More Questionable Ties Between Knollenberg & Lobbyists

We've provided extensive documentation on how Joe Knollenberg is frighteningly close to questionable lobbyists. For example:

1. Knollenberg is paying Trent Wisecup, a sleazy lobbyist, $ 240,000/yr in TAXPAYER money to work on his campaign.

2. Knollenberg accepted thousands of dollars from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff

3. Knollenberg accepted thousands of dollars from Bob Ney -- his friend from Congress who has been convicted of accepting bribes from Jack Abramoff

4. Knollenberg accepted thousands of dollars from former Congressman Duke Cunningham -- who is now serving prison time for accepting millions of dollars in bribes

5. Knollenberg accepted thousands of dollars from convicted felon Brent Wilkes -- the lobbyist who also bribed Duke Cunningham

6. Knollenberg is well known for doing favors for lobbyists in exchange for campaign contributions (e.g., the $8 million earmark he gave to Tony Soave -- his biggest campaign donor) and the favor(s) he did for lobbyist Mark Valente


Well, in another example of bad judgment and of just how close Knollenberg is to lobbyists, one of the biggest fundraisers for Knollenberg's campaign fund this year was held by one of the biggest lobbying firms in Washington D.C. -- Van Scoyoc & Associates.

This firm lobbies for foreign countries like Egypt and is known for lobbying for arms sales!!

Just this weekend we heard news reports that President Bush wants to send billions of dollars in advanced weaponry to countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Looks like Van Scoyoc & Associates have already bought Knollenberg's vote.

Taking a look at Knollenberg's website you can see the millions of dollars of earmarks that he brags about giving. But he refuses to release the full list of his earmarks to CNN. Obviously he is trying to hide some of the earmarks he has slipped into legislation to give federal money to his friends and campaign donors.

Of course, by not making this information public himself, Knollenberg seems to be underestimating not only our investigative skill, but those of the FBI as well. Frankly, we just think much of this information about his ties to lobbyists and felons will be more useful to voters as we get closer to the 2008 election.

We Cannot Afford 2 More Years of Joe Knollenberg & Corruption

Knollenberg Gives D.C. Lobbyist Over $39,000 of Taxpayer Money

In another example of how Joe Knollenberg wastes your tax dollars, he has hired a Washington, D.C. lobbyist, Trent Wisecup, as his Chief of Staff -- even though all he is doing is running Knollenberg's re-election campaign -- and paid him $39,957 in just the first 3 months of the year!!!

Those useless glossy fliers you've been getting in the mail from Knollenberg -- also at taxpayer expense -- are work of this lobbyist.

Wisecup used to lobby for the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, his lobbying firm has bragged about how successful Wisecup was in convincing Congressman like Knollenberg to vote AGAINST SENIORS by prohibiting them from saving money by getting their prescriptions from Canada.

Notice how the flyers you have gotten from Knollenberg look almost identical to the flyers Wisecup used as a lobbyist.

It is bad enough that corrupt lobbyists have so much influence over Congress. Now they are using lobbyists to influence our choices in major elections. It doesn't get much sleazier than that.

This not only shows just how tied Knollenberg is with lobbyists, it brings Knollenberg's judgment into question.

How can you possibly trust anyone who spends nearly $40,000 of taxpayer money on a lobbyist.

And that $40,000 is just for the first 3 months of the year.

• 2 months work for the Appropriations Committee: $19,978.50 ($ 9,989.25/month)
  
• 3 months work for Knollenberg: $19,090.57 + $887.93 = $19,938.50 ($9,969.25/month)

That means we, as taxpayers, are paying this lobbyist $ 19, 958.50/month!!!

If Joe Knollenberg wants to hire a lobbyist, he should be honest about it and pay the lobbyist from campaign funds, not out of our tax dollars.

Joe Knollenberg is wasting $239,502/year
of taxpayer money on a lobbyist!!!

We cannot afford 2 more years of Joe Knollenberg.

Lou Dobbs Calls Knollenberg one of many Lame Ducks

While Joe Knollenberg is announcing his campaign for re-election, a Lou Dobbs editorial calls Congressman like Joe Knollenberg "Lame Ducks".

