Joe Knollenberg Thinks Embryos Should be Incinerated

Once again, Joe Knollenberg has voted AGAINST Stem Cell Research. [S.5., Roll Call Vote 443, June 7, 2007]

Fortunately, S.5, The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, passed the house in spite of Knollenberg's vote.

The bill would allow for researchers to use embryonic stem cells from embryos that had been donated to in vitro fertilization clinics for fertility treatment, but weren't used and were going to be discarded anyway.

Here is the official summary of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007:

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic stem cells, regardless of the date on which the stem cells were derived from a human embryo.

Limits such research to stem cells that meet the following ethical requirements:
(1) the stem cells were derived from human embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics for the purpose of fertility treatment and were in excess of the needs of the individuals seeking such treatment;
(2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and
(3) such individuals donate the embryos with written informed consent and receive no financial or other inducements.

So, according to Joe Knollenberg, it is better to send the embryo to a medical waste incinerator rather than use it to advance medical treatments.

Joe Knollenberg is too extreme for Oakland County.

Knollenberg Votes NO on Pay raise for Troops

Joe Knollenberg says he "supports the troops".

We can expect to see ads for his next campaign on how he "supports the troops".

Joe Knollenberg says he "supports the troops", but his voting record says otherwise.

Joe Knollenberg consistently votes AGAINST our troops.

Knollenberg thinks he should make nearly $170,000/yr (plus a full pension and free health care for life), but he voted against giving the troops a 3.5% pay raise. [HR 2207, Rollcall 336, 5/10/07]

Why does Joe Knollenberg say he supports the troops and then votes against them every single time?

It is time for us to vote against Joe Knollenberg. Vote No On JOE!

Joe Knollenberg: Wrong Again, Naturally

Joe Knollenberg just keeps giving George Bush whatever he wants. Knollenberg advocates giving Bush all the funding he wants for an indefinite occupation in Iraq.

Joe Knollenberg has opposed every attempt to impose timelines or benchmarks on the Iraqi's to force them to make political gains to strengthen their government.

Joe Knollenberg has opposed every attempt to mandate that the troops are fully equipped and fully trained. He has supported letting troops go to the front line without proper body armor and without appropriate armor on their vehicles. He has also voted against guaranteeing that only troops that have received appropriate training get shipped to Iraq.

But Joe Knollenberg is wrong. Very wrong. The majority of Americans do want timelines/benchmarks placed on the Iraqis and they want the troops to be fully funded and fully trained.

According to a new CNN poll, "57 percent want Congress to pass another bill with funding and timetables."

Slightly more Americans, 61%, support benchmarks instead of timetables.

Most refreshing is that the vast majority of Americans now realize that Bush and Knollenberg lied to get us into this war in the first place. According to CNN,

Fifty-four percent said they don't believe the Bush administration's assertion that the war is the "central front" in the war on terrorist groups that was launched after al Qaeda's September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

65% of Americans oppose the war altogether.

50% favor Congress passing legislation revoking the original authorization for the war which would require Bush to seek new authorization.

Joe Knollenberg is WRONG on Iraq.

Joe Knollenberg is WRONG for Oakland County.

Joe Knollenberg is WRONG.

Knollen-omics Strikes Again

Joe Knollenberg's positions on economic policies may help his lobbyist friends, but his positions hurt voters in Oakland County.

According to today's Free Press,

After decades of double-digit growth in property values of residential, commercial and industrial properties, Oakland County's assessed value rose by a mere 1.17% in the past year -- the smallest margin in nearly 40 years.

Knollenberg's positions on economic issues favor the super-rich, but hurt middle-class families. When the economy is strong, it can handle bad policy decisions without having as much impact on families. But eventually these bad policy decisions will have an impact -- and they always hurt middle class families the most.

Joe Knollenberg's Economic Policies Hurt Middle-Class Families.

Knollenberg Voted to Make Medicare MORE PROFITABLE For Insurance Companies

When Congress passed the Medicare prescription drug bill, they debated various provisions that would help make medication more affordable.

For example, they discussed allowing Seniors to import medicine from Canada where it is significantly less expensive. But, Knollenberg's current Chief of Staff, Trent Wisecup, was the lead lobbyist for the Pharmaceutical companies at the time and he led a campaign to keep Congress from allowing Seniors to import their medicines from Canada.

Joe Knollenberg voted to Stop Seniors from
Importing Less Expensive Medications.

Congress also discussed allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. Other government programs such as the Veteran's Administration and Medicaid negotiate drug prices. Such negotiations would have saved Seniors and taxpayers billions of dollars.

Joe Knollenberg Voted To
Prohibit Medicare From
Negotiating Lower Prices on Drugs.

As a result, the Medicare prescription drug program has become just another big profit machine for insurance companies. And insurance companies don't even try to hide the fact that Medicare can pay big profits.

An April 1, 2007 article in a magazine for insurance company executives starts out with the following paragraph:

Most Medicare Advantage and Part D sponsors share a common goal: make Medicare a more profitable line of business.

Yes. Insurance companies are now talking about how to maximize their profits from Medicare. This is obscene.

Joe Knollenberg is fighting to help insurance companies, not Seniors.