Justin Amash in Michigan GOP Senate primary

Former Republican-turned-Libertarian congressman Justin Amash has entered the Republican Senate primary in Michigan.

Justin Amash announces Republican bid for Michigan US Senate seat after having previously left GOP | CityNew Halifax | Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press:

February 29, 2024 - "Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, who left the GOP in 2019 after calling for the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump, announced a Republican bid for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat Thursday. Amash represented Grand Rapids from 2011 to 2021, and he becomes the third former U.S. representative to join the Republican field vying for Michigan’s open Senate seat. Former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers and Peter Meijer have also announced Republican campaigns....

“'I’m convinced that no candidate would be better positioned to win both the Republican primary and the general election,' Amash said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 'That’s why, today, I’m making it official: I’m joining the race for United States Senate in Michigan'....

"Amash left the party to become an independent. He had been the lone House Republican to support a Trump impeachment inquiry in 2019. He opted not to seek reelection to Congress after his fifth term and to instead pursue a Libertarian nomination for president. At the time, Amash said that millions of Americans do not feel well represented by either major political party.... [H]e promised in his announcement to be 'an independent-minded senator prepared to challenge anyone and everyone on the people’s behalf,' if elected.

"Amash, whose father is Palestinian and his mother Syrian, was the first Palestinian American lawmaker to serve in the U.S. Congress. Earlier this year, Amash said on social media that several relatives were killed when an Israeli airstrike struck a church in Gaza City.

"Michigan’s U.S. Senate race is expected to be the lone competitive open seat in the country this year. Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced last January that she would not seek reelection after having served in the upper chamber since 2001.... 

"Amash and Meijer — who are both from Grand Rapids — will each face the difficult task of overcoming past support for impeachments of Trump. Meijer was among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 after the deadly mob siege of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump wields significant influence over Republicans in Michigan, and his endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat has the potential to dramatically impact the outcome of the race.

"The GOP has not won a Michigan U.S. Senate race since 1994. Defending the Michigan seat could prove crucial for Democrats in their effort to maintain the Senate, where the party holds a 51-49 majority and also faces tough headwinds as they defend seats in Republican-leaning states from West Virginia to Montana and Ohio."

Read more: https://halifax.citynews.ca/2024/02/29/justin-amash-announces-republican-bid-for-michigan-u-s-senate-seat-after-having-previously-left-gop/

Former Representative Amash enters US Senate race | 13 ON YOUR SIDE | March 1, 2024:

Justin Amash exploring U.S. Senate run

Former U.S. Rep. Amash exploring GOP run for U.S. Senate in Michigan | Detroit News | Melissa Nann Burke:

January 18, 2024 - "Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of west Michigan said Thursday he's forming an exploratory committee as he mulls joining the Republican primary contest for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. Amash, 43, of Cascade Township is a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump who left the GOP in 2019 and later became the first Libertarian to serve in Congress. He chose not to run for reelection in 2020 after five terms....

"'I’ve been humbled in recent weeks by the many people who have urged me to run for Senate in Michigan and to do so by joining the Republican primary,' Amash wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 'They see what I see: contenders for the seat who are uninspired, unserious, and unprepared to tackle the chief impediment to liberty and economic prosperity — an overgrown and abusive government that strives to centralize power and snuff out individualism. The people of Michigan and our country deserve better. Today I’m launching the Justin Amash for Senate Exploratory Committee as I consider entering the race'....

"Amash's joining the Senate GOP field would further crowd the race, which includes former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers of Brighton and Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township — who succeeded Amash in Congress — former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and businessman Sandy Pensler of Grosse Pointe Park, among others. On the Democratic side, candidates include three-term U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly, the actor Hill Harper of Detroit and businessman Nasser Beydoun of Dearborn. Former state Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit said Thursday she was suspending her campaign.

"Amash represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress for 10 years and saw his national profile soar after he became the only Republican member of Congress to support Trump's first impeachment. He was a co-founder of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus in 2015.... He left the Republican Party on July 4, 2019, after years of clashes with GOP leadership and frustration with hyper-partisanship in Congress. The former state lawmaker first became an independent and later joined the Libertarian Party in 2020 after a lifetime as a 'small l' libertarian, saying he wanted to help the party grow and arguing it could be a "strong competitor" to the two major parties....

"If he joins the GOP primary for Senate, Amash could have a rocky go with pro-Trump voters given his record of unflattering remarks about the former president, including the rejection of Trump's stolen election claims. Trump famously labeled Amash a "loser" and GOP leaders to denounced him over his impeachment stance.... 

"Elected in the 2010 tea party wave, Amash ranked among the most conservative members of the U.S. House, opposing what he called runaway government spending and casting votes based on his libertarian principles and conscience, often explaining his votes on Facebook. He clashed with Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence panel, over Amash's push for reforms to government surveillance methods and other national security issues when they served together. Rogers fundraised for Amash primary opponent Brian Ellis in 2014. Amash won the primary by 15 percentage points that year.

"Amash, who is Palestinian American, in October announced that several of his relatives were killed in a blast at St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they'd been sheltering from Israeli shelling. Amash's father immigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1956 as Palestinian Christian refugees."

Read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/18/former-u-s-rep-amash-exploring-gop-run-for-u-s-senate-in-michigan/72268199007/

Former Rep. Justin Amash launches exploratory committee for MI Senate bid | WOOD TV8 | January 19, 2024:

Right-to-work law repealed in Michigan

Michigan Repeals Right-To-Work Law | Reason - Stephen Delie:

March 24, 2023 - "Michigan on Friday became the first state to repeal a right-to-work law in over 60 years. That's unfortunate not just for the workers who have lost their choice about whether to associate with a union, but also for the state economy. Michigan will be a less prosperous state without right-to-work, and its workers will be less free....

"At its core, right-to-work is about choice. For private sector workers, the National Labor Relations Act establishes rules for what happens when union membership is mandatory. Once a union is recognized, it speaks for all employees within the bargaining unit. An employer must bargain with that union, and only with that union, to set the terms and conditions that will govern the workplace. Employees who do not wish to associate with the union have no choice but to accept its representation and terms of the contract it negotiates. They cannot negotiate for themselves.

