Farmington Eccentric: War Protestors turn up heat on Knollenberg

War protesters turn up heat on Knollenberg

By Sue Buck Staff Writer

http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070223/NEWS06/70223018/1023

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.”

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.

Oh No! Here Goes Joe With More Corporate Welfare!

OMG. This just goes to show how out of touch Joe Knollenberg is with his constituents.

Knollenberg wants to give tax breaks to companies if they will hold seminars on things like smoking and weightloss. Knollenberg proposes giving taxpayer money to companies to hold such seminars. There is no requirement that those companies offer healthcare to their employees -- they can make money just by giving seminars.

Gosh, maybe Joe Knollenberg has a relative or friend who just started a company that gives these seminars.

In HR 853, even Knollenberg's colleagues recognize this as a waste of time and energy to even consider. He has no co-sponsors and the bill will likely never even be discussed in committee.

If this is what Knollenberg thinks is the most pressing issue about health care he is not only out of touch with his constituents, but out of touch with reality.

* Going to a seminar about not smoking isn't going to help an employee afford healthcare for their family.

* Going to a seminar about not smoking isn't going to make their child's asthma medication any less expensive.

Instead, Knollenberg's plan just gives another tax break to companies.

Knollenberg's plan doesn't solve any problems. It just wastes taxpayer money.

Knollenberg's plan takes money out of taxpayers pockets and gives it to his Corporate friends.

Rather than work on something useful like assuring affordable health care for everyone or coming up with a program that would take the costs of health care off the backs of our auto industry, Knollenberg wants to give taxpayer money back to his big corporate friends.

Knollenberg Rebukes 9th District Voters with His Unwavering Support of Bush's War in Iraq

By an overwhelming majority, Congress sent a message to President Bush that under the new leadership of the House, they were not going to take a 'hands off" or "wait and see attitude" about the Iraq War anymore.

Even in the face of enormous pressure from the Republican leadership and the BUSH/CHENEY Whitehouse, 17 Republicans joined with the majority Democrats to let the President know that their consituents were fed up with the way the BUSH/CHENEY cabal were mismanaging the war.

Unfortunately, the wishes of the majority of voters in Michigan's 9th District were once again ignored by Joe Knollenberg. Instead of representing his District, Joe Knollenberg chose to rubberstamp whatever BUSH & CHENEY wanted.