We Did It!! No More Knollenberg

I've been waiting a long time to write this blog entry. Even though Joe Knollenberg has not called Gary Peters to concede, he did concede defeat. Congratulations, Gary!
November 4, 2008

Knollenberg loses seat to Peters in Oakland County

By KATHLEEN GRAY
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

A congressional district that cuts across the heart of Oakland County will be represented by a Democrat for the first time in 75 years come January, as incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg was caught Tuesday in the Democratic wave led by President-elect Barack Obama as it swept across Oakland County and Michigan.

Knollenberg lost to former state senator and lottery commissioner Gary Peters in the 9th congressional district.

With nearly 73% of the 9th Congressional District’s precincts reporting, Peters led by 8 points over Knollenberg.

The Bloomfield Township Republican who first was elected in 1992, did all but concede the race in a speech late Tuesday night, calling his defeat a "perfect storm” of events, combining outside money, the dominance of Obama, the tenuous economy and Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s decision to move his campaign out of Michigan.

“It’s become very obvious that’s it’s going to be very difficult to win this race,” he said shortly after 11 p.m.. "We had a problem, obviously. It’s not the greatest time in the world to be running.”

Knollenberg hadn’t called Peters yet late Tuesday, saying he just wanted to make sure a mistake wasn’t made in the counting of ballots across the district which spans from Farmington Hills up through Oakland Township.

Get Out and Vote for Gary Peters

I have been the lone contributor to this blog for about a year and a half. It has been my singular task to bring to light Joe Knollenberg's record in Congress and how he does not vote for the average, working family in his district.

Today is the day that it changes. We have a great candidate who's been well funded and done the hard work of campaigning to win. Gary Peters built a great organization and did the hard work of getting on the phone asking for and raising money, knocking on doors, attending political functions. Today it all pays off.

The Republicans in Oakland County and Joe's staff don't like me much. They got me arrested and called the police at every opportunity when we protested at Joe's office. They harassed me at the debates. But I persevered because I know that we need a new representative in Congress and Gary is that person to bring change to the 9th district.

I predict that tonight we will have a new Congressman representing the 9th District of Michigan and a new President, Barack Obama.

Now, go vote.

CQ Politics: "Knollenberg is Probably Toast"

Oh, how I've waited to see those words in print. "Knollenberg is probably toast." Be still my heart. We're almost there. I can't wait to see a check mark on television next to Gary Peters' name.

A strong campaign organization bolstered by a heavy independent expenditure campaign by the DCCC have pushed Democrat Gary Peters, a former state senator, slightly ahead in his quest to unseat eight-term Republican incumbent Joe Knollenberg in this district in suburban Detroit’s Oakland County.

“The conventional wisdom here is Knollenberg is probably toast,” said Bill Ballenger, editor of the non-partisan publication Inside Michigan Politics.

The congressman’s problem in part is due to demographic changes in the district, as Democrats make gains in voter registration. “Knollenberg’s district is just changing demographically with the passage of time. Every two years it gets less and less Republican,” Ballenger said.

Another problem is the potential coattails effect from Obama’s campaign, which is now favored to carry Michigan and its 17 electoral votes. Polling indicates Obama leads Republican John McCain by a double-digit margin in Michigan, and a survey released Thursday by the Lansing polling firm EPIC-MRA found that voters statewide give Democrats a 12-point lead over Republicans in a generic congressional match-up.

This Is Pretty Ironic. I Received this Mailer Today

Here's Joe Knollenberg's empty seat from the forum at Walsh College.
Here's the mailer I received in the mail today, asking What is Gary Peters Hiding?

Answer: Nothing. Gary showed up last night and took questions from voters. Gary even took a question from Joe Knollenberg's son, Marty Knollenberg.

Gary Peters at Troy Candidate forum - Joe's a No Show

This is Joe Knollenberg's empty seat at the form last night in Troy at Walsh College.

Gary Peters got the room all to himself. Joe Knollenberg couldn't be bothered showing up in Troy at Walsh College. Marty Knollenberg managed to show, but dad was just too busy to talk to voters on the issues of the day. Apparently Joe just had to attend a fund-raiser for a dog park in Royal Oak, rather than face the voters of the 9th District.

THIS JUST IN FROM THE DETROIT FREE PRESS:
Peters attended, but Knollenberg declined citing other engagements at Beaumont Hospital, where a $500,000 federal grant for the study of chronic diseases, was being celebrated, and a fund-raiser for a dog park in Royal Oak.

