fact that they act like they dont have the power to stop him is scary.

Even if the resolution does not lead to impeachment, lets start getting this man in check and redirect him to the purpose of his job, which is serving the American people.

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Could This Be The 1st Step In The Impeachment Process? Democrat Files 'Resolution of Inquiry' on Trump - The Root

A Progressive Democrat Is Populism’s Heir Apparent – Daily Caller

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Tulsi Gabbard, a charismatic, two-time Veteran of the Iraq war, and congresswoman from Hawaii, is turning the Democratic Party on its head. Refusing to play partisan politics, she instead opts to cosponsor policy that could be best described as common sense. Despite falling very much on the Progressive side of the ideological scale, she has caught the ire of many Democrats. She has committed three egregious sins in their eyes; the first being her apparent willingness to work with President Trump, as she demonstrated by her post-election visit to Trump Tower in late November. Secondly, she was one of the most outspoken Democratic critics of President Obamas foreign policy. She condemned the former President for not using the words Islamic extremism a favorite attack line of Republicans, including the then candidate Donald J. Trump. Finally, as Vice-Chair of the DNC, she refused support for the rigged Democratic Primary, and instead resigned. In the process, she rebuked Clinton stooge and DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and backed populist candidate Senator Bernie Sanders in a coup de foudre. She was totally vindicated five months later when WikiLeaks exposed high level corruption which then ultimately forced the resignation of Wasserman-Schultz. This would be the first, but not the last, time she demonstrated her incredible political instincts.

Her meeting at Trump Tower in New York, and her comfortable appearance as a guest on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, should not come as a surprise but rather indicate a calculated political strategy. She is reaching out to a demographic that has been written off by the DNC. She may be one of the only Democratic politicians who, left in the wake of Novembers election, truly gets it. The election was less about identity politics than the left so desperately tried to define it as, and was more Americanism vs. globalism. It was no coincidence Senator Sanders and President Trumps campaign had similar anti-globalist and anti-government corruption themes. This is why candidate Trump tried to appeal to disenfranchised Sanders voters in the fall out of Clintons nomination; a demographic taken for granted by Clinton. Congresswoman Gabbard saw the power of populism in the meteoric rise of the Sanders campaign, and started hedging her political aspirations; backing Sanders over Clinton shows she is laying groundwork for a similar campaign in 2020 and beyond.

Further demonstrating her populist appeal is the Hill.coms report that Congresswoman Gabbard is a favorite of Steve Bannon, the populist architect of the Trump campaign. It also explains why she was an early consideration for Secretary of State in the Trump Administration an option which still may be on the table for a second-term Trump presidency as part of a sweetheart deal to keep her out of the race as a challenger. She has real potential as a future Presidential candidate as far as electoral math is concerned. As William F. Buckley once said, The Average American is not a liberal nor is he a conservative. He may have liberal leanings or Conservative leanings; but it is a mistake to think of him as a conscious agent. Here is where Congresswoman Gabbard stands to capitalize: her progressive Democratic platform has appeal on the Liberal coasts, but her refusal to take a hard-line stance on gun control and her disdain for globalist trade deals could bring the Aloha Spirit to Trump Republicans in the Midwest. Her common sense legislation like the Stop Arming Terrorists Act and general opposition of foreign conflict could garner her support with Libertarians and other ideological moderates. She also fits many different political demographics as a mixed race woman and Veteran if a race was defined as around identity politics. Most importantly, she is maneuvering away from the herd: when Democrats are happy to settle for obstructionism, she is looking like a pragmatist.

In four years, an exhausted Democratic Party establishment, tired from battling President Trump, will be primed for a shocking primary defeat to a populist candidate, akin to the Republicans in 2016 after eight years of battling Obama. That candidate is Tulsi Gabbard.

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A Progressive Democrat Is Populism's Heir Apparent - Daily Caller

Top-ranking intel Democrat: Flynn ‘should no longer serve’ if he made secret calls to Russian ambassador – AOL News

Reports that President Donald Trump's national security adviser secretly called Russia's ambassador to the US to discuss sanctions before Trump took office raise "serious questions of legality and fitness for office," the House Intelligence Committee's top Democrat said Friday.

The Washington Post and the New York Times reported on Thursday night, citing nearly a dozen current and former officials in total, that the adviser, Michael Flynn, had spoken with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, about sanctions before Trump was sworn in including at least one call on the day President Barack Obama imposed new penalties on Russia for its election-related meddling.

"The allegation that General Flynn, while President Obama was still in office, secretly discussed with Russia's ambassador ways to undermine the sanctions levied against Russia for its interference in the Presidential election on Donald Trump's behalf, raises serious questions of legality and fitness for office," Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the committee, wrote in a statement.