Dobbs notes:

With the electorate asserting a strong impulse to be independent, and with populism exerting a significant influence in the 2006 midterm elections, there is a possibility that all of those incumbents in the House and Senate may have to consider the possibility of actually having to represent their constituents and the popular will, rather than corporate America, socio-ethnic special interest groups and the tens of thousands of lobbyists who represent every interest but that of the common good and the nation.

Dobbs notes that Bush's approval ratings are at 29% giving Bush the highest approval rating (~90%) and one of the lowest in history (except for Truman, Carter, and Nixon).

With the war in Iraq raging endlessly, the White House involved in scandal after scandal, an FDA so involved in banning condoms around the world rather than protecting you or your pet from consuming poisons from China, jobs disappearing by the day, etc., we are due for an overhaul in Congress -- particularly to weed out the worst of them like Joe "Do Nothing" Knollenberg.

Knollenberg Brags About Wasting Taxpayer Money

In a page that could only be taken from the Karl Rove/George Bush campaign playbook, Joe "Do Nothing" Knollenberg is now taking what would generally be considered a weakness, i.e., wasting taxpayer dollars by the millions, and trying to play it as a strength by bragging about it.

What Is Joe Knollenberg Hiding?

So, although Knollenberg is now using his webpage to try to brag about his wasteful spending habits, he won't even respond to CNN's survey about his wasteful earmarks. Instead, he just cherry picks a few items and then tries to tell us how lucky we are that he is wasting our money like that.

The earmarks we know about are bad enough. What is it that he is trying to hide?


Joe Knollenberg Wastes Taxpayer Money Faster than George Bush

One of the items that Knollenberg is so proud about is the $1 million he is trying to get "for Oakland Community College, to "develop courses to help identify and attract businesses likely to do more hiring."

Notice that the money is to be spent to develop courses to identify businesses, rather than to do something useful like actually identifying and attracting businesses to Michigan!!

Or the $500,000 he spent on a model of a space ship -- even though the same model could be purchased at Target for $12.99.

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad and disturbing.


What The Voters Are Saying About Knollenberg & Earmarks
Once again we see Joe Knollenberg on the wrong side of an issue. While he is bragging about the good he is doing by wasting taxpayer money in Michigan (as opposed to wasting it just anywhere), the voters are outraged.

The Free Press ran an article on earmarks, and the online version contains some very insightful comments that show that the voters are not pleased with earmarks or Knollenberg:

o Comment from foofighter:

Do not re-elect any of these scumbags. We need fresh blood that isn't contaminated yet!

o Comments from TimeRanger:

"Reps. Joe Knollenberg, . . . pushing a $1-million earmark for Oakland Community College, to develop courses to help identify and attract businesses likely to do more hiring."

Huh? If the college doesn't know already, they should close their doors, NOW.

and

"...the winner was the Detroit Science Center and the $500,000 set aside two years ago to create a Space Science Discovery Lab...The earmark, sponsored by Knollenberg, provided money for an exhibit to get kids excited about careers in math, science and engineering. There will be a 1/10th-scale model of the Saturn V rocket and a model of the Martian landscape."

2 years ago and they haven't been able to go to a hobby shop, purchase a plastic model?

o Comment from paf:

It IS quite sickening watching our representatives fight over OUR money. I'd like to see them give it back to us and reduce our tax burden permanently!!!

o Comment from Luscious:

I'm a fiscal conservative and I don't want to hear . . . the vast majority of the Republicans open their filthy hypocritical mouths on spending.

The size of goverment grew at a larger rate under Bush and the Republicans than it had at any other time in decades.

They've lost the right to be taken seriously on fiscal discipline.

These losers didn't have any problem wasting taxpayer money when they controlled the purse strings.

Come November, . . if they are an incumbent vote them out. It's time to send these idiots on a permanent vacation.

So, it isn't just the folks at this blog who are fed up with Knollenberg. Knollenberg may be oblivious now, but he'll find out just how fed up the voters really are after he is fired in 2008.

Knollenberg Embroiled In Scandal

Joe Knollenberg is embroiled in a scandal that could end his career. His recent activities on CAFE standards appear to have been spurned by unlawful activities initiated by the Bush Administration.