No-show Joe attacks Peters for not answering questions

This is really sad. This e-mail arrived in my inbox today and when I read it, I couldn't help from laughing out loud, LOL, for you younger readers. It may even be an LMAO.

Even though the forum was scheduled months in advance, Joe Knollenberg was too busy to show up and answer questions from the electorate about the issues facing Michigan and the country. Joe doesn't deserve your vote if he doesn't even show up to face the voters face to face.

Lies and Lying Liars Gary Peters has a bad habit. He likes to hide the truth. He knows that Oakland County's families don't share his extreme views, and he tries to hide them all costs. But sometimes, when Gary isn't careful, he gets caught. And though Gary tries to run from his own words and spin his own comments, he can't hide from the truth. Gary Peters supports "Medicare for All," meaning a government takeover of health care that will raise taxes. And it will put middle-class families on the hook for the free health care Peters would provide to illegal immigrants. No wonder even Barack Obama called a plan like Peters' "extreme" and "wrong." He said it as plain as day in front of a liberal audience in the spring. But now, he's trying to run away from his own words as fast as he can. But this isn't the start of something new. It's a long standing tradition. His career of running for office has taught Peters to speak "politician" pretty well. Peters sends out mailers calling himself a "fiscal conversative," but Peters supports the largest tax increase in American history. Peters’ tax hikes would cost average Michigan families more than $3,000 a year. Peters was asked at the recent debate five different times, yes or no, would he raise taxes. Peters refused to answer each and every time. Peters was asked on the radio, yes or no, would have voted to support the emergency economic stabilization legislation. And Peters refused to answer. The host called him "no guts Gary." Peters refuses to answer questions on his views. And that can only mean one thing: he has something to hide. With views like his, it's little wonder. Wouldn't you think Joe would show up at the candidate forum in Troy to answer questions from voters if he's criticizing Gary Peters. In fact, Marty Knollenberg, Joe's son, was sitting right in front of me and Marty was bragging after the forum that the moderator asked Marty's questions to Gary Peters about taxes and trade. Joe was too busy to even show up to answer questions from voters. Isn't a representative supposed to represent his district? How can Joe represent us if he won't listen to us? So what will Gary Peters do? Shamelessly attack Joe Knollenberg with false and outrageous attacks. Did you see the one about Joe kicking dogs and hating all animals? Lies. Read the truth. Did you see the one about Joe being the pocket of big oil? Lies. Read the truth. Did you see the one about Joe being a rubber-stamp for President Bush? Lies. Read the truth. Campaigns used to be about something more. They used to be about the issues and ideas the determine the direction of our country and the security of our families. But that's what Peters is most afraid of. He doesn't want to debate the issues, because he doesn't want to defend his radical views. Sincerely, Mike Brownfield Campaign Manager Knollenberg for Congress

Knollenberg Desperate - Lying About Peters' Record, Stance on Issues

With Knollenberg down 10 points, now Knollenberg has decided to take the John McCain low road in his campaign and just start making things up about his opponent, Gary Peters. I would think that it would be a better strategy for Knollenberg to explain how he would improve the lives of voters in his district, than lying about Peters' record and stance on the issues, especially an issue as personal and important as our health. But no, Joe Knollenberg is taking his cue from McCain/Bush and has decided to take the low road.

No wonder he's 10 points down in the polls. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Peters Challenges Knollenberg Mailers

Gary Peters has come out strong against the Knollenberg mailers that have been arriving in our mailboxes. Click here for Gary's fact check of the Knollenberg lies.

Joe Knollenberg is behaving the same way that John McCain is running his campaign, based on lies, innuendoes and just plain making stuff up.

Shame on you, Joe, but I didn't expect anything different.

League of Women Voters Peters/Knollenberg Debate 10/16

Here is the video of the forum with Gary Peters and Joe Knollenberg, soon to be ex-Congressman.

Knollenberg on GOP "Goner List"

I can hardly believe my eyes. Joe Knollenberg is on a list by a GOP consultant of House seats that are done for.

GOP 'goner' list warns of House rout
By: Josh Kraushaar and Reid Wilson
October 23, 2008 07:42 PM EST

An internal document circulating among House Republicans warns of an impending congressional bloodbath, listing 58 Republican-held House seats being at risk, and 11 already considered as good as gone. As many as 34 GOP-held seats are in serious jeopardy of swinging to Democrats, the assessment shows.

