Joe targeted by DCCC

The Detroit News ran an article on 1/31 stating that Joe Knollenberg is targeted by the DCCC as being vulnerable in '08. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/METRO/701310425/1022/POLITICS

Also, the CQ has an article with the same premise, that Joe is in the target of the Democrats in '08, http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/01/michigan_gop_rep_knollenberg_d.html

The Detroit News article also has a quote from Joe's spokesperson saying that Joe doesn't support price controls on drugs. I guess Joe thinks that negotiating prices is the same as price controls. Makes me think Joe is just plain stupid. Anyone that buys in bulk knows to try to negotiate the price of what they're buying. I wonder if Joe has ever negotiated a better price for anything he's bought in his personal life when he bought a lot of something.

His spokesperson again reiterates that Joe is pro life. Joe may be pro birth, but he is definitely not pro life. If he were, he'd support universal health care and be against the escalation of the war which is killing thousands of American service people and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis.

Knollenberg Doesn't Think "Healthcare" is an Issue

After writing about how Knollenberg doesn't even list "Iraq" as an issue on his list of issues on his website, I noticed he doesn't list "healthcare" as an issue either.

Knollenberg must be out of touch with this District if he doesn't think "healthcare" is an issue.

Knollenberg: Stay the Course In Iraq

In an effort to discern Knollenberg’s position on Bush’s war in Iraq, I reviewed all of the public statements I could find. I searched the Congressional Record, Knollenberg’s own website, and I also conducted a google search for information from newspapers, magazines, trade journals, etc. What I found confirms what has already been stated on this site. Apparently, the war in Iraq is not an important issue to Joe Knollenberg.

Knollenberg doesn’t even list "Iraq" as an “issue” on his webpage.

He has made only a handful of comments on the issue and has nothing in writing.

Knollenberg Supports Escalation
I only found 2 statements in the Congressional Record:

• THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ -- (November 03, 2005)
  
  
  If you click the link you will see he is basically saying the war is going well.

The only other statement I could find was one he made when he voted to approve the Authorization to use Military Force against Iraq:

• AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE AGAINST IRAQ RESOLUTION OF 2002 -- (House of Representatives - October 08, 2002)
  
  Again, if you click the link you will see that Knollenberg seems to just be reading reading George Bush’s talking points into the record. There doesn’t appear to be any original thought involved. Unfortunately, like Bush, Knollenberg didn’t do his homework. If he had, he would have known that those “aluminum tubes” were not related to nuclear weapons. This was a line from Bush’s September 12, 2002 presentation to the UN – but that information had already been debunked by Bush’s own experts in both the Department of Energy and the State Department. So Knollenberg was making false statements into the Congressional Record.

We do know that Knollenberg has accepted over $110,000 in campaign donations from defense department contractors. That is less than his friend Duke Cunningham, but then again, Cunningham is now in jail for accepting bribes.

Press Statements
Bush gave his speech on escalating the war in Iraq on January 10th. The next day, the Detroit News ran a brief article quoting a few Congressional Reps from Metro Detroit regarding their position on Bush's speech. The article, entitled "Bush gets cool reception in Michigan.
Even former staunch supporters of Iraq policies are hesitant to accept president's plan", quoted Knollenberg as saying:

Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Hills offered "conditional support," but
without real progress in Iraq "within 90 days," he said, "we really have to
evaluate what we're going to do."

Radio station WWJ AM has a similar statement attributed to Knollenberg on their webpage:

“``His leadership is on the line here and he knows it,'' said Rep. Joe
Knollenberg, a Republican from Oakland County's Bloomfield Township. The
congressman said he would only offer ``conditional support'' for the plan and
wanted to see significant progress in the next three to four months.”

USAToday has an article regarding the June 16, 2006 vote in which Knollenberg voted to

“reject[s] setting a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq, labels the
Iraq war part of the global fight against terrorism and praises American
troops”.

There is no statement or additional information about Knollenberg. It is just a list of who voted Yea and Nay.

Then there is the January 25, 2007 Free Press article which quoted Knollenberg as saying:

My patience with the war is growing thin. We need to see real progress in Iraq soon.

On October 1, 2005, the Oakland Press reported that Knollenberg put out a press release stating:

"Pulling our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan now would be absolutely detrimental to the safety and security of all Americans," he stated. "We owe it to those serving overseas and their families, as well as the Iraqi and Afghan people, to continue in our fight against terrorist extremists. "We have made good progress in the war on terror, and God willing, the Iraqi people will soon have the ability to defend themselves. "Until that time comes, however, the U.S. must stay the course and not simply stand by while terrorists and dictators exploit innocent people and threaten our security here at home."

On December 15, 2005, The Oakland Press reported on a group of constituents who went to Knollenberg’s office to discuss bringing home the troops.

Knollenberg thinks that any withdrawal of troops from either Iraq or Afghanistan would be dangerous for the safety of Americans, said his press secretary, Jennifer Hing.
"He feels that by calling for and giving any sort of timetable for withdrawal, we give terrorists the upper hand on the war," she said. "He agrees with the president when he says the withdrawal of the troops will come when the Iraqis say they are ready."

The Oakland Press ran an article back on March 25, 2004 where they quoted Knollenberg as saying:

Despite demonstrations to the contrary, most Iraqis don't want Americans to leave until their country is again "safe,. . .

They article said that Knollenberg indicated he was ‘encouraged by the scenes of progress he witnessed around Iraq’, but then they quote him as saying:

"We rarely got outside military compounds," he said. "We drove through Baghdad but didn't get out."

The Oakland Press Article goes on to state: “Knollenberg reported signs of an improving economy, including growing numbers of cell phones and satellite dishes.” Too bad Congressman Knollenberg didn’t realize that those cell phones he was so pleased about have been used to detonate the bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) that have been maiming and killing US troops.

Analysis of Knollenberg's Statements

Knollenberg Says He Supports the Troops But His Votes Show Knollenberg Does NOT Support the Troops

The November 2005 statement implies that he supports the troops. I certainly support the troops. Every American supports the troops. But taking a closer look at his “support” for the troops I found:

• Rep. Knollenberg voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even if the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable.
• Rep. Knollenberg opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage.
• Rep. Knollenberg voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces.It seems that Joe talks the talk but he doesn’t walk the walk. Knollenberg says he supports the troops, but he votes against them.

Knollenberg Still Says Stay the Course in Iraq
Knollenberg hasn’t said much about the war in Iraq, but what he has said has been 100% in line with President Bush.