Numerous papers, as well as the Detroit News, are reporting that Knollenberg is being investigated by the House Oversight Committee.

The Bush Administration used a government agency to lobby Congress. Specifically, EPA was accepting comments on a rulemaking to determine if they would allow California to move ahead with a state Climate Change rule that would reduce greenhouse gases.

(Conservatives like to say they are for state's rights -- unless of course they disagree with what the state wants to do. Hypocrisy has become the strongest plank in the Republican platform.)

Joe Knollenberg was oblivious to the EPA's rulemaking until Department of Transportation Officials contacted him to lobby him to oppose the rulemaking.

The other interesting thing will be to see just how much money Knollenberg has gotten from Corporate fat cats and sleazy lobbyists to do their bidding.

This isn't just a little local news story -- it is a big national story.
See the articles in the Washington Post, USAToday and another in USAToday, WTOP, OC Register, CBSnews, Boston Globe, and dozens and dozens more.


What this means is that Joe Knollenberg condoned the illicit behavior of DOT officials. In fact, Knollenberg not only condoned the behavior, he acquiesed to their request!

I haven't dug up the letter Knollenberg sent to EPA yet, but my guess is it will read almost identically to the script used by the DOT officials when they notified Knollenberg of the proposed rule.

So, not only did Knollenberg fail to notify officials that DOT had unlawfully lobbied him, but it is interesting to note that Knollenberg, who is trying (in vain) to pass himself off as supportive of the auto industry, was unaware of the rule making until someone told him about it??? This is a good example of how out of touch Joe Knollenberg is about issues that could impact the auto industry.

Surely, after having been in Congress for 14 years, Joe Knollenberg should know that it is unlawful for federal government officials to lobby Congress!!!

To Joe Knollenberg, this is just another in a litany of scandals. To the voters next year, this is the last straw.

Joe Knollenberg is a Law BREAKER not a Lawmaker.

Knollenberg Accepts Over $2.7 Million From Lobbyists

Joe Knollenberg Has Received Over $2.7 Million from Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups!!

That Joe Knollenberg is a lobbyist's best friend goes without saying.

After all, his Chief of Staff is a Washington, D.C. lobbyist.

A quick glance at the FEC records for campaign finance reveal that Joe Knollenberg has received $ 2,742,346 from lobbyists and special interest groups.

Yes. You read that right. Joe Knollenberg took over $ 2,742,346 from lobbyists and special interests. The picture may be ginned up, but the numbers are not. And those are just the dollars reported from committees. That doesn't even count the donations he gets from each individual lobbyist!!!!

Joe Knollenberg has accepted over $2.7 million in campaign donations from lobbyists and special interests!!

Joe Knollenberg is a Part of the Problem in Washington D.C.
We Need Someone Who Will be Part of the Solution.

Knollenberg's Chief of Staff Is Not Only A Lobbyist

but he must recognize that Knollenberg is in over his head this year.

It appears that Trent Wisecup, Knollenberg's Lobbyist Chief of Staff, can't find anyone to write letters in support of Knollenberg so he is having his family members write letters to the editors of local papers to support Joe Knollenberg.

You gotta know your candidates is in trouble when the only people who support him are his paid staff and their family members.

Of course it is published in the Radical Right Wing Detroit News -- the only organization in the country with less credibility than the Bush White House. Notice how ALL the letters to the editor on that page agree with the Radical Right wing talking points?

Knollenberg Updated His Website (Finally) -- but STILL Doesn't List IRAQ As an Issue!

Joe Knollenberg finally updated his website.

Apparently he doesn't have much to say because it is now mostly pictures.

But more importantly, he STILL doesn't even list IRAQ as an "issue".

Other "problems" with his website:

Knollenberg supports privitizing Social Security (but doesn't mention that on his website)

• Knollenberg calls himself an "environmentalist" but can't point to a single "environmental" vote -- he votes for polluters, not the planet

• Unlike most Americans, Knollenberg OPPOSES universal healthcare (but he doesn't mention that on his website)

We will cover these and more in detail over the coming weeks.

Apparently Joe Knollenberg has an aversion to the truth.

Stay tuned.

We will give you the real story of Joe Knollenberg.

Then you can read how he spins it and see who you trust.

