It's just a little over a year since Joe Knollenberg and Trent Wisecup Were Mocked on Countdown

I was reviewing my YouTube account and came across my favorite video.

Web Ad Launched

Remember Trent Wisecup? Why is he using a lobbying firm e-mail?

I guess in political circles what goes around comes around. Joe Knollenberg and L. Brooks Patterson are obviously very close. L. Brooks attended Joe's campaign launch yesterday. Since Trent Wisecup is now L. Brooks' campaign manager, I wonder if Trent was in attendance too. Wisecup embarassed Joe Knollenberg, so Joe fired him and Trent checked himself into the hospital. I am so glad Trent landed on his feet with L. Brooks. Is Trent back working for his old lobbying firm, Navigators, LLC? Why is a lobbyist running L. Brooks Patterson's campaign? What is the connection?





Then he showed up on Keith Olbermann on MSNBC

Detroit News notes Albright hire by Knollenberg

This article appeared on January 2 in the Detroit News, noting Trent Wisecup's run-in with a camera wielding anti-war activist (me) and gives the link to the video and quotes Joe as saying Craig Albright is a professional, maybe implying Trent wasn't so professional?

It looks like rather than take a new tack, Joe prefers to stick with someone he knows. I expect that we'll see more of the same from Joe, rather than learning from his mistakes of the past. That's good news for Gary Peters, his expected opponent in the 2008 general election. This being Joe's last campaign, I'm glad Joe at least isn't going to turn into a Mitt Romney flip-flopper. Oh, did I mention Joe endorsed Romney?

Rep. Knollenberg hires top aide

U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, announced today that he's hired a new chief of staff, Craig Albright, who's worked in Republican politics since the mid-1990s and who's also getting ready to be a first-time dad.

Knollenberg is expected to face another barnburner of a race. He's targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He'll face the winner of the Democratic match between former Michigan lottery commissioner Gary Peters and Nancy Skinner, who held Knollenberg to an unimpressive 52-percent victory in 2006.

The already hot feelings in the race were captured on video and posted on YouTube in October. Knollenberg's chief of staff at the time, Trent Wisecup, got into a testy exchange with a camera-wielding anti-war activist. The video has now been watched 47,696 times. Afterwards, Wisecup announced he had gone on paid medical leave to seek treatment for a mood-swing disorder. Knollenberg's office said Wisecup is no longer employed either on the congressional or campaign staff.

"I'm excited to have Craig on board," Knollenberg said in a statement. "He's a true professional and effective at getting things done. It's rare to find someone with extensive knowledge of both my congressional district and Washington, DC."

Albright grew up in Birmingham and has a BA in economics from Michigan State University.

He worked as a legislative aide in the Michigan state legislature before Knollenberg hired him from 1997 to 2005 (including as campaign manager in 2002). He then worked for Vice President Cheney as deputy assistant for legislative affairs and for President Bush as special assistant for legislative affairs.

Trent Wisecup - The Gift that keeps giving (Crain's)

I found this little gem in Crain's Detroit Business.

Gifts we hope will keep on giving

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg: New press aides. Though hailing from different political parties, these guys share at least one thing in common: Both had press aides flame out in spectacular fashion during 2007. Kilpatrick aide Matt Allen was out after his arrest for domestic violence in November. Knollenberg aide Trent Wisecup had been sending bizarre emails to news media for months before he left the congressman's office. What took so long?

Trent Wisecup Fired?

I got word today that there is a rumor that Trent Wisecup is no longer working for Joe Knollenberg. I sent an e-mail to Trent's address and it bounced back, another indication that Trent is no longer employed by the Knollenberg camp. It's a good thing Trent is on his wife's health care, what with all the medication he needs, now that he's been diagnosed as being bi-polar and undoubtedly he'll be needing psychiatric care, which isn't cheap either. Without his wife's health care, Trent would know what it's like to be one of the 47 million (37 million if you believe Trent) without health care coverage. I'm going to miss you, Trent.

9th District Campaign Intense, but not "weird"

Last November 15, the Birmingham Eccentric ran a story, "The Strange Saga of the 9th U.S. House Race" and an accompanying opinion piece entitled "Campaign is already weird" One thing conservative writers like Greg Kowalski are very good at is putting emotional words into their stories. Below is Greg's opinion piece, although it doesn't have his name attached, and my reply. Even though, when you ask, they say they are not partisan, reading their stories, you can't help but notice how biased they are. I do give Greg credit, though, for running my reply, unedited, except I had to shorten it to meet the 400 word guideline. And I do appreciate Greg's campaign advice, but with Joe's approval rating at 33% I tend to think that people are paying attention to this race and Joe's voting record and position on issues, maybe due in part to the letters to the editor campaign, the admittedly unique tactics and the truth being told about Joe Knollenberg.