"Right-to-work restores some voice to dissenting workers by allowing them to keep their jobs without being forced to pay a union 'agency fees.' Agency fees are a portion of dues, which workers must pay to a union.... Typically, these fees are 70 percent to 80 percent of the dues payment. In states without right-to-work protections, workers who do not want the union to speak for them can be forced to pay these fees. Right-to-work gives these workers a voice by allowing them to at least not have to pay for their legally mandated silence when it comes to their compensation and working conditions....

"The economic impacts of right-to-works have been positive both in Michigan and across the country.... A 2002 study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (where I am director of labor policy) found gross state product, statewide employment, manufacturing employment, construction employment, and per-capita disposable income all grew faster in right-to-work states from 1970–2002, compared to states without right-to-work. That same study showed lower average annual unemployment, poverty rates, income inequality, and labor costs in right-to-work states. A 2007 Mackinac Center study reached similar findings, as did a later review. These findings have remained more or less consistent in the years since.

"Right-to-work states also are more likely to create job opportunities. From 2020 to 2021, 867,104 people moved to a right-to-work state away from a state that wasn't. One reason for this might be that job opportunities are more prevalent in right-to-work states. Companies looking for new locations often consider right-to-work as one key factor.... In October 2022, the unemployment rate in right-to-work states was 3.4 percent, compared to 3.9 percent in states without the law. Since the pandemic, right-to-work states have added 1.6 million jobs, while other states have lost 809,000 jobs....

"A 2021 Harvard study found that the share of manufacturing employment in the economy was 28 percent higher in right-to-work states, compared to neighboring states without right-to-work. The study also showed that average wages and labor compensation weren't negatively affected by the passage of the law. A similar study conducted by the Mackinac Center in 2022 shows similar results.

"Michigan's economic conditions in the 10 years before right-to-work and the 10 years that followed offer an excellent case study on the positive impact of right-to-work. According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the 10 years before right-to-work, Michigan's unemployment rate averaged 8.5 percent. In the following decade, it was 6 percent. Michigan's labor force lost 350,657 people from 2002–12, but it gained 90,648 people from 2012–2020. Inflation-adjusted income growth went from 0.06 percent to 21.9 percent. In nearly every measurable way, Michigan has been better off....

"The 60,000 private sector workers in Michigan who have opted out of union membership are not the only ones who will be hurt by the repeal of right-to-work. Union members are also likely to find they are worse off.... In a right-to-work state, a union's financial stability requires it to please its members. If the union fails to deliver services that justify the price of dues, workers may opt out, denying the union revenue. This incentive is gone once right-to-work is repealed. A union is guaranteed that nonmembers will pay agency fees that are the vast majority of union dues. 

"Repealing right-to-work gives unions a guaranteed income stream, which removes the incentive for them to provide the best services possible to the employees they represent. Repealing right-to-work, then, harms both those who would voluntarily pay the union and those who would not."

Read more: https://reason.com/2023/03/24/michigan-repeals-right-to-work-law/

FBI encouraged, directed Whitmer kidnapping plot

The Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Looks an Awful Lot Like Entrapment | Reason - Robby Soave: 

January 26, 2022 - "The militia members who allegedly plotted to kidnap Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because of her COVID-19 lockdown policies will go to trial in just a few weeks. Six were charged in connection with the plot, and one of them has already pleaded guilty and is expected to testify against the rest. State authorities charged eight others with aiding a terrorist plot.

"But the government's case against these 14 alleged extremists relies on work done by at least a dozen government informants and undercover FBI agents whose extensive involvement in the plot calls into question whether it would have moved forward at all without the government's prodding. Some of these government actors took lead roles in organizing the supposed plot — one of the informants was even paid $54,000 by the FBI. Taken together, these and other details raise the strong possibility that the militia members were victims of entrapment....

"The FBI Investigation Into The Alleged Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Has Gotten Very Complicated," conceded BuzzFeed News in an in-depth examination of the available evidence published last month. And earlier this week, The New York Times acknowledged that the involvement of informants and agents had 'muddled' the case:

On a rainy night in northern Michigan in September 2020, a group of armed men divided among three cars surveyed the landscape around the vacation cottage of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, considering how to kidnap her as payback for her Covid-19 lockdown measures.... 
Later, after team members returned to the rural camp where they had already conducted military-style training exercises, a man identified as "Big Dan" in government documents asked the assembled group, "Everybody down with what's going on?" Another man responded, "If you are not down with the thought of kidnapping, don't sit here."
Of the dozen men on that nighttime surveillance mission, four of them including "Big Dan" were either government informants or undercover F.B.I. agents, according to court documents.

"'Big Dan' was no passive spectator: After initially alerting the authorities that he was involved in a Facebook group for militia members in which violence against police officers had been discussed, he agreed to become an informant. The government paid him $54,000 for six months' work. When the militia group surveilled Whitmer's vacation home, it was Big Dan leading the charge. According to the group's defense attorneys, Big Dan — an Iraq War veteran — took charge of training the other men in military tactics....

"Big Dan's FBI handler, Jayson Chambers, ... was attempting to build a security consulting business in the midst of the investigation.... BuzzFeed obtained a resume that Chambers had shared with prospective clients, and in that document, he took credit for using 'online undercover techniques' to investigate terrorist groups. According to BuzzFeed, Chambers has a long history of participating in FBI investigations of Muslim youths who were enticed by law enforcement to become involved in wholly theoretical violent plots, according to their defense attorneys. Chambers is no longer slated to participate in the trial. Another government asset, Stephen Robeson, worked as an informant during the investigation, but is no longer involved after pleading guilty to various felonies. And the government's star witness, FBI Agent Robert Trask, was fired by the agency after beating his wife.... 

