Auchter's Art: Saying the quiet part out loud

The current Secretary of State (SOS) in Michigan, Jocelyn Benson, is also a candidate for governor in the upcoming election here in Michigan. Of course, one of the duties of the SOS is managing elections, and this raises some questions...

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/opinion/2026-05-15/auchters-art-saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud

 

'Was It Worth It?' Greg Meeks Absolutely Lights Into Sec. Rubio, Accuses him of betraying his ideals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvJq01YoxAE

 

Marco Rubio is finding new ways to fail as secretary of state

A federal court ruled that García must not be sent to El Salvador. A variety of Trump administration officials, including the Trump-appointed solicitor general, have already admitted that it was a mistake to send him to the country. 

And yet, to hear Rubio tell it, he's mystified about the controversy — which necessarily leads to questions about whether the Cabinet secretary is genuinely confused or whether he was simply pretending to be foolish...

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/marco-rubio-finding-new-ways-fail-secretary-state-rcna201329

 

BREAKING: Arizona Secretary of State on the process for a Trump disqualification

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNF4FtO_uc

Secretaries of state get ready for possible challenges to Trump's ballot access

The issue centers on the 14th Amendment, which prohibits people who have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson raised the theory at last week's GOP presidential debate that Trump's conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, might disqualify him on those grounds — a theory that has gained traction among some legal scholars, though others discount the possibility. 

Now, the people running state elections are trying to figure out what to do if people bring legal challenges against Trump...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/secretaries-state-get-ready-possible-challenges-trumps-ballot-access-rcna102440

Election denier Mark Finchem loses secretary of state race in Arizona

Democrat Adrian Fontes, a former Maricopa County election official, will succeed Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democratic nominee for governor...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/election-denier-mark-finchem-loses-secretary-state-race-arizona-rcna56880

GOP Secretary of State Candidates Scheduled to Appear with a White Nationalist and Conspiracy Theorists – Mother Jones

An ally of white nationalists; a former CEO and conspiracy theorist who tried to convince Donald Trump to use the National Guard to seize voting machines after the 2020 election; an Ohio math teacher who claims he discovered an algorithm showing that virtually every county in the United States was hacked to prevent Trump's reelection two years ago—these are people with whom Republican secretary of state candidates have forged alliances…

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2022/10/gop-secretary-of-state-candidates-mark-finchem-marchant-karamo-scheduled-to-appear-with-a-white-nationalist-and-conspiracy-theorists/

Nevada secretary of state contender pledges to secure Trump victory in 2024

Marchant pushed for fake Trump electors to be sent from Nevada to Congress to try and subvert the 2020 results. In January, he was asked whether he might try to do the same in 2024, and replied: "That is very possible, yes." At Saturday's rally, Marchant mentioned several other election deniers running as Republican candidates in secretary of state races in November. He named Mark Finchem, who was present at the US Capitol during the January 6 attack and is running in Arizona; Kristina Karamo in Michigan; Audrey Trujillo in New Mexico; and others…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/10/republican-jim-marchant-nevada-trump-pledge-2024

Wyoming Republicans try to curtail Trump-endorsed Chuck Gray : NPR

"The Wyoming voter registration system, the campaign finance system, it would also remove anything to do with candidate filing and applications for nomination prior to running for office," Wheeler said. "So there's quite a bit that would go with it, if it were to be removed from this office."

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/08/1121756234/wyoming-secretary-of-state-chuck-gray-trump-endorsement

Michigan election chief: Trump suggested I be arrested for treason and executed

"I think that's my job as a leader in Michigan right now, as a leader in this moment," Benson said. "To demonstrate the importance of standing up to hate, standing up to hateful threats and violent threats. And saying, 'Nope, not today, not against me, not against our democracy.'" "And marching forward," she added...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/michigan-election-chief-trump-suggested-arrested-treason-executed-rcna29406

Nevada GOP censures elections official who defended results - The Washington Post