Campaign is already weird (from the 11/15/07 Eccentric)

The November 2008 election is shaping up to be one of the most bizarre in memory.

And it's still 2007.

The big race on the ballot locally will the be 9th U.S. House seat currently occupied by Joe Knollenberg. The Republican from Bloomfield Township has been in office since 1993 and has been a consistent conservative. Only recently has he tried to distance himself from President George Bush and taken up the cause of the American auto industry and its plight.

Knollenberg has come under bitter attack by political foes who are taking their message to the street - literally - following Knollenberg to businesses and even going to his home to challenge him with their questions on such issues as the Iraq war and health insurance coverage.

On an anti-Knollenberg Web site, Joe is held responsible for just about everything bad there is including the number of soldiers killed in Iraq and the $9 trillion national debt.

We're not in the habit of giving campaign advice, but the anti-Knollenberg camp might note that such overkill tactics are not particularly effective in this area where voters tend to be more moderate and reasonable.

We will, however, continue to push for clean election campaigns. Knollenberg is vulnerable on many issues and there is no need to resort to such cheap, and frankly weird, tactics.

My Reply in Thursday’s Birmingham (Thanksgiving Day) Eccentic

Not so weird (My title was, "Campaign is intense, but not "weird")

The only people that are calling the occurrences in the 9th District race weird are members of the press. I think it's important to point out a few things that Kowalski's story, "Strange Saga" overlooked and get a few facts straight. First, there was an incident in a drugstore in Rochester, but I have not been following Knollenberg around. I have been looking for an opportunity to question Knollenberg about the issues important to Oakland County and I had that opportunity in the drugstore.

In the recording in the drugstore, Knollenberg's chief of staff, Trent Wisecup, totally lost his cool when I questioned Knollenberg about his positions on children's health care and Knollenberg's continued support of the war in Iraq. Knollenberg is for more war and death and against providing health care for our children. I would like to see Knollenberg get his priorities straight. I have every right, as an American, in fact it's my duty as a citizen, to ask questions and get straight answers from my representative in the people's House.

Knollenberg also voted against the Health and Human Services bill and helped to block an override of President Bush's veto.

This bill would have provided $3.4 billion for state unemployment insurance and employment services, $340 million to strengthen mine safety protections, $183 million to enforce wage and hour laws, $37 billion for school districts across America, $16.4 billion to lower the costs of student loans, $2 billion for affordable, high-quality child care for low-income families, $7 billion for Head Start programs and $2.2 billion for community health centers, all worthwhile expenditures, especially when compared to more than half a trillion dollars that has been spent on the war and the estimated $1.5 trillion that has been spent so far when all the expenses to the American public are taken into consideration.

Knollenberg can no longer claim to be a fiscal conservative, as he has played a role in the $9 trillion national debt, twice what it was before Bush took office, caused by Bush's tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.

As Kowalski's article pointed out, Knollenberg's approval rating is down to 33 percent, so people are now paying attention to this race and are starting to realize that Knollenberg doesn't represent their views on the issues and they are ready to vote a Democrat into office next November.

Bruce Fealk

The Night of the Living Republicans

This video sums the Republican platform very succinctly and with humor, a winning combination.

Guest Opinion: By John Ashcraft: Blogger Has a Right to Question Congressman

GUEST OPINION Blogger has a right to question congressman
By JOHN ASHCRAFT

Enough already with the complaints about Bruce Fealk "ambushing" Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

His approach may be disagreeable, but he has a right to hold his U.S. Representative accountable for his decisions and he's been left no other way to do that.

Knollenberg is notorious for snubbing constituents who want to discuss important issues (unless they share his views). His actions better represent the positions of the radical right than his Oakland County constituents.

In his most recent encounter with Fealk, Knollenberg was only asked to explain when he would represent the views of his district and vote to end the war in Iraq or support the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC Covers Wisecup's Outburst

Rather than answer Fealk's fair questions, Knollenberg walked away and turned loose his chief of staff, Trent Wisecup, who ripped into Fealk like a pit-bull.

True to form, the media have framed the whole episode as an example of political activism gone too far. But, Bruce Fealk is just an American citizen who deserves representation.