"The court may determine that none of this matters.... Historically, victims of entrapment have had a tough time prevailing, no matter how duplicitously the FBI behaved. But in any case, it is now clear that Whitmer was in no real danger. At all stages of the alleged plot, the FBI was aware of every facet: Their agents and informants were intimately involved — not just surveilling the militia members, but actively offering guidance on how to pull off the kidnapping.... 

"Many conservatives have become committed to the idea that the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was not the work of Trump supporters, but rather, elements of the so-called Deep State.... The Whitmer kidnapping plot ... was extensively directed and encouraged by agents of the government. It's a much, much, much, much more persuasive case of Deep State nefariousness."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/01/26/gretchen-whitmer-kidnapping-plot-entrapment-fbi-trial/

Inaccurate modelling led to care home deaths

How the Gates Foundation seeded America's COVID-19 policy catastrophes | The Dossier - Jordan Schachtel

February 16, 2021 - "New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finally facing the heat for his botched and criminally negligent coronavirus response policies, yet no one seems to be asking why Cuomo and select governors made the fateful decisions that led to the excess deaths — and the coverup campaigns — of tens of thousands of senior citizens in New York and elsewhere across the United States.... Cuomo ... is far from the only governor who executed the 'nursing home death warrants.' Governor Cuomo was accompanied by the governors of California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and elsewhere.

"The common thread seen in the United States is the delegation of state policy to prediction modeling forecasts from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), a Washington State-based institution that is wholly controlled and funded (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars) by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In March and early April, politicians were informed by the modeling 'experts' at Gates-funded IHME that their hospitals were about to be completely overrun by coronavirus patients. Modelers from IHME claimed this massive surge would cause hospitals to run out of lifesaving equipment in a matter of days, not weeks or months.... 

"On two separate April 1 and April 2 press conferences, Cuomo made clear that his policy decisions were based off of the IHME model. 'There is a group that is funded by the Gates Foundation. Thank you very much Bill Gates,' Cuomo said on April 1 in discussing ICU needs and how he was using Gates models to make other healthcare policy decisions. 'There's only one model that we look at that has the number of projected deaths which is the IHME model which is funded by the Gates Foundation,' Cuomo said on April 2, adding, 'and we thank the Gates Foundation for the national service that they've done.'

"In an April 9 briefing, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer referred to the IHME model in order to project deaths and the PPE resources needed for the supposed surge. It was the same story with the government of Pennsylvania. The PA Health Department exclusively uses IHME models to forecast coronavirus outcomes. Governor Phil Murphy, another nursing home death warrant participant, used IHME models to navigate the state’s policy response. 

"It wasn’t just state governors relying on this data; federal bureaucrats Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, both of whom have substantial ties to the Gates network, used the IHME COVID-19 forecasting models (which Birx endorsed specifically as the best prediction modeling outfit) to make policy recommendations to states. In her White House briefings, Birx, who simultaneously had a seat on the board of a Gates-funded institution, almost exclusively relied on IHME models to project outcomes.... 

"These models, and the policy decisions that were made by relying on them, set off a chain of events that led to indefinite lockdowns, complete business closures, statewide curfews, and most infamously, the nursing home death warrants. States across the nation went to extremes, resorting to full bunker mode while waiting for bodies to start dropping in the streets, but the IHME modeling never panned out. Hospital capacity was never threatened. Most states that had created 'surge capacity' pop-up health care centers never even used these facilities. 

"IHME, for its part, regularly 'adjusts' its models, and has never acknowledged their routine failures to forecast outcomes. Gates has never discussed the catastrophic failures of his prized 'health metrics' forecasting organization.... Instead, he has seamlessly washed his hands of COVID mania, and has moved on to demanding that the western world sacrifice itself in the name of the latest 'crisis' that is climate change."

Read more: https://dossier.substack.com/p/how-the-gates-foundation-seeded-americas

More lockdowns across USA

Millions of Californians put under strict Covid lockdown | The Guardian - Vivian Ho:

December 7, 2020 - "More than three-quarters of California’s population are now living under the harshest lockdowns in the US, as Covid-19 cases hit record levels in the country’s most populous state. Regional stay-at-home restrictions went into effect for nearly 23 million residents in southern California and 4.4 million residents in a large swath of the Central Valley on Sunday night, as ordered by the state governor, Gavin Newsom.... The southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley region joined five counties in the Bay Area region whose local leaders pre-emptively ordered its 6 million residents to enter lockdown starting at 10pm on Sunday.... The restrictions, which require people to stay home and minimize contact with other households, will remain in place for at least three weeks, covering the Christmas holiday. 

"All retail stores can stay open, although at 20% capacity, along with outside spaces such as parks and beaches, but restaurants, bars, hair and nail salons and tattoo shops are required to close."... The new shutdowns were a gut-wrenching move for small businesses. Michelle Saunders James was in tears on Friday at the thought of closing down her Oakland nail salon just five weeks after reopening. 'We wear [face] shields. We take temperatures. We do everything we are told to do so everyone feels safe, including our staff and team,' she told KGO-TV. 'So I don’t understand why it’s not enough, and I’m terribly sad and afraid.'"
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/06/california-covid-lockdown-us-new-cases-hospitalisations-deaths-stay-at-home-order

Whitmer extends Michigan's partial lockdown through Dec. 20 | The Hill - Zack Budryk:

December 7, 2020 - "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Monday extended her statewide partial lockdown order through Dec. 20.... The order ... closes bars and restaurants for dine-in services and restricts in-person instruction at colleges and high schools."
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/529109-whitmer-extends-michigans-partial-lockdown-through-dec-20 

New coronavirus restrictions: Here's what your state is doing to combat rising cases and deaths | USA Today - Grace Hauck & Chris Woodyard: 

December 8, 2020 - "Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker instituted a partial stay-at-home order effective Nov. 6. The revised order seeks to restrict late-night congregating, telling residents to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ET. But it allows trips to work, running "critical errands," such as going for groceries or for health reasons, and allows people to take walks. Restaurants, liquor stores, gyms, hair salons, theaters and some other recreational businesses and attractions must close from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. as well....

