As we head into Christmas week, here’s what’s going on in the Republican race for governor:

James Craig’s “Magical” Mystery Plan

Look, we all loved The Magic School Bus growing up, but we’re worried James Craig is taking it a bit too seriously. He kicked off the week by hawking his DeVos style voucher scheme engineered to rip public education down to the studs. Craig even said he was on board with changing the state constitution to cut funding from Michigan school districts and somehow argued that would be good for public schools because it would force them to “incentivize progress” and make “magical things begin to happen.”

The charter schools visit was intended to be a soft launch of sorts for Craig’s education policy, but Michigan reporters weren’t having it. MLive noted that the platform “lacked specific policy proposals” and Detroit Metro Times reported Craig exposed his “profound, dangerous ignorance of public schools” that called into question “whether he has the experience and knowledge to run a state government.”

See us after class, James!

Craig’s “Unusual Use of Donor Dollars”

The lumps of coal continued to pile up this week for Craig in the form of headlines holding him accountable. This time, it was MLive reporting that as of his most recent campaign finance report, Craig spent nearly $1,000 a day for private armed protection – an “unusual use of donor dollars.”

“Unusual” expense aside (not to mention the fact that the company facilitating this contract was established “a day after the Craig campaign made its first payment” and is operated by someone that very recently worked under Craig at DPD), y’all. He’s…barely holding public events. Is he concerned about the safety of his living room, which has served as the set for the majority of his 50+ national cable show appearances

On Top of it All, Craig Also Got Caught Changing His Personal Story

Another one *DJ Khaled voice*. It was hard to see how this week could get worse for Craig, but then Bridge Michigan said “hold my Bell’s” when they obtained records showing he was a registered Democrat for at least an entire year later than he has been repeatedly claiming on the trail. Craig changed his story the second he was confronted with some scrutiny, now claiming that he “didn’t turn on a light switch in Maine and become a Republican.” 

From where we’re standing, the multiple times he’s said Maine is “when the transition took place” sounds like a pretty definitive switch.

Muskegon County GOP to James Craig: We’re Not Letting This One Go

There’s nothing we love like a return appearance. Last week, we shared that Muskegon County GOP approved a resolution “opposing MIGOP promoting gubernatorial candidate James Craig for governor” and cited a litany of reasons they don’t want him to succeed in August’s primary.

Bridge additionally reported that “grassroots activists consider [Craig’s campaign] a coronation” orchestrated by MIGOP insiders. 

Us? Finding something we agree with Muskegon County GOP on? Now that’s the spirit of the holidays in action.

We Didn’t Forget About You, Rinke

Here’s the thing about kneejerk hyperpartisan obstructionism: it always eventually comes back to bite. Out-of-touch former Toyota salesman Kevin Rinke learned that lesson this week after attempting to drag Governor Whitmer for, “government overreach” act of *checks notes* …calling for more COVID-19 testing resources so educators and local health departments can know the status of the students they are responsible for and act accordingly to prevent outbreaks in classrooms across Michigan.

Evidently all those millions can’t afford him any common sense.

The post Weekly Roundup: James Craig Can’t Stop Racking Up Horrible Headlines and Kevin Rinke is Anti-Test Now appeared first on Michigan Democratic Party.