Yes, he's a member of MoveOn.org, but he hasn't been hired by that or any other group. He's acting on his own accord.

In contrast, Wisecup is on Knollenberg's staff. In fact, he is the chief of Knollenberg's staff. Furthermore, in the video of the confrontation, Wisecup told Fealk he spoke for the Congressman when he said Fealk was Un-American, that he wanted to lose in Iraq and that he wasn't a citizen. Why wasn't that the story?

"Congressman attacks constituent for asking policy questions," seems like a pretty good headline to me.

I agree that politics has gone too far lately. But the offense is not that of a constituent who is forced to use desperate means to hold his representative accountable.

It's the abusive personal attacks that are loosed on anyone who doesn't tow the party line.And this is part of a broad pattern that extends from big shots like John Kerry to little children as we saw with 12- year-old Graeme Frost, who dared to advocate for SCHIP.


By holding our leaders accountable for not doing their jobs, Bruce Fealk also exposed the media's failure to do its job. So it makes sense that the media and the politicians don't like him.ÊBut the rest of us should praise him, not vilify him.Ê

John Ashcraft of Troy considers himself to be a liberal, a lay person and a Christian
Click here for the rest of the story

Oakland Press - Knollenberg got it wrong on SCHIP

This is the Oakland Press version of my guest opinion about Joe Knollenberg's opposition to the SCHIP bill. It's been edited since I wrote it, but you get the point.

Trent Wisecup Bullying a Constituent

Keith Olbermann Covers Trent Wisecup's Outburst in Rochester

Guest Post: Trent Wisecup Posterboy for Universal Health Care

By Kathy at BloggingForMichigan


Joe Knollenberg's Chief of Staff, Trent Wisecup, has been getting lots of press following his tirade against anti-war activist Bruce Fealk. The story doesn't end there. Wisecup recently sent the following statement to a local paper:

"I haven't been sleeping well of late, as you all will know from all the late e-mails I have been sending over the past few months. Some of the e-mails have been really weird and flat-out kooky. I recently checked myself into Beaumont (Hospital)... to see what was up. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a form of depression that fortunately is treatable with medication."

Wisecup's reports of sleeplessness, kooky behavior and his recent outburst toward Fealk are all symptoms of bipolar disorder. Other symptoms include impulsiveness, reckless behavior, poor judgement, anger, agitation, social withdrawal and thoughts of suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness "the ramifications of bipolar disorder include a significant economic toll, as well as family disruption, caregiver stress, and an individual burden encompassing comorbid illnesses, substance abuse, poor functionality, and high suicide risk."

Wisecup is lucky to have health insurance and a more than generous salary of $160,000 to cover his deductibles and other expenses necessary to treat his illness. That's not the case for more than 40% of Americans. According to a recent Consumer's Report survey, there are three tiers of health care consumers in the United States: the adequately-insured, who account for 59% of all Americans in the population sampled; the underinsured, who represent 24% of all Americans sampled; and the uninsured, who comprise 16% of our sample.
Bipolar disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability worldwide according to NAMI and the most expensive mental health care diagnosis, both for patients with the illness and for their health insurance plans. The costs to society are significant too: "lost productivity of wage earners, totaling $17 billion; homemakers, $3 billion; and caregivers, $6 billion, as well as the cost of institutionalization, $3 billion, and the lost productivity costs for individuals lost to suicide, $8 billion."

Additionally, NAMI reports that patients with bipolar disorder and their families experience significant losses in functional status and quality of life, placing untoward stress on personal relationships; 56 percent of people with bipolar disorders abused or were dependent on illicit drugs, and 44 percent had comorbid alcohol abuse; many patients with bipolar disorder divorce or experience martial problems; caregivers also feel the effects of patients' illnesses on their work and leisure time; and the combination of missed work hours and lower productivity caused by stress adds a financial burden on the caregiver, as well as on society as a whole.

It's no wonder a majority of Americans favor some sort of universal health coverage. Mental and physical diseases touch all of us, not just the person afflicted by the condition.
Wisecup will get the medications and regular checkups he needs to keep his disease under control, but millions of others won't be so fortunate - including a number of the more than 800,000 children who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder each year and the 2.3 million adults currently living with the disorder.

It's time to put Trent Wisecup's face on a poster advocating health care for all Americans.

