Jack Lessenbery Nails Why Kevorkian is Running for Congress

This morning I found this article by Jack Lessenberry about Dr. Death's run for Congress and why he's doing it. I think he's dead on, Kevorkian is crying out for attention and the media has sure given it to him. But Kevorkian's run is a joke and Jack lays out why.

Article published Friday, March 28, 2008
Dr. Death's run for Congress a cry for attention from forgotten man

ROYAL OAK, Mich. - So, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the man who made assisted suicide a household phrase back in the 1990s, wants to go to Congress? Everybody's first reaction was pretty much the same: We can't wait to see his health care plan … That, or: I'll bet there's a few bills lying around the House he'd really like to kill. Two things are certain: First, Kevorkian in Congress would be a full-employment guarantee for Jay Leno, Dave Letterman, and every stand-up comedian in every coffee house from here to Botswana. And, second, it isn't going to happen. Matter of fact, he almost certainly won't even get on the ballot. Reporters took his announcement far too seriously, and anyone who knows the aging, cantankerous former pathologist knows he is unlikely to have either the stamina or the stick-to-it qualities needed to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot as an independent. What his candidacy is really about, instead, is a cry for attention from someone the world has passed by, and whose quarter hour of fame was used up soon after he went to prison nine years ago.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the story.

Knollenberg to attend Rochester Chamber Legislative Update

It looks like Joe Knollenberg may finally come out of hiding and answer a few questions from the public. On April 11 he will attend the Rochester Chamber of Commerce Legislative update meeting at the OPC in Rochester and the topic will be health care. You can even submit questions in writing to the chamber ahead of time. I know I have a few questions for Joe. How about you? I hope Joe doesn't chicken out and send Shawn Ciavattone, like he did last year.

Rochester Chamber spotlights health care at April 11 Legislative
Update
Health care legislation will be the focus of a special Rochester
Regional Chamber of Commerce forum next month.

The event is the Chamber’s annual Legislative Update. It runs 8-10 a.m.
on Friday, April 11 at the Older Persons’ Commission, 650 Letica Drive,
Rochester. Light refreshments will be served at 7:30 a.m.

Guest speakers at the Legislative Update, which is open to the public, are Congressman Joe Knollenberg, State Sen. Mike Bishop and State Rep. John Garfield. They will brief the audience on their respective areas of government and then tackle health care and health insurance matters. Audience members will be able to question the lawmakers following their updates.

“We hope the community joins us for this event,” says Sheri Heiney, the Chamber’s executive director. “The Legislative Update is a wonderful opportunity to hear and question our local legislators about the state of our government.”
People can also submit questions for Knollenberg, Bishop and Garfield to the Chamber by e-mailing Jennifer Fulton at jenniferf@rrc-mi.com.

Follow Walberg's lead,Joe, Hold a forum on anything

Joe, look what I found. Timmy Walberg, your fellow Bush lackey, held a forum and 40 people showed up. I bet if you held a forum on anything, people would show up in droves and ask you questions that matter to their lives. I dare you, Joe. You choose the date and location and we'll show up and have a lively conversation. You don't have the guts to actually do it, though. You are a coward, Joe Knollenberg. You only want to have telephone townhalls with people that agree with you.

How about a real town hall with people with diverse opinions about the issues of the day, instead of all the safe venues where only people that agree with your votes and stances on issues are invited? I'll make it easier for you, you agree to show up and I'll find the venue and do all the planning.

40 turn out for Walberg forum on foreclosures
Nick Schirripa and Justin A. Hinkley
The Enquirer

For some, foreclosure is a looming threat. For others, it is a harsh reality.

Many of the 40 or so people at Burnham Brook on Wednesday had their own foreclosure stories, and all had concerns about the local and national increase in the number of people losing their homes.

"In two years, I'm going to be facing losing my home," said Dorothy Long of Battle Creek.

The 63-year-old retiree said she lives on a fixed income and is worried she might not be able to pay a balloon mortgage payment due in a few years.

"They tell you to communicate early to avoid foreclosure," Long said, "but my lender isn't trying to help me."

The forum was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. Kathy Coon, an appraiser with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was among the experts on hand to answer questions and concerns.

Lennox Announces Run for Michigan State House

Now I guess we know why Dennis Lennox has been trying so hard to get his name in the paper. He was planning a run for the Michigan State House. Now maybe there's someone who will follow Dennis around with a video camera and stalk him the way he's been stalking Gary Peters. Good luck with that, Dennis.