The state-of-the-race update, first reported on by U.S. News’ Paul Bedard, shows the GOP already writing off the seats of Reps. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), John R. Kuhl (R-N.Y.), Don Young (R-Alaska) and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.). It also expects losses in the seats of retiring GOP Reps. Rick Renzi of Arizona, Jerry Weller of Illinois, Jim Saxton of New Jersey, Mike Ferguson of New Jersey, Vito Fossella of New York, James Walsh of New York and Tom Davis of Virginia.

Drafted by a Republican consultant, the document ranks seats on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most likely for a Democratic takeover. Eleven members received a 5, meaning the seat is gone unless “a significant turn of events” changes things in the final two weeks. An additional seven seats are ranked as a 4, in the leaning Democratic category, and 16 seats are in the tossup category.

One well-connected Republican operative told Politico that the list, if anything, understated the number of members needing a political lifeline. The operative also said the GOP is all but writing off the seats of Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.), Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Phil English (R-Pa.), and the open New Mexico House seat of retiring Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.), who is running for the Senate. Click here for the rest of the story

Free Press Endorses Peters and Schauer

No matter what shape the state is in or how much Michigan voters gripe about Washington, they have a pattern of retaining their representatives in Congress. It's pretty tough to knock off an incumbent on these peninsulas. The result is challengers who are sometimes unqualified, usually underfinanced, and generally unable to offer assets equivalent to the experience and seniority that matter so much in the Washington power structure.

This year, however, two challengers have made the case.

In the 9th District, which spans Oakland County from Farmington Hills north through Pontiac, the Free Press endorses Democrat GARY PETERS of Bloomfield Hills over eight-term incumbent Republican Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Township. In the 7th District, which encompasses all or most of seven southern lower Michigan counties, state Sen. MARK SCHAUER, D-Battle Creek, would do a better job than incumbent Republican Tim Walberg of Tipton has managed in his first term.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

New Poll Puts Peters Up by 10

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a Grove Insight poll of 400 likely voters conducted October 21 with a 4.9 percent margin of error showing that Gary Peters expanded his lead to ten over Congressman Joe Knollenberg 46-36 percent in an initial head-to-head matchup. Two percent selected Jack Kevorkian.

"Gary Peters continues to build momentum with his unprecedented ground game and message of creating jobs and getting Michigan's economy back on track," said Ryan Rudominer, Midwest Regional Press Secretary for the DCCC. "Despite his desperate campaign tactics, Michigan's middle class families are resoundingly rejecting Congressman Knollenberg for blindly following the failed Bush economic policies that led to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression."

Previously, the DCCC released a Grove Insight poll of 400 likely voters conducted October 4-5 with a 4.9 percent margin of error showing that Gary Peters led Congressman Joe Knollenberg 46-37 percent in an initial head-to-head matchup. Click here.

Eccentric - It's time for change - pick Peters in 9th U.S. House District

This endorsement says it all. Go Gary!!!!!!

Breaking with long-standing tradition, the EccentricNewspapers endorse challenger Gary Peters over incumbent Joe Knollenberg in the 9th District U.S. House race.

Our endorsement has much to do with Peters' experience and temperament and more than a little with the district's changing demographics as well as the political realities it now faces.

Knollenberg is an eight-term Republican and a man we've endorsed many times in the past. Despite his long tenure, he's never become a "Washington phantom." He's spent countless hours in the district and worked hard and sincerely on national and regional issues.

But new times call for new solutions - and new people. The district Knollenberg once represented, and its challenges, are very different today than they were as recently as 2006.

Consider the auto industry. Knollenberg has been a big defender of Detroit's Big Three. But in our interview sessions, he continued to rail against CAFE standards, while Peters emphasized the development of hybrid vehicles. More than anything else, this shows the difference between a candidate whose feet are bound by the past and one stepping rapidly toward the future.

Knollenberg, too, had been one of the last defenders of the policies of President George W. Bush, yet we're hard-pressed to understand how Bush administration policies have benefited the district.

Nonetheless, the district and its antecedents have been in Republican hands since before the Great Depression and our endorsement might well have been different had Peters been a different kind of Democrat.

There is, however, one even more critical issue.

Even with the state economy on its knees, Michigan has remained a donor state by distributing far more in federal tax dollars than it receives. This is an indictment of our political leaders of both parties, but an opportunity for Peters.

Should he win, he would hold a seat Democrats have hotly coveted and should be anxious to keep. They would do so by paying close attention to our state, our region, the people who live here and the industries which employ them and Peters can help point the way. That's clout.