"If he did so, and then he and other Administration officials misled the American people, his conduct would be all the more pernicious, and he should no longer serve in this Administration or any other," Schiff added.

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Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn

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Retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn introduces Republican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump before he delivered a speech at The Union League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Trump spoke about his plans to build up the military if elected. Recent national polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the election.

(Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, prepares to testify at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled 'Current and Future Worldwide Threats,' featuring testimony by he and James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence.

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn arrives at the Trump Tower for meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump, in New York on November 17, 2016.

(EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, at podium, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attend a campaign event with veterans at the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Ave., NW, where Trump stated he believes President Obama was born in the United States, September 16, 2016.

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

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Both Flynn and Vice President Mike Pence had previously denied that the sanctions were discussed on the calls, but counterintelligence officials told The Times they had transcripts of the conversations. Flynn denied the allegations through Wednesday, according to The Post, but then backed away from those denials through his spokesperson on Thursday.

Flynn, the spokesperson said, "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn't be certain that the topic never came up."

The former officials told The Post and The Times that while Flynn did not make any explicit promises about lifting the sanctions on Russia, Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, "was left with the impression that the sanctions would be revisited at a later time."

Federal officials who have read the transcript of the call "were surprised by Mr. Flynn's comments, since he would have known that American eavesdroppers closely monitor such calls," The Times reported. "They were even more surprised that Mr. Trump's team publicly denied that the topics of conversation included sanctions."

Schiff is one of seven top Democratic lawmakers calling on the Defense Department to investigate whether Flynn ran afoul of the Constitution by being paid to speak at a gala in Moscow in December 2015 celebrating the 10th anniversary of the state-sponsored news agency Russia Today.

"Since his retirement in 2014, General Flynn has made regular appearances on Russia Today (RT), that country's state-sponsored propaganda outlet," the lawmakers wrote. "He has admitted to being paid on at least one of these occasions at an RT gala in Moscow where he dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin."

Flynn told The Washington Post last year that he had been paid to speak at the event, but he did not disclose the amount.

The emoluments clause of the Constitution deals with conflicts of interest that might arise by accepting gifts or payments from a foreign country. It has been cited by critics of Trump's refusal to sell off his businesses, which operate in four continents and nearly two dozen countries.

The lawmakers, in a letter to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, requested that Mattis provide "all documents in the possession or control" of the Defense Department relating to Flynn's communications with Russian government officials, interactions with RT officials, and payments received from "any foreign source" from the time he retired through January 20 the date on which Trump was inaugurated.

NOW WATCH: Watch protesters and Trump supporters get into a fiery argument on the National Mall right after the new president was sworn in

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Top-ranking intel Democrat: Flynn 'should no longer serve' if he made secret calls to Russian ambassador - AOL News

Gov. Brown seeks disaster declaration for California flooding – Santa Rosa Press Democrat

(1 of ) Water trickles down as workers inspect part of the Lake Oroville spillway failure on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017 in Oroville, Calif. The Department of Water Resources said the erosion at Lake Oroville does not pose a threat to the earthen dam or public safety, and the reservoir has plenty of capacity to handle the continuing rain. (Randy Pench/The Sacramento Bee via AP) (2 of ) Water flows through break in the wall of the Oroville Dam spillway, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. The torrent chewed up trees and soil alongside the concrete spillway before rejoining the main channel below. Engineers don't know what caused what state Department of Water Resources spokesman Eric See called a "massive" cave-in that is expected to keep growing until it reaches bedrock. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) (3 of ) Water flows through break in the wall of the Oroville Dam spillway, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. The torrent chewed up trees and soil alongside the concrete spillway before rejoining the main channel below. Engineers don't know what caused what state Department of Water Resources spokesman Eric See called a "massive" cave-in that is expected to keep growing until it reaches bedrock. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) (4 of ) Water flows through break in the wall of the Oroville Dam spillway, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. Engineers don't know what caused what state Department of Water Resources spokesman Eric See called a "massive" cave-in that is expected to keep growing until it reaches bedrock. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) (5 of ) The Pee Wee Golf course is inundated by floodwaters Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (6 of ) Part of the River Bend recreation area are submerged under floodwater Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, near Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (7 of ) The Pee Wee Golf course is seen under floodwaters Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (8 of ) A man operates a motor boat in a flooded area Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (9 of ) Grape vines at Korbel vineyards are submerged under floodwater Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, near Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (10 of ) A man takes a photo of a flooded street on Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (11 of ) Residents traverse a flooded street by rowboat, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (12 of ) Grape vines at Korbel vineyards are flooded Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, near Guerneville, Calif. The Russian River rose above its flood stage again on Friday due to excessive rain in the area causing minor flooding. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (13 of ) A mudslide reaches a home after a series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (14 of ) A mudslide damages as home after series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (15 of ) A contractor flies a drone over a property damaged by a mudslide after series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (16 of ) A contractor flies a drone over a property damaged by a mudslide after series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (17 of ) A mudslide covers a hillside after series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (18 of ) A mudslide damages as home after series of storms Friday, Feb. 10, 2017, in Orinda, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

JOHN ANTCZAK

ASSOCIATED PRESS | February 10, 2017, 8:17PM

| Updated 10 hours ago.