Knollenberg Keeps His Friends Close & His Lobbyists Closer

No Wonder Knollenberg Opposes Negotiating Drug Prices

For Medicare & Opposes Importing Drugs

Knollenberg's Chief of Staff is a Washington, D.C. Lobbyist
As noted in a previous post, Joe Knollenberg's Chief of Staff, Trent Wisecup, is a Washington, D.C. Lobbyist!

Apparently Joe lives by the adage of keep your friends close and your lobbyist closer!

And Wisecup isn't just any lobbyist, he was one of the key lobbyist's for the big Pharmacuetical companies during the debates over the Medicare prescription drug plan.

Knollenberg Supported a Bill That Made Senior Drugs MORE Expensive!
The Democrats wanted to allow Medicare to be able to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors -- just like Medicaid and the Veterans Administration. But Republican's like JOE KNOLLENBERG OPPOSED using such a fiscally responsible approach.

Instead, Joe Knollenberg supported a Medicare drug benefit that allows pharmaceutical companies to charge Seniors the maximum price -- far more than what they would pay if the prices were negotiated.

Knollenberg has also consistently voted against allowing Seniors and other Americans to import their medicine from Canada even though it could save them thousands of dollars a year.


Knollenberg's Chief of Staff Was Lobbyist For Big Drug Companies
It all became clear once we learned that Knollenberg's current Chief of Staff (who was also a staffer before he became a lobbyist) was a lobbyist for the big drug companies that were opposing having to negotiate their drug prices with Medicare.

In fact, the firm that Wisecup worked for brags about this on their website.

Apparently, Wisecup was behind the lobbying campaign that kept the Medicare Rx Bill from allowing Seniors to save money by importing their medication from Canada.

Yes. Knollenberg's Chief of Staff was the lobbyist that ran the campaign opposing allowing the importation of prescription drugs from Canada.

Knollenberg Voted For Big PhaRMA and Against Seniors
So it is no real surprise to see that Knollenberg voted with Big PhaRMA (and his lobbyist friend) and against Seniors.


In fact, earlier this year the House voted on whether to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for Seniors -- Knollenberg voted NO!!!


Why does Joe Knollenberg insist on forcing Seniors to pay more for their prescriptions?

Why does Joe Knollenberg want to hurt our Seniors?

Haven't they given enough to this Country?

UPDATE:
It seems that Mr. Wisecup isn't the first lobbyist Knollenberg has had on staff.
In fact, Knollenberg's previous Chief of Staff was a lobbyist too. Paul Welday was Knollenberg's former Chief of Staff and he is now involved in a controversy at the Oakland County Commission because many Commissioners believe that the County shouldn't be paying Welday $50,000 to be a lobbyist for the Commission. They believe that the Commissioners themselves are able to handle any lobbying efforts necessary.

Knollenberg's Chief of Staff is a Washington DC Lobbyist!

We've already reported on some of Joe Knollenberg's close ties with powerful Washington DC lobbyists.

It turns out he isn't just "close" to them. He has them on his staff!

Joe Knollenberg's Chief of Staff is a Washington DC Lobbyist!!

Knollenberg's Chief of Staff is Trent Wisecup. (We believe in full disclosure so we think it is important to note that he has been posting comments here under the initials "TLW". )

A quick review of some records shows that Mr. Wisecup is a Washington Lobbyist.

Here is a copy of a filing with the U.S. Senate's Lobbyist Disclosure program.

Mr. Wisecup was with the firm "D.C. Navigators". Apparently they knew how to navigate through the halls of Congress -- with the help of Congressman like Joe Knollenberg.

Heck -- on their own website they have a picture of the White House with the caption "Policy Development". Does that mean they develop policy for the White House? Gosh. Lobbyists who develop policy for BUSH & KNOLLENBERG -- now on-staff -- now getting a taxpayer funded salary! That is cozy.