Knollenberg even uses Bush’s line about how important it is to STAY THE COURSE.
Knollenberg hasn’t said or done anything contrary to Bush’s plan.

Conclusion

Knollenberg’s most direct statement has been to “STAY THE COURSE” in Iraq.

He hasn’t said or done anything to counter that position.

KNOLLENBERG still advocates “STAY THE COURSE”.

Congressman Knollenberg Avoids Taking A Position on the Iraq War

Congressman Joe Knollenberg has avoided taking a position on George Bush's escalation of the war in Iraq.

The January 25, 2007 Free Press quoted Knollenberg as saying:

My patience with the war is growing thin. We need to see real progress in Iraq soon.

So, does that mean that Knollenberg is supporting the escalation in troops?

Does it mean that Knollenberg is opposed to the escalation?

Isn't everyone's patience thin? Doesn't everyone want to see real progress?

What is Congressman Knollenberg's position on escalation of the war in Iraq?

More importantly, why won't he tell us?

Armenia or America? : Part III

Joe Knollenberg has many lobbyists ringing his line like Right-to-Life and the NRA, but one group has Joe on speed dial. Thats right, ANCA. (Who?) Why... the Armenian National Committee of America of course. Hear what Michigan ANCA leader Ralph Kouritijian had to say about Joe, he gushes, "Rep. Knollenberg is a true champion of so many of the important issues of concern to the Armenian American community. This gathering was an opportunity for us to thank the Congressman for his leadership and for all of his tireless work."

But that's Armenia. What about what America thinks?

The National Review: "Last week, it was revealed that Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R., Mich.), inserted an earmark into a transportation bill that forced Amtrak to haul additional private freight cars or forgo $8.3 million in additional federal dollars. The freight cars in question belonged to ExpressTrak, a company whose owner is a big Knollenberg donor. "

Political Affairs: "powerful Republican Rep. Joe Knollenberg (Michigan), who led the way in blocking meaningful ethics and lobbying reform in the wake of the Abramoff scandal, accepted trips to Hawaii from lobbyists and campaign contributions from convicted Republican Rep. Bob Ney (Ohio) and resigned former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay."

Ouch. Not the ringing endorsement he gets from Armenia.

But Joe Knollenberg has a vested interest in Armenia. He had no problem answering the questionaire sent by Armenpac (The Armenian-American Political Action Committee). He got 100%, always siding with Armenia's interests.

Yet here in the 9th Joe doesn't do so well, first of all he refuses to even answer Project Vote-Smart's questionaire which helps Americans make informed voting decisions (at least Armenian-Americans have that chance). Pontiac is a majority-minority city, yet what does the NAACP think of Joe Knollenberg? Well he sides with some of his constituents in Pontiac, 22% of the time. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America give Joe a mere C.

So again, which is it Armenia or America?

Bush Proposes Another Attack on the Middle Class

One of the key topics in President George W. Bush’s State of the Union address is a proposal to TAX your health care insurance benefit — assuming that you are one of the lucky ones who has health insurance.

One of the last benefits left — health insurance — is now hanging by a thread as it is and if Bush gets his way, employers won’t provide it at all.

Not only does Bush want to increase your income taxes by taxing you for your employer paid health insurance, but he wants to eliminate the tax incentive that companies get to provide that health insurance to their employees.

This does not address the root cause of the problem. This will not increase the number of people who have health insurance. (Although the White House asserts that an extra 5 million will be able to afford health insurance under their plan — they neglect to account for the millions that will lose their health insurance because employers will stop providing it.)

This is another attack by George Bush on the Middle Class.

Will Joe Knollenberg stand up against George Bush on this Health Care Scam?!?

Bush's Health Insurance SCAM

Bush's Health Care Plan Will TAX Middle Class Health Insurance Plans.
What Does Joe Think About that TAX Increase on the Middle Class?


President Bush is expected to focus his State of the Union Speech tomorrow on domestic issues in an attempt to raise his approval ratings.

The President knows that Iraq is a disaster and that the American people no longer believe anything he says about the fiasco he created over there. Everytime he gives a speech on Iraq, his approval ratings drop even further.

So, in a last ditch attempt to save his Presidency, he is expected to announce a new health care plan for the Country and a new energy policy. We will focus on his "health care plan" today and tackle his "energy policy" in another post.

The Bush Health Care Plan Is Really Just a TAX on Middle Class Health Insurance

Unfortunately, Bush's "Health Care Plan" is really just a TAX INCREASE on the middle-class wrapped up in pretty words and topped with a bow.

Here is what Bush's plan would do -- for those of you fortunate enough to get your health insurance from your employer, Bush's plan will eliminate the tax benefits to your employer for offering the benefit AND will impose a TAX on YOU because they will consider the benefit part of your income (so you would pay income tax on your healthcare benefits).

So, rather than make health insurance more affordable for everyone, he is going to make it more expensive and less likely that anyone will be able to get it from their employer.


The result would be that those with good health care would be TAXED on their health care benefits. So the middleclass worker who gets their health insurance from their employer would see their income taxes increase.

Also, the other result is that the employers would lose a tax break for offering the insurance as a benefit and thus many employers would stop offering healthcare insurance for their workers.

So those middle-class workers that get their health insurance from their employer would likely see that benefit eliminated in the very near future.

For those that don't have health insurance, Bush's plan would give families a tax deduction between $7,500 and $15,000 for them to buy health insurance and pay co-pays, etc. Of course if you can't afford to buy health insurance today, Bush's plan will not make it any more affordable to you. Getting a tax deduction -- particularly for those that don't itemize their deductions anyway -- would not make insurance more affordable.

Bush's plan would merely reduce the number of middle class families that would get health insurance through their employers. Those who did continue to receive the benefit would be subject to an increase in their income taxes.

The Bush Healthcare Plan is no healthcare plan. It is merely another example of the war on the middle-class. The wealthy are taking advantage of the average working family. Multi-millionaire CEO's wouldn't even notice the difference in costs. But the average working family would find healthcare more and more expensive and less and less accessible.


Regarding Bush's Plan, Senator Kennedy has said,

But Kennedy said he was concerned that the tax changes could undermine
employer-provided coverage while failing to do enough to help the uninsured.

Congressman Charles Rangel, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, said

This is a dangerous policy that ultimately shifts cost and risk from employers to employees and could result in a higher number of uninsured.

What is Congressman Knollenberg's position on Bush's Healthcare Plan?

Since he votes with Bush over 90% of the time, it is a safe bet that Knollenberg supports the President's Plan to increase taxes on the middleclass and to eliminate their healthcare insurance benefits.

