U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar tried to appeal to female voters ahead of Mother’s Day this past week with a glossy mail advertisement that arrived in mailboxes in the 13th Congressional District — 13 weeks before the Aug. 6 Democratic primary.
The advertisement’s message talked about Thanedar’s mother and wife, Shashi, with a photo of his family and the moms in this life.
“In Congress, I have tried following the lessons these strong women have taught me,” Thanedar wrote. “I’ve worked to empower women — by defending abortion rights, fighting for equal pay and fighting against discrimination in any form.”
Curiously, the ad also featured another mom — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow Democrat who gave Thanedar’s chief primary opponent, state Sen. Adam Hollier, a job as director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.
Thanedar’s mailer didn’t identify Whitmer in writing, it just has a photo of him and the governor. But the image suggests Thanedar has the support of the state’s chief executive in his reelection bid against Hollier and Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters in a primary where the victory will almost assuredly prevail in the November general election.
Whitmer did not authorize Thanedar to use her image in the advertisement, said Helen Hare, spokeswoman for Whitmer’s Fight Like Hell political action committee.
“The use of this photo for campaign purposes is not authorized, and the Governor has not made an endorsement in this race,” Hare said in a statement.
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Uncommitted Dems pan ‘sanitized’ convention
The Uncommitted National Movement is demanding a meeting with top Democratic National Committee officials after a report that White House and Democratic leaders are discussing making the party’s August nominating convention partially virtual in an effort to minimize the threat of disruptions at the high-profile gathering.
Leaders of the Uncommitted movement, which began in Michigan, said the party is trying avoid debate over President Joe Biden’s support for Israel and his position on Palestinian rights. They aren’t having it.
“The DNC’s attempt to sideline genuine discourse and sanitize the convention undermines the spirit of democracy that our party’s voting base expects them to champion,” said Abbas Alawieh, a spokesman for Uncommitted.
“Open the party doors to genuine debate, let delegates speak freely, and show that the party still stands for the basic tenets of freedom and democracy.“
Abbas said the group wants a meeting with senior planners of the convention and DNC Chair Jaime Harrison to ensure delegates may attend in person and “speak freely.”
Politico reported that some party officials are pushing to make the August convention in Chicago hybrid similar to their COVID-era convention four years ago, with a mix of in-person speeches from Biden and others and also pre-recorded content and fewer opportunities for demonstrators or hecklers to interrupt.
The conversation comes amid campus protests around the country over the war and demonstrators often showing up at venues or in audiences where Biden speaks. Anger over Biden’s support for Israel in the Gaza war spread across communities in Michigan, spurring more than 100,000 residents to cast “uncommitted” ballots in protest during the Democratic presidential primary in February.
The Uncommitted movement won delegates in Michigan’s 6th and 12th congressional districts. Abbas on Saturday won his bid to represent the Uncommitted movement at the convention as a delegate for the 12th Congressional District. Rima Mohammad, former president of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education, won to represent the 6th.
More: Biden’s threat to halt U.S. weapons to Israel draws immediate GOP blowback
Raimondo to Mackinac
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo is the latest speaker announced for the 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber at month’s end, organizers said last week.
“We’re looking forward to hearing a one-on-one discussion with her about her extraordinary career, from her leadership of the Department of Commerce and her leading role in the development of many of the policies and administration that we think have been critical to our biz including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said businesswoman Suzanne Shank, chair of this year’s conference. “That was a big get in our view.”
The conference will also feature a bipartisan debate among the top-polling U.S. Senate candidates at 5:30 p.m. May 30 based on a survey by the Lansing-based polling firm Glengariff Group.
Three Republicans and three Democrats have been invited to participate: Democrats Elissa Slotkin of Holly, Hill Harper of Detroit and Nasser Beydoun of Dearborn and Republicans Mike Rogers of Brighton, Sandy Pensler of Grosse Pointe Park and Justin Amash of Cascade Township. Television journalists Devin Scillian of WDIV (Channel 4) and Rick Albin of WOOD-TV will moderate the debate.
“We are working with all of their offices to confirm them for this opportunity,” Detroit Chamber President and CEO Sandy Baruah said.
“The format will allow both parties obviously to be on the stage at the same time. We think this is a unique format that really pushes candidates to speak to a broad audience, as opposed to speaking to their base voters. It creates a different dynamic.”
Others speakers on the agenda include Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, state House Speaker Joe Tate, University of Michigan President Santa Ono, Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz, NBC News’ Chuck Todd and Suzanne P. Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
State GOP plans for convention
The Michigan Republican Party has begun making plans for the Republican national convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee from July 15-18.
Michigan’s delegates for the convention will be staying at a hotel in Madison, Wisc., according to a party email, reviewed by The Detroit News.
“The hotel is just over an hour from the Fiserv Forum,” wrote Tyson Shepard, executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, in a recent message to delegates.
Delegates also selected Anne DeLisle of Genesee County, chairwoman of the 8th Congressional District Republican committee, to be the delegation chairman. And they chose Pete Hoekstra, chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, and Bronwyn Haltom of Kalamazoo County to represent the state on the convention’s platform committee.
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Tweet of the week
The Insider report’s “Tweet of the Week,” recognizing a social media post that was worthy of attention or, possibly, just a laugh, from the previous week goes to journalist Rachel Louise Just.
Just, who previously covered Michigan politics but now works in Arizona, responded to news that a TV show is in the works that’s planned to be a new version of “The Office” but based around a newspaper in a Midwestern town.
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