Saturday, August 16, 2008

Peters Kicks Knollenberg on Energy

Energy is a big issue on voters' minds these days and the issue has gotten scant attention from Joe Knollenberg, until the past few months. Knollenberg has been in Congress for almost 18 years and has had numerous chances to vote to start taking energy policy seriously. Gary Peters is coming at Knollenberg strong on an issue that is on our minds every time we pull up to the gas pump.

Friday, August 15, 2008

John McCain - Maverick or Scoundrel? You decide

Here's a great ad pointing out the hypocrisy of John McCain running as a "maverick." John McCain is no maverick. He should be in jail along side Jack Abramoff and this is the candidate Joe Knollenberg has endorsed?

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Web Ad Launched

Det. News blog reports Knollenberg To Be Top Target of Humane Society

I reported this a while ago, but now the Humane Society Legislative Fund is revealing that they will be launching a radio and/or television campaign against Joe Knollenberg, highlighting his abysmal record on animal rights.

Rep. Knollenberg is Humane Society's top target for defeat

The Humane Society Legislative Fund said today it's top target for defeat this election is Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills.

Sara Amundson, the executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, cited Knollenberg's "long-term abysmal record" on animal welfare issues, his Democratic challenger's "stellar" record in the Michigan legislature, and the makeup of Oakland's Ninth Congressional District, which she said is far more progressive on animal rights than is its representative.

"Knollenberg is really out of step with the district he represents," Amundson said, pointing to his 17 percent rating on the Humane Society scorecard.

Knollenberg campaign manager Mike Brownfield said, "This is just another thinly veiled attempt by an outside attack machine to smear Congressman Knollenberg and his record."

The group endorsed Democratic challenger Gary Peters and will also run an independent campaign to defeat Knollenberg. "We're still making a decision whether it'll be both TV and radio. We'd like to do both," Amundson said.

In its announcement on why it is targeting Knollenberg, the group said, "Throughout his career in Washington, he has opposed modest animal welfare reforms, including efforts to halt horse slaughter for foreign consumption; stop the processing of animals who are too sick or injured to walk to slaughter and pose a greater threat of spreading 'mad cow disease;' stop wealthy American trophy hunters from shooting threatened polar bears in the Arctic; stop the trophy shooting of bears over piles of grease and jelly doughnuts on national forests and other federal lands; stop the use of steel-jawed leghold traps and wire neck snares on national wildlife refuges--inhumane and unsporting practices opposed by responsible hunters; and protect dolphins from drowning in tuna nets.

"Although he claims to be a fiscal conservative, Knollenberg voted to use tax dollars to promote the trophy hunting of elephants in Africa, and to give a $2 million annual subsidy to the luxury mink coat industry. He voted twice to spend millions of dollars to kill predators with cruel traps and poisons as a government subsidy for private ranchers, and he sought to de-fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture's enforcement of the federal law to combat animal fighting--the same law that was later used to break up Michael Vick's dogfighting ring."

The group also endorsed Democrat Mark Schauer over Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, who received a 17 percent rating.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Boehner coming to Oakland County to "help" Knollenberg

John (Crybaby) Boehner is coming to Oakland County to "help" Joe Knollenberg in his campaign against Democrat Gary Peters. Knollenberg's campaign must be in worse shape than I thought if he thinks crybaby Boehner can actually help his campaign.

Boehner to visit 18 districts
Posted: 08/12/08 07:27 PM [ET]

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is using August recess for a whirlwind tour of the Northeast and the Midwest to campaign with GOP candidates in 18 districts.


Boehner is scheduled to be in Connecticut on Wednesday to stump for state Sen. David Cappiello (R), who is taking on freshman Rep. Chris Murphy (D). He has already campaigned for Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and five candidates in Pennsylvania.

The tentative schedule includes four stops in Michigan, one in New Hampshire, three in New York, one in Pennsylvania, and more in his home state of Ohio.

The beneficiaries (aka victims) include GOP Reps. Tim Walberg (Mich.), Joe Knollenberg (Mich.), Randy Kuhl (N.Y.) and Phil English (Pa.). Boehner is also helping top candidates Sandy Treadwell and Chris Lee in New York and Kirk Schuring in Ohio, as well as former Rep. Jeb Bradley in New Hampshire.

Bradley faces a primary in September against former state Health Commissioner John Stephen. Boehner has previously contributed to Bradley’s campaign.


Tuesday, August 12, 2008

I took to the streets asking about equal pay for women

Equal pay for women affects over 50% of the voters in the upcoming elections. It would seem on this one issue alone Joe should be voted out of office, if only more people knew that Joe Knollenberg voted against equal pay for women by voting against the Paycheck Fairness Act. So, I took to the streets and here is one of the interviews with a local Rochester resident, one of Joe's constituents, and I'm sure her comments on this issue are felt by women all across the district.


The Paycheck Fairness Act would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. The Paycheck Fairness Act would, among other things, deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations, and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. The bill also requires employers to show that wage gaps are truly a result of factors other than sex, collect better data on wages, reinstate activities that promote equal pay at the Department of Labor, and develop training for women and girls on salary negotiations. The bill's measured approach ensures that women can obtain the same remedies as those discriminated against based on race.

Did you know:

Women working full-time, year-round earn only about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, virtually the same amount women earned in 2004. In 2005, the median annual earnings of women ages 15 and older were $31,858, compared to $41,386 for their male counterparts.

There is not a single state in which women have gained economic equality with men. As of 2002, Washington, D.C. was the area with the smallest wage gap, at 92%, whereas Wyoming had the widest gap, with women making about 66% of what men earned.

As women get older, the wage gap for them widens. When women start their careers, the pay gap is relatively small: females aged 15 to 24 working full-time year-round have median annual earnings that are 96% of what their male counterparts earn. However, by the time they reach the critical years leading up to retirement, that 4% pay gap has increased more than seven times: women aged 45 to 64 who work full-time earn only 70% of what men do.

For more information on this issue visit: http://www.pay-equity.org/info-leg.html

Congressman Joe Knollenberg voted NO on this legislation. How will you vote on Joe Knollenberg on November 4?