Some of the clients of Wisecup's firm have included:

ACS
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Aetna
AgustaWestland North America Inc.
American Bankers Association
American Council of Life Insurers
American Immigration Lawyers Association
American Insurance Association
American International Group, Inc.
American Vantage Media
Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
Assurant Group
BellSouth
Bombardier
British Nuclear Fuels
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Californians for Clean, Affordable, Safe Energy
Calpine
Caruso Affiliated Inc.
Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers
Dickstein & Zerbi
Fannie Mae
Farallon Capital Management
Financial Services Coordinating Council
Fisher Scientific
GateSafe
Hartford Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West
Jefferson Pilot Financial
Mass Mutual
Mutual of Omaha
New York Jets
Oracle
Pfizer Inc.
PG&E Corporation
Securities Industry Association
Sutter Health
Tyco International (US) Inc.
UnumProvident Corporation
Visa USA Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
WellCare

Gee. There are a lot of financial service companies on that list -- like VISA, and banking interests, etc. Those were the folks whose lobbyists were successful at getting the bankruptcy laws changed so that individuals have a much harder time getting their debts discharged in bankruptcy than Corporations!

Knollenberg's Chief of Staff was a lobbyist for those interests.

Knollenberg voted to support the new bankruptcy laws.

Any connection there?

Culture of Corruption

As this article in "The Hill" points out -- Republican lobbyists have a vested and financial interest in making certain that Republicans get elected to office. Apparently, the more Republicans in office, the more influence they have and thus the more clients they get and the more money they make.

Of course one of the most famous lobbyists is the indicted felon, Jack Abramoff. He certainly made millions off of having Republicans in Congress that he could influence for his clients.

Knollenberg Consistently Votes To Slash Funding For Veterans

With the shameful condition that seriously wounded Iraq veterans are being subjected to at Walter Reed and other military facilities, it is important to remember just who is responsible for slashing the budgets of these critical veteran services.

Joe Knollenberg is one of the Bush/Cheney team that have sent troops in harms way in Iraq, while failing to adequately fund their care after they return.

This isn't really a new issue -- it has been an issue for years -- it is just now getting more attention as more and more of our troops are getting seriously wounded in Iraq.

And the cost of adquate funding isn't exactly a mystery. The Congressional Budget Office has studied it and reported on the matter to Congress. But Joe Knollenberg still voted to underfund the VA.

More specifically, here are some of Knollenberg's votes against the troops:

Knollenberg Voted Against the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act
Joe Knollenberg voted to maintain the “widow’s tax” on benefits received by survivors of their husbands and wives killed in service. Over 50,000 American families whose loved one was killed in Iraq are now living at or below the poverty line. But the government continues to impose a “widow’s tax” on survivors. After putting money into the Survivor Benefit Plan—sometimes for decades—the government offsets VA survivor compensation by keeping SBP money, then returning the paid premium as taxable income.
In May 2006, Congressman John Salazar moved to add the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to the 2007 defense bill. Joe Knollenberg voted against removing this unfair penalty on military widows. [HR 5122, Vote #144, 5/11/2006]

Knollenberg Voted for an Increase in Pharmacy Co-Pays for Military Families
Knollenberg voted to kill an amendment to the FY 07 Department of Defense Authorization bill that would remove the Bush administration’s proposal to increase pharmacy co-pays for military families.
Currently, military families who purchase their drugs through a retail pharmacy have a co-pay of $3 for generic drugs and $9 for brand-name drugs. However, the bill would raise those co-pays to $6 for generic drugs and $16 for brand-name drugs, as proposed in President Bush’s budget. The Democratic amendment sought to remove the provision increasing the co-pays and to leave the co-pays at their current level. [HR 5122, Vote #139, 5/11/06]

Knollenberg Voted for a FY 2007 Budget That Hurts America’s Veterans
For the FY2007 budget, Knollenberg supported a Republican budget resolution that cut funding for veterans’ appropriated programs by $6 billion below the level that CBO estimates is needed to maintain current services.
Additionally, the Republican budget resolution included significant increases in TRICARE costs for military retirees under 65. In fact, healthcare fees will triple for retired officers, double for retired senior enlisted personnel, and increase by 40 percent for junior enlisted retirees. [HCR 376, Vote #158, 5/18/2006]



So while JOE KNOLLENBERG says he supports the troops -- in fact he slashes funding for important veteran programs every time he gets the chance.

And these are just a few of his votes over the last year!

There are more votes -- and for each one, JOE KNOLLENBERG VOTES AGAINST OUR TROOPS!