Eccentrics - Wisecup takes medical leave

Today several of the Oberserver and Eccentric newspapers carried the story below about Trent Wisecup taking a leave of absence from Joe Knollenberg's office. Funny thing is some people don't believe Wisecup's story. When I posted an entry on Daily Kos and asked whether Trent is really sick or if he is using the medical story as cover for his behavior, these are the results.

Do you believe that Trent is really sick or is this a cover story?
Trent is really sick
18 votes - 20 %
It's a politically motivated cover story
68 votes - 79 %

It's kind of interesting too that Wisecup is blaming his behavior in the Rochester drug store where I confronted his boss, Joe Knollenberg about his vote on the war on lack of sleep, not his bi-polar disorder.

If Trent is really sick, then I have all the sympathy and empathy in the world for him, but if he isn't, this is a really despicable act to use a medical condition to cover up for really bad behavior and bad judgment. In the Keith Olbermann piece about Trent's outburst, Rachel Maddow seems to say that she had contacted Knollenberg's office and was told that they actually had a meeting about me and what to do should they encounter me and they made a concious decision to confront me the way Trent does in the video. Wisecup claiming to be sick is just the kind of tactic Trent might have learned at the knee of Karl Rove the most prolific polital dirty trickster in history, who even stooped to outing a CIA agent to protect his boss, President Bush. It would gain Wisecup sympathy and make him immune to further attacks, since anyone attacking him would be criticized for attacking someone with a mental illness.


Knollenberg's chief of staff takes medical leave
By Greg Kowalski
STAFF WRITER

The bruising campaign for Joe Knollenberg's 9th U.S. House seat took another hit Thursday when Trent Wisecup, Knollenberg's chief of staff, announced he is going on medical leave.

Wisecup sent an e-mail Friday stating, "I haven't been sleeping well of late, as you all will know from all the late e-mails I have been sending over the past few months. Some of the e-mails have been really weird and flat-out kooky. I recently checked myself into Beaumont (Hospital)... to see what was up. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a form of depression that fortunately is treatable with medication."

Steve Betz, field representative for Knollenberg, said Wisecup went on paid leave Oct. 22, and no date has been set for his return. He'll come back "when he's rested and ready," Betz said. "It's left up to him."

Betz said the election race - which is already in full force more than a year before the vote in November 2008 - is exceptionally hot. "It's a stressful environment," Betz said.

Knollenberg has been under a virtual siege with Democrats targeting his seat as vulnerable. Knollenberg was first elected in 1992 and has won re-election every election since as a solid Republican.

He is facing a strong challenge from Democrat Gary Peters and Nancy Skinner. Knollenberg narrowly defeated Skinner last year.

In recent weeks, anti-Knollenberg campaigners have been following the Congressman around to area stores and even to his Bloomfield Township home with video cameras asking him, among other things, why he supports the Iraq war.

In a widely circulated video, Wisecup had a confrontation in an area store with Bruce Fealk, a Rochester Hills man who has been highly critical of Knollenberg. The video shows Wisecup berating Fealk and shielding Knollenberg. "I got fired up about the MoveOn.org protester and his mugging video, protesting Sandie Knollenberg at her home tactics because I think politics in America should be better," Wisecup said in his e-mail.

"I love my job, especially when I can make a difference for people in Michigan and Oakland County," Wisecup said.

Press Release - Activist Calls for Equal Treatment for all Americans

All Americans Deserve Full Health Coverage and Mental Health Parity

Political activist Bruce Fealk hopes that the current situation of Rep. Joe Knollenberg's Chief of Staff, Trent Wisecup, taking leave from his position to address a bi-polar disorder "can be seen in a very sympathetic light by everyone in our community. Like any medical condition, your hope is for full recovery and that the financial burden of this sudden situation will be relieved."

"I offer my thoughts of support to Trent Wisecup and his family" said Fealk upon learning that Wisecup had recently been diagnosed and is being treated for bi-polar disorder. "I want to commend Congressman Knollenberg for keeping the door open for Wisecup to return to work in the Congressman's office."

Fealk is hoping the situation of Rep. Knollenberg having a health crisis strike so close to him will help him change his mind on health care coverage in this country.

"While Wisecup will receive full pay (almost $160,000 per year) and have his treatment paid for, many average, hard working Americans would not be so lucky if the same thing happened to them," says Fealk. "This situation for others could have left them with huge medical bills for their treatment, perhaps even sending them into bankruptcy. Even those lucky enough to have medical coverage, may not be covered for mental disorders, like bi-polar disease, and would then be denied the mental health care that should be sought along with the medication."