Armenia or America? Part Two

We all know of Joe Knollenberg's love of Armenia. But how much does he love America? The country that did after all elect him to his $165,200/yr gig. Well look and see.

Congressman Knollenberg stepped before his peers to discuss the need to help our men and women in uniform on January 11th of this year. He said, "Madam Speaker, today I am introducing an important piece of legislation that speaks to our commitment to our Nation's veterans...My legislation would simply make the COLA for veterans with disability benefits automatic each year. Furthermore, this important legislation also has no budgetary impact. In fact, both Congress and the President assume the increase in their budgets. Madam Speaker, Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries receive an automatic COLA and our disabled veterans deserve the same. Thank you."

ZzzzzzzzzZzZZzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzz...

Sorry about that. Congressman Knollenberg seemed to go through the motions but where was the passion? That lightning in a bottle had when it was Armenia not America on the table? On December 6th, Congressman Knollenberg had that passion, he let everyone know his thoughts loud and clear and Armenia was listening...

"Mr. Speaker, I encourage Turkey to honor their commitments and implement important economic, regional, and political advancements in order to gain membership in the European Union (EU)... It is a well-known fact the regional policies of Turkey cause strain in the South Caucasus region and unfairly harms the welfare of their neighbor country, Armenia. The European Union has
repeatedly called for the cessation of the Turkish Blockade of Armenia as well as normalization of relations between the countries. However, these two pre-conditions to entering the EU have been blatantly ignored by Turkey. The blockade, now in its thirteenth year, is the only blockade of a fellow Council of Europe state. This is simply unacceptable, and I implore the EU to stand firm in their recommendations to Turkey in order to ensure these iniquitous economic practices are eliminated. Mr. Speaker, Armenia is a friend of the United States; and too many countries throughout the world. Yet, Turkey refuses to see the benefits Armenia brings to the South Caucasus region. This refusal has led to fierce tension within the region, as well as unfair economic outcomes that only harm Armenia. Before Turkey can become a member of the European Union, they must first acknowledge their mistakes, foster cooperation in the South Caucasus region, and respect their neighbor, Armenia...Turkey, with a history of bullying their neighbor, does not deserve membership until they change their ways."

Sounds a lot more impassioned than helping out our troops now doesn't it?

It seems Congressman Knollenberg feels a duty to Armenia following his being honored by their President. Why doesn't he feel this duty to us here in Michigan? Joe it is me, not the poor shlub in Yerevan (Armenia's capital and largest city!) who has "Knollenberg" on their ballot.

Since he is so responsive to Armenia since his receiving the "Order of Mkhitar Gosh" maybe we Michiganders need to honor him with some Order of something? An order of fries and a Coney and maybe he'll care about us??

Joe's Defends lowest Mileage standards in the world

Joe just doesn't get it. His defense of current CAFE standards in the January 20 Oakland Press proves that Joe needs to go. http://tinyurl.com/28yyem. Joe thinks that raising CAFE standards will bankrupt the Big 3. Had the Big 3 moved on their own to increase mileage on their vehicles and competed on fuel efficiency through the late 90's they wouldn't be in the position they find themselves today. Our fuel efficiency standards are lower than in China.

Armenia or America?

Joe Knollenberg is proud of his service to Armenia. Yes, Armenia not America. If you are unaware of where that is located don't worry so is everyone else not from Armenia. But Armenia is a country wedged between many of our closest allies like Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

On Congressman Knollenberg's website he gushes with pride for what he has done for Armenia.

"I am committed to strengthening the relationship between the United States and
Armenia .

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, I help lead an organization of Members of Congress who are interested in supporting Armenia , strengthening the ties between our two countries, and affirming the Armenian
Genocide. I am also able to support Armenia through my position as a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, which determines the amount of foreign assistance countries receive each year.
In the 108th Congress, I introduced legislation to grant Permanent Normal
Trade Relations status to Armenia . The bill was signed into law in 2004.

Furthermore, in the 109th Congress, I have introduced H.R. 3361, the South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005. This legislation would prohibit U.S. funding from going toward the construction of a new railroad in the South Caucasus region that purposely excludes Armenia . It currently has 85 cosponsors."

In fact Congressman Knollenberg is helping America become much more like Armenia. For instance. Congressman Knollenberg opposes raising the minimum wage. This helps America stay much more inline with Armenia where GDP per capita is only $5,400/per Armenian.

Congressman Knollenberg has valiantly fought terrorists the world over, regardless of what anyone thinks. This thinking is mirrored in Armenia, their government says "underlying the very nature of US-Armenian relations was Armenia’s unconditional support for the United States in its campaign against the international terrorism on the wake of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington."

How else can we become like Armenia? Armenia seems to have so much to offer. Well, with Congressman Knollenberg helping to ship American jobs overseas (possibly even to Armenia) Michigan's unemployment rate has jumped to 7.1% almost that of Armenia at 7.6%!

Everyday Joe Knollenberg is helping to turn America into Armenia. So to Armenians or Americans throughout the 9th let's thank Joe Knollenberg for helping everyday Armenians/Americans and Armenian-Americans succeed. Maybe one day we too can even further replicate Armenia - and with Congressman Knollenberg at the helm pretty soon we will be just like Armenia!

No Show Joe

Joe was a no show today at Rochester College. Shawn, Joe's staffer from his Farmington Hills office, was Joe's stand-in. He read a short statement from Joe.

One thing is clear, Joe is a short-term thinker. He's for alternative energy, but against raising CAFE standards. What he doesn't seem to acknowledge is that our mileage standards in the United States are the lowest in the world, way below the Chinese. I doubt that if we had been constantly raising our mileage standards through the years our economy here in Michigan woul dbe in the shape it is now. We have the technical know-how in the country and we could be leading the world in mileage standards, but not with Joe in Congress.

Reminder of Knollenberg appearance on January 19

This is a reminder that Knollenberg is appearing at a Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce event on Friday, January 19 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., and there is a protest against his stand on Iraq being organized to take place outside at 7:15 a.m.

The college is located on Avon Road just east of Livernois. The Rochester Eccentric will most likely be covering this event with a reporter and a photographer. Ten people would be a good showing.

As there is limited seating, please RSVP to the Chamber at 248-651-6700 so they know how many to plan for.

Details of the event:
Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce
January 19, 2007
Legislative Update
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Rochester College (in the RAC Theatre)
800 W. Avon
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
No charge

Protest will take place at 7:15 a.m.