"New Mexico ... Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Nov. 13 announced a two-week 'reset' of heightened public health restrictions from late March and early April. Citizens were ordered to shelter in place, leaving home only for essential trips for health, safety and welfare. All nonessential businesses and nonprofits were to cease in-person activities, per the order.... 

"Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced a three-week, overnight stay-at-home order for Ohioans starting Nov. 19 ... aimed at getting people to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly.... DeWine also said most retail businesses will be closed during those hours....

"Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 23 issued a stay-at-home health advisory advising residents to only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs, like seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up food or exercising. The advisory will remain in place through Jan. 4, unless an additional advisory is issued."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/13/covid-restrictions-state-list-orders-lockdowns/3761230001/ 

Hydroxychloroquine cut COVID19 death rate 50% in Michigan hospital study

by George J. Dance

By now I am sure we have all heard of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), the anti-malaria drug and arthritis treatment that may or may not be effective against COVID-19. There certainly has been plenty of debate on the drug online: A google search for "Hydroxychloroquine COVID" turns up 65 million hits. Sadly, though, for a debate supposed to be "guided by the science," little of that deals with science. As with mask wearing, HCQ has become a political "issue," and for much the same reasons. Masks are good or bad because the Orange Man doesn't wear them. HCQ is bad or good because the Orange Man uses it. (Choose an option depending on how you feel about the Orange Man.) 

Unlike with masks, though, scientific information is needed to estimate the benefits and risks of HCQ. That is the main reason the blog has refrained from mentioning the drug; in all the debate I have followed, there has been nothing worth mentioning. There was a study in The Lancet that found using HCQ not only saved no lives but led to more deaths, from cardiac arrest; but before I could find space for it on the blog, Lancet had retracted the paper.

Today I discovered a new study, "Treatment with Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, and Combination in Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19,"  by Samia Arshad et al., published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases on July 1. The paper was an observational study conducted in the Henry Ford Health System (HFHS), a six-hospital chain in southwest Michigan, by the Henry Ford COVID-19 task force. The full study is online at ijid.com, and can also be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.099 

Arshad et al investigated the medical records of the more than 2,500 patients hospitalized as COVID-related admissions (defined as having a positive PCR-RT viral test in the hospital) between March 10 and May 2. Of those, some had been treated with HCQ; some with a combination of HCQ and azythromycin (AZM), an antiobiotc; some with AZM alone; and some with neither drug. The differences in mortality rates were striking:

• Of 409 patients given neither drug, 108 died, or 26.4% [95% CI: 22.2%-31.0%]​.
• Of 147 patients given AZM alone, 33 died, or 22.4%. [95% CI: 16.0%-30.1%]
• Of 783 patients given HCQ and AZM, 157 died, or 20.1%. [95% CI: 17.3%-23.0%]).
• Of 1202 patients given HCQ alone, 162 died, or 13.5%. [95% CI: 11.6%-15.5%]).

Charted, the data gives a simple and clear picture: those receiving HCQ had a mortality rate almost 50% below those who received no drugs. Of course, that apparently simple and clear picture could actually be counfounded by numerous variables. The authors point out that those can include "1) patient demographics: age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI) on admission [as well as] 2) clinical characteristics: admission date, discharge date, length of stay (LOS), comorbidities including: cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, immunodeficiency, and cancer (defined as active or past/resolved)."

The task force "used Multivariable Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves ... to compare survival among treatment groups while controlling for demographics (e.g., age, gender), preexisting medical conditions (e.g. CVD, lung disease) and clinical disease severity (mSOFA, O2 saturation). Bivariate comparisons of the 4 medication groups were made using analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables, and chi-square tests or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables."

In addition, the researchers were able to exactly match two cohorts - 190 who had received HCQ, and 190 who had not - with "identical underlying patient characteristics." "The Cox regression result for the two propensity matched groups ... indicates that treatment with hydroxychloroquine resulted in a mortality hazard ratio decrease of 51% (p = 0.009)."

"The results of this study," the authors conclude, "demonstrate that in a strictly monitored protocol-driven in-hospital setting, treatment with hydroxychloroquine alone and hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin was associated with a significant reduction in mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19." (They also demonstrate that HCQ used alone was associated with a greater reduction. than the combination.)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions against use of HCQ "outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial," but does not approve the drug's use within the hospital setting, either. The FDA approved an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the drug in late March, but withdrew it on June 15 after the Lancet study. The latter study has since been retracted and its data discredited; and now its conclusions have been explicitly contradicted by the Henry Ford study.

The study's findings that the drug is effective (that it reduces COVID deaths) may be overstated or confounded with other unknown variables (such as steroid use); I agree with the the Journal's call for clinical trials of the drug. Undeniably, though, the safety of the drug has been proven (it does not even correlate with any increase in deaths); that and the possibility of dramatically cutting the COVID death toll warrant the FDA restoring the medicine's EUA.  

Retail cannabis sales begin in Michigan

First-time Michigan recreational marijuana shoppers stranded in line given complimentary joints - mlive.com - Gus Burns:

December 2, 2019 - "Sunday Dec. 1, the first day of recreational retail marijuana sales in Michigan ... Ann Arbor marijuana shops, Arbors Wellness, Exclusive Brands and Greenstone Provisions, opened about 10 a.m..... Each experienced consistently long lines with customers numbering in the hundreds throughout the day. First-day marijuana sales among the three stores equaled $221,000, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency reports.

"Hours before Michigan's first retail recreational marijuana sale, eager customers waited in festive lines. Exclusive Brands ... served over 900 people by the time the Ann Arbor city ordinance required them to close shop at 9 p.m., co-owner Omat Hishmeh said. Nearly 25 line-stranded customers were treated for their patience. They were given a 'Willy Wonka golden ticket,' which allows them to cut to the front of the line during their next visit, received discount coupons and were entered into a raffle for front-row Detroit Pistons tickets....