LOS ANGELES California Gov. Jerry Brown asked President Trump on Friday to declare a major disaster in the state because of damage from a month of storms as more rain hit the south.

Browns letter said a powerful series of January storms brought relentless rain and high winds that caused flooding, mudslides, evacuations, erosion, power outages and at least eight deaths. Northern California was hardest hit.

Brown said the storm system was so severe and widespread that state and local governments need federal assistance to continue dealing with the problems it created.

In a separate action, the governor added Amador, Mono and Riverside to the 49 counties included in an emergency proclamation Brown issued last month.

A so-called atmospheric river weather system continued to pummel the upper two-thirds of the state this week but it weakened as if moved south down the coast on Friday.

The region from Ventura County to the Mexican border generally saw less than a half-inch of rain, although the National Weather Service said rain could continue to fall into Saturday, particularly in the mountains.

Thanks to a wet winter, downtown Los Angeles already has recorded 15.7 inches of rain since the Oct. 1 start of the water year, exceeding its annual rainfall total with the season far from over.

In the north, which reeled this week from fierce downpours, rising water and damaging mudslides, the rain tapered off. But problems persisted.

In Butte County, workers scrambled to rescue millions of baby salmon from a hatchery being buried in mud from the crumbling spillway of the Lake Oroville Dam. The fish were evacuated by tanker trucks.

Damage to the spillway could approach $100 million, officials said.

On Friday, state officials said they may be able to avoid emergency releases from the rain-choked reservoir by further sacrificing the concrete spillway.

Basically its going to be a triage situation. We know were going to have erosion going on but its in the best interest of the lake right now to be able to keep using the spillway to evacuate water, California Department of Water Resources spokesman Eric See.

A vast swatch of Californias northern interior and areas of the Central Valley remained under flood advisories or warnings into Saturday.

In the Sierra Nevada, winter storm warnings were to remain in effect until early Saturday in the greater Lake Tahoe area and Mono County.

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Gov. Brown seeks disaster declaration for California flooding - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Democrats face liberal revolt at Michigan convention – The Detroit News

Rep Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids.(Photo: Dale G. Young / The Detroit News)Buy Photo

Lansing Theyre fed up with the establishment, they believe a key election was rigged and theyre plotting to reshape their party from the grassroots up.

No, theyre not tea party Republicans. Theyre liberal Democrats, and theyre planning a show of force Saturday at the Michigan Democratic Partys state convention in Detroit, where activists and elites alike will try to chart a new course for a party reeling from electoral losses.

Two separate groups inspired by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2016 presidential candidate and self-described democratic socialist, have spent months organizing ahead of the convention, where Democrats will elect officials to congressional district and statewide party posts.

One youth-powered group, Michigan for Revolution, is working to bus in Democrats from around the state in hopes of electing a slate of candidates to caucus positions and the central committee, the partys main leadership and decision-making board.

The Democratic Party doesnt really listen to anyone but the establishment, and I think thats the biggest problem, said organizer Kelly Collison, 28, of Bath. They dont pay attention to the rural areas. They think theyve already won over people of color because theyre Democrats.

Sanders, who focused on closing income and wealth gaps in his bid for the White House, scored a surprise win in Michigans primary but ultimately lost the Democratic nomination to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Collison and other Sanders supporters argue hacked emails released by WikiLeaks prove the Democratic National Committee inappropriately aided Clinton.

President Donald Trump went on to defeat Clinton in the general election, becoming the first Republican to win Michigan since 1988. Progressive Democrats, as they prefer to be called, blame that loss and others on out-of-touch establishment leadership.

Right now its a party thats dominated by elite stakeholders and donors, and thats not the way it should be, said Michigan for Revolution organizer Sam Pernick, 24, of Huntington Woods.

Pernick and other young activists stormed a closed-door party meeting late last year in Westland, and he ended up pressing charges against a longtime Democrat and labor leader for alleged assault. He moved to drop those charges last week and said his group is not planning any similar demonstrations this weekend.