Joe votes no on negotiating lower drug prices

Anyone surprised? I didn't think so. 24 Republicans crossed over and voted for passage, but Joe voted with 169 of his friends.

If it passes the Senate, there's an excellent chance Bush will veto it, along with the stem cell bill, and it's far from veto proof. It's great that we're passing all this important legislation, but if Bush finally starts using his veto power, we're going to have to do it all again once we have a Democrat in the White House.

Here's the full language of the bill:

A BILL
To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. NEGOTIATION OF LOWER COVERED PART D DRUG PRICES ON BEHALF OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.
(a) Negotiation by HHS- Section 1860D-11 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-111) is amended by striking subsection (i) (relating to noninterference) and inserting the following:
`(i) Negotiation of Lower Drug Prices-
`(1) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices (including discounts, rebates, and other price concessions) that may be charged to PDP sponsors and MA organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a prescription drug plan or under an MA-PD plan.
`(2) NO CHANGE IN RULES FOR FORMULARIES-
`(A) IN GENERAL- Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to authorize the Secretary to establish or require a particular formulary.
`(B) CONSTRUCTION- Subparagraph (A) shall not be construed as affecting the Secretary's authority to ensure appropriate and adequate access to covered part D drugs under prescription drug plans and under MA-PD plans, including compliance of such plans with formulary requirements under section 1860D-4(b)(3).
`(3) CONSTRUCTION- Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preventing the sponsor of a prescription drug plan, or an organization offering an MA-PD plan, from obtaining a discount or reduction of the price for a covered part D drug below the price negotiated under paragraph (1).
`(4) SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS- Not later than June 1, 2007, and every six months thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report on negotiations conducted by the Secretary to achieve lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries, and the prices and price discounts achieved by the Secretary as a result of such negotiations.'.
(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall first apply to negotiations and prices for plan years beginning on January 1, 2008.

Knollenberg Votes NO on Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

Congressman Joe Knollenberg voted NO today on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

SUMMARY AS OF: 1/4/2007--Introduced.

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.

Knollenberg opposed this Act which would have provided funding for life-changing and lifesaving medical research on embryonic stem cells -- even though the stem cells would otherwise be destroyed.

What a waste.

Knollenberg's Response to President Bush's Speech on Escalating the War in Iraq

According to The Detroit News,

"Rep. Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Hills offered "conditional support," [to the President's Plan] but without real progress in Iraq "within 90 days," he said, "we really have to evaluate what we're going to do."

Since President Bush generally says that you are either with him or against him, Knollenberg is certainly not against him, so he must be with him. Lockstep.

Joe skips another vote

Unbelievable! Is he going to sit out the whole 110th Congress? Joe didn't vote on the minimum wage bill today, which passed with a number of Republicans joining the Democrats. Maybe he thinks no one in the 9th district works for minimum wage, but he's wrong.

Maybe he thinks if he never votes "no" no one will notice that he's not voting at all.

Knollenberg Sends Letter to 2008 GOP Hopefuls Encouraging Them to Oppose Increasing CAFE

Congressman Knollenberg has just sent a letter to the GOP's 2008 Presidential candidates urging them not to support any increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles.

Knollenberg said that increases in CAFE "would have devastated tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in electoral vote rich states". He fails to mention the devastation that trade and tax policies, that he has supported, have had on the auto industry.

It would be difficult to find ANY legislation to protect the environment that Knollenberg has or would support.

Joe skips vote on implementing 9/11 commission recommendations

Joe's name is among those not voting on HR 1 to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Wonder what he was doing that was so important that he couldn't show up to vote.

Check out this thread on MichiganLiberal: http://www.michiganliberal.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7856

And the documentation of the vote:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/1/votes/15/

Joe Votes No on Ethics Reform

On H.R.6, passed in the House during the first session of the 110th Congress, Joe voted in lockstep with other Republicans, as expected. Although Titles III, IV and V passed by both sides of the aisle -- Civility, Fiscal Responsibility, and some miscellaneous sections -- not one Republican voted Yes on Title V to adopt the rules. In addition, 48 Republicans voted Yes on Title II, Ethics, however, Joe was one of 152 Republicans voting No. After what went on during the 109th Congress, it's mindblowing that any Congressperson wanting to stay in office the next time around would vote No on ethics reform, which comprised a number of sections under Title II. Maybe Joe was hoping for another trip to Hawaii. Following are the topics falling under Title II of H.R. 6:

Title II. Ethics
SEC. 202. ENDING THE K-STREET PROJECT.
SEC. 203. BAN ON GIFTS FROM LOBBYISTS.
SEC. 204. VALUATION OF TICKETS TO SPORTING AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS.
SEC. 205. RESTRICTION OF PRIVATELY FUNDED TRAVEL.
SEC. 206. LOBBYIST ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTICIPATION IN CONGRESSIONAL TRAVEL.
SEC. 207. FURTHER LIMITATION ON THE USE OF FUNDS FOR TRAVEL.
SEC. 208. EXPENSES FOR OFFICIALLY CONNECTED TRAVEL.
SEC. 209. ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE.
SEC. 210. CLERICAL CORRECTION.
SEC. 211. ANNUAL ETHICS TRAINING FOR MEMBERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE HOUSE.
SEC. 212. DESIGNATING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR.
SEC. 213. DESIGNATING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
SEC. 214. DESIGNATING COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES.
SEC. 215. DESIGNATING COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM.
SEC. 216. DESIGNATING COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
SEC. 217. SEPARATE ORDER: NUMBERING OF BILLS

Knollenberg to appear at Rochester College

Knollenberg is appearing at a Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce event on January 19 from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., and there is a protest against his stand on Iraq being organized to take place outside at 7:15 a.m. The college is located on Avon Road just east of Livernois.

The Rochester Eccentric will most likely be covering this event with a reporter and a photographer. Ten people would be a good showing.

If you can attend, please RSVP to 248-652-8781 (I have left the name of the person organizing this off).

Details of the event:

Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce
January 19, 2007
Legislative Update 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Rochester College (in the RAC Theatre)
800 W. Avon
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
No charge

Let's See What Joe Has Done For Us Lately. Oops. Looks Like He Hasn't Done Anything At All!

Glancing at Congressman Knollenberg's website today gives a fresh look at how he represents the District. He doesn't. Actually, he doesn't do much of anything.

The last report on his website is dated October 17, 2006. Apparently he has been hard at work for the last 10 weeks doing nothing at all.

Then there is his list of speeches. Why look, he hasn't given a speech since March 2, 2005. Nearly 2 years ago. At least we know he isn't out giving speeches. And we know for sure he isn't out talking to his constitutents. The last time any of us saw him it was his picture on a milk carton.

