Go after his fellow Republicans? Meanwhile, Schuette had his own cover-up — er, "investigation" to manage. Livonia congressman Thaddeus McCotter was kicked off the primary ballot in May when it was learned that most of his petition signatures were fraudulent.

Clearly, this was a crime. So the attorney general's office looked into all this — and earlier this month, indicted four of McCotter's aides, who apparently did the same thing in past elections.

They may be facing heavy jail time. But ... what about their boss, the man whose office this was? Clearly, he set the moral tone. Wouldn't you think he ought to be guilty of something too?

Well, in a rational world, of course. But the attorney general is also a former GOP congressman. You can't expect a man to turn against his own kind now, can you? All the attorney general said about McCotter was that he was "asleep at the switch." Yes, and Stalin had no idea what was going on in the gulag. Relieved, a grateful McCotter thanked Schuette for his "earnest, thorough work on this investigation." (I believe LMAO, is the correct acronym.) 

McCotter then signed off to enjoy the "enduring blessings of private life." Meanwhile, his aides are facing jail, the district is a mess, and his abrupt resignation will cost us $650,000.

That's how much it costs to hold a special primary to help select someone to fill McCotter's seat for two months. This could have been avoided. State officials explained that if only one Democrat and one Republican filed, they wouldn't have to hold a primary. 

Indeed, only one Democrat came forth. Logically, only one Republican should have as well — Kerry Bentivolio, who had won the GOP primary for the full, two-year term.

But four other Republicans insisted on putting their names on the ballot for a chance to be a congressman for a few weeks.

They couldn't care less about making cash-strapped cities pay to feed their egos, any more than their fellow GOP prosecutors could bring themselves to really investigate their shady comrades.

Money talks. We have managed to achieve perhaps the worst government it can buy. But hey — ain't democracy grand? 

Jack Lessenberry opines weekly for Metro Times. Write to letters@metrotimes.com.

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