We understand the tax policies put forth by Barack Obama may be anathema to many 9th District residents and we urge Peters to be more than just a rubber stamp for any taxing and spending policies.

Gary Peters represents change, but also a challenge. Both, we believe, would serve the district well.

Evans-Novak Report Moves 9th to Leaning Democratic Takeover

Wow, this is good stuff. The NRCC is pulling its advertising support from the 9th and Evans-Novak Political Report is moving the Peters/Knollenberg race to leaning Democratic. What great news to wake up to.

Michigan-9: Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R) faces the toughest reelection of his life, polling even with former state Sen. Gary Peters (D). Peters has nearly kept pace with Knollenberg's fundraising, and the DCCC and the AFL-CIO are both piling on.

Knollenberg is trumpeting his success in pushing a $25 billion carmaker bailout through Congress. A slew of third-party candidates — including assisted-suicide practitioner Dr. Jack Kevorkian could mix things up here

Knollenberg has an incumbent advantage, but that could also be a disadvantage this year. Leaning Democratic Takeover.

And from the AP
Bachmann is one of four at-risk Republican incumbents left to fend for themselves by a cash-strapped House campaign arm in the crucial final days of the campaign amid a tough political environment for the GOP . The National Republican Campaign Committee has also canceled planned TV ads to help GOP Reps. Marilyn Musgrave in Colorado, Tom Feeney in Florida and Joe Knollenberg in Michigan, spokeswoman Karen Hanretty confirmed.

Musgrave, Feeney and Knollenberg are extremely vulnerable and Democrats — who are eyeing double-digit gains in their House majority — have been targeting them heavily. Bachmann, whose district is solidly conservative, has only recently emerged as a prime target after her controversial remarks on MSNBC's "Hardball," which sparked a flood of campaign contributions to her Democratic opponent and have reshaped the race.

Peters calls for investigation

Peters seeks probe into shredded documents at Detroit VA office

Paul Egan / The Detroit News

U.S. House candidate Gary Peters on Monday called for a congressional investigation into the mishandling and possible shredding of veterans claims documents at regional Department of Veterans Affairs offices in Detroit and elsewhere.

Peters, a Democrat who is challenging U.S. Rep Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, also called for an unspecified amount of increased funding for the department and increased accountability.

Peters said he's concerned about breaking a "sacred commitment we have to veterans" and called for an immediate mechanism by which veterans can make sure their claim files are intact.

The Detroit News reported last week that the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs is investigating the mishandling of claims documents at three regional offices, including Detroit, after unprocessed documents were found in shredder bins during an audit.

Later in the article:

Nate Bailey, a spokesman for Knollenberg, said the congressman is a veteran of the U.S. Army and "a strong and ardent supporter of veterans."

Knollenberg, an eight-term congressman, voted for the largest increase in history for veterans funding, which took effect in 2008, Bailey said.

"Don't be fooled by those that manipulate Congressman Knollenberg's record," he said. "Taking votes out of context and misrepresenting his votes for veterans are not the true story." Click here for the rest of the story.

I'm not so sure Joe should be bragging about his veterans record. Here are how several veterans groups rank Joe on veterans issues.

2006 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Representative Knollenberg a grade of C.

2006 Representative Knollenberg sponsored or co-sponsored 7 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2005.

2004 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 33 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 38 percent in 2003-2004.

2003 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the American Veterans 50 percent in 2003.

2003 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2003.

2003 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the The American Legion 40 percent in 2003.

2001 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 2001.

2001 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 77 percent in 2001.

1999 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 1999.

1997-1998 Representative Knollenberg supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-199

Oakland Press Endorses Gary Peters

This is huge. The Oakland Press that has a penchant for endorsing Republicans, especially incumbent Republicans has endorsed Democrat Gary Peters in the race for the 9th Congressional district. Will wonders never cease. Way to go, Gary!

Peters and Knollenberg face off in forum

Click here to watch the stream from WXYZ. It really wasn't a debate. There was no back and forth between Gary Peters and Joe Knollenberg. At least Knollenberg had the courtesy to show up this time. The house was packed with about 300 people. Knollenberg seems to be proud of his ties to the Bush adminstration and their ruinous policies. The candidates were asked about campaign financing by Nolan Finley of the Detroit News. Knollenberg had the nerve to actually accuse Peters of accepting big money from PACs. I guess he missed the irony of his support from Big Pharma, the National Association of Realtors, the insurance and financial industry, and others. I would have liked more of a chance for Peters and Knollenberg to address each other and for that reason I didn't like the format.