"James Daly, the owner of Arbors Wellness ... said his staff served 750 customers throughout the day and turned nearly 50 away at closing time. As a consolation, those customers were offered complimentary pre-rolled joints, Daly said....

"Based on what employees say they sold and what customers said they spent, it’s likely all three marijuana stores generated sales near or in excess of $100,000.... None of the three shops experienced shortages and both Exclusive and Arbors Wellness said they are able to keep up with demand for the foreseeable future....

"As of Monday, the state Marijuana Regulatory Agency had licensed seven businesses.... It expects at least a dozen to be licensed statewide by the new year....

"Some of the forefathers of Michigan marijuana legalization -- and casualties of its prohibition -- convened at Arbors Wellness prior to 10 a.m.... They spoke of the confusion following passage of the medical marijuana law in 2008, ... the raids and prosecutions that followed and the slow shift in public and political sentiment that led to licensed legalization Sunday....

"Among the legalization pioneers was activist and poet John Sinclair, who in 1969 began serving more than two years of a 10-year sentence that was later overturned for possession of two joints. Sinclair made a ceremonial purchase of pre-rolled joints before the business opened to the public."

Read more: https://www.mlive.com/politics/2019/12/first-time-michigan-recreational-marijuana-shoppers-stranded-in-line-given-complimentary-joints.html
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Second Michigan congressman bails on GOP

Another Mich. GOP congressman has bailed because of Trump | News Hits - Lee DeVito, Detroit Metro-Times: 

July 24, 2019 - "Rep. Paul Mitchell is the latest Michigan Republican congressman in recent months to have bailed on the congressional GOP because of President Donald Trump. The second-term Republican ... announced on Wednesday that he will not run for re-election — surprising news considering it is only months after he won re-election and his district is not at political risk.

"The news comes just days after Mitchell condemned Trump for his racist tweets, in which Trump told four congresswomen of color, including Detroit's Rashida Tlaib and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, to 'go back' to their own countries. All are American citizens.

@RealDonaldTrump, we must be better than comments like these. I share the political frustrations with some members of the other party, but these comments are beneath leaders.

"Later, after Trump followers at a rally began chanting 'send her back' in reference to Omar, Mitchell had reportedly requested a meeting with Trump to discuss the issue....

"Regarding his decision not to seek re-election, Mitchell told Politico he was frustrated with Congress and the party: 'You look at the rhetoric and vitriol, it overwhelms policy, politics becomes the norm,' he said. 'Everything’s about politics. Everything’s about an election. And at some point of time, that’s not why I came here'....

"Earlier this month, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash ... announced in an op-ed published in The Washington Post that he was leaving the Republican Party, citing a 'partisan death spiral.' He is now an independent. Although he did not mention Trump by name, Amash blasted the two-party system, which he says has become bound by loyalty to party over duty to the American people or the Constitution.

"'The parties value winning for its own sake, and at whatever cost,' he wrote. 'Instead of acting as an independent branch of government and serving as a check on the executive branch, congressional leaders of both parties expect the House and Senate to act in obedience or opposition to the president and their colleagues on a partisan basis.'"

Read more: https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/07/24/another-mich-gop-congressman-has-bailed-because-of-trump

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Michigan senator wants to limit local 'tree police'

Opinion | C’mon, Michigan. Don’t get hysterical about ‘tree police’ bill | Bridge Magazine - Tom Casperson:

December 12, 2018 - "Let’s put ‘tree police’ in proper perspective. I recently sponsored legislation, Senate Bill 1188, that attempts to strike a better balance between local government authority and private-property rights around the state.

"Our state includes more than 1,700 local units of government - cities, townships and villages. A small handful of them, less than 10 percent, have an ordinance that allows them to regulate trees on private property.... These communities don’t pay or credit their residents and businesses for planting more trees. But if you want to remove a tree, they require you to plant another to their specifications or pay hundreds of dollars per tree to remove them.

"On its face, this is simply unfair, undemocratic and unscientific. We heard in Senate testimony from an arborist who noted that many unmanaged woodlots get overrun with invasive trees and vegetation. Sometimes, the smartest remedy is removing trees to keep a forest healthy.

"Environmental groups and local government interests testified that this kind of local ordinance is a critical tool for managing stormwater, light pollution, noise pollution, carbon, aesthetics and community development, and even their ability to meet state and federal environmental laws.....

"But all of these arguments ring hollow when you stop to consider that more than 90 percent of Michigan communities accomplish all these ends without local tree removal ordinances - through mutual agreements and incentives, not fees and fines.

"Our concern is that, ultimately, local tree removal ordinances are simply a way for local government to maintain an unfair level of control over residents and fill local coffers.... We do not argue against the benefits of trees.... But there are other ways for local units of government to provide incentives for residents, businesses and farmers to plant more of them.

"The practice of a few local governments squeezing their people over how they manage trees on their land flies in the face of one of our most fundamental American rights - private property."

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/opinion-cmon-michigan-dont-get-hysterical-about-tree-police-bill
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Cannabis prohibition defeated in 3 more states

The Growing Consensus for Legalizing Marijuana - Reason.com - Steve Chapman:

November 9, 2018 - "The United States remains starkly divided between red and blue, with Republicans and Democrats each registering some gains and some setbacks in the elections. But on one important issue, a national consensus is emerging....

"On Tuesday, Michigan became the 10th state, along with the District of Columbia, to decide to legalize marijuana for purely recreational use. A quarter of Americans will live in states that let them get stoned.... Then there are the states that allow marijuana to be used for medical needs. On Tuesday, Missouri and Utah  ... voted to join the club. That brings the total number of states that allow pot to be legally consumed in some circumstances to 32, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, plus D.C....

"Illinois elected a governor, J.B. Pritzker, who favors allowing recreational cannabis. So did Connecticut (Ned Lamont), Maine (Janet Mills), Minnesota (Tim Walz), and New Mexico (Michelle Lujan Grisham)....

"Cannabis has already run away with the contest for public favor. In 2000, according to the Pew Research Center, only 31 percent of Americans supported legalizing recreational pot. Today, 62 percent do.