"Regrettably, members of my own political party have decided to censure me simply because they are disappointed with the outcome of the 2020 election. While I have been loyal to the Nevada Republican Party during my over two decades as an elected official, I have been unwavering in my commitment to oversee elections and administer Nevada's election laws in a neutral, nonpartisan manner," ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nevada-gop-censures-elections-official-who-defended-results/2021/04/11/41ba3d5e-9af9-11eb-b2f5-7d2f0182750d_story.html

Arizona GOP lawmaker introduces bill to give Legislature power to toss out election results

One section grants the Legislature the ability to revoke the secretary of state's certification at any time before the presidential inauguration.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/arizona-gop-lawmaker-introduces-bill-give-legislature-power-toss-out-n1256097

Madeleine Albright On Her Life Post-Secretary Of State (Diane Rehm, On My Mind)

Over the course of her lifetime, Madeleine Albright has held a number of titles: refugee, housewife, scholar, and, eventually, President Clinton’s secretary of state – the first woman to hold the position.

But at the close of the Clinton administration, Albright felt unsure what her next step might be. So she started writing, and consulting, and teaching, and found that staying relevant wasn’t as hard as she had anticipated. She tells the story of this chapter of her life in a new memoir, “Hell and Other Destinations.”

Diane spoke with her last week about her new book and what the coronavirus means for our world and country.
Interview:
https://dianerehm.org/shows/2020-04-14/madeleine-albright-on-her-life-post-secretary-of-state

‘My first calling is to my savior’: Pompeo brags he is using role of Secretary of State to evangelize world leaders – Raw Story

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is not only admitting, but bragging that he is using his official government role to evangelize world leaders, apparently hoping to bring them to Jesus Christ.....
 https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/my-first-calling-is-to-my-savior-pompeo-brags-he-is-using-role-of-secretary-of-state-to-evangelize-world-leaders/

Texas secretary of state apologizes for debunked claim of 95,000 'illegal voters' - ThinkProgress.org

A new conspiracy theory emerged in the conservative echo chamber last month. Republicans have made many baseless claims about voter fraud in recent years, even though instances of a person impersonating another voter to cast a fraudulent ballot are less common than shark attacks. ....
https://thinkprogress.org/texas-secretary-of-state-illegal-voters-david-whitley-donald-trump-d3c6d9c3b29f/

Investigation Details How Gov. Elect Brian Kemp's Staff Smeared Georgia Democrats Days Before His Election - Mother Jones

Georgia's Governor-Elect Brian Kemp survived a bruising race against Stacey Abrams in November, narrowly avoiding becoming the first Republican to lose a statewide election in more than a decade. But it turns out he won after throwing a big sucker punch, according to a new investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/12/brain-kemp-georgia-cyber-crimes/

Michigan Republicans introduce bills seeking to curtail powers of incoming Democrats - The Hill

Republican state legislators in Michigan introduced a number of bills Thursday curtailing some powers of the state's governor, attorney general and secretary of state after Democrats flipped all three offices in the midterms...
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/419209-republicans-introduce-bills-seeking-to-undermine-incoming-michigan

John Kerry: Recording for Duty (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy (with an assist from Jon Favreau) talks with former Secretary of State John Kerry about Iran, Israel, Trump’s attacks and what he learned from the 2004 presidential campaign about how to respond to fake news.
Interview:
https://crooked.com/podcast/john-kerry-recording-for-duty/
https://youtu.be/YXqzzco196g

It's Not Just Kobach: Three Vote-Suppressing Secretaries of State Are Overseeing Their Own Elections - Mother Jones

Tuesday's too-close-to-call Republican primary election for Kansas governor has plunged the state into an ethics crisis. Secretary of State Kris Kobach emerged with a 121-vote lead over incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer, and a recount appears inevitable. But Kobach, the most prominent national advocate for policies that make it harder to vote, is in charge of overseeing the state's elections....
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/08/its-not-just-kobach-three-vote-suppressing-secretaries-of-state-are-overseeing-their-own-elections/

Kris Kobach refuses to recuse himself from conducting recount of his own election - Daily Kos

On Wednesday morning, when it became clear that Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach could potentially control the whisker thin recount of his race for Kansas governor—a race in which Kobach currently holds a razor thin lead pending review and a possible recount—other Kansas officials were quick to say that Kobach would "do the right thing" and recuse himself. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1786831