Has Knollenberg EVER even visited any troops at Walter Reed? There is no evidence that he ever has. So Knollenberg is willing to send young men and women to war where they may die or suffer serious debilitating injuries -- but then he votes to cut funding to care for them when they return. That could only be considered negligent or just plain cruel.

Give Joe Credit Where Credit's Due

Giving Credit Where It’s Due
By Nancy Greggs

If you’re out of work because your government made it financially worthwhile for US companies to outsource your job to a cheaper labor market, THANK JOE.

If your son/daughter in the military is in a combat zone without sufficient equipment or training, THANK JOE.

If your war-wounded spouse is a war vet tied up in endless red tape and can’t get medical treatment or disability payments, THANK JOE.

If a loved one died in NOLA for want of food, water, medicine, or assistance of any kind in the aftermath of Katrina, THANK JOE.

If you’re upset that New Orleans was left in ruins while we could afford to build a billion-dollar embassy in Baghdad, THANK JOE.

If the cost of your life-saving prescription medicine has skyrocketed, even to the point where you can’t afford it at all, THANK JOE.

If you lose sleep at night worrying about the national debt your children and grandchildren will have to pay off in the decades to come, THANK JOE.

If you’re concerned about the fact that we don’t have the necessary funds to overhaul our crumbling infrastructure, THANK JOE.

If you’re worried about rising numbers in the incidents of homelessness and poverty, THANK A JOE.

If you’ve had to declare bankruptcy, but you still owe your soul to credit card companies, THANK JOE.

If you’ve noticed that you’re continually getting gouged at the pump even though oil companies are raking in record profits, THANK JOE.

If you’re angry at the fact that you have to go through intensive screening at the airport to board a plane with a hold full of uninspected cargo, THANK JOE.

If you wonder why hard-working middle-class citizens have to pay their full share of taxes while wealthy individuals and corporations don’t have to pay their fair share, THANK JOE.

If you wonder why investigations into government corruption always seem to get stopped in their tracks, THANK JOE.

If you think it unseemly that fabrications and outright lies are permitted to be broadcast as unqualified fact, THANK JOE.

If you worry about your kids getting sick from tainted food that should have been inspected but wasn’t, THANK JOE.

If you’re concerned that religious fanatics have too much influence over your government, THANK JOE

If you’re troubled by the erosion of your rights and freedoms and see that as an assault on democracy, THANK JOE.

If you are appalled by excuse-making and passing-the-buck having replaced accountability, THANK JOE.

If you have realized that the American Dream is now out-of-reach for millions of citizens, that the gap between the rich and the poor is growing at an alarming rate, that elections are no longer a matter of the will of the people but the whim of those who control the voting machines, that a nation that was once a Beacon of Democracy is now a nation that tortures, that the democratic country you were born and raised in is now indistinguishable from the worst dictatorship, that the Constitution is now treated as an antiquated document of no meaning, and that the country your ancestors fought and died for is no longer recognizable …

… don’t forget to THANK JOE.

Major Legislation Sponsors: Knollenberg's Name is Nowhere To Be Found

I was researching more campaign financing information on Joe Knollenberg when I stumbled across a page that encourages you to check and see what major pieces of legislation your Congressman has sponsored or co-sponsored.

I clicked to see what major legislation Joe had sponsored or co-sponsored -- and there wasn't any!! (Click on the image to the right to view a larger image of the page.)

Sad, but true.

Why does he make over $160,000 in taxpayer's money if he doesn't do anything?

Knollenberg Votes Against Middle Class Workers & Their Families

In yet another attack on the middle-class, Joe kNOllenberg voted NO on the Employee Free Choice Act.

The Act was merely to assure that workers would have a free choice as to whether to join a union.

Apparently, Knollenberg prefers an economy where CEO's can drag a company into bankruptcy, lay off workers, ship jobs overseas, default on workers pensions, and cancel long promised health care benefits -- all while making millions in bonuses for themselves. The average worker -- particularly white collar employees and middle managers in our local auto industries -- have no say in the matter. They are the ones losing their jobs, pensions, benefits, etc.

Soon the average white collar worker is going to wish he or she had a union to protect them from being fleeced by the robber baron CEO's and Wall Street Moguls.

