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The Michigan Independent recently mailed a print edition that called Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed a “veteran.” The outlet and its parent say it was a simple comma mistake in a print headline. But for a group tied to a Soros‑funded network and accused of running mailers to millions of homes, “simple mistake” does not cut it.
The misplaced comma that read like a campaign pitch
The Michigan Independent published an editor’s note saying a print headline included a misplaced comma that made it seem El‑Sayed served in the military. American Independent Foundation President Joe Conason told reporters the line was meant to read “veteran doctor and public health official,” with “veteran” intended to modify the following two terms. The El‑Sayed campaign quickly condemned the mailer, saying he has never claimed to be a veteran and that outlets should “do their homework.”
Why readers should not shrug this off
Calling someone a veteran is not a small label. It implies service and sacrifice. When a state “Independent” edition mailed to thousands — or even hundreds of thousands — of homes says that, voters may be nudged by a false fact. This is especially troubling because the Michigan Independent is part of a national media network long accused of looking like local news while pushing partisan messages. That track record turns a comma error into a credibility problem.
Demand answers, not excuses
If this was a true typo, readers deserve clear facts: how many copies went out, who signed off on the altered headline, and whether the publisher will issue a printed correction. If it was an editorial change made to a mailer meant to influence a race, that is a different story entirely and deserves scrutiny. Either way, the public should not accept “it was a comma” as the final word from a group with big-money backers and a history of aggressive mail campaigns.
Voters across Michigan and the country should watch these outfits closely. Misleading headlines mailed to homes can shape opinion before anyone reads a full story. Call it sloppy editing or call it political messaging — but don’t call it harmless. The only fix that restores trust is transparency, fast corrections, and fewer opaque, partisan mailers masquerading as local news.