"The majority of voters in America want universal health care. We call on Rep. Joe Knollenberg to not only change his vote on SCHIP, but to join those in Congress calling for universal coverage for all Americans, and with mental health parity. Why should members of Congress and their staffs get Cadillac coverage while 47 million Americans have no health or mental health coverage at all?"

"Congressmen and women should not be seen as better than any other American." said Bruce Fealk, the videographer in the incident in downtown Rochester, in which Wisecup spewed venomous comments into Fealk's camera, calling him an un-American, Toyota lover.

"Name one person you know that doesn't deserve medical and mental health care when needed without the worry of asking how to pay for the treatment. Did you think of one yet?" "I wonder if Congressman Knollenberg thinks of Wisecup's health care coverage as socialized medicine, as he stated in a recent guest opinion in The Oakland Press?" Fealk commented

Wisecup checks himself into hospital after outburst in Rochester

Knollenberg's chief of staff takes time off after heated words with anti-war activist.

Deb Price / The Detroit News

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY


U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg's chief of staff, who was recently caught on video in a heated exchange with an anti-war activist, said Thursday he is on paid medical leave to deal with a mood-swing disorder.

In an an e-mail to reporters, aide Trent Wisecup said he recently checked himself into Beaumont Hospital in Oakland after sending out "weird and flat out kooky" e-mails.

He added that on Oct. 13 he got "fired up" in what became a tense verbal skirmish with a camera-wielding activist challenging Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills, over the Iraq war and children's health care.

A video of the incident at a Rochester drugstore, titled "Trent Wisecup goes crazy in Rochester," is up on YouTube.com, where it has been viewed more than 35,600 times.

Wisecup said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which can be treated with medication. Knollenberg spokesman Steve Betz said Wisecup will return to his nearly $160,000-a-year job as chief of staff.

Now it's time to Fire Joe Knollenberg

Now that Trent Wisecup is on paid leave from the employ of Joe Knollenberg's Congressional office, it's time to look at Joe's lack of judgment. Joe took over two weeks to act on Trent Wisecup's despicable behavior toward me. I was asking legitimate questions of my Congressman that I deserve to have answered.

Joe Knollenberg is accountable to his constituents and he should be out in public answering questions about his positions on issues, not hiding behind his chief of staff who apparently was given the go ahead to confront me when they encountered me. Joe Knollenberg works for his constituents. This is still a government of the people, by the people and for the people, no matter how much George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Joe Knollenberg may tell us we have to turn over power to them to stay safe. I hope this incident gives strength to other citizens to hold their elected officials accountable to them.

BREAKING: Wisecup takes leave of absence after going nuts on video

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY

November 01, 2007Read More: Bad behavior
Knollenberg aide who went nuts on YouTube takes leave of absence
When we last saw Trent Wisecup, chief of staff to Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.), he was busy blowing a gasket on YouTube and berating an anti-war protestor for following around the congressman with a video camera. You can watch the video of Wisecup's encounter with Bruce Fealk, the anti-war activist here. It was not a pretty moment, and Wisecup was mocked by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann for his generally unhinged behavior.

Trent Wisecup's Handy Guide to Being un-American

I thought this was one of the funniest parts of my confrontation with Trent Wisecup, Joe Knollenberg's chief of staff.

Joe's Macacca Moment now a fundraiser

Now the video I shot of Trent Wisecup going crazy in Rochester is being used as a way to raise money for the 2008 Congressional race and put more Democrats in Congress. There's even a web site to send videos of Republicans behaving badly. CLICK HERE to submit your video.

Joe takes down attack videos on Bruce Fealk

Now, this is curious. All of a sudden the two videos that Mike Brownfield, Joe's campaign manager recorded specifically to attack Bruce Fealk have disappeared from Joe's YouTube account. Could it be because there is going to be a story in Saturday's Oakland Press about Bruce's encounter with Joe and Trent Wisecup that has gained national attention? I agree they weren't very good videos, but taking them down wasn't necessary. Perhaps Mike didn't like the fact that my video of Joe and Trent in Rochester was kicking their asses and has over 34,000 views and theirs had less than 200.

Inquiring minds want to know where the video went? What are you ashamed of, Joe, Mike and Trent? Cant' wait for the article in the Oakland Press Saturday morning.

Trent Wisecup Rant Covered by Fox 2 News

Fox 2 News in Detroit also covered Trent Wisecup's rant in Rochester last weekend.