It will be intersting to see where Dennis' financial support comes from and whether the ailing Michigan Republican party will be backing Dennis' run. My guess is Saul will be right there at Dennis' side, like he was for his press conference with the giant milk carton.

CMU activist seeks seat in House
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
ANDY HOAG
THE SAGINAW NEWS
MOUNT PLEASANT -- A Central Michigan University student known for battling with the college over a professor's campaign for Congress is running for state representative in his home district.

Dennis G. Lennox, 23, announced Tuesday he will run in the 105th House District, which spans Antrim, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Otsego counties. Lennox is from Topinabee in Cheboygan County.

He received a formal reprimand from CMU after campus authorities found him guilty of three student code violations they say he committed in October while passing out documents related to his criticism of CMU educator and political candidate Gary C. Peters, who Lennox said should ''pick either Congress or campus.''

Lennox made his decision to run after the incumbent, Kewadin Republican Kevin Elsenheimer, announced he is seeking the state Court of Appeals judgeship that Midland Republican Bill Schuette is vacating.

I want to thank Joe Knollenberg for laying out the bullcrap that he and his Republican colleagues have been espousing to the American public for years. What is this bullcrap you ask? That lower taxes lead to the ruin of the American economy. Here's the fallacy Republicans ask Americans to believe. If you have an economic problem, lower taxes will solve it.

Here's what really happens though. Republicans lower taxes to the point where agencies that protect Americans from things like polluted drinking water, poisoned food, tainted beef, you know things that keep you from dying, start to collapse from the lack of proper funding. Then what happens. People start dying and then people suddenly say, oh, I guess maybe we do need some of those revenues for government to provide essential services, like keeping my children and myself from dying.

Then when government stops working, Republicans like to say see, we told you, government doesn't work. Every man for himself.

Then Republicans say, we need to wage war to protect America. We have to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. I used to think this was a joke, until I actually had people who believe this crap say it to my face. Republicans actually believe that we can fight an unending war, borrowing money from the Chinese and the Japanese to finance it, outsource the duties that used to be performed by soldiers to Halliburton at 10 times the cost and that this will somehow protect America. The war in Iraq is nothing but a business deal, and a bad one for America at that. No-bid contracts have been going to Dick Cheney's old company for years, to the detriment of the American economy.

And Joe Knollenberg buys into the whole load of bullcrap. How can this guy represent the voters of the 9th District any longer?

We the people need to do something about it in November and it is imperative that we send Gary Peters to Washington D.C. in January of 2009. We can't afford to have Joe Knollenberg represent us any longer, not even one minute longer. Below is Joe's speech regarding the new budget that Republicans are fighting tooth and nail, because Democrats are seeking to protect essential services to average Americans. Don't let them fool you.

Knollenberg Fights to Prevent Massive Tax Increase Record-setting tax hike would
hurt families, kill jobs


Washington, Mar 12 - Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Chairman, Iwould yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg),one of our leaders in this conference and one of our most distinguished leaders.
Mr.KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Brady, thank you very kindly for yielding. I appreciate that very much.Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight on behalf of the hardworking men and women of Michigan and particularly of my Ninth District.
It will come as no surprise to most to hear me say that Michigan has been struggling mightily of late. For the past 6 years, we have suffered from incomparable job lossesthroughout Michigan. In fact, Michigan was the only State in the Union to have lost jobs in each and every year of that time frame. Our unemployment rate has been the Nation's highest, or close to it, for longer than anyone can remember.Home foreclosures are up. Wages are down. Costs seem to be rising at every turn. To put it lightly, the people of Michigan are facing some tough times.Not too long ago, the Governor of Michigan proposed an income tax increase. The citizenswere on the verge of revolt. The State government actually shut down for a bit.
As Michigan families struggled, the last thing they thought they deserved from their government was a bigger tax bill. But, sadly, they got one anyway.Now the leadership of this body wants to send the good people of Michigan and the peopleacross the country another tax increase. In fact, they want to send, as has been said before, the biggest tax increase in American history.Well, I'm here to say, and to say strongly, enough is enough. Enough with higher taxes. Enough withwasteful spending. Enough.Analysts have calculated that the average family in my district would see their taxes go up by more than $4,100 if this budget were to be enacted. That's $4,100 that families in Oakland County simply cannot afford.
Worse yet, we know that a tax increase this big would do serious harm to the economy, costing even more jobs and putting more people out of work.The other problem is, and some have told me that my district alone would lose some 2,000 jobs in the wake of this scale of tax increase. I do not want to let thathappen. Many are concerned that the national economy is showing signs of weakness. I submit to my colleagues the weakness you may be seeing is just a common cold compared to the prolonged pneumonia Michigan has suffered from during its single-State recession.I'm going to fight and fight hard to protect Michigan's families, as every Member here I know would protect the people fromtheir own States, protect them from higher taxes. Taking more of theirhard-earned money from their pockets will only lead to more problems, more job losses, and more hardships.So I repeat: Enough with higher taxes. Enough with wasteful spending. Simply, enough.If you're thinking of voting for a tax increase this big, I'd invite you to come to see me in Michigan. There you can see firsthand what higher taxes do to an economy. Higher taxes shutter factorydoors. They close small businesses, and they hurt families right to the core.
This budget, and the $4,000 increase that comes with it for Oakland County's families, is simply unacceptable.Instead of raising taxes, we should be focused on solutions that will strengthen the economy, create jobs, encourageinvestment, and foster innovation. Raising taxes would do the exact polar opposite.So I strongly urge my colleagues, Mr. Chairman, to reject this massive tax increase on average Americans. I know firsthand how much harm it would do toMichigan's families, and I have every reason to believe it would do the same to families across America.