"But even in states where cannabis is legal, it isn't. Federal law still bans weed, with penalties that include prison time even for mere users. Sick people smoking it to relieve chronic pain, muscular dystrophy, or epilepsy, in faithful compliance with their state laws, are not exempt from prosecution.... Under Barack Obama, the Justice Department adopted a hands-off policy...  But ... die-hard prohibitionist Jeff Sessions reversed course [and] ordered prosecutors to fully enforce federal laws....

"This ought to be an issue on which the two parties can come together — not on whether marijuana should be legal but on whether states should be allowed to make the ... choices. Last year, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) joined with Democratic colleagues Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York to propose ending the federal prohibition on medical cannabis....

"Republicans might gain politically from eliminating the federal role. Taking a more moderate position on a matter that millions of people regard as no business of politicians could soften their image among independent voters. Passing an important measure with bipartisan support would demonstrate that the 2018 election results didn't prevent our lawmakers from getting anything useful done."

Read more: https://reason.com/archives/2018/11/09/the-growing-consensus-for-legalizing-mar
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Cannabis initiatives on 4 state ballots

4 More States Could Legalize Medical or Recreational Marijuana Next Week - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Jacob Sullum:

Michigan
"Proposal 1 would allow adults 21 or older to possess 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana in public, transfer that amount to other adults "without remuneration," possess up to 10 ounces at home, and grow up to 12 plants for personal consumption. The initiative also would establish a licensing system for commercial production and distribution.... Support for Proposal 1 averaged 54 percent in six polls conducted from late February to early October....

North Dakota
"Measure 3 would go further than any initiative enacted so far by ... legalizing 'any nonviolent marijuana activity, except for the sale of marijuana to a person under the age of 21'.... The North Dakota initiative is also unique in requiring 'automatic expungement of the record of an individual who has a drug conviction for a controlled substance that has been legalized'.... North Dakota voters approved medical marijuana by a 28-point margin in 2016, but  ... [s]urveys conducted in February and August put support for legalizing recreational use at 46 percent and 38 percent, respectively....

Utah
"Proposition 2 would authorize the production and distribution of marijuana for medical use by patients with any of 10 qualifying conditions and recommendations from their doctors. As of 2021, state-approved patients would be allowed to grow up to six plants at home if they do not live within 100 miles of a licensed dispensary. Support ... averaged 68 percent in nine polls conducted from mid-February to mid-October. Even after the LDS church joined the coalition opposing the initiative, two polls put support at 64 percent....

Missouri
"Amendment 2, Amendment 3, and Proposition C would all authorize production and distribution of marijuana for medical use....The measures differ mainly in the way they define qualifying conditions, ... maximum amounts ... home cultivation, ... tax rates ... limits they would impose on the number of dispensaries, and the power they would give local governments to ban them. A poll conducted in August found that 54 percent of Missouri voters think the medical use of marijuana should be permitted."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/10/29/4-more-states-could-legalize-medical-or
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NM Supreme Court KO's one-punch voting option

Court Rejects Johnson-Blocking Straight-Ticket Ballot Change in New Mexico - Hit & Run : Reason.com - Matt Welch:

September 12, 2018 - "In a 5-0 decision that removes a late-breaking obstacle from Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson's insurgent Senate bid, the New Mexico Supreme Court today struck down a unilateral move two weeks ago by Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to reinstate the Land of Enchantment's 'straight ticket' ballot option, whereby voters can select a political party's entire slate of candidates by filling out just one oval.

"The New Mexico state legislature — with the signature of then-Gov. Gary Johnson — had in ... 2001 repealed the part of the election code specifying that ballots had to 'permit each voter…to vote a straight party ticket in one operation.' It took the 2010 election of a Republican Secretary of State, Dianna Duran, to finally remove the one-punch option from the state's ballots, after which Democratic lawmakers have periodically tried and failed to legislate the option back....

"Oliver ... provoked widespread claims of partisan skullduggery with her Aug. 29 decision, which came without so much as a single public hearing.

"'Until the legislature makes a decision one way or the other, the Secretary of State cannot,' Chief Justice Judith Nakamura said when handing down the decision. 'This power is theirs alone, and the Legislature has indicated its intent to thoroughly regulate how ballots appear.'

"The successful court challenge was filed by the state Libertarian and Republican parties, as well as Democratic write-in candidate Heather Nordquist, and the independent-supporting Unite New Mexico....

"The state Supreme Court decision comes just a week after the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals reinstated Michigan's 2015 legislative ban on the straight-ballot option, and seems to cement the notion that courts aren't fond of either bureaucrats or judges usurping the will of state legislators when it comes to this type of voting mechanism. Combined with the recent trend of states dropping the device, one-punch will now only appear in eight states this November: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas (which is ending the practice in 2020), and Utah."

Read more: https://reason.com/blog/2018/09/12/court-rejects-johnson-blocking-straight
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Michigan Socialist Party nominates a Libertarian

Chairman Of The Damned: Matt Kuehnel Talks Libertarian Socialism · 71 Republic - Spencer Kellogg:

August 24, 2018 - "Matt Kuehnel is one of the founding members of the Libertarian Socialist Caucus. He is running as a libertarian for the 22nd District seat of the Michigan State House and this week, the Socialist Party of Michigan voted him their candidate for the 22nd district marking the first time that any libertarian has represented as a dual socialist candidate in United States history....

"The Libertarian Socialist Caucus sits on the deeper ranges of modern libertarianism but their roots lie at the very beginning of the movement itself in the catacombs of Paris where the first anarchist and influential mutualist philosopher Proudhon lived and wrote. 'Proudhon believed that a libertarian order would accomplish the goals of socialists, that in fact, only such an order could accomplish socialists’ goals. Within this framework, Proudhon sets out to scrutinize political economy and its institutions, to break them down and lay bare the truths within them.'

