Commentary: Business leaders want political civility? Show Mike Shirkey the door.

[demmiblue]

Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey's unchecked use of misogynist and xenophobic language and peddling of debunkable conspiracy theories are quickly becoming a black eye for the Michigan business community's long-stated goal of making our politics more civil.

Shirkey privately bragged last week about metaphorically spanking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and that he has pondered punching her.

While being secretly recorded Feb. 3 at a restaurant in Jonesville, the Legislature's senior Republican leader told a group of Hillsdale County Republican Party officials that he has even contemplated challenging Whitmer to a fistfight on the Capitol lawn — "once or twice."

Shirkey also fed these men the red meat they wanted to hear: Falsehoods that the Jan. 6 pro-Trump mob's attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was a "hoax" and a "staged" riot.

"That wasn't Trump people," Shirkey said.

And two weeks ago, Shirkey seemed fixated on Whitmer's appearance delivering her State of the State address — not the content of her speech — by saying she "looked delightful" not wearing a mask.

The week before that, Shirkey boasted that the "Chinese flu army sent in one of their best soldiers" when he contracted the coronavirus in December.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/voices-chad-livengood/commentary-business-leaders-want-political-civility-show-mike-shirkey-door