What the heck. They gave Cuomo an Emmy, so it would be more surprising if Whitmer didn't get some award.
Despite violent threats against her life, Whitmer did not back down. She stayed focused on following the science.
Oh, hey, what do you know? My gag reflex does still work.
Of the seven receiving awards, Whitmer is the only craven power-mad politician.
In a manner of speaking, the Kennedy foundation showed great restraint when you think about it, given all the craven power-mad politicians they could have included.
When Michigan's first cases of COVID-19 were identified in early March 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer invoked emergency powers in a bid to contain the spread of the virus and save lives,...
Yeah, about those emergency powers. They were kind of struck down by the Michigan Supreme Court last October for being unconstitutional. Really unconstitutional.
In a sharp rebuke, the Michigan Supreme Court concluded that "the executive orders issued by the Governor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic now lack any basis under Michigan law."
That's curious. They are also giving a "Profile in Courage" award to Mitt Romney for voting to impeach Donald Trump.
During a time of grave threat to U.S. democratic institutions, Mitt Romney has been a consistent but often solitary Republican voice in defense of democracy and the rule of law. In February 2020, after weighing evidence that then-President Donald Trump withheld Congressionally authorized military aid for political gain, Romney voted to convict Trump for abuse of power.
They are giving Governor Whitmer an award for clearly abusing power, and Senator Romney an award for voting to impeach someone for allegedly abusing power.
If I were a cynic, I'd say the Kennedy Foundation's moralizing is reserved only for their political opponents.
Good thing I'm not a cynic!
Back to Gretchmer's award:
...issuing early, controversial orders to close schools and businesses, mandate mask wearing, and ban large gatherings, among other measures.
"Controversial." Also counterproductive.
While her leadership earned praise from many, she also faced sustained, vocal backlash over stay-at-home rules that remained in place as COVID-19 cases in Michigan continued to rise during the spring.
Because the stay-at-home orders made things worse and were almost certainly why cases continued to rise.
To sum up, the Governor is receiving this award for courageously violating the Constitution in the face of violent threats for violating the constitution.
Well, while I won't say she's in good company, she's definitely in the right company.