There isn't anything on his website regarding a plan to succeed in Iraq. He did state that "Despite an unrelenting drumbeat of negative news, Iraqis and coalition forces make substantial progress in freedom, safety, health, and development."

Gosh, apparently if it wasn't for the press reporting negative things we wouldn't be losing in Iraq. Of course, it is also the Pentagon and the National Intelligence Agencies that are reporting that the place is going to hell. Apparently we are just not supposed to look behind that curtain.

There isn't anything on his website regarding his plan to help Michigan's auto industry.

There isn't anything on his website regarding the threat of global warming. Oh wait. There is something. Oh look, he supports global warming. He doesn't think it is a threat.

It is time now for the 110th Congress to start.

That means his vacation time is over and Joe Knollenberg can go back to sleep again.

Here is How To Track Joe Knollenberg's Voting Record in Congress

The Washington Post has compiled a helpful database of Congressional votes.

This page lists the key votes and how Congressman Knollenberg voted.

The WP keeps this site up to date so it will be useful for tracking Knollenberg's votes. Of course, it may just be easier to know what President Bush wants because Knollenberg has pretty much voted exactly as he has been told to do by President Bush.

In fact, the WP lists 17 "key" votes -- votes on major bills and resolutions and of those 17, Knollenberg only strayed away from his party vote on 1 bill. On one other Bill he failed to vote. So ignoring the one in which he failed to vote, his record on those other 16 key bills is that he votes the Party Line 93.75% of the time.

We'll follow up here with some helpful statistics and some discussion on his key votes. Stay tuned.

Knollenberg Announces He Will Run For Re-election in 2008

Although he hasn't accomplished a single thing in the 110th Congress yet, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Joe Knollenberg has announced that he will run for re-election in 2008!

Perhaps even more interesting is that Congressman Knollenberg has not made a single public statement regarding the loss of 3 Michiganders in Iraq this week. They may not live in his District, but these brave souls gave their life for a mission that Knollenberg sanctioned. It seems he would at least owe their families an expression of sympathy.

Knollenberg Supports Privatizing Social Security

George Bush is still trying to change social security into a program with private accounts rather than the current system of guaranteed benefits.

Joe Knollenberg supports privatizing Social Security.


Privatizing social security is just the first step towards the Radical Right's plan to eliminate Social Security altogether.

The Radical Right does not believe the Government should have any entitlement programs -- and Social Security is an entitlement program.

If the Republicans control Congress for 2 more years, they will change Social Security and, based on their current plan, likely force the program to become bankrupt in just a few years.

Look at All the Corrupt and Incompetent Congressman that Knollenberg Cavorts With

Based on this list of suspects, there really is a culture of corruption in D.C.

And Joe Knollenberg is just as guilty as the rest of them.

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MI-09: Joe Knollenberg

--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

Lawbreaker not a Lawmaker!!!

Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI-09) sent out a mailing to voters in the 9th Congressional District --- the problem is that it wasn't informational, it was campaign promotional material!!!

It looks like a piece of campaign literature, reads like a piece of campaign literature, but was mailed under the guise of "official business".

Notwithstanding the legality of such a mailing, it illustrates the poor judgment that Congressman Knollenberg has consistently shown when it comes to being fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.

Joe Knollenberg has not only shown contempt for the voters and taxpayers of the 9th District by sending out campaign propaganda under the guise of being official government business, but he may also have broken the law.

39 USC 3910(a)(6)(A) states:
(6)(A) It is the intent of Congress that a Member of . . . Congress may not mail any mass mailing as franked mail--
(i) if the mass mailing is postmarked fewer than 60 days (or, in the case of a
Member of the House, fewer than 90 days) immediately before the date of any . .
general election . . . in which the Member is a candidate for reelection

Voters Deserve to Know When Their Lawmakers become Lawbreakers.

Knollenberg Supports Privatizing Social Security!!

Joe Knollenberg wants to destroy Social Security by creating a system of private accounts rather than guaranteed benefits.

In response to a questionairre submitted to candidates by the AARP, Knollenberg said he wants to revise the system so that "workers" would "begin investing a portion of their payroll taxes into a private, 401K-style savings plan. . . "


Knollenberg is even opposed to allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices!!!

Whose side is he on? Not our side, that is for sure.

Knollenberg claims "Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare can't be sustained"

JOE KNOLLENBERG is Public Enemy #1 for Senior Citizens.

Knollenberg has consistently voted to cut benefits to Seniors and now he wants to force Seniors to risk their social security checks in the stock market.

The Real JOE KNOLLENBERG Said:

"Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare can't be sustained."

(Detroit News, February 1, 2006)

Help fight against Joe Knollenberg!


We need to Get Knollenberg OUT of Congress Before He Takes Away All Benefits from All Seniors.

ZERO = Review & Analysis of Knollenberg's Work Over the Past 14 years in Congress

Looking back at Knollenberg's own account of what he has accomplished during the last 14 years reveals [confirms] what many tax paying Americans fear -- he has done nothing other than collect a paycheck, take all expense-paid-by-Jack Abramoff-lobbyist vacations, and give our hard earned tax payer money to his friends (through earmarked money spelled out in various budget/appropriation bills).

Looking at his own website we can see what he has done over the past 6 years:

~ 1.5 Floor Speeches Per MONTH
~0.6 Other Speeches Per MONTH

He does list about one Press Release per week but those are not only written by and distributed by someone else (and so they require no work by JOE) but they are usually just summaries of Press Releases the Republican Party has issued and say nothing about JOE specifically -- they are just general statements, e.g., Congress Convened today, etc.

What is he doing the rest of the time? 1.5 floor speeches per month? School kids give more speeches than that. Also, don't be mislead by the fancy title "Floor Speech". Most are tributes to people like George Hamilton or recognizing the existence of some obscure industrial trade group like the National Truck Equipment Association.

How about his impressive 0.6 other speeches? That means he gives a speech to some outside group about once every other month. Thank goodness for the boy scouts -- otherwise it seems he would never be invited to speak anywhere.

I am not in Congress and I get invited to speak more than that. Most Congressmen and Congresswomen get invited to speak to outside groups constantly. JOE either doesn't get invited or doesn't accept any such invitations. Either way no seems to be lining up to ask him to speak to their group. Apparently most folks know he doesn't do anything so why bother asking him to come talk about not doing anything. Heck, an empty chair would be better than that.