"The caucuses call for the abolishment of private property sit in stark contrast with much of the modern Libertarian movement. However, on police abuse, non-violent crimes, non-aggression and decentralized power, much of the Libertarian Socialist platform falls neatly into the echo chamber of modern libertarianism.... Their members have campaigned for a bottom unity platform that seeks to bridge the seemingly unbridgeable gaps between anarcho-capitalists, pragmatists, anarcho-communists (and yes, even socialists)....

"To some, the Libertarian Socialist Caucus is ... the greatest ideological threat to the party as it moves forward. So much so that the LibSoc caucus was addressed during a hearing at this months Libertarian National Committee meeting that ended in renewed animosity.... Steven Nekhaila, region two representative, penned a resolution to clarify the party’s position on private property and ... at large member Joshua Smith pointed to Kuehnel’s recent exposure on Russia Today as representative of a misrepresentation of the Libertarian Party. The measure did not pass....

"I reached out to Mr. Kuehnel recently to discuss his ideas for the Libertarian Socialist Caucus, his run for 22nd district of Michigan and some of the goals he has for the future....

"'I didn’t plan on running.... I got talked into it because we needed representation on the ballot. It’s good to have someone on the ballot, to give a person the choice to vote for a libertarian. I’ve picked five planks. I want to disarm the police.... I think we should have gun control on those who are the most violent amongst us which are the cops. I want to take their weapons and give them to marginalized people.

"'I want to deport ICE. I want to make Michigan a sanctuary state. I believe in Medicare for all... And finally, we are anti-fascist. That came about after what happened in Charlottesville.'"

Read more: https://71republic.com/2018/08/24/interview-with-matt-kuehnel/
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Gelineau wins historic MI Libertarian primary

Bill Gelineau leads in Michigan Libertarian governor primary | Bridge Magazine - Lindsay VanHuffe:

August 8, 2018 - "Bill Gelineau, a title insurance agent from Lowell and a former chairman of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, had a wide lead late Tuesday in the state party’s first ... gubernatorial primary.

"John Tatar, a former U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and a retired teacher from Redford, [was] Gelineau’s primary opponent.

"Minutes before midnight Tuesday, with 68 percent of precincts reporting, Gelineau had captured 58.4 percent of the Libertarian vote and Tatar had 41.6 percent. Combined, the two candidates had collectively collected fewer than 6,000 votes in a state dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.

"Tuesday’s results are historic because Libertarians in Michigan have never before appeared on a state primary ballot. But the party’s presidential candidate, Gary Johnson, did well enough in Michigan in November 2016 that the Libertarian Party earned a spot on Tuesday’s primary.

"To qualify for the primary ballot, Johnson needed to earn slightly more than 154,000 votes; he received more than 172,000, according to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.

"Libertarians generally favor limited government. Tatar, for instance, has called for eliminating the state Senate, while Gelineau has advocated for cutting the Michigan Strategic Fund, through which the state awards economic development incentives."

Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/public-sector/bill-gelineau-leads-michigan-libertarian-governor-primary
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First Libertarian primary for governor in Michigan

Michigan's first-ever Libertarian gubernatorial primary has a new contender | News Hits - Lee DeVito, Metro-Times:

April 20, 2018 - "The race for Michigan's first-ever Libertarian gubernatorial primary is heating up.

"On Thursday, candidate John Tatar filed his campaign's petition signatures for the primary, becoming the second candidate to officially join the gubernatorial Libertarian race. It's the first time in Michigan's history that a party beyond the Democrats and Republicans will host a contested gubernatorial primary election. The Libertarian Party primary will be held alongside the Democrat and Republican primaries on Aug. 7.

"Tatar follows Grand Rapids businessman Bill Gelineau, who filed his petition signatures last month ahead of the April 24 deadline. According to a press release from the Libertarian Party of Michigan, Tatar filed 18,521 signatures to the Bureau of Elections, while Gelineau delivered 21,187 signatures. Candidates need 15,000 valid signatures to qualify....

"Tatar wants to end gerrymandering, which he says 'provide[s] an unfair advantage between the parties and [...] eliminates a true voice of the people.' He also calls for auto insurance reform, pledging to eliminate mandatory no-fault insurance and unlink auto insurance from credit reports and residence. One of Tatar's more interesting proposals calls for eliminating the Michigan Senate....

"Michigan will host a Libertarian primary this year because of the party's strong polling numbers in the 2016 presidential election, where Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson earned 172,136 votes, or 3.6 percent, surpassing the 154,040-vote threshold necessary for his party to participate in the 2018 primary."

Read more: https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2018/04/20/michigans-first-ever-libertarian-gubernatorial-primary-has-a-new-contender
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1st candidate in Michigan's 1st Libertarian primary

Bill Gelineau files signatures for Michigan's first-ever Libertarian Party primary | News Hits - Lee DeVito, Detroit Metro-Times:

March 9, 2018 - "Libertarian candidate Bill Gelineau filed his petition signatures for Michigan's gubernatorial race on Thursday, becoming the first candidate to qualify for the first-ever Libertarian Party primary election to be held alongside the state's Democrat and Republican primaries on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

"According to a press release, the Grand Rapids businessman delivered 21,187 signatures to the Bureau of Elections ahead of the April 24 deadline. Candidates need 15,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify.

"It's the first time a non-Democrat or Republican has qualified for a gubernatorial party primary in almost 50 years. Michigan gets a Libertarian primary this year due the party's strong polling numbers in the 2016 presidential election, where Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson earned 172,136 votes, or 3.6 percent, surpassing the 154,040-vote threshold necessary to participate in the 2018 primary....

"Gelineau supports dropping the state's spending limit by 10 percent and is against taxpayer subsidies for businesses. He also supports the legalization of marijuana ("Period.") and says it's time to "revisit" the rights for terminally ill patients to choose physician-assisted suicide as popularized by Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

"At least one other Libertarian candidate — John Tatar, a retired U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Colonel and school teacher from Redford — has announced his intention to join the race and is expected to file by deadline."

