Tim Skubick

In this corner Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel and in the other corner POTUS. (If you are reading this column you must know who that is, please.)

Suffice it say that If Ms. Nessel and one Donald Trump happened to meet in some dark alley, it would not be to exchange pleasantries since the two disagree on just about everything. And it seems like every move he has made to impose his will on various states, there has been Ms. Nessel locking arms with her Democratic counterparts all over the country hauling him into court to block his attempts at what she claims are dictator type moves.

Item: Sending the national guard in D.C., Chicago, Portland and Michigan?

Not yet on the latter but the A.G. predicts, “it is only a matter of time.”

While he explains he is doing this to fight crime and protect law-abiding citizens, she has a somewhat different take.

“That is just using the military to go after your political adversaries which is what they do in third world countries that are dictatorships,” she waves the red flag.

The president is quick to boast that in the nation’s capitol the National Guard was welcomed with open arms as residents, who never dared to go out at night, were now feeling safe. It was not everybody but enough to help him make his point.

The point she is making that if he tries this stuff around these parts, she will meet him in court first.

“We do have a plan and we are prepared for that eventuality…we are going to be prepared to fight back in the courts immediately.”

So far Mr. Trump et.al. have not signaled any hidden plans to visit the Motor City with armed soldiers, but the V.P. certainly extended an open arms invite to the governor to just call, and the troops would be shipped in.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is on the record on Off the Record saying his city doesn’t need the support and notes that guards men and women are not trained to be police officers even if there was a serious crime problem in his city which he says is not the case.

Now the A.G. and the governor have a night and day approach to dealing with the president. By now you know Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is on path to not fight but cooperate with the White House occupant as much as she can to find “common ground.” To date that has netted her some nifty “gets” including federal largess for an air base in Macomb County, support for beleaguered outstate ice-infested towns, and bucks to block the Asian Carp from ravaging the Great Lakes.

The A.G. has predicted those who practice that strategy “will live to regret it.”

However on the N.G. issue, she predicts her amiga the governor will work in tandem to block such a move if it does come to fruition.

But she also has a warning for all the Michigan anti-Trump protestors with another statewide No King rallies later this month.

Her warning, keep it legal and non violent.

“We’re asking the people to remain peaceful so there is not any kind of potential excess that could be utilized by the Trump administration” to give him an excuse to send in the troops here. “We don’t want a situation whereby the Trump administration can even claim there is a set of emergency circumstances.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch where Mr. Trump’s number one state prodigy is busy at work, House GOP Speaker Matt Hall has been on a mission to take on Ms. Nessel by attempting to slice and dice her budget. He advises there is waste in her shop and he’s acting on behalf of tax payers to clean up the mess.

Once again, she has a different take.

Asked if he was using her budget to even the score for all of her forays to block the president’s aggressive agenda, she explains, “Yeah. It would seem that way.”

The speaker asserts he slashed her budget by 20% give or take.

She retorts, “irrespective of what you hear from Speaker Hall, we did very well in the budget process. I’m very please with it.”

Speaker Hall’s office has been asked for a response. This could get interesting.