Although his work record is sparse at best over the past 6 years, there is little or no record of Knollenberg having done anything before 2000. Is it possible he did even less in the first half of his tenure?

Based on our analysis, it seems he works between 90 and 200 hours per year. That means we pay him between $800/hr to $1200/hr. That is more than even the most overrated, overpriced Washington lobbyist.

Plus, we have guaranteed him a free pension and healthcare for the rest of his life. How many of us have the same benefits?

EVICT JOE FROM CONGRESS!!!!

AN EMPTY CHAIR WOULD REPRESENT US BETTER THAN JOE's EMPTY HEAD!!!!

Knollenberg's All Expense Paid $40,000 Vacation in Hawaii -- No Wonder He Doesn't Want Anyone To Know About it

Joe Knollenberg took his wife on a $40,000 all expense paid luxury vacation in Hawaii this past January.

No really. It was a $40,000 trip.

It was completely paid for by lobbyists.

Perhaps Knollenberg's salary of over $160,000 per year just isn't enough.

Knollenberg's lobbyist paid trip was spent here at the luxurious HAPUNA Beach Prince Resort on the "Big Island" where they encourage guests to

Rejuvenate in Big Island luxury at this contemporary beachfront resort offering championship golf, exquisite cuisine and all the amenities of Mauna Kea Resort.

If pictures are worth a thousand words, these pictures must be worth $40,000 --

Knollenberg Makes Shocking Admission that He Does NOT Support Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

In a shocking admission published in the Feburary 1, 2006 Detroit News, Congressman Joe Knollenberg is quoted as saying "Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare can't be sustained". Although many of us have always suspected that Knollenberg was out to destroy Social Security and Medicare, this is the first time he has been so blatant about his position.

"Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare can't be sustained."

Joe Knollenberg
February 1, 2005
Detroit News

Many have suspected that Joe Knollenberg has been wanting to completely disable important programs like Social Security and Medicare.

He and his fellow Republicans are still trying to dismantle Social Security by turning it into a privatized system, they just are not talking about it because they know the public disagrees.

Rather than try to convince the public, they are now trying to quietly change the program by sneaking some provisions into the budget bill.

Without any public statement warning voters that he and his evil henchmen (Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, JOE KNOLLENBERG, Tom Delay, Bill Frist, etc.) were again going to try to destroy the Social Security program, President Bush included the privatization of Social Security in the Budget Bill he sent to Congress on February 6, 2006.

Bush plans to not only privatize the program starting in 2010, but he is going to fund it by taking over $700 billion away from the current Social Security system.

Bush, Knollenberg, Cheney, etc. must truly be dedicated to the total destruction of Social Security if they are willing to take away a huge portion of the program’s funding, privatize the system so Wall Street Brokers can get richer, AND – in the interim, they are looking for ways to cut benefits for current recipients.

Shamefully, rather than tell the truth – that Bush and all the Republican’s in Congress plan to shutdown the Social Security program – the White House characterizes their position as “The President will also continue to promote comprehensive reform of Social Security to place the program’s finances on sustainable footing for future generations.”

Wow. That is a fancy sentence. Let me translate it into the truth:

The President will also continue to promote comprehensive reform try to sneak language into law that will eliminate the current Social Security program as we know it of Social Security and instead force Senior Citizens to invest their money in risky stocks – possibly losing all their retirement benefits – while making wealthy stock brokers and greedy Corporate Executives wealthier. to place the program’s finances on sustainable footing for future generations. Meanwhile, Bush and the Republican’s will try to cut benefits as much as possible to Senior Citizens making it even harder for them to pay their rent and buy their medications.

Please do not just take my word for it, look at p. 321 of Bush’s Budget proposal. It is all just plain as day. The White House estimates it will cost:

* $24.182 billion in fiscal 2010,

* $57.429 billion in fiscal 2011 and

* $630.533 billion for the five years after that

for a total of $712.144 billion.

For additional information, check out this site: www.socsec.org/commentary.asp?opedid=1216

Guns Don't Kill People, People Like Bush & Cheney Kill People

Dick's Score:
1 lobbyist friend shot in the head
+ ?? (Vietnam during Nixon years)
+ 2274 (Iraq as of 2/19/06)


Junior's Score:
152 Executions (as Gov. of Texas)
+ 2274 (Iraq as of 2/19/06)
= 2,426


And not a peep out of Joe Knollenberg. Where was that term last year they all used when tripping over each other to "save" Terri Schiavo? Culture of Life???

Knollenberg Supports Cheney's Proposition that He Has Executive Privilege to Shoot Anyone He Wants to Shoot ... especially if he has been drinking

After hearing though that Cheney sunk so low as to submit to an interview with Brit Hume today, I did look up the transcript.

He claims he has an Executive Privilege to declassify information that is otherwise identified as classified for purposes of protecting national security.

Cheney did con DumbGeorge into issuing an Executive Order that allows the Vice President to classify and declassify some information -- but for the Vice President, all of his authority is limited to when he is "acting in performance of executive duties". Although neither this executive order amendment by Bush nor the original Executive Order defines "executive duties".

It is highly unlikely a court would consider the Vice President's order to his own shoe-licking underling to release information indicating that Ambassador Wilson cannot possibly be a credible source because although he was a card-carrying Republican and appointed as an Ambassador by Bush himself, his wife was not at home walking around barefoot and pregnant. She had a career. A prestigious and top secret career as a covert CIA agent.

Cheney, and since it has all the slime of a Rove idea, most likely Rove himself, must have pondered long and hard to find some way to discredit a man with the credentials -- long standing and high ranking Republican credentials-- of Ambassador Wilson. They succeeded in getting the Fox News liars to try to make John Kerry look like a sissy (e.g., check out the photos they like to show of him in his bathing suit windsurfing and fumbling a football -- that and they tried to make his perfectly charming and quite brilliant wife out to be some sort of evil witchdoctor woman who controlled Kerry's thoughts and actions) so they thought they would try to do the same to Wilson.

He was retired after all and his wife was still working. That made him a sissy right there in the neo-cromagnan minds of Cheney and Karl "Ugly Dog" Rover. (He used to be called Ugly Dumb Dog but that was too difficult for him to remember or spell so he shortened his own nickname to "ugly dog". What kind of loser would do that? Rover. He isn't much good at anything else.)
So they decided to let the world know that his wife had a job, he didn't and the only reason he went to Niger and investigated the rumors about Iraq trying to buy yellow cake uranium was because his wife had gotten him the assignment.