What we have asked is that elections be conducted in a fair and democratic way thats inclusive of all groups that want to participate, Pernick said.

A second group, Michigan to Believe In, is forming alliances with traditional party leaders. It has helped register Democrats in time to vote at the convention and is preparing its own list of recommended convention candidates, including Flint water activist Melissa Mays, who is aiming for a seat on the partys environmental caucus.

I think its pretty clear the Democratic Party on all levels needs to take a hard look at what its doing and rethink its strategy and platform, said Michelle Deatrick of Superior Township, a former Sanders campaign organizer recently elected as a Washtenaw County commissioner.

We need to be connecting and reaching out to people and listening to voters year-round, not just a month before elections, she said.

Dillon a lock for re-election

Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Brandon Dillon is unlikely to face a serious challenge for re-election. This is happening even though Republicans retained their majority in the state House, shocking observers who predicted Democratic gains, and unexpectedly won a handful of education posts long coveted by party leaders.

At this point we dont have anyone to run against him, Collison said. Its not the most glamorous job, and I know Brandon has had a tough time as it is. He took over a failing party when he came in.

As of Tuesday, Dillon remained the only announced candidate in the race. While party rules would still allow a challenger to declare ahead of Saturdays convention at Cobo Center, he or she would be at a huge organizational disadvantage.

Ive been campaigning as if I have an opponent and been really talking about what I think is the way to move the party forward, Dillon said.

The Grand Rapids Democrat took over the post in July 2015 after his predecessor, Lon Johnson, stepped down to run for an open U.S. House in Michigans 1st Congressional District, a race Johnson lost to political novice and now-U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet.

Trumps unexpected win in Michigan proved a boon for other Republicans. The party maintained its 9-5 advantage in the U.S. House and even flipped traditionally Democratic local offices in Macomb County.

Shortly after the election we started putting a plan together to reform what we do within the party, to rebuild power from the grassroots up and increasingly to activate people to resist the really incredible things that are going on with the Trump administration, Dillon said.

Pernick has been rumored as a possible challenger to Dillon, but he denied any interest in running.

I think he walked into a tough situation, Pernick said, noting Dillon has served only a partial term as chair.

Dillon has attempted to embrace the grassroots insurgency, which recalls the Republican tea party movement that began eight years ago in opposition to Democratic President Barack Obama.

The tea party was certainly successful in some of their efforts, but the comparisons stop I think at the level of energy and activism, he said. The (progressive) policy positions are in the mainstream of where Democrats have been for a long time. I think theyre just focused more on being bolder, stronger and giving people a reason to believe the Democratic Party can actually fight back and win.

Other establishment Democrats have also extended olive branches to former Sanders supporters. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Dearborn, for instance, declined to seek re-election to the Democratic National Committee in December.

I dont think she stepped down specifically for me, but she stepped down specifically so a progressive could get a spot, said Deatrick, who was elected to the DNC post.

Michigan AFL-CIO leader Ron Bieber said the new wave of liberal activists have a lot in common with the labor movement, which has long advocated for fair pay and workers rights.

Im a progressive, Bieber said. Im with them on their issues. It was a matter of difference in candidates, and we can get past that.

Looking to 2018

Despite Trumps win, Democrats argue Michigan cannot yet be considered a red state. They remain optimistic they can regain at least some power in the 2018 elections.

Trumps pledge to fight for blue-collar workers was nonsense, said David Hecker, Michigan president of the American Federation of Teachers, arguing Democrats must continue to focus on fighting for economic equality.

Its the Democrats who have always stood for that, he said. Trump talked about it because he knew it was a way to get votes.

Deatrick, who has endorsed Dillon for re-election, questioned the Clinton campaigns tactics and said she thinks poor performance at the top of the ticket dragged down other Democratic candidates in Michigan.

They made a lot of big mistakes, and there was a lot of frustration here in Michigan from state party leadership on down about how the campaign was run, she said.

Motivated by Trump

Party leaders say Trumps election and early presidential actions have energized the grassroots in ways they havent seen in years. They point to massive womens marches across the country and protests over the presidents executive order limiting immigration and refugee immigration.

The Trump administration is doing everything it can to unite Democrats Dillon said.

Ive never seen this type of energy and enthusiasm in an off-year, Bieber said, and that represents a huge opportunity, but also new organizing challenges. How do we bring all these new folks into the fold?

Every seat in Michigans state House and Senate will be up for grabs next year, in addition to the governors office and the states 14 congressional seats. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, will also defend her post.

I think 2018 is likely to be not only a referendum on the Trump administration, but on eight years of total Republican dominance in state government, Dillon said.

joosting@detroitnews.com

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Democrats face liberal revolt at Michigan convention - The Detroit News