But the average worker doesn't have a lobbyist. And we all know by now that Joe Knollenberg always votes the way the lobbyists tell him to vote.

Why does Joe Knollenberg hate the middle class?

Majority of Americans Support Universal Healthcare Even if it Means Higher Taxes

In another rebuke of the "Conservative Agenda" of the Radical Right, a majority of Americans believe that the federal government should assure that every American is covered by health care insurance.

Moreover, the poll reveals that Americans are willing to pay higher taxes for such a program.

In fact, 80% think assuring health care to all is more important than extending Bush's tax cuts.

According to the NYT,

The poll found Americans across party lines willing to make some sacrifice
to ensure that every American has access to health insurance. Sixty percent,
including 62 percent of independents and 46 percent of Republicans, said they would be willing to pay more in taxes. Half said they would be willing to pay as much as $500 a year more.

Nearly 8 in 10 said they thought it was more important to provide
universal access to health insurance than to extend the tax cuts of recent years; 18 percent said the tax cuts were more important.

One of the most important Conservative leaders in the Republican Party is Grover Norquist -- a good friend of shamed lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Norquist is President of Americans for Tax Reform. He is so powerful, even Karl Rove attends his weekly strategy sessions with other right wing lobbyists.

"My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years," he says, "to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub."

The Radical Right been promoting that agenda since Reagan was first elected. After nearly 30 years of watching our infrastructure crumble because the Radical Right wanted to give tax cuts of up to a few dollar per week to average families rather than invest in the future of our country. (Of course wealthy people got millions in tax breaks -- and that is who they really represent anyway.)

Americans are waking up and seeing that the Radical Right Agenda has been protecting the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. The Radical Right has won many elections by being as divisive as possible in their politics. But on important issues like Iraq and Healthcare, Americans are remarkably unified in their positions -- and they are not lining up with the Radical Right anymore.

And where is Joe Knollenberg in all of this?

Once again, Joe is lined up with the Radical Right.

Joe opposes universal health care.

Instead, Joe Knollenberg's proposal for addressing the health care crisis is to give taxpayer money to companies who offer seminars to their workers on health issues.

Once again, Joe is lined up with the Radical Right and out of touch with the 9th District.

NRCC Transfers Funds from Accused Terrorist to Joe

Accused terrorist Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari contributed over $15,000 to the National Republican Campaign Committee. While the National Republican Senatorial Committee has agreed to donate their donations from Alishtari to charity, the NRCC has not.

Could this be because they have already distributed some of those funds? 22 Republicans have accepted from the NRCC, including Joe Knollenberg.

If Knollenberg wants to talk tough on terrorism, he should return contributions from accused terrorists, and demand his party do the same. Or is Knollenberg so strapped for cash he will turn a blind eye to hypocrisy?

Affordable & Accessible Healthcare Will Save Both Lives & Money -- So Why Is Knollenberg Against It?

Affordable & Accessible Healthcare Will Save Both Lives & Money -- yet Joe Knollenberg does has not supported any programs that will make healthcare more affordable and accessible.

The Washington Post reported on a tragic case where a child's parents couldn't afford to pay a Dentist to have a tooth extracted and the abcess in the tooth spread to the child's brain and killed him.

Not only did an innocent child die needlessly, anyone who says that the US cannot afford to provide universal healthcare would be wise to consider the financial toll of this case.

According to the Washington Post, the tooth extraction would have cost $80.

Instead, after the abcess had spread, the child spent 6 weeks in the hospital and had two surgeries to try to fight off the infection in his brain at a cost of over $250,000.

So for those with a cold heart who say that as a Country we can't afford universal healthcare, ask whether we can continue to afford not to have it.

So for those with a cold heart who say that as a Country we can't afford universal healthcare, ask whether we can continue to afford not to have it.

And where is Joe Knollenberg on this topic, well the only thing Joe has proposed is to give a $200 tax credit to the employer of the dead child's parents if they go to a seminar on how to quit smoking. Joe's plan wouldn't have done a thing to help that poor kid.

Knollenberg's "healthcare" plan is not about solving the healthcare crisis in this country, it is about giving taxpayer money out to companies as a favor to wealthy lobbyists who in turn fill his campaign coffers and take him on luxurious vacations.