Never mind that the Cheney/Rove story wasn't true. That never bothers them. Sometimes they appear so unethical that they seem pathological in the way they lie and completely ignore facts or reality. They are only good at making up silly false arguments that are made up of short words that the reporters on Fox News probably cannot spell, but they may be able to read them off a teleprompter without making too many mistakes.

By the way, with Rover's history of unethical acts, of lying to the public, of lying and cheating his way through life because he wasn't capable or competent enough to get a real job -- why would anyone like George Bush -- who has so determinedly tried to fool himself into being important like his Dad and his brother -- want that sort of bottom scavenger anywhere in his organization? Does W realize that he was incapable of accomplishing anything by his own merit? Does he know that he is viewed as ignorant by most of the world? Most people who go to Yale and Harvard like to think of themselves as pretty smart. They are particularly interested in having other people think of them as smart. Just the sight of someone like Rover makes me want to run the other way. He is repulsive.

I wonder what it is like to know that everyone knows you are a fake and that you are likely to be written up in history books as the worst President ever? He wanted a job so he could show his Dad he could succeed. That he was smart enough, that he was good enough....But he isn't! That is the part that is so amazing. He knows it. Most of the world sees it. His supporters are just too busy counting their money to even care. I have never bought a friend. Bush and Rover have no friends except the ones they buy.

I cannot decide which one of them is the worse of the bunch -- Cheney, Rove, Bush, or Knollenberg. Wouldn't you have to be evil to collude with evil?

Although I rarely watch Fox News because I think it is highly unethical for any journalist to express his opinion while spouting what is supposed to be "news". Even the faux journalists that were hired to just look good on camera, don't write any news stories themselves, they just read what shows up on the teleprompters - to provide personal commentary under the guise of news. Does anyone remember when a news cast had a minute or so reserved for editorial comment? They would announce it as editorial and have the person speak in front of a sign saying it was an editorial. That was ethical. I don't care if they want to have a show that is all opinion.
An unethical network hires unethical people and reports on unethical politicians. It must be difficult to keep their lies straight sometimes.

In 12 Years Joe Knollenberg Has Never Sponsored any Major Legislation

Bush & Knollenberg Have Not Accomplished Anything Positive or Noteworthy

George W. Bush and Joe Knollenberg are remarkably similar -- they were both elected to office even though neither had any accomplishments to speak of up to that point.

Their elections were handed to them by party members and donors who traditionally fund candidates who are not expected to actually "do" anything while in office other than what they are told by either their Congressional Leadership (Tom Delay) or their "advisers" (Cheney & Rumsfeld).

Less is known about Knollenberg than Bush, but what is most striking is that having been handed the opportunity to do something great for their Country and possibly the world, the former has done nothing and the later has only created harm.

It is difficult to understand why someone with a history of little or no accomplishment would be interested in a position that offered great opportunity for great action, yet take no steps to accomplish anything of merit.

In a recent survey for one of his political opponents in the 2006 election, an overwhelming (76%) number of his constitutents were unable to name him without being given a list of possible answers. (n=867)


Up until a few years ago, Knollenberg's legacy would have been just as bland as his tenure in Congress. However, with the scandals, environmental, economic, and social disasters created by Bush, Cheney and the Republican Party (which is now clearly run by the extremist right wing and generally "uneducated" members).

The Administration that he is so blindly following could give Knollenberg a nasty place in history. He has supported budget cuts for the poor and elderly and has sent American's into a war in Iraq without even giving them protective equipment. He has voted to cut school funding, student loans, and instead opted to give billions and billions of tax payer dollars to wealthy corporations. Historians will review Congress that came in with the Republican "Contract on America" and conclude that they were mislead by their own party leaders and that they misrepresented the interests and views of their constituents. Although there is no penalty for being listed as one the worst Congressman in the history of the Country, it will be a sad and shameful chapter for future generations of his family. His name will not be remembered proudly.

If there is any question about how Knollenberg will be viewed, look at Bush's record. He was a failure before and he has continued to be a failure as President. Since Knollenberg's voting record is 100% consistent with Bush, he shares the blame. Although it may not be reflected in the press today, it will most certainly be written up with the current "press" (including blogs) of the day. Since he hasn't done anything, the only real press for Knollenberg has been his involvement in taking Lobbyist money in exchange for favors like fancy trips to Hawaii and for giving millions of dollars of government contracts to his friends and campaign donors.

Look at George Bush's Legacy -- George W. Bush's legacy will be that of the worst President in the history of the United States. Sadly, his failure as President was foretold by his past. He has never demonstrated competence in anything.

1. Bush Failed In School
Based on even his own statements he was a failure as a student. Clearly, without his Father's name and status in the Republican Party, he would never have been accepted to the elite prep schools he attended. He certainly never would have been accepted at Yale.
He said he was only an average student while at Yale. That hardly seems to meet the criteria for Harvard Business School. It certainly does not meet their criteria for their MBA program. Looking at their current program, Harvard lists minimum criteria and characteristics of potential students as having "Leadership Potential", "Strong Academic Ability", and "Personal Qualities and Characteristics".
A history of drunk driving, fraternity pranks, being AWOL, and having never showed any evidence of being able to be even marginally responsible as an adult and citizen of this Country hardly seems to reflect "leadership potential". His "average" grades would not meet the criteria for "strong academic ability".

He most certainly has "personal qualities and characteristics" -- though none of his could be considered positive. He has terrible communication skills.

2. Bush Failed to Serve His Country in the Military
Although the White House fought to get Dan Rather fired for telling of Bush's failure to complete his service in the National Guard, they never disputed that the story was true. They claim the documents were falsefied. But they never denied the truth of the story. Objective evidence overwhelming shows Bush was AWOL and did not complete his service in the Military.

3. Bush Failed in All of His Business Efforts
First, all of his business ventures were funded by his father, his father's friends, or the Saudi's. When they started to fail, he was usually bailed out by the same "investors". For additional information look up Bush Exploration, Harken Energy, and of course his next company, the Carlyle Group.
4. Bush Has Failed as President
As a President he is bizarrely inconsistent in his positions and explanations of the basis of his activities. He started by proclaiming he wanted Osama "dead or alive" and then just a few months later told us that he wasn't really concerned about Bin Laden.
The only thing that he does do consistently is make statements that are either entirely false, or they oddly describe the opposite of what he is actually doing. For example, he makes statements about how he has built a strong economy but all of the objective metrics show that the only records set in this economy relate to the extent of his failure to grow the economy or create jobs.