Read more: https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2018/03/09/bill-gelineau-files-signatures-for-michigans-first-ever-libertarian-party-primary
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MI judge orders seized $11K, SUVs, Christmas presents returned

Oakland County man battles to get back property seized in drug raid - Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press:

December 19, 2017 - "Only a few people were in a courtroom north of Detroit last week to hear the judge tongue-lash a prosecutor for delaying the return of a bank account with $11,000 that she ruled was improperly seized by drug investigators.

"'I’m outraged by the way this was handled,' Oakland County Circuit Judge Rae Lee Chabot exclaimed.... 'This hints at more than just a mistake. This continuous action hints at obstruction,' Chabot said, citing the 22 months it took to obey a court order and unfreeze the account. Chabot even slapped a fine on the prosecutor, awarding $2,500 'in sanctions' to defense attorneys, though they’d asked for three times that much....

"The ... hearing in Pontiac ...  was to get back the joint bank account of a mother and son — an account containing $10,938, of which $10,000 belonged not to medical-marijuana user Donny Barnes, 42, of Orion Township, but to Barnes’ mother.

"It was in November 2014 that a platoon of heavily armed police seized their joint bank account, along with Donny Barnes’ two SUVs and his children’s Christmas presents, according to legal pleadings. At the same time, they shut down Barnes’ three small businesses — a furniture resale firm, a spyware shop and a medical-marijuana magazine.....

"A different judge, in a criminal trial in February, dismissed the only charge against him — marijuana possession with intent to distribute — after ruling that police failed to establish probable cause for raiding Barnes' house, office and warehouse....

"The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office is awaiting a ruling on Barnes’ criminal case from the Michigan Court of Appeals, 'and we fully expect to win,' Chief Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton said..... The prosecutors' goal? To show that Barnes, at the time of the raid, was a big-time marijuana dealer, one who’d tried to hide his illegal activity under the cloak of medical marijuana.... 'He was operating a dispensary, clearly,' Walton said.

"No matter that dispensaries have operated for years and largely without police interference in numerous other Michigan counties.... Barnes’ battle seems far from over. Also far from over is the debate over just how much power police and prosecutors should have in permanently confiscating the property of people who weren't convicted of any crime — and, in some cases, were never even arrested."

Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2017/12/19/property-seizure-drug-cases-oakland-county/957866001/
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365,000 sign for legal cannabis in Michigan

Michigan Vote on Cannabis Legalization Is Likely in 2018 | Leafly - Associated Press:

"November 20, 2017 -  Organizers of a ballot drive to legalize the use of marijuana for recreational purposes in Michigan submitted 365,000 signatures to the state Monday, which appears to be more than enough to qualify the initiative for a statewide vote in 2018.

"The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol said the prohibition against recreational marijuana is 'a massive failure'....

"If passed, people 21 and older could possess up to 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of marijuana and grow up to 12 plants at home. A 10 percent tax on marijuana would be assessed on top of the 6 percent state sales tax.

"Josh Hovey, a spokesman for the coalition, said fully legalizing the drug for adults would generate hundreds of millions in new tax revenue. He estimated that 20,000 people in the state are arrested annually for marijuana possession and cultivation....

"If state officials determine that about 252,000 of the voter signatures are valid, the bill would go to the Republican-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers would have 40 days to adopt the measure or it would be placed on the November 2018 statewide ballot.... Organizers do not expect the Legislature to consider their proposal....

"Organizers want to raise $8 million, overall. They have spent nearly all of the $600,000 collected as of Oct. 20, including for paid signature collectors.

"Irwin said he expects opioid makers to heavily fund opposition to the measure because they have done so in other states with marijuana ballot drives.

"According to national polls, a solid majority of Americans support legalization. Gallup’s latest survey gauged support at 64 percent, up from 12 percent from when the question was first posed in 1969."

Read more: https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/michigan-group-submits-signatures-to-legalize-cannabis
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Detroit News endorses Gary Johnson

Endorsement: Libertarian Gary Johnson for president - Detroit News, editorial:

September 29, 2016 - "Since its founding in 1873, The Detroit News has backed a Republican every time it has made a presidential endorsement..... We abandon that long and estimable tradition this year for one reason: Donald J. Trump....Trump is unprincipled, unstable and quite possibly dangerous. He can not be president.

"His Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, has an impressive resume and a presidential bearing.... But character matters. Her career-long struggles with honesty and ethics and calculating, self-serving approach to politics trouble us deeply....

"We recognize the Libertarian candidate is the longest of long shots.... But this is an endorsement of conscience, reflecting our confidence that Johnson would be a competent and capable president and an honorable one.

"Gary Johnson has excelled at public service. In his eight years as the Republican governor of New Mexico, he cut taxes while balancing the budget, and left the state in better fiscal shape than when he arrived. He also was a champion of school choice, and the state under his guidance made great strides in improving education....

"Like this newspaper, he holds that an individual should have maximum freedom to navigate his or her personal decision-making, with little meddling from the government.

"His position on trade is the most responsible of any of the candidates in the race. He voices a healthy respect for free markets, and recognizes that unrestricted trade — absent crony capitalism — is a boon to the economy. He is the only candidate who would sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal....

"Johnson extends his free market philosophy to immigration, taking a position we’ve long advocated that immigration policy should match the demands of the economy. 'Make available to anyone who wants to come into this country a work visa,' Johnson says. 'And a work visa should entail a background check and a social security card so that applicable taxes get paid. Don’t put the government in charge of quotas. That’s one of the reasons for 11 million undocumented workers.'

"Our apprehension about Johnson rests with foreign policy. He holds to conventional libertarian non-interventionism. But he understands America’s position in the world.... He pledges to honor all existing treaties and obligations, and supports NATO, though he wants the European nations to live up to their commitment to pay 2 percent of GDP for the common defense; a reasonable expectation.....

"In abandoning the GOP nominee, The News has plenty of company among traditional Republicans and conservatives.... We urge readers who share our disillusionment with the presidential ballot and disdain for the GOP nominee to join us in casting a conscience vote for Gary Johnson."

Read more: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/09/28/endorse-johnson-president/91254412/
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