War protesters turn up heat on Knollenberg
By Sue Buck Staff Writer
A group of 35 protesters braved a nasty wind chill Thursday to call for an end to the Iraq War.
They lined up in front of U.S. Congressman Joe Knollenberg’s (R-Bloomfield Hills) office on Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills Thursday and hand-delivered letters with the message, “You’re the decider.”
They lined up in front of U.S. Congressman Joe Knollenberg’s (R-Bloomfield Hills) office on Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills Thursday and hand-delivered letters with the message, “You’re the decider.”
The letters, part of a national letter-writing campaign, urge Knollenberg not only to vote against the president’s plan but also to stop the president from escalating the war.They never met with Knollenberg but spoke to his aides in the hallway.“This event follows on the heels of Republicans in the Senate, once again, blocking debate and a vote on a non-binding resolution opposing the president’s escalation,” said Bruce Fealk, a MoveOn.org organizer.Trent Wisecup, chief of staff for Knollenberg, responded with Knollenberg’s views in a prepared statement."Congressman Knollenberg's patience with the Iraq war is growing thin,” Wisecup said. “He wants to see our troops return home as soon as possible. But he wants them to come home in victory, not defeat.”Now that the election is over, it's time for the politics to end and the bipartisan statesmanship to begin, he said.“Democrats and Republicans voted to authorize this war in 2002, including Hillary Clinton,” Wisecup said. “Democrats and Republicans will have to work together to find a solution to Iraq. This can't be a partisan issue any longer. We have too much at stake in Iraq. It's time to put America and our troops first and leave the politics for last.”Wisecup said that Knollenberg “stands ready to work with Democrats to find a solution.”He also slammed MoveOn.org as “nothing more than a radical liberal organization that is determined to score political points.”“They should be ashamed of themselves for playing politics when we have tens of thousands of brave men and women fighting for America in Iraq."
Thursday’s rally in Farmington Hills was one of more than 225 events nationwide.Fealk complained that Knollenberg continues to ignore requests from his constituents to meet with him.“If the president won’t listen to the people, Congress must stop the escalation and bring our troops home,” Fealk said.
A survey
MoveOn.org members did their own survey in downtown Birmingham during the last two weekends. Of 531 people interviewed, 77 percent of the respondents did not support sending more troops to Iraq.Birmingham was chosen because this is an area where the core of Knollenberg’s constituents are Republicans, said Fealk, a Rochester resident.
3 comments:
Isn't it funny how Knollenberg seems unable to take any responsibility?
Rather than standing up and stating that what is going on in Iraq is wrong and that it is wrong to escalate this war, Knollenberg trys to somehow pin the blame on Hillary Clinton.
Lucky for the Republicans that the Clintons came along so that they could be blamed for everything.
Oh, and who should be ashamed? I think any member of Congress who is supporting the escalation of the war in Iraq should be ashamed. Ashamed of being another rubber stamp for a failed President and the failed nation he created.
Moveon.org did not start this war. Hillary Clinton did not stand up and lie to the American people in a State of the Union address about Saddam Hussein seeking to buy nuclear material from Niger.
Republicans used to blame Ted Kennedy for everything. Now at least they like to share the blame between Kennedy and the Clintons -- regardless of the fact that it makes no sense.
Facts are funny and inconvenient things. But the truth is Hillary Clinton, the likely Democrat nominee for president in 2008, supported the war. John Kerry, the Democrat nominee in 2004, supported the war too.
Democrats joined Republicans in giving Bush the authority to go into Iraq. The war hasn't turned out like anyone would like. But facts are facts. Democrats voted for this war too. They now have an obligation to work with Republicans in a bipartisan manner to bring our troops home in victory, not defeat.
We all want the war to end soon. But do we really want to wave the white flag and surrender to the terrorists.
It must really anger Moveon.org that Senator Carl Levin refuses to defund Bush's new Iraq plan. Levin is being a statesman. He won't play politics with the troops and their security. That must make Moveon.org very, very angry.
Can't the politics end. Isn't it time to put America and our troops first?
Fortunately the Democratic Members of the House and Senate have come to realize the war in Iraq for what it really is -- the worst foreign policy blunder in the history of the country.
The Democratic members have drafted legislation to revoke the fundamentally flawed AUMF that was passed in 2002.
Now that the Republicans are no longer in charge of every branch of government, the people's voices will be heard.
George Bush is a failed President and he created a failed nation in Iraq. Finally there are enough members of Congress to stand up to him and to have the courage to change the direction in which we are headed.
It is so amusing that regardless of the topic, the extreme right always blames the Clintons for everything. Senator Clinton did not start the war. She made the best decision she could based on the information she had.
She now sees Bush for what he is -- an incompetent and lying moron.
Waive the white flag. Oh give me break from the extreme right wing talking points. That is such a crock.
Explain to me how come Bush is saying that the withdrawal of British troops in Iraq is a symbol of success but he won't withdraw American troops.
Bush has already failed in Iraq. Bush is the one waving the white flag. The exteme right wing Republicans just won't admit it.
And isn't it really you who is "playing politics" by claiming that the Democrats want to defund the troops.
Is your real name Joe Knollenberg? I ask because you are either stupid like Joe or a liar like Joe. Or maybe both.
The Democrats are going to pass legislation that requires that any troops sent to Iraq have the minimum training, body armor, vehicle armor, and weaponry necessary.
It is the Republicans who want to send in troops even though the Pentagon has said they do not have enough armor for these new troops.
Why do the Republicans hate the troops?
Why do the Republicans hate America?
Post a Comment