One thing is for sure, there is a clear difference between Peters and Knollenberg.

Taxes, spending and the war in Iraq dominated a tame debate between four of the five candidates running for Oakland County’s 9th Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Township, told about 250 people that he’s consistently delivered for Oakland County residents and would continue to “fight with all my might” if he’s returned to Congress.

Gary Peters, former state Senator and Lottery Commissioner, said the current economic crisis proves that Washington is broken and is in desperate need of change.

“Whatever has happened in the past is not working now,” Peters said. “We do need to change how things are done in Washington.”

Meanwhile, Green Party candidate Douglas Campbell had one of the best lines of the night when he urged that when voters watch the increasingly negative ads that Knollenberg and Peters are running against each other, that they “contemplate the possibility that they’re both right.”

The sharpest differences were on taxes.

Knollenberg said that raising them would be the worst possible thing to do at anytime, but especially in the current economic climate.

Peters said that he thinks tax cuts should be concentrated on the middle class and that tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas should be eliminated.

“If you look at the Bush tax cuts, they favor the people at the very top. If we do need to generate some revenue, that would be where I would look,” he said.

The ninth congressional district, which covers a wide swath of Oakland County from Farmington Hills through Oakland Township, has become a much more competitive district recently. Click here for the rest of the story.

NRCC Pulls $320 K In Ads from 9th Congressional District

@ 12:47 pm by Hill Staff

The National Republican Congressional Committe (NRCC) has canceled nearly $320,000 in planned ad buys in favor of Rep. Joe Knollenberg's (R) reelection efforts in Michigan's 9th congressional district.

According to numbers obtained by The Hill, the NRCC has canceled its buys in the next two weeks, while preserving an expenditure in the last week of the campaign.

The NRCC canceled one buy from October 14-20 for $150,000, and another October 21-27 for almost $170,000. The preserved expenditure, to run from October 28-November 4, amounts to almost $314,000–just slightly less than the sum the NRCC had planned to spend in the race in the preceding weeks.

The NRCC has been strapped for cash during this election cycle, with financial constraints forcing it to only begin spending on behalf of its candidates as of late. Lackluster fundraising and an embezzlement scandal from the organization's treasurer left it at a disadvantage compared to its counterpart, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). Click here for the rest of the story.

Laura Berman: Political fear not so scary these days

Laura Berman speaks to the fact that political fear is losing its punch in this year's political campaigns. Joe Knollenberg is slipping in the polls and will suffer the same fate as John McGrumpy (McCain).

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Laura Berman: Commentary

Political fear not so scary these days

Even in times when there's nothing to fear but the throb of that emotion itself, you can't factor out the political value of fear.

For several election cycles, campaigns have profited by scaring voters about the dangers of change, exploiting the insecurity of Americans in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and mounting worries about the economy.

In 2004, Americans re-elected George W. Bush, despite a hugely unpopular war, in part because the incumbent president's campaign pushed the "too scary" button so effectively.

But in Michigan, where we're increasingly haunted by mounting evidence of unpleasantness -- unemployment, bankruptcy, foreclosures and a collapsing national economy -- the tried-and-true scare tactics of previous campaigns are now resonating with the effectiveness of a blow-up ghost at Halloween.

'Extreme' goes both ways

In Oakland County, incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, once indomitable, is slipping in polls to challenger Gary Peters.

In response, Knollenberg's campaign is painting Peters, a mainstream Democrat whose most recent position was lottery commissioner, as a liberal wild guy.

Knollenberg is using the boilerplate language that worked in the last election against Nancy Skinner.

"When Gary says 'change,' you better watch out. Gary Peters' plan for change is too 'extreme' and 'wrong' for Michigan's families," warned Knollenberg's campaign manager, Mike Brownfield, in a campaign piece this week.

Democrat Bruce Fealk, in an online anti-Knollenberg blog, uses the same "too extreme" language against Knollenberg.

At this point, the words are field tested and shopworn. Click here for the rest of the story.

Peters/Knollenberg Debate Thursday - Doors Open at 6 p.m.

Hopefully Joe Knollenberg will have the decency to show up this time. The debate will be at Oakland University in the Oakland Center in the Gold Room. Seating is limited, so arrive early. The debate starts at 7:30 p.m.

Where: 2200 N. Squirrel, Oakland Center Gold Room

The debate is sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Show up and show your support for Gary Peters.