Gary Peters is out to win for us all. Kevorkian out for himself

Running as an independent, Jack Kevorkian won't win, but he could be a factor in a close race. Based on the stories in the papers yesterday, Kevorkian's only reasons for running are selfish ones. Gary Peters is out to help provide the change we need in Washington. I have no doubt Kevorkian is in to stay, given his quotes in the stories I've seen. I also believe the votes he does get will come from independents and Democrats. So, what do Democrats have to do to make sure Gary Peters is our representative, work even harder for Gary Peters to make sure the few thousand votes Kevorkian pulls from Peters are not the margin of victory for Joe Knollenberg. Every phone call, every door knocked, every dollar donated have to count. We have to make sure Gary's message gets out effectively by every method available.

How can you help? Click here to make a donation to Gary's campaign, NOW!

Parolee Kevorkian seeks seat in House
Assisted-suicide advocate to push forindividual rights

BY KATHLEEN GRAY • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER •

March 25,2008

"I have never been a political person. I have only voted once in mylife," he said, during a rambling news conference Monday in Southfieldin which he quoted a range of historical figures that included Alexis de Tocqueville and Frederick Douglass.

Kevorkian plans to run as an Independent candidatein the 9th Congressional District, for a seat that is held by U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Township.
Kevorkian promised to stay in officeonly two years if elected.

"I'm 79, almost 80," he said. "That's old."

His goal is to raise awareness of the Ninth Amendment, which says rights spelled out in the Constitution do not diminish rights that aren't specifically spelled out.

Joe, now the young people are speaking out. When will you?

It's so great to see some young people get involved. Over 100 people gathered at Shain Park on Wednesday to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war. How many more have to die, Joe?
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GATHER TO PROTEST WAR IN IRAQ
'Give peace a chance'
By Jay M. Grossman
ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER

Meet Nolan Astrein, a bright young man with a vision for peace.

"I never thought that nearly a third of my life would be spent watching my country fight in a war," said the 16-year-old Seaholm High School student.

On Wednesday, he organized a candlelight vigil at Shain Park in Birmingham to mark the five-year anniversary of the Iraq war. Dozens showed up, young people and old, holding candles and carrying signs of peace.

"I don't know anyone who's been in the war," Astrein said. "But there's no telling how long this war could last ... and I realize in another time I would almost be at the perfect age for the draft."

The time he's referring to was the Vietnam war, a conflict his father opposed many decades ago.

"Back in the '60s he protested Vietnam," he said about his father, Gary Astrein, 57. "He's never imposed any of his views on me, but he always told me what he thought about things."

His own search for peace began three or four weeks ago, when he searched the Web site moveon.org for a local vigil to attend.

"I noticed there were none in the area, so I decided to do one on my own," he said. "At first it was just for other students, but then I posted something and within days a bunch of people wrote back and said they planned on attending."

Growing up in Birmingham in the heart of Oakland County, Astrein realizes there are very few people from this wealthy enclave who enlisted to fight. At the same time, he believes a majority from this area support the cause.

"The percentage of people from Oakland County who are fighting overseas is so low," he said. "Very few have siblings or cousins over there ... but it's not a good excuse. We should all be aware of the war."

It's a battle he opposes, a conflict he feels is senseless.

"This needs to be quickly brought to an end," Astrein said. "Bringing home all the troops in one day would be dramatic - but it should end in a year."

jgrossman@hometownlife.com | (248) 901-2529