Knollenberg's Proposed "Solution" for Healthcare is Woefully Inadequate

The Detroit News is reporting that health care costs are going to skyrocket for GM -- reaching $1,904 per vehicle by 2008. Ford comes in at about half that with costs for healthcare predicted to be $969 per vehicle.

In reality, health care costs have been skyrocketing for years now. The same article in the News also shows that the costs projected for 2008 are more than double the cost of healthcare in 1999.

We all know that these costs and other legacy costs such as pension plans are a large burden on the domestic auto industry. These are costs that make them less able to compete because the off-shore companies don't have those same liabilities.

Knollenberg's Proposed Healthcare Solution

Joe Knollenberg recently proposed his plan for healthcare -- he proposed to give companies $200 in tax credits if they hold a seminar for their employees on topics like stopping smoking or the dangers of obesity.

Knollenberg proposes that the tax credit be given to companies even if the company does not offer health care insurance to their employees.

All they have to do is have someone from the local health department come out and give a talk for a few minutes, and voila! the company gets a $200 tax credit.

Now, some of you reading this may think I'm joking. I'm not. Here is a link to the proposed bill.

Oh, and lest you think Knollenberg thought this all up by himself, don't be silly.

Knollenberg only does what wealthy lobbyists like Jack Abramoff tell him to do. In this case, this "preventative" plan -- which is really nothing more than Corporate Welfare -- was devised by extreme right wing think tanks like the The Heritage Foundation, the Galen Instiute, the National Center for Policy Analysis, and the American Enterprise Institute.

Certainly preventative medicine is a critical component of a strong health care system. In fact, I would agree that it is important to have enough Dr's trained in that field to provide such care. But they are not likely seeing the uninsured.

And giving your company $200 to have you sit through a seminar that was given to the company for no charge isn't part of a strong health care system. If it wasn't so serious, it would be laughable.


Here goes Joe again. Coming up with a solution to something that isn't a problem. There is no crisis of a lack of seminars in the workplace.

There is a healthcare crisis in this Country
and
Joe Knollenberg has done nothing to address it.

The real solution is universal healthcare coverage for all Americans and preventative medicine should have an important role in a comprehensive system of health care.

Knollenberg Ignores His Constituents & Supports Bush's Escalation of the War in Iraq

Once again we see Joe ("NoNo") Knollenberg blindly obeying the commands of George Bush and ignoring the interests and concerns of the vast majority of his constituents.

Like his friend George Bush, Knollenberg has been steadfast and resolute in his support for the escalation of the war in Iraq. Knollenberg not only sides with Bush on the issue, but he refuses to even meet with his constituents to discuss it.

In fact, as we approach the 5th anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, we note that Knollenberg has not held a single community or townhall meeting on the issue of the Iraq War. Not a single meeting. Not once has he ever publicly invited constituents to a meeting to discuss the Iraq War. Never.

It isn't as though he has been busy on the matter in Washington. He has never, ever called a hearing about the Iraq War there either.


A poll in today's Washington Post shows that the vast majority of Americans think Bush and Knollenberg are wrong. According to the Post/ABC News poll, 67% of Americans disapprove of the way Bush and Knollenberg are handling the war in Iraq.

That means that 2 out of every 3 Americans disapprove of the way Bush and Knollenberg are handling the war in Iraq.

The Post/ABC poll also shows that the majority of Americans disapprove of the way Bush & Knollenberg are handling terrorist threats and the economy.

But Bush & Knollenberg just continue down the same failed path -- they are both steadfast and resolute. They are wrong, but they are steadfast and resolute.

The bad news is that the war in Iraq has been more than just a series of unfortunate disasters, and Joe Knollenberg has not taken a single step to turn the situation around.

The good news is that by making his positions and his record more available to voters, he won't stand a chance at re-election in 2008.

Visit the Retire Joe Knollenbeg web site

There's a new web site aimed at keeping those that want to retire Joe Knollenberg from his 9th District seat in 2008. Please visit http://campaignwindow.com/retirejoeknollenberg/index.cfm and sign up for our e-mail list and spread the word to others that support the cause of a Democratic Congress person for the 9th Congressionsal District of Michigan.