New Republican Majority Leader Just As Corrupt As All The Rest of the House Republicans and their Culture of Corruption

The new Republican Party Majority Leader has a cozy relationship with special interests and their money. Rep. John Boehner from Ohio seems particularly fond of expensive vacations to places like Pebble Beach, Venice, Paris, etc.

Although many people thought the Republicans would try to find an honest member to be their next leader because it would be a good sign that the Republicans and their Culture of Corruption could be under a little pressure to reform.

However, apparently there are not any honest Republican's in the House and so they just picked another guy with what they would consider to be an "average" level of dishonesty and corruption.

According to Tim Russert on Meet the Press (02/05/06),

From 535 members of Congress, John Boehner ranked number 10 according to PoliticalMoneyLine, which did analysis of this. Over the last five years they say John Boehner received trips which would equal $157,000, privately funded. And they point out where you went, which is—and here’s, here’s a list,. Congressmen Boehner: White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, where the Green Briar Resort is, eight times; Boca Raton, Florida, six times; Scottsdale, Arizona, four times; Monterey/Pebble Beach, California twice; Edinburgh, Scotland, home of St. Andrew’s Golf Course, twice. Foreign travel: Rome, Venice, Brussels, Paris, Barcelona.

Boehner first responded by stating that his speeches were in great demand. Listening to him reminded me of Al Franken’s “Stuart Smalley” character who started the catchphrase: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me.”

Then his response got quite bizarre. He said he had a lot of brothers and sisters and his father owned a bar. How does that equate to accepting $157,000 in luxurious trips from lobbyists???

He continued with a very convoluted statement:

And I’ve got a very open relationship with lobbyists in town, with my colleagues, with the press, and with my constituents. And, and as a result, you know, people invite me to go give speeches, and I go give them. And you also learn a lot about these industries. It’s easy to point out where I’ve gone around the world, but when you start to look at the people that I’ve worked with—you know, going to, to Scotland with the Transatlantic Policy Network. Now, understanding the relationship between members of the European Union and members of Congress, and trying to build closer ties, this is something that’s very beneficial for members of Congress. And I believe that—that—that privately funded travel ought to be pre-cleared. There ought to be a good public purpose in members going on a trip, and if there isn’t, then they shouldn’t go.

To which Russert merely asked “Congressman, rather than going to a plush resort, why don’t you just meet these guys in your office?” Boehner said “. . . if you get invited, you got to decide whether you can go or not go. . .”.

Apparently making non-responsive statements about the obvious makes one qualified to be a leader in the Republican party. I was surprised that he didn’t answer the next question by saying: “Because Tim, as you know, the earth revolves around the Sun.”

Then Russert asked him about his “cozy” relationship with lobbyists. Russert then quoted the Washington Post “‘Yes, I’m cozy with lobbyists,’ Boehner told lawmakers—lawmakers concerned about his K Street lobbyist connections, ‘but I have never done anything unethical.’”

Then Russert asked him if that was the standard – that as long as he didn’t do anything unethical, it was alright.

Boehner responded:

Tim, everything I’ve ever done in my entire political career has been to the benefit of my constituents and the American people. They’re the ones who dictate what I do every day. I know who I am, and I know why I’m here, not because I wanted to be a Congressman, but because I wanted to do things on behalf of my constituents and the American people. And I—there’s nothing in my entire political career, no decision I’ve ever made, where they weren’t the winners.

Wow. This is actually a lot like saying “because Tim, the earth revolves around the sun.” Or how about, “because Tim, like my constituents, I like baseball and apple pie.”

Boehner likes these free trips so much, he is refuses to implement any House rules that would prohibit them. He is fighting to keep these perks for himself and his colleagues.

Given that their salaries exceed $160,000/yr, doesn’t it seem that members of Congress should be able to afford their own vacations?

Apparently he likes the lobbyists to organize fancy parties for him as well. Russert asked about the apparently well known “Boehner Party” given at all the Republican conventions. They are extravagant and paid for entirely by lobbyists.

Perhaps the most shocking evidence of Boehner being a puppet to powerful special interest groups was back in 1995 when Boehner strutted around the House floor, while the House was in session, and handed out checks from tobacco lobbyists to his fellow Republicans. On Meet the Press, Russert read a portion of the May 10, 1996 New York Times article that exposed Boehner’s arrogant display of the extent that dirty money had entered into the political arena:

There was a big episode in your life back in 1995 when there was—Bob Herbert in The New York Times wrote a column about something you did. . . . Here’s how Herbert wrote it. “One day last summer, 1995 Representative John Boehner of Ohio, chairman of the House Republican Conference, decided to play Santa Claus. He took it upon himself to begin handing out money from tobacco lobbyists to certain of his colleagues in the House floor. He was not deterred by the fact that the House was in session, and that he was supposed to be attending to the nation’s business. He was not constrained by any sense that passing money around the floor of the House of Representatives was a sacrilege.” (emphasis added)

Although the article was published in 1996, Boehner had handed out these checks in June 1995. Recall that this was a particularly sensitive time for the tobacco industry.

A little more than a year earlier, on April 14, 1994, seven tobacco company executives testified to Congress that nicotine was not addictive. By July of 1994, the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation regarding whether the seven executives had perjured themselves in front of Congress. By December 1994, Congressman Meehan sent a request to the Justice Department to open a formal investigation into the tobacco industry, their law firms, and industry organizations.

So it is not too hard to imagine that these same tobacco company executives were deeply concerned about their own legal liabilities. Fortunately they all had Boehner on their side and he was able to help them win friends and influence people throughout the Republican Party.

Russert then moved on to ask about Boehner’s relationship with Jack Abramoff. Republican talking point #1 on the Abramoff issue must be “I don’t know Jack Abramoff. I never met Jack Abramoff. I’ve never heard of Jack Abramoff. But, in the event photos of the two of us sailing, golfing, or having a laugh at a barbeque are either doctored photos or pictures of Abramoff with my evil twin.”

First Russert stated that Abramoff’s tribal clients gave generous donations to Boehner (over $25,000). Then Russert asked if those same tribes had given him money before Abramoff represented them. Boehner said he didn’t know. Russert knew. Those tribes had not contributed a penny to Boehner until they were represented by Abramoff.

Russert then pointed out that Abramoff had 17 contacts with Boehner’s staff and at least one meeting with Boehner himself. Perhaps Boehner should change his statement from “I never met him” to “I never met him except for all those times I met with him.”

I wouldn't be surprised if the Republican's started a new caucus -- the Culture of Corruption caucus. It might help them keep better track of all their lies and bribes.

Is there an honest Republican in the House????

I have not been able to identify one.